Sandy
Her favorite chair rocked slowly underneath her.
Champ lay passed out next to the fire, warming his belly as he made funny doggy noises in his sleep. Turning the page of the thick paperback, she idly wondered if perhaps she should get a cat too, just to complete the animal family she was assembling. Maybe two. Everyone assumed she was a crazy cat lady. Maybe she should start living up to the stereotype.
Am I that lonely?
For so long she’d told herself no, she wasn’t. But now, after an evening spent in close proximity to Palin, she was beginning to doubt herself. It was impossible to lie and say she hadn’t enjoyed her evening. She had, and it wasn’t just a little. From seeing his tight white butt, to feeling his humungous arms close tight around her, she’d done a lot of firsts that evening.
One thing she notably hadn’t done was kiss him. Somehow despite her body clamoring for attention, she’d kept her hands to herself, and even better, kept Palin’s hands to himself.
The book tilted backward, resting against her chest as she let her mind wander to Palin. Palin, the muscled monstrosity currently occupying a spot both in the loft of her barn and in the forefront of her brain. She couldn’t seem to stop thinking about him no matter what she did.
Her lips quirked into a smile as she recalled some of the byplay and banter between them. For a “beefcake” he was certainly quick on his feet, and he had no shame in announcing his desires for more than just friendship with her. Having him around was fun, and it was the biggest, most pointed reminder of what she’d left behind in the city in a long time.
It felt good to be wanted. To know that someone out there had an interest in her and wished to spend time around her. In cutting herself off from everyone around her, Sandy had deprived herself of this sort of interaction. It was for the best, she’d told herself, using that logic to get her through some long nights and even more lonely days.
It’ll be safer this way. It won’t hurt as much. If nobody knew she existed, nobody would come after her.
With the coming of Palin though, she was starting to wonder if her self-imposed isolation was hurting more than it was helping. What else might she have missed out on by cutting herself off?
The idea of becoming a socialite didn’t ring with her either. Sandy knew she wasn’t interested in that sort of lifestyle. But maybe she could entertain the idea of having a few friends. It might not be that bad. It’s not like she had money anymore. Nothing for anyone else to want.
Her smile grew larger as she came to the decision that it was time to come out of her shell. Heck, maybe with some friends they could give her some pointers on how to run the farm more profitably. That alone would be worth it. After all, she didn’t think she could count on Palin for more than the next couple of weeks at best.
“What do you think, Champ?”
He perked up, his medium-length hair reflecting the oranges and reds against his golden and brown coloring. With a sigh he heaved himself to his feet, seemingly understanding that his master needed his presence closer. Giving a longing look at the fire, as if to say “why can’t you sit closer to it?” he padded over to her.
Sandy reached out her hand to pet him, but he stopped halfway. His ears perked up, his entire body language changing in a heartbeat. He looked toward the front door. Then the back, as if unsure of what he was hearing. Whining softly he moved to her side, but he didn’t come in for a cuddle. She swallowed nervously as she heard him growl.
He was protecting her.
Something made a noise by the back door. It was on the far side of the house, cloaked completely in shadow. Outside thunder rumbled overhead, and the storm grew even worse. Rain came pouring down in torrential sheets, hammering against her roof and the glass windows, drowning out any sounds.
Her eyes darted toward the shotgun, but it was at the front door, too far away. If someone was coming in, she would never make it in time.
“Palin?” she called out nervously, hoping it was just her barn guest coming over to the house.
Maybe the roof was leaking and he couldn’t stay dry. That was probably it.
Champ growled again, louder this time. He’d never growled at Palin. The two of them were best friends. If it was the big man at the door, she’d expect her dog to be whining at the door to get him inside already.
It wasn’t Palin. Which meant it was someone else.
“Hello?”
Wood cracked as someone tried to force their way in through the front door.
Champ barked.
Sandy screamed.
The thunder boomed louder.