After she took a shower, that was. She’d been driving most of the day and although she’d taken a shower at the motel this morning, she felt like she needed another one. And then something to eat. While watching something mindless on that enormous television. In her pajamas.
Only a couple more hours until sunset. That had to qualify as pajama time.
She went back downstairs, loaded up with more bags, and made the trek to the kitchen again.
On her last trip, she got the feeling she was being watched. She looked up and saw a man through the trees. He was on the property next door, so clearly not trespassing, but it was still unnerving to be stared at the way he was. Like he was assessing her in case he had to make a police report.
She should have put something on besides her ragged denim shorts and an old T-shirt, but it was too late now.
She thought before she responded. She might be here a while. She didn’t need to get off on the wrong foot with anyone. Especially not being the new person on the block. She smiled, closed-lip, and waved. “Hello.”
He kept staring, brow furrowed. “You’re not one of Arlington’s relatives.”
“No, I’m a friend of his.”
“You don’t look like a friend of his.”
“What do they look like, exactly?”
The man hmphed out a low sound. “Who are you?”
“Your new neighbor. Arlington left me the house.” She really wasn’t interested in this conversation. The man clearly didn’t like her without even knowing who she was. “Shame about his passing. I’m sure everyone here must miss him.”
The man’s brow unfurrowed slightly. “He was a good man.”
“One of the best.” She picked up the rest of her bags. “Have a nice night.”
He hmphed again.
She tapped the fob to lock the car, then went inside. Arlington’s neighbor might not like her, but part of the beauty of this place seemed to be that if you wanted to be left alone, you could be.
Putting the groceries away took forever, but she was happy to get everything organized. Funny how that huge cart full of food amounted to so little when it was actually stored. The fridge still looked mostly bare.
Of course, some of what she’d bought had gone into the pantry and another portion of it had gone into the laundry room.
For dinner, she planned a salad with some pre-sliced chicken breast. Not generally her go-to, but she didn’t have the energy to cook, with all that entailed. Tonight, and possibly the next few days, needed to be easy.
Archie came out to eat.
“I’m taking a shower and then we’re hitting that couch, baby dog.”
That reminded her that she wanted to put a towel or a blanket down for him. This might be her place now, but that was all the more reason to take care of it and the things in it.
She opened the door to the walk-in closet where she planned to hang some of her things. The scent of Arlington’s cologne wafted over her. Probably from the clothes left behind.
She smiled. Then sniffled as unexpected tears came. They were for Arlington, for his amazingly kind gift of this house, but they were also for herself. Her broken heart. And her uncertain future.
She knuckled the tears away. “Enough of that.”
There were extra linens on one of the highest shelves. She grabbed a blanket and took it into the great room, where she spread it over half of the couch. Archie’s half. She clicked her tongue to get his attention.
When he looked over, she patted the blanket. “This is all you. I’m going to shower. Be back in a minute.”
He went back to his kibble.
She went back to the master bedroom.
Her suitcase was right where she’d left it, but where else would it be? She maneuvered it onto one of its wide sides, then unzipped it and dug out her toiletry kit and a pair of pajamas. Her traveling pajamas, the ones with pants and a matching top.
