Chapter 27
Thario wasn’t too touchy with Calla, but he didn’t mind how close she sat next to him when the electricity came back on and the movie started.
Instead of dissipating, the storm grew, and it looked like it was going to go for most of the night. He wasn't looking forward to driving home in the storm, but the movie was almost over, and the storm was only getting worse.
Lightning struck close, and everyone jumped. Then they all laughed. Griz stopped the movie, and he glanced over to at his buddy.
“Hey, the weather is really bad. How about you stay here for the night?”
“Are you sure?” Thario asked.
“Yeah. The couch isn’t too bad for sleeping on, and then you don’t have to drive back to the hotel in this. I caught an article that flashed across the screen talking about downed trees that have closed roads.”
"Aw, crap. That would suck."
“Yeah. It’s best you just don’t go out.”
He nodded. “Sure. Frog and I can camp out here.”
"I have extra toothbrushes. They aren't the best. They're the free ones from the dentist, but they work,” Elowen said.
“Thank you. Frog won’t mind, as long as I’m here.”
“Good. That’s settled. We can finish the movie, then I’m exhausted,” Griz said.
Thario nodded, glad that Griz had suggested he spend the night. He absolutely would not go into the room where Calla was sleeping. That was totally off limits to him.
Even if it was painful, he was going to give her time to figure out what she wanted.
Calla held her breath until Thario answered the question about staying here. She couldn’t believe he was going to stay the night. He would be in the den, but still, she would see him in the morning.
When the movie started back up, she had a hard time concentrating, but somehow made it through to the end. If someone quizzed her on the plot and how it was resolved, she would fail.
Both Griz and Elowen wished her a good night as she headed off to her room. She wanted to stick around and chat with Thario, but she couldn’t come up with a reason to stay in the den with him.
She got to sleep okay, but at some point she woke. The storm still raged outside, and she kept tossing and turning.
After about twenty minutes, she rolled out of bed and pulled on a pair of shorts before opening the door and listening for Thario's snores. She didn't hear anyone snoring or breathing heavy in the den, so she walked out, thinking she might grab a glass of water.
She stepped from the hall and saw a figure standing at the window. It was Thario. He turned slowly and she took in his body highlighted from the lightning flashing above the trees. The man was very good looking, and she couldn’t believe that he was interested in her.
“You okay?” he asked.
She nodded. “Just can’t get back to sleep. The storm.” Frog came over and licked her hand before going back to Thario.
“Yeah. Same.”
“I thought I would get some water.”
Thario moved to the kitchen and grabbed a glass for her, filling it before she could get in there.
“Thank you.” She took the glass from him, keeping her gaze on him as she took a drink.
“You have very pretty eyes.”
She chuckled and shook her head. “So do you.”
“Thank you.”
"You are very good-looking."
He shook his head. “I’m a mess.”
“Not from my perspective.”
He reached out and took her hand. “Thank you. It’s hard for me to accept a compliment sometimes.”
She nodded. “My brother used to tell me I was ugly and useless.”
“He’s a bastard.”
“He is. I don’t know why my parents didn’t do more to stop him. They had to know he killed Daniel. They certainly acted like it.”
“People do weird things.”
“What do you mean?”
Thario shook his head. “Let’s sit.”
Guilt flashed over her. She'd heard him talking about how sore he felt if he wore his legs too much, and how his wheelchair had burned up in the fire. He had to be in pain.
"Sure." She took his hand and led him to the couch, settling not too far away from him, then turned to face him. She hugged her legs tight, wishing they were closer so she could hold him tight. Frog settled on the floor next to Thario with his head resting on Thario's foot.
“I was a SEAL before the bomb that took my leg. I saw a lot of disgusting stuff. A lot of it was perpetrated by families who didn’t stop their loved ones from doing awful things.”
“Oh, like what?”
He shook his head, and she wanted to tell him she could handle whatever he had to say.
“There’s a lot of bad out there. Like what your brother did, but worse. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve met some great people, but there are really bad people out there, too.”
"That's awful. I guess I never really thought that what happened to me could have happened to others."
"It can and does. I loved being a SEAL, but I love doing what I do. Maybe that's why it really burns me that your brother was trafficking while he was working with me to stop trafficking."
She nodded, not really understanding what all her brother had done, just knowing it was wrong.
“Do you really think he was moving people through our barn?”
He nodded. “I do. It was just empty when we found you.”
“I wish I knew more about what he did.”
"Don't worry, the cops are tracking him, and they know he did a bunch of bad stuff. He will go to jail."
She leaned her head against the back of the couch, and he reached over and squeezed her knee.
“You ready to go back to sleep?”
She shook her head. “I can sleep later. I really want to sit and talk to you.”
His chuckle warmed her. She put her hand on his and squeezed. For a moment, she thought he was going to kiss her again, but he didn't move closer.
She was a little disappointed, but honestly, just being with him was nice. Spending time with this man was good, and she hoped she got to spend even more time with him before he moved into his cabin.