Chapter 3

An hour passed before they discovered that no one was en route. After a few calls, an operator from the police department eventually told them that the roads were too bad on the side streets to respond to a call when the aggressor has already left the scene. The operator advised them to file a report online.

Remy called a few shelters in the area and found them all to be at full capacity. With the snow storm, people wanted off the streets. The storm was projected to be one of the worse. Even Remy’s boss decided to close the 24-hour convenient store, stating that only a madman would be out in this weather.

Apparently, Cord was a madman.

He didn’t think too hard about it when he made the offer for Winter and Andrea to stay with him until the storm passed. He had more than enough room and honestly, the idea of keeping an eye on Winter and Andrea eased his mind some. Winter was reluctant at first but accepted his offer when it sunk in that she had no other choices.

Of course, Remy vouched for his character but Cord knew that no information or character references were ever enough in the situation she was in. If Winter and Andrea were his, he would not be ok with them staying with a complete stranger. But in truth, she really had no choice.

It was a slippery mess walking from the store to his house but Cord didn’t live far. When they got inside, he gave Winter a quick tour of the main and upper floors of the three-story craftsman’s style home then gave her towels and washcloths for her and her daughter to clean up and dry off.

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Winter ran the brush through Andrea’s long damp hair a final time then pulled the unruly mass together and wrapped a hair tie around it. Andrea gave her a sweet smile then went to open the bathroom door.

Children and their ability to move past unhappy situations were a remarkable thing. Winter envied and appreciated that. Of course, she knew some things left a permanent mark and that’s why she left Terry. Despite her current situation, Winter couldn’t help smiling. She made the decision to leave, and she was never looking back.

She sighed. A new set of problems were now at her feet. Andrea already showed signs of attachment to their savior, Cord, his dog Onyx, and the sweetly decorated little girl’s room that he said she could sleep in.

While Andrea bubbled with excitement, Winter tried to accept the full gravity of her situation. She was alone, broke, and had a daughter to care for. AND, she was in a place with a large—but—sinfully attractive man who didn’t have to help her but did out of the kindness of his heart. A fact that made Winter mask her tears with the water that sprayed from the showerhead just minutes ago while she and Andrea bathed in the mermaid themed bathroom.

“Momma,” Andrea urged. Her small hand wiggled the locked doorknob.

Winter gathered their personal items, packed them back inside their luggage, then unlocked the bathroom door. She pulled the door open to leave out but was startled by the large black German Sheppard stationed in the hallway. Scared, but comfortable with how well trained the dog was, Winter allowed Andrea to leave the bathroom.

Andrea immediately ran to the dog, which was huge by anyone’s standards, and wrapped her arms around it. “Let’s go play,” Andrea said to the animal. Winter watched Andrea run through the hallway toward the bedroom decorated for a girl about her age. The dog, on the other hand, didn’t move. Instead, the dog just stared at Winter as if it needed orders. Her large head tilted to one side then straightened before she got to her feet and trotted after Andrea.

Winter chuckled as she trailed after the pair. As she suspected, they were in the bedroom, seated on the floor beside a small pink toddler bed. Onyx lay spread out on the floor, seemingly relaxed with her attention on Andrea who played with a collection of dolls. Winter sat her daughter’s character suitcase inside the room then went back down the hall to Cord’s bedroom where she placed her rolling case beside her other one.