Grover shrugged. “Some. How long are your parents staying?”
“Not long. They’re going to detour to Pagosa Springs on the way north and spend the night there. I think they’re as anxious to have a little getaway as I am. I know my coming home was a miracle for them, but I also think it’s been stressful.”
“Understandable,” Grover said. “They’re worried about you, and that can be exhausting.”
Sierra nodded. “Exactly.” She loved that this man didn’t pull any punches with her. He said things as he thought about them. He’d once claimed that he frequently put his foot in his mouth with others, but she’d realized that was because he didn’t bullshit anyone. He spoke the truth, always. Some might’ve taken offense to his observation, but she didn’t. It was one hundred percent true. Her parents worried so much about her and how she was acclimating back to regular life, and she knew they had to be tired.
“Come on, let’s go inside and I’ll introduce all the guys. I’m sure your parents will want to see where you’ll be staying before they leave too.”
And even that was considerate. A lot of people wouldn’t think about making sure her parents were comfortable and satisfied with her well-being before they left. Grover didn’t even know her parents, yet still he knew what they needed.
“Grover?”
“Yeah?” he asked, not pulling away from her.
“It’s so good to see you.”
The smile he gave her transformed his face. He went from looking unsure and worried to being relieved. “Same. You have no idea. I’ve loved talking to you, but seeing your beautiful face as we talk is so much better.”
Butterflies swam in her belly as Sierra looked up at the man she couldn’t stop thinking about. She’d told him two weeks ago that she wasn’t ready for a relationship, and she still didn’t think she was. Despite that, Grover made her feel completely relaxed and safe. She supposed it was because he’d rescued her. She didn’t want to be that kind of woman though. The kind who only fell for a guy because of some sort of savior complex.
“You’re thinking too hard,” Grover told her.
“How can you tell?” she asked, legitimately curious.
He lifted a finger and brushed it across her forehead. “Because you have a wrinkle right here.”
“I guess I’d better not play poker with you, huh?” she quipped, trying to snap herself out of her weird mood.
“Probably not. Come on, let’s go check on your parents.”
They walked hand in hand toward the large house that served as a reception building. Sierra didn’t even think twice about holding Grover’s hand. It felt so right, so natural.
When they walked inside the building, Sierra couldn’t help but be impressed. This wasn’t some fly-by-night ranch. The interior of the reception building had been professionally decorated, and even from her untrained eye, looked as if it cost a pretty penny. The men who owned this place had spared no expense to make everything welcoming and homey at the same time. There were large leather couches and chairs around a huge fireplace. Bright rugs on the hardwood floors, and they’d left the rafters exposed, which gave the room an open feel. It even smelled like warm cookies fresh from the oven. She had no idea if that was because of some sort of air freshener, or if there really were cookies being baked somewhere nearby.
Sierra had briefly glanced at The Refuge’s website before leaving to come down here, but since Grover had said he was looking forward to visiting, and had seemed impressed with the men who owned it, she hadn’t thought too much about it. She’d been too excited to see Grover.
He pulled her over to where her parents were speaking with a group of men. They were all tall and muscular. It was obvious they hadn’t let their physical fitness routines slack since getting out of whichever branches of the military they were in.
Without letting go of her hand, he nodded at the men in front of him.
One of them stepped forward and held out a hand. Sierra shook it as he introduced himself.
“I’m Drake, otherwise known as Brick. These are my partners in crime…Tonka, Spike, Pipe, Owl, Stone, and Tiny. I’d tell you their real names, but you’d forget them quickly and we probably wouldn’t respond to them, anyway,” he teased. “Welcome to The Refuge. We started this place because we all needed a place to go when we got out of the military, but couldn’t find anywhere we felt truly comfortable. Up here, in the mountains, away from judging eyes and from the constraints of civilization, we were able to find ourselves again. We all met through a mutual friend, and came up here to camp, of all things. Two nights turned into three. Then a week. The next thing we knew, we were meeting with a real estate agent to see about buying some land. And here we are.”
Sierra smiled at him. “Let me guess, that friend was Tex?”
“You know Tex?” Pipe asked, his British accent barely noticeable.
Grover chuckled. “She met him at the airport in DC. He appeared out of nowhere, gave her a phone that he said he was tracking, told her he’d made arrangements for her to come up here, and left.”
“Sounds like Tex,” Stone said with a chuckle.
“Anyway, you’re standing in the main building. We’ve got a big kitchen in the back that’s open to you at all times. We serve three meals a day, but if you get hungry any other time, or prefer to eat alone, you’re more than welcome to raid the fridge. We’ll give you the code to get in the back door so you can come and go whenever you want. Each guest gets their own code, and when you check out, the code is never used again,” Tiny explained.
“There are a dozen guest houses, which range from one-bedroom studios to three-bedroom suites. Each has a bathroom and shower, as well as a fridge and microwave. We offer housekeeping every three days if you want it, but you can always simply request towels and whatnot when you want them, and if you don’t want any housekeeping, that’s okay too,” Spike said.
Sierra’s head was on a swivel as each man spoke. It was obvious they’d given this spiel many times.
“You can literally do whatever you want while you’re here. Down the hill around the back of this building is a barn, and we’ve got horses, a cow, and two goats. They’re all very friendly and completely tame. Melba, our cow, will follow you around all day long if you give her scratches and if you let her. There are several barn cats too, and I’ve got a three-legged mutt,” Brick told her.
“We’ve got a therapist who comes up from Los Alamos three times a week, and sessions with her are included with your stay. She does both group sessions or one on one, if you prefer. But if you don’t want to do anything but sit on your porch and enjoy the silence and the beauty of nature, you can do that too. We want this to be a place where everyone can relax and try to center themselves in whatever way works best for them. If you need anything, or want to do anything, just let one of us know and we’ll see about making it happen. Okay?” Tonka asked.
Sierra nodded. Everything sounded amazing. She knew she’d had it easy since she’d gotten back—her parents had cooked for her, done her laundry, taken her shopping. She loved them, and was extremely grateful…but she’d still felt a little smothered, which only made her feel guilty.