Page 30 of Mountain Hero

“Enzo, I can’t ask you?—”

“You’re not asking. I’m offering. I don’t feel right, having you stay at that motel. And you were scared there, weren’t you?”

Winter presses her lips together before giving a small nod. “Yes.”

“And is it better here?”

“Of course it is. But you can’t rearrange your life to protect me. I’ve already inconvenienced you enough.”

“You haven’t.” Circling the island, I sit on the stool beside her. “You aren’t inconveniencing me. And I told you… I want to do this. Help you. Make sure you feel safe. Not because I want anything for it, I just…”

Her cheeks go pink, and a tiny smile quirks her lips. “You can’t stop thinking about me?”

“Yes.” I don’t even hesitate saying it. “It doesn’t mean I expect anything beyond friendship. And helping you. But taking you back to that motel… it just feels wrong.”

Winter picks up a piece of toast and nibbles at it. A tiny line etches across her forehead—a little sign I’m noticing that means she’s having an inner debate with herself.

If I thought she really didn’t want to be here, I wouldn’t be bringing this up. But there’s something in her eyes that tells me she doesn’t want to leave. And there’s a change in her posture since she got here, like the fear and stress aren’t as bad as they used to be.

“I’ll be honest,” I say after several seconds of silence. “It’s been strange for me. Being here alone after spending the last twenty years with people always around. Yeah, I had my own apartment off base, but I saw my teammates basically every day. I enjoy time to myself, but it’s been an adjustment living here.”

“Enzo…” Her voice goes soft. “I’m sorry.”

“No, don’t be sorry. I’m just… trying to explain, but doing a pretty shit job of it. What I mean is… yeah, I want to help you. Be there for you. But also… it’s nice having you here. Having someone around that I feel comfortable with. Before this… I was thinking about getting a dog?—”

Shit. I clamp my mouth shut so quickly it makes an audible snap.

Did I just compare Winter staying here to getting a dog?

“Winter. That came out wrong?—”

She puts her toast down and stares at me, an unreadable expression on her face. “Are you saying I’m like a dog? If I stayed, would you want me to play fetch?”

I’m horrified at myself. “No, of course not.”

Winter looks down at her plate, and her shoulders start shaking.

Shit. Shit. Did I make her cry? “Winter, I’m sorry?—”

Then she looks back up at me, and she’s not crying. She’s laughing.

“Oh, Enzo.” She catches my hand, wrapping her slender fingers around mine. Through giggles, she says, “I know that’s not what you meant. But”—another burst of laughter—“you have to admit, it’s pretty funny.”

“Not that funny,” I grumble, but my own lips are twitching.

“Yeah, it is.” Winter squeezes my hand, and I’ve never appreciated just holding a woman’s hand like this before. “And thank you. I needed this.”

“So does that mean you want to stay? Until we know you’re safe?”

“Yes.” With her free hand, she wipes a few tears of laughter away. “I would rather stay here. Although. I think I’ll take a pass on playing fetch.”

“Absolutely not,” I tell her solemnly, but my heart feels pounds lighter. “Just movies and coffee and better groceries.”

“Okay.” Still smiling, she says, “But I just thought of something I can do to help you. If I get a computer, I can make a real website for the store, instead of that basic one that was probably made ten years ago.”

“More than that,” I agree.

“And I can make up some new graphics. Ads. Flyers. Banners. Anything you want.” She pauses. “If you’re interested, that is. If you’d rather keep things the same?—”

---