Silas

I put my duffel bag on the end of the bed and groaned as I stretched my back. "What did you think about that girl?" North asked. "Seemed a bit bossy to me."

I rolled my eyes at him, "You just think that because she knew more about your Jeep than you did." He grimaced and muttered whatever, then headed toward the bathroom. I heard the water start so I grabbed my phone and sent a quick text.

Silas: Hey, we are stuck in a small town just outside Lexington. Heavy rains and car troubles. Hoping to get parts tomorrow. We'll keep you guys posted.

Kota: Stay safe and let us know if we need to send out the calvary.

Silas: Nah, but North may need an intervention. He may have met his mechanical match...and she's fiery!

Nate: She?

Silas: Yeah, local handywoman apparently. She was on the roof of the shop we stopped at when we got here. Came in spouting off details about the Jeep that even North hadn't thought of. She helped us get a room for the night and is taking us to the next town over for parts.

Luke: Ha! North is the knight in distress being rescued by a damsel!

North: Fuck off, Lucian

Nate: I see what you mean about an intervention. Grouchy much, North?

North: She made a lucky guess.

Silas: Man, she explained exactly how the Jeep was acting without asking a single question. Admit it, she knows her stuff.

North: Whatever

Kota: Well, have fun with him, Silas. Sounds like it's gonna be a long drive home.

Silas: Will do.

North glared at me as I chuckled. "Get over it, man," and headed in to take a shower of my own.

We sat down in the dining area with a few of the other guests as the rain came down in sheets outside the windows. "Well, looks like I'm stuck here for a couple of days, Carla," Gray's voice said from the doorway. I almost dropped my glass when I saw her. Instead of the coveralls and cap she was in earlier, now she was wearing a tight pair of jeans with a blue blouse that accentuated the curves her earlier outfit had hidden, but what really caught my attention was her platinum silver hair spilling over her shoulders. "Hey, gents, how are ya this evening?" she grinned.

North finally looked up and made a choking sound before stammering, "Um, we...we're good."

She gave him a confused look and sat down after filling her bowl with stew. She took a bite and moaned, "Oh damn, Clara, this is amazing."

I felt my pants tighten at the sound. "Thanks, hun," Clara answered. "You might be right about your stay. Way that rain is coming down, the river will break her banks before morning."

Gray nodded, "Yeah. Might need to check on the widow. I know she'll fuss, but there simply aren't enough sandbags to keep her safe."

"How can we help?" I asked, listening to their conversation.

She gave me a dazzling smile, then answered, "I know you two are in a rush to leave, but if the river crests, the highway won't be safe either. Can either one of you run a tractor?" We both nodded. "Good. If you really want to help, then tomorrow morning we need to head over to Widow Wiler's place and check on her. If it keeps rising, I might just have to kidnap her to get her out safely. For now, we can try to dig a diversion trench." She tapped her bowl as she thought, "Clara, do you have enough kerosene if the power goes?"

"I've got a decent supply in the cellar along with dry wood for the stove if needed. Might be a stretch, but worst case we can use the old hand pump for water," Clara said. I marveled at how prepared these folks were.

"Does it flood like this often?" North asked them.

"It's hit and miss in the spring. Storms like this in the fall aren't common. The ground is starting to freeze and that causes more problems. Not enough absorption and the runoff makes for flash flooding," Gray told him. "My place is high enough to stay safe, but the road up the mountain crosses the creek so I can't get there."

"Will Gypsy be okay?" I gave them a confused look and Clara laughed. "Her cat."

"Oh," I sighed.

"Yeah, she's got plenty of food and water. She can get out if she needs to hunt as well," Gray said as she took a second bowl of stew. Watching her dip the bread in and then suck the broth off was downright sinful.

When dinner had finished, Clara gathered up the dishes as Gray helped. We offered, but they turned us down. I stepped to the front window, watching the rain fall. Lightning flashed, illuminating the entire town followed by a clap of thunder that shook the entire house. I'm not sure how long I stood there lost in my own thoughts before I noticed Gray pulling on her work boots. She was once again in the heavy coveralls, her hair tucked into the black stocking cap.

"Where are you headed?" I asked her.

"Cattle still need feed, even in the rain," she grinned.

"Let me grab my coat and I'll help." She nodded and I quickly ran to the room and grabbed my coat and gloves. "Lead the way," I told her as I zipped up and pulled on my boots.

She cinched the hood of her coat, then took a deep breath as she braced for the weather. I followed her example and we headed toward the large barn behind the house. She showed me how to open the heavy doors, then gather the grain. We worked mostly in silence, taking hay and grain to each stall. I'd just put up the bucket when I heard her talking softly to a young heifer. "It's okay, mama. You still have a few days, girl." She gently stroked the cow's head and swollen stomach. "The weather is making her nervous. She's ready to calve any day now."

"You seem to have a way with animals," I told her. Her dark eyes met mine and a smile spread across her face. It was mesmerizing. There was no hidden motive in her smile, she was genuinely pleased with the compliment.

"Thank you," she answered. "I've always been around animals. Even as a kid, I was always bringing home strays, and not just dogs and cats," she giggled. "One time I found an abandoned baby skunk and dragged it home. Managed to hide it for almost a week before my mama found it. Got a tanning for that one."

I chuckled, "I brought home North, does that count as a stray?"

She let out a full belly laugh that made my heart soar. "I think we can give you credit for that." She gave the heifer one last pat then sighed, "Guess it's time to brave the rain again, huh?"

"I suppose," I said, "It's a bit too drafty in here to sleep."

She smirked, "Nah, get into the hay enough and a few blankets...well, let's just say it wouldn't be my first night sleeping in a barn."

"Why do I get the feeling there's more to that story than you're letting on?"

She batted her eyelashes playfully, "Why Silas, I have no idea what you are implying." I choked back a laugh as she busted up herself. "Come on, before North thinks I let you drown."

We buttoned up again as we opened the door. This time it took both of us to batten it shut as the wind had picked up. The rain was so heavy it made seeing the path from the barn to the house almost impossible to see in the dusky light. I put my arm around her as we walked, helping to steady one another until we reached the back porch.

We looked worse than wet cats as we began to strip off our boots and jackets in the mudroom of Clara's covered porch. Gray blushed when she pulled off her coveralls and realized her blouse was now see-through from the rain. "Um, sorry," she muttered.

I averted my gaze reluctantly, "No, that's okay. Guess we should have thought about bringing down dry clothes, huh?"

"Well, if you'll just keep looking away for a moment, there are large towels here in the cabinets. I usually don't have a helper, so stripping out here isn't a big deal since no one can see me." I bit my tongue to keep from groaning at the image that filled my mind. "Here you go," she said and handed me a towel. Looking up I realized she had already changed, her wet clothing in a pile on the floor, including a sexy pair of panties in bright red. She scooped up the clothes and put them in a washer then said, "I'll turn around so you can get out of your stuff, then we can put it in with mine if that's okay?"

"Sure," I muttered as she turned around and I quickly stripped, then wrapped the towel around my waist tightly. "Thanks," I said and placed my clothing in the washer. She added the soap and started it. "Well, I guess I should go get dressed."

"Yeah, me too," she blushed. "Thanks for the help, Silas. I appreciate it."

"Anytime, Gray," I told her, and smiling at her, I headed back to my room, praying I didn't run into any other guests.

Author's Notes:  Please let me know what you think.