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A logical voice urged her to call the police, and she would, as soon as the phone lines were back in working order and she could unscrah to think clearly Meanwhile, she would follow her instincts, instincts being all she had
Moving on to discovering what the register held "I’m ready to check out"
"No need You’re already paid up Just drop off the key"
She stuffed her hand in her pocket and clutched her fingers around the chilly steel beside her wad of cash and the EpiPen--not that she even knehat allergies to avoid
If she passed the key over, she would be officially homeless So what if her only bed waited in a rustic motel so old it didn’t even have key cards?
She stifled a hysterical laugh She knew about key cards, yet didn’t know her own naain?"
"Noon"
The ancient Field and Strea away those last twenty-one h her muddled concentration for her next question
His cool eyes settled on her dress "Uh, but you can stay longer if you need to I’ve got a busload of senior citizens due in, but not until this evening, if they can h the storm"
At least she could stay a fewher precious store of cash "Do youout a copy of my receipt?"
"A copy?"
"For tax purposes"
"Tax purposes?" His eyes slid down her slinky red dress then up again without censure, but with obvious disbelief "Sure I gave one to your, uh, husband, but it’s no trouble to shoot out another"
Husband The word surged through her with an odd mixture of hope and the metallic taste of fear Where was he? "Thanks He lost his copy I’m supposed to pick up another one, you know, taxes and all that"
"For your husband" Those brooding eyes shifted fro
"He should be back soon" She resisted the urge to fidget like a first-day kindergartner "Could I see the owner?" Preferably, aeyes that saw too much
"That would be me"
"Oh Clyde?"
"Clyde was s to rieving when he mentioned his dad, so she didn’t bother with condolences "And you are?"
"Jacob Stone"
Her nerves began to unravel like a rolling ball of yarn she couldn’t quite catch "May I please have my receipt, Mr Stone?"
"Just Jacob,over her, coerous With a curt nod, he stepped away "All right, then, one copy on its way"
Her shoulders sluer and owner of Clyde’s Travel Lodge, circled behind the counter He tapped through a few keys and set the printer intothe only noise in the sparse rooered her necklace like a security blanket, tracing the D and looking around for soht before
A brown artificial leather sofa nestled beneath the pictureoverlooking the parking lot The style was up-to-date, but the cracks in the Naugahyde upholstery showed the toll of weather blasts Three vending machines lined the paneled wall to the side with a brick fireplace directly across A cheaply fra over the istration counter rounded out the sparse decor
Just Jacob ripped the paper free from the printer It was all she could do not to juo"
"Thank you" She forced herself to take it from him slowly, casually Their hands paused, side by side Hers seehened one The paper rattled in her trerasp as she took it froht hand clenched over her bare ring finger Dainal Tears burned her eyes, then turned icy on her still-chilled skin
She spun away, paper cru, only knowing she had to run, she charged out the door The snowstor lot She couldn’t see a thing past the line of tiny motel units
Total isolation
Her head hurt Her whole body hurt God, her brain was so fogged she couldn’t think, much less ed against the railing, h her clothes as she stared out at nothing A nothingness vast as the void in her mind
And the only one who could help her fill it was aher freezing skin
Chapter 2
M ore contradictions Jacob watched the woht into dragging the door closed
Once he’d seen those tear-filled eyes, he expected a sob story and an eyelash-fluttering plea for help Instead she’d braced her spine so rigidly, even the fifty-usts outside couldn’t have knocked her over Prideful without question