Page 6 of Love on the Run

Callie began to walk toward the staircase that she’d just noticed. Her footsteps got quiet of their own accord, almost a tiptoe. Then she heard heavy steps walking toward the stairs from below. “Callie?” the man’s voice called. “Are you awake?”

“Yes?” she called back uncertainly, her own voice cracking with nervousness. She heard a soft chuckle.

“Why don’t you come down if you want, honey. There’s coffee and eggs.” She couldn’t identify the warm baritone, but it sounded friendly. Honey, he called her. She felt a warmth spread through her belly at the thought of this man calling her that. But she didn’t know who he was. Did she?

Her stomach suddenly rumbled. She realized she hadn’t eaten in almost two days. No longer thinking about what she was wearing, she crept gingerly down the steep and narrow staircase. At the foot of it, she saw the man looking up at her, something like a smile in his hazel eyes. How could I have forgotten that face? Callie wondered. She knew professional models in LA who might have looked better, but none of them had ever given her the rush that his smile just did. “Uh, good morning,” she said, almost stumbling on the last step.

“It’s actually good afternoon.” He had reached out a hand to steady her before she knew what had happened. She balanced against the strong grip, and she was a little sorry when he pulled it back. At that moment, a huge German shepherd ran up and skidded to a halt beside the man. Despite her surprise, Callie held her ground. The dog sniffed her curiously, its nose twitching. He didn’t jump at her, showing how well-trained he was. Callie put out her hand carefully, letting the dog get her scent. It must have decided she smelled all right, because it licked her palm, making her giggle.

“All right, Bruiser. You made a friend.” The man looked at her with a kind of approval. “You hungry?” he asked.

“Where am I?” Callie didn’t know how else to put it. “And, um, do I know you?”

He smiled again, but there was something more serious in his eyes. “Well, first things first. Let’s get some food in you and I’ll tell you what’s what.” His drawl alone told her she was very far away from where she’d started.

“Great,” Callie said, allowing him to put a strong hand on her shoulder and guide her to the small kitchen, just visible past the wide hallway.

Before they reached it, Callie’s eye was captured by the scene outside the wide wall of windows at the end of the little house. She found herself staring at a range of mountains, the hard stone softened by patches of green and purple. It was a bright day, and only a scattering of summer clouds broke up the deep blue sky. The scene was as pure as anything she could remember, far removed from the smoggy, sun-baked hills of southern California.

“It’s beautiful,” she said, involuntarily taking a step toward the windows. As far as she could tell, the whole countryside was wilderness. There was not a house or road in sight. “It’s so wild.”

“Well, that’s Montana for you,” he shrugged.

Callie looked back at him abruptly. “Montana?” she asked in disbelief.

“Yeah,” he grinned crookedly. “Look, it sounds like you might need to sit down while I explain things. Come on.” He motioned to the kitchen, and Callie was glad when he put his hand back on her shoulder, because her legs were feeling very shaky all of a sudden.What had happened last night?

“Do you want coffee?” he asked, as he pulled out a chair at the table. He tried very hard not to notice her legs, but failed. The shirt he had given her only covered so much. Her legs were definitely worth noticing. And seeing her climb down those stairs…

“Coffee? Yes, please,” she returned, glad to know the answer to one question at least.

“How do you take it?”

Any way I can, she almost said, remembering someone else using that line. But this guy was talking about coffee. “No sugar, tons of cream.”

“Good girl,” he nodded as he poured coffee into a mug for her. He placed it on the table, gesturing for her to sit down. She did so, suddenly aware that except for the oversized shirt, she wasn’t wearing much of anything. She unconsciously pulled at the fabric, stretching it. Bruiser sat down right beside her, his fur tickling her bare feet, a happy doggish grin on his face. She breathed in, looking around the kitchen. A moment later, a carton of whole milk appeared next to the coffee, and Callie reached for both as if she’d been tossed a lifeline. Jake saw her, and laughed softly. Then he turned back to the kitchen.

“Do you want eggs or toast, honey?” Jake asked, but Callie couldn’t answer. She was too busy staring at the holster dangling from a hook on the kitchen wall near the garage door, the gun glinting darkly inside of it.

Callie turned her gaze back to the guy, feeling the color drain from her face. “Who are you?”

He looked at her, carefully assessing her state. “My name’s Jake Brand. I’m the county sheriff. That’s why I have a gun. If it bothers you, I can put it in another room.”

“No, no that’s okay,” she demurred in a tiny voice. She knew he was trying to reassure her.

But Jake could tell it clearly wasn’t okay, so he simply grabbed the holster from the hook and strode over to the den, depositing the works on his desk.Probably better not to tell her that there was more than one of these in the house, he thought.Then he felt like a jerk for not realizing that of course the sight of a random gun would freak her out. She’d just been shot, after all.

When he came back out to the kitchen, he found that she was still frozen in her place, looking at him with suspicion and fear. Best to tackle that head on.

“You don’t remember last night at all?” he asked bluntly.

She shook her head dumbly, still gazing wide-eyed at him.

“You must have been driving all day long. I found you pulled off on the side of the highway. You were asleep in your car. I woke you up and saw that nick on your leg.” He nodded toward the bandage. “You passed out, so I drove you to the clinic. Doc fixed you up and told me to take you somewhere to rest. Seeing as you weren’t from here and we don’t have a motel in town, I took you back home.” With every word, he tried to soothe her, show her he wasn’t going to hurt her.

“And you live here?” she asked, calming down a little. She had to stop jumping at every turn.

“Yeah. Just me and Bruiser.” Hearing his name, the dog raised his head, thumping his heavy tail on the floor. He stayed close to Callie’s feet though, and she felt safer for it.

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