Lori was almost ready for the day, having pulled her multicolored curls into a low ponytail to keep it off her face and put on just a smidgen of makeup. Some mascara and lip-gloss and blush to brighten her cheeks.

She had pulled on a jacket over her tee shirt and jeans and was about to head downstairs when she heard a knock on her door.

She went to open it, heart pounding as she wondered if it was Sever there, and stopped when she saw Taylor standing there with folded arms.

“That weird guy slept on the porch last night,” Taylor said, cocking his head, letting his blond hair fall to one side.

“He what?”

“He fell asleep on the porch,” Taylor said, looking mildly disgusted. “He’s still flopped out there now.” He shook his head. “You never let me sleep outside.”

Lori fought back a grin, thinking she was probably going to have to tell Sever to stop doing things that would make Taylor feel she was enforcing a double standard.

But she’d need to get his reasons for sleeping on a porch first when there was a perfectly good bed upstairs. He didn’t seem like the kind of man who did things without reasons.

She flushed as she remembered him coming to her rescue the night before, when the Cleavers had been bothering her, and how nice it had been for all three of them to watch a movie together.

She put a hand over her face and sighed, trying to remember that of course things were ideal because she’d hired the perfect man. This wasn’t romance, and she’d do well to remember that.

“Should we go look at him?” Taylor asked.

“Sure,” she said, zipping up the bottom of her light jacket. “Let’s go see if he needs anything.”

She led the way downstairs, Taylor following skeptically, and when they opened the front door, she heard the porch swing creak as Sever woke with a start, staring over at them.

His gray hair was hilariously disheveled, escaping from his braid at all angles, and from the circles under his eyes, he didn’t appear to have slept well at all. There were little bits of brush stuck in his hair and on his shirt, and he was still wearing his jeans from last night.

He tried to gather his composure as he looked at them, straightening and trying to push back his hair, and Taylor let out a giggle.

“Shh,” she muttered. “Stop it.” She walked forward, plucking a piece of straw out of Sever’s hair. “Were you out here all night?” she asked, taking a step back and folding her arms.

He pulled his braid in front of him and checked for any other debris. “Of course I was. Someone had to keep watch.”

She cocked her head, narrowing her eyes. “Really? You couldn’t keep watch from inside?”

His eyes went over her, and she saw him checking out every detail of her outfit with a slightly predatory glow. Then he looked out toward the road, biting his lower lip. “Better view out here. Easier to hear things.”

“Nevertheless, I think we’d both prefer if you slept inside. It’s not safe out here,” she said. “And we have locks on the doors. I’m sure you’d hear an intruder. And we haven’t had any break-ins.”

“Not safe?” Sever asked, standing and stretching his huge body in a way that made her feel all too aware of being a woman.

“Yes,” she said. “There are natural predators…”

His dark-gray eyes twinkled. “Like what?”

“Coyotes, snakes,” Taylor said, stepping forward, glaring at Sever. “If Lori says it’s not safe, then you shouldn’t do it.”

She eyed Taylor with pride for backing her up as Sever turned to the side and muttered something under his breath.

“What was that?” she asked.

“I said I’m the biggest predator out here,” he said, raising one eyebrow laconically as he looked at her.

“Oh,” she said.

“What does that mean?” Taylor asked, walking forward. She saw that his small hands were in fists at his sides. “You’re just a person. You should be careful.”

Then he turned and ran back into the house before either of them could say more, and Sever looked at Lori guiltily.

“Did I say something wrong?” he asked.

Lori let out a sigh. “I’m not sure. My guess is he was worried about you. You know, he just lost someone. I’m sure his world doesn’t exactly feel safe.”

Sever stood with a nod. “Okay, I’ll go talk to him.”

“It’s fine,” Lori said. “I can work it out for him. Heaven knows you’re already doing so much more for us than you ever agreed to.”

“A real man does what’s right, not because he agreed to, but because it’s right. I’ll go talk to him.”

“Did you still want to go to town today?” she asked, looking him over and letting a little shudder go through her at the thought of the townspeople seeing him.

“Yes,” he said. “I’d like to see it. It’s your home, right?”

She shook her head. “Not really. No one here accepts me. They don’t like outsiders, and… I’m sure you’ll see.” She waved a hand at him. “Anyone who looks a little different isn’t really welcome.”

“And I look different?” he asked, walking toward her as she backed up toward the front door.

“I suppose,” she said, looking up him.

He planted his hands on either side of her head, making her catch her breath. Despite his night outside, he smelled amazing, like fresh air and pine and mountain breezes. He leaned closer. “A good kind of different or bad?”

“Does it matter?” she asked, praying her heart would stop hammering. “You said we had to stay professional.”

“What if I changed my mind?” he asked, his eyes moving down to her mouth.

She wet her bottom lip, trying to remember how to talk, let alone what a proper answer was.

He looked up when he heard something move upstairs. “I’ll let you think about it. I’m going up to talk to Taylor. Then I’ll take a shower and get ready, and we can head into town together.”

“But what if they’re rude to us?” she asked, folding her arms defensively as he walked past her and into the house.

His lips just pressed into a firm line, and she saw the stubborn warrior in him rise to the surface as it had the night before. “Just let them try,” he said.

Then he was off, jogging up the stairs with heavy steps that rattled the flooring as he went to see Taylor in his room.

She slumped in a chair at the kitchen table and let herself imagine that moment with Sever so close to her, just for a minute longer.

* * *

Sever had shaved his face and redone his braid so it was tighter, but even with a clean leather jacket, well-fitting jeans, and tight tee that emphasized a huge chest, he still looked far from normal for the men in this town.

For one, he was about a foot too tall for them. Well, maybe six inches. And his broad shoulders and muscular build only made him seem that much bigger overall.

His face had a fresh, clean look, and the shadows under his eyes were less pronounced after a good breakfast and a shower. He smelled clean and fresh and soapy and masculine, but she sort of missed the way he’d smelled after a night on the swing.

He once again looked like a big friendly giant, and while she wasn’t sure what he’d said to Taylor, the two definitely seemed cool again.

In fact, Taylor had asked Sever if his hair was long enough for a braid, and though Sever said he had to grow it a little longer, Taylor had seemed encouraged.

The boy had always had long, thick hair as long as she’d known him, and it had been a sore point with some of the kids in town. Of course, there were other reasons as well. No one really wanted to send their kids out with that weird lady with weird-colored hair.

Sever, on the other hand, seemed completely oblivious to what they were headed into, and she guessed maybe he’d never been to a very small town before.

Still, it was good for Taylor to see someone who was strong in their own opinion of themselves and didn’t give a dang what anyone else thought.

“Where to first?” Sever asked when they were all loaded up in the truck, Taylor in the back of the cab, Lori in the passenger seat, and Sever driving.

Why couldn’t she just stop smelling him? Or looking at him? Or noticing how tall he was?

Or thinking about the fact that he’d asked what she’d say if he’d changed his mind about being professional…?

It was making it impossible to think.

“Lori,” Taylor said. “Where are we going?”

“Oh, right,” she said, tucking a curl behind her ear. “I suppose Clara’s, right? She has the best assortment of ready-to-eat foods, plus whatever else you might like.”

“Clara’s?” Taylor asked, wrinkling his nose. “Really?”

“Really,” she said. “She can’t just not sell to us.”

“Didn’t stop her before,” Taylor said. “I hate how she always ignores you.”

“It’s fine,” Lori said. “The people here aren’t used to people like us. Me.”

“Why?” Sever asked. “Aren’t you all humans?”

“I don’t know if it’s because I’m an unmarried woman or if it’s because my hair is odd or because I speak my mind or because the Cleavers hate me and they kind of run the town. I don’t really know.”

“Have you ever asked them?”

She snorted. “Something only a giant man who has never been afraid of what someone could do to them would say.”

“I’ll ask them, then,” he stated. “If I see something.”

“No,” she said, putting up a hand as they drove down the dusty, bumpy road that led to town. “I don’t want to hear it.”

“I’m not going to let them treat you badly,” Sever said.

“That’s fine,” she said. “We’ll just finish our shopping and get out. And not go into town again.”

“And you’re fine staying here?” he asked. “In a town where you don’t even feel safe doing your shopping?”

“I feel safe.” She lied. “As long as I don’t cause trouble.”

Sever’s eyes narrowed, and she wondered if she was hallucinating or if it really did make him look even more handsome. “We’ll see about that. I’m starting to get the idea that there’s more than you’re even telling me going on here, and I’m going to get to the bottom of it.”

She flushed and turned away, nodding. There was no point arguing with him. She’d called him out here because she needed help.

She peeked into the backseat to see Taylor looking out at the dry, brushy land rushing by as they drove, a contemplative expression on his face. For his sake, she hoped this went well for all of them.

But she didn’t have very high hopes for it.