LITMIR.BIZ

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came home early and I got caught. I begged her not to call the police but she was so angry. I was arrested, ultimately posted bond, and I had a court date. But I...failed to appear in court. There’s a warrant out for my arrest. That’s why I don’t really want to do a meet and greet with the police.”

      He studied her. “Where are you getting your pills from now?” he asked.

      “The experience scared the hell out of me. I kicked the habit. It’s been a couple months now. It was a stupid thing to do and I felt like a fool. Before all this happened, my good friends had asked me if I could watch their child when they went to Asia on business. They don’t really have anybody else that they trust. I intend to go back to court, but I couldn’t risk doing it before their trip in case it would mess up my ability to babysit.”

      “Failing to appear in court doesn’t endear you to the judge.”

      “I know. And when they are back, I’m going to take care of it. I’m going to do the right thing.”

      Right now she was doing the wrong thing for the right reasons.

      He looked up at the sky. “Did you happen to check the weather before driving from Tennessee?”

      She shook her head. There’d been no time for that.

      “Are you familiar with Colorado weather?”

      Again, a shake.

      “Winter can come early. Almost every year, we’ll get an early snow in late October. Sometimes it’s just a couple inches and sometimes, like what we’re expecting now, it snows a couple feet.”

      “Feet?” she repeated.

      “Supposed to roll in within the next few hours. Trust me on this—you’re not going to want to be on the road.”

      “We’re staying here for a couple days,” she said. “We’ll be fine.”

      “You got a stove and refrigerator in your room?” he asked.

      “No. But there’s a restaurant close by.”

      “If they’re open. It’s going to be blizzard conditions. Not great for taking out a child. Not that I’m trying to scare you or anything, but I wouldn’t want you to be caught unaware.”

      Well, she’d stepped in a pile of it, as her dad would have said. And then he’d have helped her find a solution. But he and Mom weren’t here anymore. Robbed, absolutely robbed of their lives, by a drunk. And she’d lost not just her parents; their deaths had been the divide that had separated her and her brother for so many years.

      Hannah didn’t have boots or a winter coat. She had a fall jacket, but that likely wasn’t going to cut it. She needed to find a store, get the right clothes for both of them and get some food in case they couldn’t leave the room.

      The idea of staying in that hotel room was a bleak one, but it beat being on the road. The mountain passes were scary enough on dry roads on a clear day.

      “I appreciate the heads-up,” she said. “And...and I’m hoping that you don’t feel compelled to report me to the police. I know you don’t have any reason to feel kindly toward me. After all, I shouldn’t have slept at your cabin. I should have immediately told you the truth. But I did leave as soon as I could. I intended to get and stay out of your hair.”

      “I’m not interested in turning you in. There’s no reward, right?”

      It took her a minute to realize that he was teasing. “I’m pretty sure there isn’t. But thank you. Again.” It seemed she’d stumbled upon a really nice guy. “Do you happen to know this town? Is there an area where I can find a few stores?”

      “You passed them on the way in,” he said.

      She felt her face heat up. “Great.” She stood. “I should get back up to the room. It was a...pleasure to meet you, Rico.” It was true. Bad circumstances and all, but he’d been very decent.

      She got about two steps before he said, “I think you should come back to the cabin.”

      She turned. “What?”

      “It’s going to be a hell of a storm with heavy snow and high winds. Very possible that the hotel will lose electricity. If that happens at the cabin, I’ve got a backup generator and a big fireplace.”

      It sounded...safe. But what was he getting out of the deal? Just because he seemed decent, it didn’t mean he wasn’t a serial killer. But wouldn’t he have killed them the first night?

      Ridiculous question. Ridiculous idea to go back. ‘I can see where that might be a good deal for me, but I’m unclear as to why you’d make the offer.”

      He shrugged. “Like I said earlier, I like doing things for people when they need a hand. And with my ankle, I’m not all that crazy about being at the cabin by myself in this kind of storm. If something happens, it would be good to have another adult there, somebody who could carry wood inside, shovel snow, scrape ice off windows or any number of things that might be hard for me to do in bad weather.”

      It made sense. After she’d injured her elbow, she’d been terrified that she’d do something to reinjure it before it was fully healed. It had been such an unexpected reaction. But good came out of most things, and she’d come out of the injury with a better understanding of why some patients were reluctant to push themselves in therapy. Had realized that it wasn’t laziness but rather fear.

      “How long are you going to be staying at the cabin?” she asked.

      “Couple weeks.”

      That would be so wonderful. Time to pull together a plan. “I could pay you something,” she said.

      “No need. You can buy a few groceries if it makes you feel better.”

      She’d be saving all the money that she’d spend on the hotel. “May I borrow your phone?” she asked.

      If he was surprised by the request, he didn’t show it. Simply handed it to her. She opened the browser. Typed in Wingman Security. Quickly read the home page. Personal and property security. Discreet. Trusted. Recommended. All the keywords jumped out at her. She went to the bio tab.

      There he was. Rico Metez. Former air force communications specialist.

      He was what he’d said he was. He’d been polite, helpful, and he had a valid reason to be offering up a room in his cabin. She was going to have to take the chance.

      “I’d really love to,” she said. But it was going to be impossible to continue the subterfuge about Hannah being a boy. “I have another confession,” she said. “I think I should tell you now so that you don’t think I keep springing these things on you. Hannah, that’s her name, isn’t a little boy. She’s a girl.”

      He didn’t look too surprised.

      “You knew?” she asked.

      “I thought,” he clarified.

      “I was worried that once you found out that we were in the cabin without permission, that you might call the police. You’d have sent them looking for a woman with a little boy, not a little girl. That would have given me a small advantage.”

      “I could have easily described your car,” he said. “It’s unusual.”

      Yes, she really wished Clovis Trane drove a tan Chevy. But that likely wouldn’t have been in storage and immediately available. Everything was a trade-off. “You’re right. I didn’t think of that. I guess I’m not all that skilled at this.”

      He looked at his watch. “I hate to wake Hannah in the middle of her nap, but we should probably get going if we’re going to stop at the store first and then head back.”

      “She’ll go back to sleep once we’re in the car,” she said. “It will take me just a minute to pack and then I need to stop by the hotel office.” She’d paid for

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