Page 24 of Nicole's Shelter

Paranoid, she quietly rolled off the pew to her hands and knees. On sweaty palms, she crawled to Rick’s position. Nothing seemed out of place, though in the poor light by the door, it was hard to tell.

“Rick?” She crept closer, halting when he twitched, twisted, and groaned. Had to be a nightmare. Poor guy. She’d bet the last of her stashed money it was related to why he knew this place so well.

If she’d told him the truth, he might have opted for a solution that didn’t torture him. Guilt heavy on her shoulders, she went back to the pew for the blanket and pillow.

Refusing to overanalyze her motives, she curled up beside him—the side without the gun—and covered them both with the blanket. Gently, cautiously, she laid one hand over his heart, praying it wouldn’t make things worse.

He went still so quickly she thought he must be awake, but when she peeked up at his face, his eyes were closed.

Taking it as a good sign, she let herself sink into the warm, woodsy scent that was particular to this man. It was a detail she shouldn’t know or even be interested in. She was supposed to be looking for the right moment to break away from him and return to her own agenda. Without the car keys she couldn’t get far anyway, she rationalized, and she knew any attempt to go through his pockets would fail.

He remained calm, resting quietly until an alarm sounded. The soft chime would never be enough to rouse her from a solid sleep, but it brought Rick to an awake and alert state immediately. He sat up, scrubbed at the stubble shadowing his chin, and looked down at her. “What’s wrong?”

She didn’t have time to ease away to a respectable distance or come up with a plausible reason for being so close to him. “Sorry. I had a nightmare,” she improvised.

“I had the gun right here.”

“I saw it. I was careful.”

Rick rolled to his feet, tucking the pistol at his back in one fluid motion. “Don’t do that. Don’t take that risk again, okay?”

She nodded, if only to move on to a different topic. He looked scared, his eyes wide and his face pale. “But nothing bad happened. We’re all right.”

He glanced around. “Yeah.” He pushed a hand through his short hair, making it stand on end. She wanted to smooth his hair as well as his frayed nerves, but she felt like she was walking on cracking ice already. “Thank you for a decent night’s sleep. What time is your appointment?” She busied herself with folding the blanket, giving him a moment to regain his composure.

“You’re welcome. Here,” he reached for the blanket and pillow, “I’ll put them back.”

She looked toward the altar and found a prayer whispering through her mind. A prayer for Rick. Whatever haunted him, a poor choice of words in a cemetery, she prayed he’d be free of it. She might have only known him for a few hours, but it was obvious to her he was one of the good guys no matter how bossy or interfering.

“Ready? There’s a truck stop close by and the owner can help us out.”

“Do you mind?” She lifted her camera. “Please? I’ll understand if you say no.”

His head tipped to the side, he studied her for a long moment. She had no idea what he saw, but he shrugged a shoulder. “Go ahead. I’ll be in the car.”

When she joined him a few minutes later, the car was warm and the windshield clear, but frost still coated the side windows.

“Better than a dark tint for as long as it holds.”

She agreed, peering up at the heavy gray clouds. “Looks like snow.”

“Does that mean you’d like to go south when I’m done at the bank?”

“This place is gorgeous,” she said, pointedly ignoring him. The manicured lawns glowed with the heavy frost in the early morning light. It felt so peaceful, so tranquil here. Again she wondered why Rick visited frequently enough to rate his own blanket and pillow if the place only made him hurt and gave him nightmares. She wondered if he knew how restless he’d been.

“You’ll have to give me directions at some point,” he said, breaking the silence.

“I know.” She squirmed in her seat, wondering how much further until they reached the truck stop he considered safe.

“Not much longer,” he said, pointing to a massive sign advertising low fuel prices and excellent food. “I know the owner and called ahead, so he’s waiting. He’ll help us out, no questions asked, and erase any video if it becomes an issue.”

She trembled, a reaction that had nothing to do with the cold and they both knew it.

“After the bank, you need to tell me who you’re running from.”

She tugged her upper lip. It would be so easy to spill everything. And what a relief it would be to tell someone her side of the story. She got the feeling Rick wouldn’t judge. He might even be on her side.

Until he realized knowing her whole story could ruin his life or even get him killed.

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