Chapter 3

I bolted upright, heart racing, pulse pounding so hard I could feel it in my fingertips. I'd had the strangest dream about a stranger showing up in the middle of the night, stumbling into the kitchen and?—

The sheets rustled softly, and I froze, suddenly realizing I wasn't alone. And it hadn't been a dream. Ever so slowly, I swiveled my head to the left, my wide-eyed stare raking over the man sprawled next to me.

He lay there almost unnaturally still, and my heart dropped to my stomach. Tentatively, hand shaking, I reached out and settled my fingers ever so lightly on his broad chest. A relieved breath whooshed from my lungs when I felt the slight rise and fall of his torso as he drew in a breath.

Could he feel my touch? I skimmed my fingers over his collarbone, up to the wiry hair that covered his face and neck.

I waited for him to stir, to open his eyes or even grab my hand. But he never moved, completely unaware of everything around him.

Did he have a concussion? Or, worse, was he in a coma? My stomach swooped. Maybe I should have called a doctor. I bit my lip. I would have to deal with it one thing at a time. At least he'd made it through the night and wasn't feeling any pain right now. But he would definitely need painkillers when—if—he woke up.

I slipped from the mattress as quietly as possible, then crept to my closet. Taking my clothes with me, I headed to the bathroom where I dressed and got ready for work. After grabbing a cereal bar, I peeked in on the man once more. He lay in the same position, and I bit my bottom lip.

Would he be okay here all by himself? What if he woke up while I was gone? In all honesty, he would probably sneak out. Though I wasn't entirely sure why, my heart gave a hard thump at the thought. I hoped he would recognize this as a safe haven, a place where he could stay safe while he healed.

For reasons I couldn't begin to explain, a pang of sadness ricocheted through my heart.

I could at least rest in the knowledge that I'd done what I could to care for him. Whatever happened now was out of my control.

Throwing one last look his way, I headed down the hall and out the front door. Summer was in full swing, even up here in the mountains, and I slid my sunglasses into place before climbing into my car.

I lived on the outskirts of Pine Ridge, a picturesque little town in the Salish Hills of Montana. When I'd arrived several years ago, I wasn't entirely sure what to think of the place. But the people had drawn me in, and I couldn't imagine myself anywhere else.

Pavement turned to gravel as I pulled into the parking lot behind the plaza where my shop was situated. The morning was fairly uneventful, with only a few customers stopping in to buy flowers. My mind continued to stray to the man at my house. Had he woken up yet? Was he still there?

I made a display for the Fourth of July and placed it in the window, hoping it would draw people in. I drummed my fingers on the counter, anxiety tugging at me. A half hour early, I flipped the sign to closed and strode down the sidewalk toward the Clothing Emporium.

The bell tinkled merrily as I entered, and Joey shot me a smile from where she stood arranging clothes on a rack. "Hey! What brings you by?"

I returned her warm smile. "Just browsing."

I didn't know Joey well, but our paths crossed often enough that she was a familiar face. "Let me know if you need help with anything."

"Thanks." I bit my lip. "Actually... I need a pair of pants. Sweats," I amended, thinking of the man's wounds. Those would be far more comfortable than jeans.

"Sure, right over here," she said, gesturing toward a neat stack of women's lingerie and loungewear.

My cheeks heated. "Oh, um... I need them for... a guy."

Her eyebrows rose the tiniest fraction, impelling me to explain. "I have a… friend… who's a little down on his luck," I lied. "I wanted to pick up a few things for him."

She nodded, her intelligent eyes missing nothing as she stared at me. "What size?"

I moved toward the rack and held up a pair. The man was thin right now, but when he filled out again, his size would change. I selected a pair with drawstring. "I'll take these."

"Anything else?"

"A shirt. Socks." I blushed. "Underwear."

"Sure thing." She smiled, studying me like she knew I wasn't being entirely honest. "How many of each?"

I had no idea how to answer that. Who knew how long the man would stay—if he was even there right now. "I'm… I'm not sure."

Joey's eyes softened. "Can I make a suggestion?"

My pulse beat hard. Maybe coming here had been a huge mistake. "Sure?"

"I still have a lot of my grandfather's things at the house. You could use those so you don't have to buy a bunch."

I stared at her, dumbfounded. "Really?"

"Of course. I'll ring up these," she said, holding up the sweats, and the socks and underwear. "Why don't you stop by my house after work and pick out what you think will work?"

"That would be great. Thank you so much. I really appreciate it."

"Any time." She stacked the items on the counter and scanned each one. "Anything else?"

"Shoes. About... this big," I said, holding my hands about a foot apart.

Joey laughed. "Let's see what we can find."