“Thank you.”
He only nodded before disappearing again.
Amanda removed her shoes and wet socks, then helped Chloe remove her boots. The woolen footwear felt heavenly on her feet. After setting their shoes near the fire, she drew her daughter onto her lap and draped the blanket over them both. “I don’t know if I’ll ever feel warm again,” she whispered.
“Me, either.” Chloe shivered. “Hold me close, Mommy.”
Amanda tightened her embrace. Glancing around the room, she saw photos on the mantel. An older man who looked a lot like Jeb and a dark-haired woman smiled down at her from one frame. In another, Jeb stood flanked by two younger guys who also resembled him. Jeb had his arms curled over their shoulders. All three were grinning, showing off teeth so white they could have been models in a toothpaste commercial.
Oh, God, I hope I haven’t made a horrible mistake by coming here. Pressing her cheek against her daughter’s hair, she detected the faint smell of food. Her stomach snarled with hunger, calling to mind the frozen leftovers she’d forgotten at home. Coming here hadn’t been a mistake.
The delicious aroma of what she guessed was braised chicken grew stronger. A man who cooks? Amanda was surprised. Mark wouldn’t even help wash dishes, and he had often slapped Amanda for putting “shit” on his plate.
The tension slipped from her shoulders as the heat from the fire surrounded her. It felt so good that she could have gone to sleep. Just then a monstrous dog lumbered into the room. She didn’t need to look to be sure it was a male. He had the most massive head she’d ever seen on a canine. He also looked vicious and capable of devouring people before using their bones to pick his teeth.
He let loose with a low, rumbling growl. Amanda couldn’t think what to do. If she moved, he might leap. Chloe screamed and burrowed against Amanda to hide her head under the blanket. Amanda was tempted to join her.
* * *
When Jeb heard Chloe’s scream, he had just set the digital timer on the pressure cooker, so he rushed to the living room. When Chloe peeked out at him from her mother’s arms, he couldn’t help but think she was the cutest little thing he’d ever seen.
Resting a hand on his dog’s shoulder, Jeb said, “This is Bozo. I named him that because he’s such a clown.” Chloe peered out at him again. “I know he looks scary, but the truth is, he wouldn’t bite a flea to get it off his back.”
“He growled at us,” Amanda said.
“I don’t doubt it, only it wasn’t really a growl. That’s just how he talks.”
“Are you one of those people who says his dog is smiling when it snarls?”
Jeb chuckled. “Trust me, I don’t wear blinders when it comes to Bozo. He’s a mastiff. At his last vet check, he tipped the scales at two hundred and thirty pounds. He once ate my sheep’s shelter because I’d left him alone. But people are safe. He’s a very social animal. The only reason I didn’t have him with me today is because I didn’t have room in the truck with all the emergency supplies.”
The beast growled again. Chloe squeaked and shrank against Amanda. Jeb walked over to crouch in front of them. The mastiff came with him. “Don’t be afraid, honey. That’s just how Bozo says hello. If you don’t say hi back, you’re going to hurt his feelings.”
Chloe poked her head up from under the blanket to stare at the giant dog. Bozo pressed forward, whining and rumbling at once. Jeb decided he’d better take a stab at translating dog language into English. “He’s saying that he’s never been around a little girl and would really like to make friends with you. Though Bozo is very big, he has a gentle heart. He’s always careful not to knock people over, and I’m guessing that he’ll be even more cautious around you because you’re so small.”
Chloe studied the dog. “What melted his lips?”
Jeb saw Amanda stifle a smile, and he almost grinned himself. “Mastiffs just have droopy jowls.” He winked at the child. “When he starts to shake his head, be sure to duck. He throws drool everywhere.”
* * *
Amanda gathered the courage to stretch out her hand to pat the dog on the head. Looking beyond his sagging lids, she searched his red-rimmed brown eyes. She saw no viciousness, only an appeal to be friends. She didn’t want Chloe to be afraid of dogs. Her daughter was already fearful of far too many things.
Upon seeing her mother touch the mastiff, Chloe dived back under the blanket. Bozo licked Amanda’s fingers and then rested his wet, drool-laced chops on her knee. He frowned as he studied the trembling lump under the fleece.
Still hunkered down in front of them, Jeb said, “He’s nothing but a big old love, Chloe. He’s only ever seen little girls at a distance, and he’d probably like to get a better look at you.”
Chloe finally peeked at the dog again. Bozo growled, sending her back into hiding. As if the dog sensed the child’s terror of him, he rolled over onto his back, rumbled again in a friendly way, and paddled his front paws in the air. The huge animal looked so silly that Chloe, who’d bared her head again, giggled. At the sound, Bozo leaped to his feet with surprising agility. Chloe didn’t dive for cover quickly enough and received “doggy” kisses. The child sputtered and tried to push the dog’s head away. Bozo contented himself with licking her tiny hands.
“Don’t be afraid,” Amanda said. “As scary as he looks, I don’t think he’s mean.”
Soon, with Jeb narrating an explanation of Bozo’s behavior, Chloe slipped off the ottoman and sat on the floor. It was apparently love at first meet, because the child quickly went from timidly petting Bozo to hugging his thick neck. The dog growled happily.
Jeb returned to the kitchen to check on their meal, and before Amanda knew it, Chloe was curled against Bozo for warmth, the light of the fire bathing them with its heat, both of them fast asleep.
Jeb rounded the corner into the living room. “Dinner’s done.” He glanced down at the sleeping pair and grinned, shaking his head. “Dumb dog. He’s supposed to be a watchdog. Instead he’s never met a stranger.” He lifted his gaze to Amanda’s. She found herself thinking that he had beautiful eyes, their hazel depths shimmering like topaz in the flickering light. Even so, the spacious room didn’t seem big enough to hold him. “I can put Chloe’s dinner in the warmer. When she wakes up, she’ll be hungry, but for now, maybe we’d better let her sleep. It’s been a long, cold, scary day for her.”
Amanda hated to leave her warm nest, but hunger drove her to discard the blanket and stand. Jeb led the way to the kitchen—if it could even be called that. Amanda took in double ovens and so many built-in appliances that she didn’t know what half of them were. Jeb Sterling believed in living large. The kitchen was huge. His dog was gigantic. His pickup had a full and comfortable-looking backseat. And his house was a sprawling place, sparsely decorated but pleasant and homey despite that.
“I’ve never seen so much counter space,” she said. “Five individuals could cook in here at once. I think this is even larger than the school cafeteria kitchen.” She ran her fingertips over the dark marbled granite of the work island. “This is gorgeous.”
Oversize oven mitts on his hands, Jeb circled her, carrying serving dishes. “I’m one of six kids. When my family visits, the kitchen doesn’t seem quite so big. And everyone is elbow to elbow, cooking, chopping, or stirring.”
Once again, Amanda found herself wondering how this handsome, tawny-haired man with twinkling eyes and a smile that could light up a room had managed to stay single for so long. She guessed he was about thirty.
When he had all the food on the round kitchen table, he motioned for her to take a seat across from him. Once she’d lowered herself onto a chair, he bent his head to bless the meal. Mark had never allowed prayer in his house. Over time, Amanda had learned to say the blessing in silence, never letting her expression give her away. Though Jeb didn’t say the words aloud, she appreciated that he observed the tradition, one with whi
ch she’d grown up. Her dad had always done the honors. The memory made Amanda miss him.
“If you’ll dish Chloe a plate, I have the warmer ready.”
He had roasted a whole chicken with potatoes and carrots and had made a tossed salad. “How on earth did you get this done so fast?” she asked.
“Digital pressure cooker. Everything is cooked in a third of the usual time.”
Amanda gave Chloe a chicken leg and a small serving of vegetables, afraid to dish up too much for fear the child wouldn’t eat it all. She didn’t want Chloe to be made to sit at the table until she finished swallowing bits of food she didn’t want. Glancing at Jeb, she wondered if he would get as angry as Mark had if Chloe’s appetite didn’t meet his expectations.
“What?” he asked softly.
Amanda shook her head. “It’s nothing.” Excusing herself, she stood and collected the plate. “Where is the warmer?”
“Just around the end of the peninsula bar,” he replied. “Second bottom drawer, stainless-steel front.”
Amanda found the appliance and tucked Chloe’s meal inside. When she resumed her seat at the table, she saw that Jeb had carved the remainder of the hen into pieces. She placed a folded paper towel on her lap and then chose a breast before filling the remainder of her plate with vegetables and salad, which had been tossed with a berry vinaigrette. The poultry was melt-off-the-bone tender and delicious. Jeb filled their glasses with water from a pitcher. Until she took a drink, Amanda hadn’t realized how thirsty she was.
“This is wonderful,” she told him. “Thank you for inviting us here.”
“I’m happy to have you.”
They ate in silence for a minute, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. Jeb seemed to be as hungry as she was. He apparently realized that he was gobbling. After swallowing a mouthful, he smiled and said, “Sorry. I’ve been flat-out all day, and the energy bars I tossed on the dash were frozen solid before I found a moment to try eating one.”
Amanda shared her experience with the frozen leftovers. “We held pieces of pizza in our mouths until they thawed enough to chew them.”
“I didn’t have time for much mouth thawing. It was a crazy day.” He wiped the corners of his lips with his napkin. “Tony, across the road, pounded on my door well before dawn. I felt grumpy at first, but now I’m really glad he recruited me to help. I didn’t realize how many oldsters live on Elderberry. Most of them were in desperate straits.”
He told her about a lady who’d become offended when he poured RV antifreeze down her drains, inferring that he felt her house was small enough to be on wheels. Then about an old man who’d proclaimed himself to be ninety years young and had fallen and bruised his hip while trying to bring in wood. “And I can’t forget my mom’s friends on Ponderosa Lane,” he told her. “I knew Mom would skin me alive if I didn’t check on them, so I went to their houses first. Nobody answered their doors. I was getting really worried that they were inside, frozen stiff, when I saw Mary Melissa Dilling’s house lit up like a Christmas tree.”
Amanda listened intently as he described the “ice storm party.” He had a gift with words and helped her envision each lady. It impressed her that he knew not only their names but also approximately how old each was. She’d never lived in a town where people were acquainted with practically everyone. It gave her a warm feeling.
“Then I ran into Lucy and Ethel,” he continued, grinning. “Twins who are seventy-five, never married. I think they’ve lived their whole lives on a little stage of their own making. Lucy has bright red hair and wears even brighter red lipstick. Ethel is a little plump and hasn’t bothered to cover the gray. Honest to God, I felt as if I’d just entered an old I Love Lucy rerun. I kept expecting Ricky to walk in and swear at Lucy in his mother tongue.”
Amanda couldn’t resist inserting, “I’ve never watched a Lucy rerun.”
“Then you are in for a treat. Every once in a while, when I’m feeling down, I’ll watch an episode on Netflix. Some humor never loses its appeal.” He took a bite of chicken and then swallowed. “Anyway, they both called me sonny and followed me around, spouting off like retired female drill sergeants. I almost cleaned my ears to make sure I was hearing them right. I left my ‘sonny’ days behind years ago.”
“You can’t be that old.”
“Thirty as of last July. I’ve quit counting birthdays. Makes me feel ancient.”
“Thirty isn’t old.”
“Spoken like a person who hasn’t gotten close yet. When you arrive, it’s a shock. You wonder where all the years went since you turned twenty-one.”
“I turned twenty-five in September, so I’ll be there before I know it.”
“Don’t be in any rush. Once you hit that landmark day, your friends will wear black armbands to your party, and your cake will read, ‘Over the Hill.’”
Amanda was too nervous about bedtime to muster another smile. As for a party to celebrate her birthday, she hadn’t had one in years.
When they finished eating, she cut circles around Jeb as she helped to tidy the kitchen. They touched hands once, the contact sending a jolt up her arm. Then they bumped into each other, which set her off balance and prompted him to grab her arm to steady her. Again, she felt an electrical tingle dart over her skin. Not good. But she was stuck here, at least for tonight. The only positive things about it were that she finally felt warm and her brain was working again. Now she understood why she’d forgotten the SD card, which she guarded with almost as much diligence as she did her daughter. She’d been too cold to think.
After they finished cleaning up from dinner, Jeb brought in a leather sling of wood and started a fire in the adjoining family room. “This woodstove will keep the whole house toasty overnight. The heat rises and makes all the upstairs bedrooms cozy, no matter how cold it is outside.”
He went to the living room to grab Amanda’s pillowcases and led the way upstairs. Though there were four large, unoccupied bedrooms, Amanda decided to use only one. She’d sleep better with her daughter next to her and the butcher knife under the mattress. The queen bed, already made up in case one of his family members came to stay, would be large enough for both of them. There was also an adjoining bath, so Amanda could barricade the door without worrying that Chloe might need to relieve herself during the night.
Jeb put their things on a dressing bench. Then, placing his hands on his hips, he turned to face her. “Amanda—I hope you don’t mind me using your first name, but calling you Ms. Banning seems over the top at this point.”
“No, I don’t mind.” She just wished he’d stop looking at her as if she were a tasty morsel that he might enjoy for dessert.
“Anyway,” he said with a wave of his hand, “I couldn’t help but notice how nervous you were of me in the kitchen. And while carrying the pillowcases, I also noticed that you packed a butcher knife.”
Amanda glanced at the bags, trying to think how she could explain. “I sleep with it for protection,” she admitted.
He nodded. “I figured as much, but under my roof, you aren’t going to need it. I present no threat. I give you my word on that. And no one else can get in this house at night without waking Bozo. He sleeps with his ears pricked.”
“And what will Bozo do, lick an intruder to death?”
He smiled. “Bozo is very friendly but not dumb. He knows the difference between friend and foe. If anyone enters this house uninvited, he’ll wish to God he hadn’t.”
Amanda’s skin prickled under Jeb’s sharp gaze. “What will Bozo do?”
Jeb winked at her. “I’m not sure because no one has ever broken in, but I’ve been told that a lot of mastiffs will grab a man by his gonads, back him into a corner, and bite down a little harder each time he dares to move.”
“That’s comforting to know.”
He laughed and moved past her. “The thought gives me the heebie-jeebies.” He p
aused in the open doorway and turned to look at her again. “I know I’m a stranger to you. If you’re still uneasy about spending the night here, I can invite my mother over. I keep all the beds made up for unexpected guests and have fresh towels in all the baths. It would pose no inconvenience for me.”
“The road conditions are nasty.”
“My father would drive her. He’s got a big four-wheel-drive truck with studded tires like I do. So don’t worry about that. Just say the word, and I’ll call her.”
Amanda didn’t want to trouble his mother. Besides, the very fact that he’d offered to invite his mom made her feel safer. If he had nefarious intentions, he wouldn’t do that.
“I’ll be fine for one night.”
“You may be here longer. Another ice storm is supposed to hit before morning.”
She drew in a quick breath, hoping he was wrong about the coming weather. Staying here for a night was doable, but she wasn’t sure her nerves could handle more than that. With his large, muscular frame, he blocked the doorway, her only avenue of escape. Being in this room with him made her feel as if all the oxygen had been sucked from the air. He exuded strength. The directness of his gaze made her skin burn. If he made a quick move toward her, she might fall over in a dead faint.
Only his sense of honor might keep him from getting out of line, and Amanda didn’t know him well enough to be sure he even had one.
Chapter Four
Amanda prayed it wouldn’t be necessary to stay in this man’s house for more than one night. She was about to say as much when something slammed against the metal roof. She gave a violent start before she realized it was hail.
“Speak of the devil,” Jeb said. “We’d better get back downstairs in case it wakes Chloe. Last night even Bozo got scared and crawled under the dining room table.”
Amanda trailed behind him as they descended the stairs. As Jeb suspected, the storm had awakened Chloe and the dog. But neither of them seemed frightened.