Yeah, it kind of did. How else would she keep him from suddenly changing his mind again? “What would you say if I told you yes?”

He stood and faced her. “You should just be glad I came.” Then he strode into the kitchen.

“I am,” Shay called after him, afraid he was mad now and would kick her out at the first opportunity. “I really am.”

He poked his head into the living room. “Then let it go.” A moment later he was out of sight and she could hear him doing something in the kitchen.

“Okay,” she said to the room, too quiet for him to hear, hopeful he was fixing something for her to eat, although she didn’t want to make any assumptions at this point. She stayed where she was and stared at the ceiling as she tried to figure out what she should do.

When she’d fled her apartment the day before, all she’d known was that she had to get away from Will, no matter the cost. Yesterday hadn’t been the first time he’d hit her, or even the worst of his beatings, but yesterday something had changed. It was like a switch had been flipped and the urge to flee had become overwhelming.

She’d been lying facedown on the floor of her apartment, gasping for air, her fingers digging into the dirty carpet, when she’d felt his hot breath next to her ear.

“Don’t even think about leaving, Shay,” he’d said. “I’ll find you wherever you go, and if you make me come after you…” A menacing chuckle had wafted over her. “Well, let’s just say that would be something you’d regret for the rest of your short life.”

Then he’d stormed out of the apartment, completely confident that when he returned she would be there, waiting for him.

At the memory, a shiver of terror raced from the top of her head to the tips of her toes.

She didn’t know where she’d found the courage to flee, but somehow she had. And now, as she looked around the living room—a living room that belonged to a man she’d barely met—a feeling of safety and security wrapped around her like a warm blanket.

Maybe it was because there was no way Will would be able to track her here. How could he? She hardly knew where she was. Or maybe it was something about Josh, that even though his initial reaction to her presence was to kick her out, he’d come for her at the moment she’d needed him the most.

Warmth towards the hot man in the kitchen pulsed through her, and she wished there was some way she could stay there, under his protection, forever.

The heavenly smell of bacon mixed with a sizzling sound reached her, and her stomach began to rumble.

Josh walked into the room a few minutes later. “Are you hungry?”

Shay’s eyes swept over him, taking in his incredible good looks, and the semi-friendly expression on his face. She knew he wasn’t totally excited about having her there, but hey, he was making her something to eat before sending her on her way. “Yeah.”

Motioning with his head toward the kitchen, he said, “I made something to eat.”

Shay’s stomach growled loudly in reply, and one side of his mouth turned up in a smile.

She stood and gingerly followed him to the dining room where he’d set two places, then she glanced at the window. The screen was still missing.

Had he noticed that she’d taken it out the day before? That she’d bent it?

Feeling only slightly guilty—she’d been desperate, after all—she slid her gaze his way to see if he was going to mention it, but he just pointed to the table and said, “Have a seat.” Then he turned and walked into the kitchen.

“Do you need any help?” she called after him.

“I’ve got it,” he said, and a moment later he came back carrying one plate piled with bacon and another plate filled with scrambled eggs. He set them on the table, then poured some coffee into their mugs before joining her at the table.

“This looks delicious,” she said as her mouth salivated.

“Help yourself,” he said, so she did.

The clock told her it was nearly eleven, so she was a little surprised about the late breakfast, although she wasn’t going to complain.

He must have noticed her eyeing the clock, because he said, “I didn’t have time to eat after you left.” His smile was on the sheepish side. “The ATV wouldn’t start right away.”

So he’d come after her soon after she’d left? Interesting. “How did you know which way I went?”

Why was she bugging him about that? She was just going to irritate him again.

Instead of getting angry, he chuckled. “It wasn’t hard to figure out. You left little dusty footprints on the asphalt.”

“Right.” She forked the eggs and placed some in her mouth. After swallowing, she said, “These are really good.”

“Thanks.” He ate a slice of bacon, then he stared at her for several moments, making her fidget. “What’s your story, Shay?”

She wasn’t about to tell him she was on the run from an abusive boyfriend. Not when she felt so stupid for letting things with Will get completely out of hand, for waiting so long to flee. She should have left him after the first time he’d raised a hand to her. But she hadn’t. If she admitted that, Josh was sure to think she was pathetic, to look at her differently. That was not what she wanted. Instead, she stalled. “My story?”

Fork poised over his plate, he kept his blue-eyed gaze steady on her, which nearly disarmed her. “Yeah. This morning you told me you were stranded, but I get the feeling you don’t have a car nearby. Am I right?”

She could admit to that. “Yes.”

“Okay then. How did you get stranded?”

Seeing her chance to get more information from him, she decided to bargain. “If I tell you, will you answer a question of mine?”

He ate another bite of eggs before answering. “Maybe.”

Maybe? That was probably the best she would get, so she decided to give him part of her story. “I, uh, I hitched a ride. And the man…well, he kicked me out of his car.”

Josh stared at her, his face unreadable. “Why’d he kick you out?”

Remembering the leering expression on the creep’s face, as well as his words, she shuddered slightly.

“He, uh,” she began. “He wanted me to do more than just sit in the passenger seat.” Swallowing over the revulsion she felt at the memory, she shook her head. “When I told him that wasn’t going to happen, he stopped the car and kicked me out.”

Josh’s expression didn’t change.

Did this not shock him? Had he heard of this kind of thing before? Was he like the creep? The idea revolted her, but she didn’t know Josh at all. For all she knew, he was worse than the creep.

“That’s how I ended up here,” she added, as if that wasn’t already obvious.

He nodded, then with a tilt of his head, he asked, “Why were you hitching a ride?”

Okay. Enough of the Q & A. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

He gazed at her a moment. “All right.” He finished off his eggs. “How’re your feet feeling?”

Glad he hadn’t pushed for more information, she wiggled her toes. “Much better.” She didn’t want to gush, but she really appreciated what he’d done for her. Which reminded her… “You said if I told you my story you’d answer my question.”

He grinned, his straight white teeth gleaming in his perfectly shaped lips, then he took a bite of bacon. “I said maybe.”

Dang, he was hot. Trying to focus on her question, she said, “Okay. So, I was wondering why you came after me.”

He lifted his mug to his lips. “Already asked and answered.” Then he took a swig.

It had been worth a shot.

He set his mug down and gazed at her a moment. “The question you should be asking is, why were you so willing to come back with me? I mean, you don’t know me from Adam.”

That was a good question, but she knew the answer. It was because she hadn’t known what else to do. Lifting one shoulder in a shrug, she said, “It was better than walking barefoot for ten miles?”

He nodded. “Yeah, that makes sense. But you do realize I don’t have any shoes that’ll fit you, right?”

“Yeah. I guess.”

“So. You have no shoes, and I have no shoes for you. What are you going to do now?”

What did he expect her to do? He’d said he would drive her to the next town. But then what? Was he implying that she’d be walking again soon? After he left her? Hating the idea, and with nowhere to go…

He looked at her face and began shaking his head. “No. Uh-uh.”

“No, what?”

“I barely know you, Shay, but you’re too easy to read.”

“I am?”

One side of his mouth turned up in a smile. “Yeah.”

“Okay. What am I thinking?”

“That you want to stay here. Am I right?”

Yes. “No. No way. That is not what I was thinking.”

He threw his head back as laughter burst from his mouth. After several moments he got himself under control, then he looked at her. “Yeah, right.”

She had to own up to it. “Okay, fine. The thought may have crossed my mind.”

“Like I said. No. Absolutely not.”

As she imagined him kicking her out again, and then walking along the road, blisters covering her bare feet, with only creeps there to give her a ride—a ride she might not even want—warm tears pushed against the backs of her eyes. Don’t cry, Shay. Don’t. Do. It.

She cleared her throat, then to buy herself a moment, she used her napkin to dab at her mouth. Deciding to woman-up, she pushed back from the table and stood. “Can I keep the socks?”

“What?” The sound came out as a bark of laughter.

“The socks. Can I keep them? Since I don’t have shoes.” Clenching her jaw for a moment, she added, “For my walk.”

“Your walk?” His eyebrows jerked together. “Remember? I said I’d drive you to town.”

Shay laughed like all her cares had been resolved. “Oh yeah. That’s right.”

“I’m sure you can buy a pair of shoes when we get there.”

Couldn’t argue with that logic. Except that she only had about twenty dollars to her name. “Alrighty, then. Shall we go?” No point in dragging out the inevitable.

He leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest. “In a hurry to leave now?”

With his arms crossed, his biceps bulged against his chest and she found her gaze involuntarily drawn to them.

“Shay,” he said, and her gaze snapped to his. Cocking his head to one side, he raised his eyebrows as his lips pulled into a smirk.

Why did he have to be so good-looking? Life just wasn’t fair sometimes.

“What?” she asked.

Placing his hands on the table, he stood. “If you’ve had enough to eat, we ought to go.”

Softly sighing, she nodded. “Okay.” At least she’d get to be with him for however long it took to get to town.

With that thought in mind, she followed him out the door and to his truck.