Three hours later, Max drove back to the cabin with good news for Grace and her charges.
Max entered the cabin and found Grace, along with the two girls and dogs, curled up on the sofa in the den sound asleep. And he’d thought they’d be waiting on pins and needles for his return. So much for that.
Ice-D and Cliff bolted off the sofa when they saw him. He rubbed both between the ears, then allowed them their usual licks to his face. “Okay, boys, that’s enough.” Max went to the kitchen. He saw that both dog bowls were full of water, and the food bowls were empty. He was about to load them up with dog food when Grace entered the kitchen.
“They both had three hot dogs apiece, plus a bowl of dog food. I don’t think they’re hungry.”
Max stopped and shook his finger at the pair. “You know I ought to turn you two out, make you work for your grub.” Both dogs whined, and Max fluffed the space between their ears. “Go on, you two.” The dogs complied, their muzzles lifted high in the air as they made their way back to the den.
“They’ve convinced themselves they’re kings today,” Grace said as she watched the dogs jump back onto the sofa, one on either side of the girls.
“They okay?” He motioned to the sleeping girls.
“As okay as they can be under the circumstances.” Grace eyed the poor things to make sure they still slept. “What happened? I was sure Glenn was gone for good. Stephanie had him arrested. He was in jail the last I heard.”
Max motioned for her to follow him upstairs.
“We can talk up here without waking them. Apparently, Glenn was being transported to Denver. The deputies driving him stopped in Grand Junction for a bite to eat. Thinking Glenn was as innocent and harmless as he claimed, they let him come inside to have his meal with them. He went to the men’s room, and that’s the last they saw of him.”
“This makes no sense! How did he know where to find Amanda and Ashley? I didn’t plan on any of this happening.” Perplexed, Grace dropped down on a small wooden chair.
“Those roadblocks last night, they were searching for him. He had no idea he’d find his girls here. As luck or whatever you want to call it would have it, I just happen to have the only house around here for miles. He must’ve walked all night and wound up here, the same as you. It’s a heck of a coincidence, don’t you think?”
Grace wasn’t sure what to think and told him so.
“I called the number you gave me and talked to a woman by the name of Juanita. Told her you were fine and that you’d be back as soon as possible.”
“Thanks so much, really. Juanita is my mother. I’m sure she and Stephanie were beside themselves with worry. Did you tell her the girls were with me and that they were okay?”
“I did.”
Grace was about to ask Max if they’d said anything else, but he piped up. “Your mother said Bryce was there. Said he couldn’t wait until Christmas Eve to see you.”
Her eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. “Fantastic, I can’t wait to see him. It’s tough to schedule visits now that we live so far apart. I can’t wait to see him. It’s been almost a year. I can’t believe I let so much time pass. It’s just that—”
“You’d better leave before it starts snowing again. We’re supposed to get another two feet by nightfall. I promised your family you’d be home today,” Max said, staring intently into her verdant eyes.
Grace felt a little piece of her heart break at the thought of leaving Max behind. She barely knew the man, and what she did know she wasn’t sure she liked. Still, there was something about him.
She nodded. “You’re right. I know the girls are excited; they want to decorate the Christmas tree. I promised them they could.”
“I gathered as much,” Max said.
Before he could stop himself, before he had a chance to second-guess himself, Max pulled Grace into his arms kissing her softly on the mouth. Her intake of breath, shock or desire, surprised him because instead of pulling away, she kissed him back.
“Grace.” The sound of her name filled him with emotions that had been dormant for so long, their intense return stunned him.
Before either could react Max pushed her away. For a moment neither spoke. When the silence between them became too uncomfortable, Max looked at her with more than just a casual interest.
Grace looked away, then something pulled her attention back to him. She gazed into his deep blue eyes, seeing more than just the man who’d offered her a place to stay.
Hesitantly, Max smoothed the hair away from her face. “I want to say I’m sorry, but I’m not.”
Grace smiled. “It’s okay, really.”
Max nodded. “You’d better go. The snow and all.”
Neither made an attempt to move their gazes as they locked on to one another, both amazed at the sudden attraction between them.
Max spoke up, breaking the connection. “What about Bryce?”
She squinted her eyes as though he were suddenly out of focus. “What about him?”
“Never mind,” Max said softly.
“Wait. Why are you asking me about Bryce? Do you know him?”
“No, and I don’t want to either. Look, Grace, it was just a kiss, okay? Heat of the moment, nothing more. I’ve been without a woman too long. You’re very attractive. I just lost control, okay?” Visions of Kayla danced before him while his heart hammered to the tune of guilty, guilty, guilty!
“Why you…jerk! What kind of…never mind. Give me my keys. I can’t believe I even kissed you! What an idiot I am!” Grace raced down the steps as fast as her feet would move.
“Amanda, Ashley! It’s time to go,” she called to the pair, who were now wide-awake.
Quickly, both girls put on their jackets, shoes, and mittens.
“Can we kiss the dogs good-bye, Miss Grace?” Amanda asked.
Grace glanced at Max.
“Of course you can. They like pretty girls.”
“Just like their owner,” Grace muttered between gritted teeth.
Beseechingly, Max asked, “Tell me one thing before you leave.”
Taking a deep breath and promising to see her own counselor as soon as she could, she rolled her eyes upward. “What?”
“Why do you keep calling your home ‘Hope House’? Where is this…place?”
Deciding there was no point in lying or dragging this exit out any longer than was necessary, Grace turned to face him.
“Remember I told you I was a counselor?” She waited for him to reply. He nodded.
“Actually, I’m a psychologist. Women who’ve been battered and abused come to Hope House. It’s a safe haven. They’re brought to me by local law enforcement when they need a place to stay, somewhere they can feel safe until they either face their attacker in court, divorce him, or, in some cases, leave only to go right back to the man who sent them running in the first place. This year, Stephanie and the girls, plus my own family, will be celebrating Christmas at Hope House.” Grace wanted to invite him to spend Christmas Day with her even after he’d humiliated her when he made an excuse for kissing her. There was just something lonely about him. Thoughts of his spending the holiday alone dampened her holiday spirit.
“Its location is a secret,” she added.
Grace watched the numerous expressions roll across his handsome face as she spoke. Curiosity, then she was sure she saw anger. Why would this make him angry? Obviously,