“I had a last minute work meeting in Washington and what with the weather, all flights and trains in and out of the city have been suspended. My rental car broke down about a mile and a half back. I drove it into a ditch and walked here.”
“You walked all that way? In those clothes?”Is he crazy? Does he have a death wish?
“I’m not exactly dressed for the weather am I?”
“I’m surprised you didn’t freeze to death, it’s colder than a snowman’s penis out there!” I exclaim and Royce snorts a laugh and throws his head back in laughter. “What?”
“I’ve just never heard anyone use that phrase before.” He continues laughing and soon I’m laughing too.
“I’m full of surprises.”
“I bet you are.”
“So, can you get the car fixed?”
He shakes his head. “Tried. The guy at the garage across the street isn’t back until the day after tomorrow at the earliest and all the b&bs are either full or closed entirely.”
“So you have nowhere to stay?” I ask.
“Looks like it.”
“I have a spare room. I guess you could stay with me,” I suggest. I can’t let himnothave somewhere to sleep. It’s not in my nature to not help someone in need.
“I couldn’t ask that of you.”
“It’s a good job I’m not asking then isn’t it?”
“You’d do that? You barely even know me,” he says. “For all you know, I could be a total creep.”
“True, but you rescued me from my asshat of an ex-boyfriend, so that makes you alright in my books. It’s only for a few days, right? And besides, I won’t take no for an answer.”
“Only if you’re certain.”
“If I wasn’t, I wouldn’t have said it.”
“Then how can I refuse?” His smile has my stomach doing those little flips again.
3
Before going home, we go in search of the broken down car Royce abandoned just on the outskirts of town, and with his directions, it doesn’t take long to find it. It’s since been covered in a two inch thick layer of snow which takes us a while to brush off, and after we’ve dug the car out, we hook it up onto the back of my truck and turn back towards town.
On the drive over to my house, we make small talk, and I get to know what he does for a living. He’s the sole owner of an investment company in New York after he bought his business partner out of the firm. He’s a little older than I originally thought, but at thirty-three, he definitely doesn’t look his age.
I’m not sure why I offered a total stranger a place to stay considering my past misfortune with trusting people, but I wasn’t going to allow him to go without a place to stay, and besides, it’s Christmas. I can’t let him spend the holidays homeless out in the middle of winter. It’s only for a few days until his car gets fixed and then he can be on his way back to New York as planned, though I can’t say I don’t welcome the company.
I’ve spent too long cooped up in my house alone with my own thoughts after my dad died just over a year ago. And although I’ve never had a problem with being alone, it’s the loneliness that has began to take it’s toll on me recently what with a Christmas just around the corner. It makes a nice change to be able to talk to someone other than my regulars at the diner.
“I hope you don’t mind dogs,” I say, pushing open the door just as Romeo, my four year-old husky bounds out, jumping up at me excitedly. On his hind legs, he’s almost as tall as me which can scare some people, resulting in me not having many visitors except maybe for Maeve and the twins.
Romeo was a stray I found on the side of the road one year, bundled up into a ball in the pouring rain. He was so tiny, his little body shivering from the cold, he couldn’t have been much older than a few weeks, and any longer in the cold he might have died. His fur is thick and soft, chocolate brown with flecks of caramel and his eyes are a sharp ice blue.
“Okay, okay!” I giggle, nudging Romeo back down onto all fours. His ears fold back as he takes in Royce, stalking towards him warily with his head hung low, sniffing at his feet.
After a minute, Romeo’s tail begins to wag as he nudges Royce’s hand with his nose, licking it. Royce chuckles, scratching behind Romeo’s ears, something that has him putty in Royce’s hands.
“His name’s Romeo. I found him dumped on the side of the road, left out in the cold all alone.”
“Seems you’ve got a thing for taking in strays.” Royce’s mouth curves into a smile as his eyes flick up to meet mine.
