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“You’ll enjoy our gravity fed outdoor solar showers that lack water pressure but make up for it by being a wonderful place to see a friendly bug skitter by.”
“A bug going by? It’s nice to have company in the shower,” King retorted, sure to catch her eye and watch her mind roll that around for a moment with the inuendo.
“Moe is a great friend and he loves a shower.” She winked playfully at him and kept walking.
“Noted.” The energy between them was becoming charged. Bailey was clever. Quick with a sharp reply. Her cascading hair and the hem of her lace dress kept getting swept up in the breeze, making her look like she was ready to be photographed for a magazine cover.
“We should head over to Moe’s place now. I’m sure he’s ready for you.”
“Anything I need to know about Moe? Convicted felon? Serial killer hiding from the law? Vegetarian?” King pretended to gasp.
“I’m a little concerned about the order you put those questions in.”
“I don’t really understand someone who doesn’t eat a cheeseburger.”
“Moe is a wonderful man who lost his wife in a car accident. He came out here to grieve and find some peace. He’s one of the good men. Quiet. Humble. Doesn’t make waves. He turned seventy last month.”
“Was he friends with your dad?”
“Moe stays out of things. That’s the best way I can explain it. He keeps to himself and works hard but never got very involved with my father and his nonsense. You’ll like him.”
King let his expression fall serious. “I know we’ve been joking around, but there is something I want you to know.”
Anticipation was written all over her face. It was obvious Bailey did not like suspense or surprises. He nearly told her to take a breath and unclench her jaw.
“What is it?”
“Just that I appreciate you helping me out. Everyone here. I don’t know too many places left on the planet that would see a guy like me in a bind and decide to help. A bowl of stew. A place to sleep. Some kindness. I don’t think I realized how much I needed it.”
“The stew?”
“The kindness. I was on a road to nowhere and now I’m here.”
She furrowed her brows curiously. “Do you think that’s fate? You don’t strike me as a guy who gives all the credit in his life to destiny. For you, I bet it’s all about drive and purpose, and anyone who isn’t where they are supposed to be just doesn’t want it bad enough.”
“Is that my vibe? I hope not. People don’t always get to dictate their circumstances and you can’t simply drag yourself out of rock bottom. So yeah, I think there’s some fate involved here. Something that helps us get where we’re supposed to be. People there to lend us a hand.”
“You’re a romantic. I didn’t expect that. You were running from something and ended up here. I like it.”
“I’d like to think I’m running toward something, even if I don’t know what it is yet. Behind me is a lot of regret. I put all my loyalty in a guy who never deserved it just because I felt like I owed him my life. He crossed a line I couldn’t stomach anymore and I made sure he paid for it.”
“That’s intense. You went to the police to turn your friend in?” Bailey nibbled her thumb nail and gazed at him intently as though she was watching the season finale of a dramatic television show. He was theWho shot J. R.?of her life at the moment. Apparently, off the grid, any story you haven’t heard before was captivating.
“It was a little less conventional than that. I made him stab me.” King knew this would elicit a dramatic reaction and Bailey did not disappoint.
“No you didn’t,” she argued, shoving his shoulder back. He relished the touch of her hand. “What do you mean? You can’t make someone stab you.”
He pulled the neck of his shirt over his shoulder and showed her the mostly healed wound. Bailey’s hand raised as though she planned to touch him again, but she brought it back to her side a moment later, thinking better of it.
King tried to explain, though he hardly understood it himself. “This man was like a brother to me, but for all the wrong reasons. Allegiance and love are not the same thing. It took him hurting someone I actually did love for me to realize how wrong I’d been. I helped her and her daughter leave and then I fought with him, knowing he’d try to kill me.”
“That seems extreme.” Her gorgeous eyes were wide with hunger for more information.
“My life was extreme. It was high stakes. So he stabbed me, and I shot him.”
"Did you really shoot him?" she asked, her expression a mix of horror and slight admiration.
“I had to. It was him or me at that point. But it wasn’t easy. You can hate someone and love them at the same time. That’s the shit they never tell you when you’re growing up. The nuances of life are where all the problems start.”
