Free Safe House by Dez Burke

comfortable enough with all those pain pills. Or at least I think I was from what I can remember.”
    Kendra sucked in her breath. Oh God! Please don’t let him bring up the kiss again, she prayed. Together, they took the cushions off the couch and pulled out the bed frame. After retrieving the sheets from the closet, Kendra made the bed up.
    “I’ll sleep in the recliner chair tonight,” Flint said to ease the awkwardness. “You’ve had your turn.”
    Kendra was too tired to argue. After changing into a long flannel shirt that hung almost to her knees, she crawled under the blanket.
    Flint turned off the lamp and pulled his chair closer to the fire. “What is your family like?” he asked in the dark. 
    “They’re great,” Kendra replied. “My mom and dad dote on each other. He retired last year from the textile mill where he worked his entire life. My mom is a stay-at-home mother and she spent her life taking care of all of us. I have two older sisters who still try to boss me around. They all live right across the state line in North Carolina.”
    “Sounds nice.”
    “It is. My parents sacrificed a great deal for me to go to veterinarian school. They always encouraged me not to give up even though money was so tight. Many times I almost dropped out. My parents are the best. I wish you could meet them.” The thought slipped out before she could catch herself. Oh crap! Did she really just say that?
    “Me too,” Flint replied softly. “Me too, Kendra.”
    “My dad took a second mortgage out on their house to loan me the money to buy into the vet practice. Dr. Henson wanted to retire and he preferred someone local to take over his clients. There aren’t a lot of veterinarians willing to work in a small country practice so I got lucky. I went on every vet visit with Dr. Henson for two years before he trusted me enough to turn the business over.”
    “I remember Dr. Henson,” Flint said. “He was a good man.”
    “Still is. He comes by the clinic every so often to check on me.” Kendra tried and failed to stifle a big yawn.
    “You’d better get some sleep. No more questions from me tonight.”
     
    ****
     
    Flint leaned back in the leather recliner and watched Kendra as she slept on the sofa bed. The fire had died down, and now there was only a soft glow bouncing off her hair from a few flickering embers. He reached over carefully and tucked back a strand that had fallen over her face. She stirred in her sleep but didn’t wake up. Instead, she mumbled something he couldn’t make out and pulled the blanket tighter around her.
    He liked looking at her when she wasn’t on guard and defensive. Kendra was truly gorgeous in a natural way, without a speck of makeup and her hair a crazy mess. He knew she didn’t believe him when he’d told her that she was beautiful. She probably thought he was simply another scumbag trying to sweet talk her panties off. 
    Which, if he was honest with himself, wasn’t too far from the truth. On both counts.
    Kendra must have unconsciously felt him staring at her because she suddenly opened her eyes. “Flint?” she said sleepily. “Is something wrong? Are you okay?” She propped herself up on one elbow and blinked at him.
    He smiled in reassurance. “Everything’s okay. I’m fine. Go back to sleep.”
    She sat up and pulled the blanket up around her neck. “Jesus! It’s freezing in here. Did the furnace go out?”
    “We lost power about an hour ago,” he answered. He stood up and threw another log into the fire. “I heard a pine tree snap under the weight of the ice and then the transformer blew. I figured I’d better hurry and build the fire back up before the temperature started dropping in here, but I didn’t want to wake you.”
    She frowned at his bare chest. “Where is your shirt? Is your arm hurting?”
    “Some,” he admitted grudgingly, stretching his sore muscles. “The shirt was rubbing the bandage so I figured I’d feel more comfortable with