2. The Story

I might grumble every time I have to clean the thing, but fireplaces do have their uses. Right now, it's casting an altogether cheery glow over an otherwise gloomy morning.

The girl… Bella has commandeered the downstairs bathroom, which is fine by me. I offered dry clothes, but she insisted she probably had something in her small black duffle bag that wasn't completely soaked through. I didn't argue, but I did hand over a warm sweatshirt, just in case.

She's left her pets with me, and the first thing I do once I've got the fire going is to get them out of the box. The damned thing is damp and practically crumbling in places. It's actually a wonder it hasn't already disintegrated. I tuck them into the front pocket of my hoodie while I look around for something that'll do as a temporary pen for them.

I catch sight of a nearly empty egg carton on the counter. One of the downy chicks pokes out of my pocket and cocks its little head.

"Don't judge," I mutter, quickly emptying the carton and carefully placing the chicks into it. There are three tiny chicks and ten empty spaces, and I watch in amusement as they excitedly hop and flap and chirp from one pocket to the next. When they seem to have thoroughly explored their new home and are settled into adjoining spots, I pick up the carton and bring it with me to the living room. It isn't exactly a contained pen, so I don't want to risk putting it too near the fire. Ultimately, I just place it on the coffee table. It's close enough to the fire that they'll be warm, and Jake knows not to poke around things I put there, so they should be alright.

Which reminds me… "Come here, boy, let's get you fed."

Jake hasn't quite figured out his stand on our visitors yet. He hasn't tried to eat the chicks, but he growls every time they start cheeping too loud. His opinion of our other guest is not quite so dubious.

Momentarily distracted from the newcomers by the thought of food, he huffs and follows me into the corner of the kitchen that he's taken for his own. He refuses to eat elsewhere; he dragged his bed there himself, and he's got an army of toys defending his space. For a small dog, he has a big personality.

He's on the bowl of food almost before I've finished pouring, so I leave him to it. He'll probably flop onto his bed in a food coma for an hour after he's done.

"Hey, thanks for this," a sweet, feminine voice stops Jake and me in our tracks. He actually stops crunching and looks at her with a tiny wag of his puffy tail and some drool dripping from the side of his mouth. "My clothes were almost all soaked through. Um, is there a laundry room where I could dry them?"

"Of course, right this way," I gesture down the hallway, flicking on the lights to the small room. It's just big enough for the washer, dryer, and one human being, so when there are the two of us in there, it's a bit… snug. She comes even closer and reaches over to open the hatch of the dryer, and it's like the air is sucked out of the place. I can smell the fresh, clean scent of her, like rainwater and something faintly floral. I can feel the warmth of her body, and it makes me want to… grit my teeth and hold my breath and get the hell out of here.

I need to get a grip. Preferably on my dick.

"Coffee?" I ask, almost gasping in relief when she moves away, back towards the kitchen.

"Sure," she replies with a smile. "Or actually, do you have any tea? I mean, I'm fine with coffee, but this is tea weather."

"It is?" I clear my throat and bring my brain and body back to the mundane. "It is. I… ah, I think I do have some tea bags. Why don't you head into the living room and I'll bring it over in a minute."

Jake tosses me a judgy look over his shoulder before he returns his attention to his food, but we both know he's not as cool as he looks. He tried to snuggle up to Bella when she entered, and she was dripping wet at the time. He's such a dog.

Predictably, he follows me into the living room when I bring in the tea. Even snags a spot at her feet.

"Oh, he's such a darling," she exclaims, laughing and reaching down to scratch behind his ears. He's in bliss. "Such a good boy, warming my feet! You're a good boy, aren't you, Jakey?"

I want to roll my eyes at the way he's eating up the attention. She's just a girl. A pretty one, but still.

One of the chicks wakes up and cheeps sleepily when I move the carton a little to make space for the tray I'm carrying. Jake perks up, but subsides when he sees Bella reach out to pet the bird.

I silently hand her a mug and nudge the plate of sandwiches towards her. "Have one. They're just PBJ, but…" I glance at the chicks. "I didn't think eggs would be appropriate right now."

Her eyes glow and her grin warms me quicker than the fire. "Thank you! The way things have been going wrong, one after the other, I can hardly believe I'm here, safe and warm, and you're feeding me!" She waves a sandwich around as proof. "It's just… I really appreciate it. Thank you."

My ears get a bit hot.

"Now don't ruin my day by turning out to be a pervy serial killer."

I nearly choke on the bite I had just taken. "I'll make a note of that," I promise when I can talk again.

She smiles and I have to blink and look away. That's what you do when the sun suddenly shines down all bright and beautiful, right? It's called good sense. Also, self preservation.

I clear my throat. "Now that we've established that I'm not some kind of perv who lured you here to have my wicked way with you…"

"I'm taking your word for it, but only because you fed me!" she interjects. "And I like your dog."

"…I have a few questions. You don't need to answer them, but maybe I can help."

She nods and sips her tea, so prim, yet there's a gleam in her eye that makes my heart skip a beat.

"Why were you out walking this early? Where are you headed? I mean, I don't want to pry, but what're you planning to do once the rain stops? Is there a vehicle I should look into having towed or something?"

Her expression shifts. I see a thoughtful look in those brown eyes, before she shifts to look into the fire. Her lips twist into a rueful smile. "It's kind of a long story, and we're on a farm, right? I have zero problems telling you my story," she clarifies, looking back at me with raised eyebrows. "But don't all farmers have like, super busy schedules? I'm not keeping you from something important?"

I shake my head. "No, I actually wasn't supposed to be home today, so my guys will have taken care of everything. I have time."

"Well, then," she straightens up and turns to face me, tucking one leg under her. "It all started yesterday. Or years ago, maybe. See, there really is no way to shorten this story."

"I'm listening."