A Time for Home: A Snowberry Creek Novel Read Online Free Page A

alone shouldn’t be too quick to trust a man just because they had one friend in common.
    Then there was the problem of him wandering around at night when he couldn’t sleep. At his parents’ home, he’d slipped out the same way he had as a teenager to walk the streets until he was too exhausted to think.
    He carried his plate over to the sink. “I don’t want to put you out, Callie. I’ll head back toward I-5. There’s bound to be some motels along the interstate. Maybe tomorrow I could come back, and the two of us can go out to dinner.”
    He kept his back to her until she answered. He’d already intruded on her privacy by showing up unannounced. He didn’t want her to feel obligated to accept his invitation simply because they’d both known Spence.
    Her answer wasn’t long in coming. “I’d like that, Nick. But instead of driving all the way back to the highway, I have another suggestion. Spence’s house is right next door. Well, actually, it’s my house now, I guess. I just can’t get used to that idea. He left it to me . . . you know, when he—”
    She stopped to clear her throat. When she didn’t continue, Nick filled a glass with ice water from the door of the refrigerator and brought it to her. She took a long drink and set the glass down.
    “Sorry, it’s just that I’ve been having a hard time getting my mind around the whole idea. You know, of Spence being gone.”
    “Me, too.”
    And Nick had actually been there standing on that godforsaken street holding Spence’s bloody dog tags in his hand.
    There was a world of questions in Callie’s eyes as she stared up at him, but thank God she didn’t ask them. He didn’t want to lie to her about what had happened and couldn’t bear to tell her the truth. He sensed a real innocence about Callie, and he didn’t want to be the one to destroy it.
    “You were saying?”
    “Oh, yeah. Spence’s house is just on the other side of those trees. You could stay there, if you’d like. I had the power turned back on, so you’d have electricity and hot water. The fridge is empty, but you can either come back over here for breakfast or there’s a good café in town.”
    Could he stand to stay in Spence’s home? He guessed he’d find out. “Are you sure? I don’t want to be a bother.”
    “I’m sure. And don’t worry, I’d do the same for any of Spence’s friends. I’ll get you some clean sheets and pack up some food for Mooch. I have enough for tonight and his breakfast in the morning. After that, you’ll have to hit the grocery store.”
    “I’ve got some kibble out in the truck, too.”
    Now that they had a plan, Callie turned into a whirlwind. A few minutes later, he was loaded down with sheets and a few cans of dog food. She followed him out to the truck with a sack of groceries intended to get him through the evening and early morning.
    Her eyes went wide when she got a look at the clutter and trash scattered in the cab of his truck. For all practical purposes, he and the dog had been living in it for the past week. After he’d quickly tossed most of it into the backseat, Callie handed him the groceries and stepped away. “I’ll lock up the house and meet you over there.”
    Was she afraid to get in the truck with him? That didn’t seem likely when she’d already offered to let him spend the night in the same house with her.
    “I can wait. There’s room in the front seat if you don’t mind being a bit crowded. Mooch takes up more space than you’d think.”
    She bit her lip again, evidently something she did when she needed to think things through before answering. He found the gesture adorable, but it made him want to be the one doing the nibbling on that full lower lip. He slammed the lid on that thought. Even if he was in any shape to be looking for a relationship, she was off limits. Way off limits.
    “Okay, it won’t take me long.”
    As Callie ran back to the house, he couldn’t help but stare after her. With some