Free Shades of Gray by Carol A. Spradling Page B

in place. 
Apparently satisfied with the answers she provided, he stood to leave.
    “Do you plan
to send me back to him?” she asked.
    He turned
toward her and slowly scanned her face.  “You have my word.  No harm will come
to you while you are here.”  His gaze dipped to the nightdress she wore.  “But
you should know that Reece isn’t going to give up.  He will try to force your
return to his home.” 
    Tension shot
through her and temporarily blinded her.  She sucked in her breath, hoping it
would be enough to fill her lungs.  Gripping the blankets, she blinked and
swallowed hard.  The edges of the room softened to a cloudy focus, and she
looked past Gray to the door.  “Has he been here?” she asked, choking on the
words.
    Gray stopped
at the door and turned in front of it.  He stood with his feet a shoulder’s
width apart.  His stance confirmed what she had suspected.  No one would enter
this house without an invitation.  All her protector needed was a shield and
sword to complete his intimidating pose.  She had witnessed his skill with a
gun, and fully believed he could master anything he put his hand to.  
    “No,” he
answered. 
    Responsibility
suited him, but he looked as though he had worn it for too long.  Did nothing
bring this man pleasure?  “If you don’t mind me asking, I have a question.” 
She didn’t give him a chance to object.  “When I arrived at Oak Willow, you
were on the porch and Reece was close behind me.  There wasn’t enough time for
you to come to this room and load your weapon before he reached me.  Yet, you
fired on him within seconds of me collapsing on your porch.”
    Gray raised a
brow.  Did he have to look so much like a Greek warrior? 
    “What I want
to know is, how did you get to your weapon so quickly and why did you fire at a
man you obviously recognized?”
    “Would you
prefer that I not have reacted?” he asked as though she still struggled with
logic.
    She shook her
head.  “No,” she said and narrowed her gaze.  “I wish you had been a better
shot.”
    His face broke
into a small grin and Kat smiled.  Even Zeus couldn’t compare to Gray.  His smile
faded as quickly as it had appeared.  “You have no need to doubt my skill.  I
achieved my goal.” 
    She stared at
him, not fully understanding everything that had happened in their discussion,
but at least she felt comfortable in his presence.  She nodded.  “Thank you,
Gray.”
    He pulled the
door open and stepped into the hallway, pausing before he left.  Turning his
head to speak over his shoulder, he said, “You are most welcome.  Kat.”

 
     
     
    Chapter 8
     
    Kat twisted
the balcony handle and pulled the door open.  A warm breeze swept into the room
and surrounded her.  She closed her eyes and lifted her chin, turning her face
back and forth to catch every nuance of fresh air.  The bedroom she occupied,
while pleasant, had stifled her imagination.  Her dreams were now sketched in
drab brown and beige tones.  She may not have an artist’s eye, but the sunrises
that she remembered had always burst above the horizon with glorious shades of
yellow, orange, and red.  Using her crutch for support, she glanced once more behind
her.  She was certain that God had used more than a ninety-degree compass to
create the world.  While straight, right angles were a perfect fit for wall
structures and plumb lines, she needed to see the gentle slope of a rolling
hillside.  Even the sharp pitch of a steep crag mire would be a welcome sight. 
    Holding her
bandaged foot in the air, she leaned on her crutch and hobbled her way onto the
balcony.  A chaise sat to the right of the opening.  She inched her way toward
it, scooting her bare foot across the rough wood grain.  Reaching the chair,
she lowered herself to the cushion.  Perspiration flooded her lip and brow. 
She never thought resting could be so laborious.  Propping the wooden support
against the wall behind