Chapter 2

"Did he say anything?"

Carolyn shook her head. "He was barely awake long enough for some tonic and water."

"How did he seem?"

"Wary. But I think that would be expected waking up in a strange place and a strange bed with a strange woman hovering over you."

"Do you think he's a threat?"

"No," Carolyn hedged with a shake of her head thinking back to her interaction with the man sleeping in her bed.

"Well Carolyn, you let me know as soon as he's awake. If he gives you any trouble at all we'll find another place for him."

"I'm sure it'll be fine, Marty." She said showing the older man to the door. "I'll send for you just as soon as there's any change. Now you best be getting home to your dinner."

He leaned over placing kiss on her forehead. "I'm going." He chuckled shutting the door firmly on his way out.

Carolyn leaned against the door closing her eyes as she let out a heavy sigh. Opening them, she realized that Grayson was missing. Her home was not that big and it only took a minute to find the boy asleep on the stranger's chest, one of his large hands resting protectively on the child's back. Carolyn gently wrestled the two apart, scooping her son up into her arms. Stopping at the door she took a last look at the man in her bed before taking her son to his.

Gently laying Grayson down in his crib, Carolyn covered him with a warm blanket. Moving back out into her tiny kitchen, she sat a kettle of water on the potbelly stove to heat. Taking out a mug she tossed a few leaves into it and stoked the fire inside the stove, adding the wood that would keep her home warmed throughout the night. Pouring the now heated water into her mug, Carolyn quietly entered her room to get the things she would need for bed and in the morning.

Going back into the kitchen she sipped her tea as she cleaned root vegetables, throwing them into a saucepan of water to be sat on the very back of the stove. The soup would slowly cook overnight with very little preparation needed tomorrow. Rinsing her mug out, she dried it putting it back in the cabinet. Spreading out the extra bedding, she tossed her clothing over the back of a chair pulling on the t-shirt and leggings she slept in. Blowing out the last remaining candles she lay down upon her makeshift bed.

Thinking of the man in the next room she drifted to sleep.

Riddick's eyes popped opened to the sound of laughter in the other room. Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed he sucked in a breath at the broken ribs and other various injuries. He could count on one hand the times someone had got the jump on him. He was tired of the whole damn game.

Focusing back on the sound of the laughter he got to his feet, shuffling to the doorway where he watched the woman who had cared for him, holding the toddler that had crawled in bed with him last night. She was balancing the child on her forearms turning in slow circles as she lowered and raised her arms causing the child to shriek with laughter. Rotating around she caught sight of him leaning against the doorway and hastily twisted her arms, flipping the child up to rest on her hip.

Carolyn's eyes ran over him, unable to determine anything due to the goggles covering his eyes. "Hello. You must be feeling better."

Getting the impression that he was looking between she and Grayson, Carolyn felt compelled to continue. "We were just playing. It's snowing pretty heavily today and with the wind blowing it can be dangerous outside. The alarm went out earlier to stay inside." She said her voice trailing off as he remained silent.

"Oh, I almost forgot." She said suddenly with a new burst of bravado, Riddick thought with amusement, as she sat the child down on a rug. "One of the men dropped this off for you earlier, before the storm kicked up." She explained approaching him with a metal rod. "It's a cane." She said holding it out. "We were afraid the wound on your leg might affect your walking." She propped it up on the wall next to him before carefully backing away.

"If you want to come in and sit down, I'll get an early dinner put together. I'm sure you're hungry." Carolyn nervously blurted out before turning her back on him and going to the kitchen. Taking the cane, Riddick limped his way over to what appeared to be a couch, easing down on upon it. As the woman puttered around in the kitchen area, the child got shakily to his feet and tottered over to Riddick, patting Riddick's knee as he babbled. Riddick picked the boy up, setting him on his good leg.

"Grayson!" his mother cried out as she turned to place dishes on the table. Before she could rush over, Riddick waved her away.

"He's fine." Riddick said as the boy proceeded to stick one of Riddick's fingers in his mouth and chew on it.

"He's teething right now," she said to explain the gnawing. "My name is Carolyn, by the way. Carolyn Fry. The slobber monster on your lap is my son Grayson."

"And Mr. Fry?" Riddick asked.

"Hopefully in hell."

"Sounds like there's a story there." Riddick asked with a raised eyebrow looking anew at the women.

"Is there something you'd like us to call you?" She inquired changing the subject.

"You can call me Riddick."

"Well alright, Mr. Riddick. Dinner's ready." She said walking over to take Grayson from him.

"Just Riddick's fine."

Carolyn nodded in agreement as she went to the table putting Grayson in a high chair.

Now that he was up and about the stiffness in his body was gradually diminishing, much like he knew it would. The ribs would take a few days though. Taking a seat in the only other available chair, Riddick took in the simple fare of hearty soup and dark coarse bread.

"I wouldn't think this type of climate would be good for vegetables."

"We've managed to cobble together a few dozen greenhouses."

Riddick fell silent after that concentrating on his dinner as he watched Carolyn coax her child into eating, in between taking bites of her own dinner. When they were finished, she cleaned the child up but left him in the chair as she scooted it over towards a sink basin.

"Riddick, make your self at home." She said over her shoulder as she filled the basin with water to clean the dinner dishes.

By the time she had finished cleaning up from their meal the boy was fussy. Carolyn lifted him from the chair placing kisses on his face as she soothed him. "Time for bed already? Did we have too much fun today?" she crooned as she disappeared into another room. Riddick listened as she moved around the other room readying the child for bed before it fell silent with the tale tell creak of a rocker combined with the low-pitched hum of a lullaby.

She had just emerged from the room pulling a cloth across the doorway to block it off when a knock sounded upon her front door. Bowing her head for a moment she turned to face him. "Showtime!" she said smiling brightly, moving to open the door and rushing whoever was there in with the least amount of heat loss. "Jimmy, Liz. What can I do for you this evening? I thought the storm warning was still in effect?"

"Winds let up considerably the last hour, Widow Fry. Thought I best make sure you had plenty of dry firewood for you and the youngster and our guest," he said moving to put the firewood in its holder near the door.

"And just where is the child?" Liz asked looking around her eyes going wide as she spotted Riddick standing near the bedroom.

"We had an early dinner and I just put him to bed," Carolyn replied. "Just like I was about to put our guest to bed as well." She said with a smirk giving Liz a big wink causing the woman to sputter and wring her hands. "Jimmy, Liz, this is Riddick. Riddick this is Jimmy James and his lovely wife Liz," Carolyn introduced wrapping an arm around a very uncomfortable Liz's shoulders.

"Nice to meet you both." Riddick said with a nod of his head. "Wish I felt up to visiting, but like Carolyn said she was just getting ready to give me a bath and then put me to bed." He watched as the woman turned a bright shade of red.

"It was so nice of you to stop by and check on me, Jimmy. I'll be at the greenhouses first thing in the morning unless I hear differently. Now bundle up tight," she said as she opened the door and helped Liz out. Don't want y'all to catch cold now! Thanks again," she said slamming the door shut behind them placing a thick piece of wood in the slats on each side of the door before turning back to Riddick.