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personal savior committee? Without permission, I bet?” When she nodded emphatically he continued, “You know, sometimes receiving help from people who love you is a good thing. Do they have any idea what your circumstances are right now?”
    She cringed and gave him a lame smile. “Not really. They know I’m living in Fort Stockton. They know the chef job didn’t pan out.”
    “I hear a big ‘but’ in there.”
    “But they think I just found another job as chef in a different restaurant. I told them I was fine and I want to make it on my own. They said they respected that.”
    “If you were my little sister, I’d want to do whatever I could to help you out of this situation.”
    “I know, but I need to do it on my own. Are you going to tell them?” She asked the question as if she wondered if he was going to tattle on her.
    “No, baby. Getting in touch would be a good idea, though. They might have news of their own.”
    “True. I’ll have to do that.”
    “If you left Fort Stockton, where would you go if you had your way?”
    Lydia smiled at him and shrugged. “It may not matter what I want, but if I had my way it would be to another small town, somewhere a little greener. I love this part of Texas, but it can feel desolate and lonely at times.”
    If he had his way he’d give her what she wanted and make sure she never felt desolate or lonely again.
    Inside her purse, her phone rang.
    She answered it and spoke to the caller while Chance worked on his strawberry shake. It sounded like she was talking to a police officer. When she put her phone down, he asked, “Everything all right?”
    “Yes. The police have finished. The old fool confessed to slashing the tires and tampering with the engine. They need to get pictures of my car and they were willing to drop my things off at my motel room.”
    “Oh. Okay. I’ll take you home if you’ll give me directions. I probably ought to see about a room before it gets much later, too.”
    “Chance, thank you for all you’ve done to help me through tonight. I want you to know I really appreciate it.”
    “You’re welcome, baby. I’m glad I was here. I’d hate to think of you going through what happened tonight all by yourself.”
    He started the truck and followed her soft-spoken directions to the western edge of town, where her motel was located.
     

Chapter Four
    Lydia’s mind urged caution as they pulled up to the inauspicious, faded building that had served as home for the last five months. Chance was there only temporarily, and she reminded herself of that as he pulled into a parking space next to Gunther who appeared rather sad with his four flat tires. She felt violated as she looked at her Karmann Ghia. Sometimes it seemed like her transportation and the earnings she made each day were all that stood between her and the wolves at the door.
    Chance cut the ignition on the big pickup and jumped out of the truck. She reached for the handle but was surprised when he opened it and smiled at her.
    “Mom raised us right, Lydia. Let me help you.”
    His words from earlier, about having come for the sole purpose of seeing her, battled with her inner mantra that he was there temporarily. Confusion was the result as she placed her hand on his shoulder and allowed him to lift her by her waist and place her on the ground. Her heart hammered at the feel of his hands on her, and she bit her lip self-consciously.
    “Careful, Chance. I don’t want you to hurt your back.”
    “Baby, I routinely lift calves that weigh more than you. You’re light as a feather,” he replied, smiling as he brushed a lock of hair away that the steady, hot wind had blown in her face. His callused fingers were gentle, and she found herself mesmerized as she looked up into his eyes. Her heart hammered in her chest as she soaked up the nearness of this warm, hard-working man. It was going to hurt something fierce when she watched him drive his truck away again because she had a