“Just my head.”
“Did you pass out?”
“No.”
“Do you feel sick?”
“I’m all right,” he said gruffly, which probably meant yes.
She had some ice and a plastic bag among the supplies, so she made him an ice pack.He grunted his appreciation, holding it against the lump on his temple.He also accepted two aspirin and a bottle of water.When he kept that down, she passed him an antacid tablet.
She figured he wanted peace and quiet, like anyone with a splitting headache, so she gave it to him.She checked the dogs to ensure their paws and coats were clear of glass.She hoped Daisy hadn’t ingested any shards when she’d slurped up the peaches.
The basement wasn’t a comfortable place, but it had some hidden treasures.There was a stack of Mexican blankets next to a collection of sports trophies.She glanced at one of the trophies, noting the name on the brass plate: Billy.
She took the blankets from the shelf and placed them on the floor.Then she stretched out with the dogs as if they were having a summer picnic.Daisy napped as the storm raged on, unconcerned, while King stayed in his sentry position.Chico was trembling with fear, so she soothed him with gentle strokes until he calmed.The action calmed Meredith, as well.She adored her dogs like they were her own children.She’d left her husband and her home.Her dogs were the only family she had left.
After about an hour, Wade’s fogginess cleared.He sat upright and removed the ice pack.“Do you have any snacks?”
She had a package of saltine crackers.She gave him a handful and munched on a few herself.Daisy returned to Wade’s side to make a nuisance of herself by begging for a cracker.He ignored her.Now that they were safe, and relatively comfortable, awkwardness settled in.Meredith paged through one of the paperbacks without reading it.Wade withdrew his phone from his pocket to check the weather alerts.
“Any news?”she asked.
“There’s some damage downtown.The warning is still in effect.”He drank more water.“I should be there.”
“Now?”
“I’m a first responder.”
“Wait a while,” she said.“You can’t drive into a tornado.”
She didn’t point out that he also might have a concussion.In her experience, men didn’t like to be reminded of their weaknesses.And, once again, she felt responsible for the accident.She hadn’t warned him about the loose step soon enough.He’d been in the process of rescuing her dog, his arms full.
“Thank you for saving Daisy,” she said.
“Daisy?”
Meredith gestured to the Australian shepherd.Then she introduced King and Chico.King’s ears twitched at the sound of his name, but he refused to look Wade’s direction.He didn’t warm up to strangers easily.
“And you?”Wade asked.
“Me?”
“You never said your name.”
“Mary.”
“Mary what?”
“Meadows.”
His gaze searched hers, as if he could read the lie.“Spelled the usual way?”
Meredith felt a moment of panic, because she wasn’t sure.She was terrible at spelling.Letters got mixed up in her mind, like puzzle pieces that refused to fit.She’d never practiced writing the name on paper.
“Yes,” she said anyway.
“Where are you from?”
