To her surprise, Pam rushed up and enveloped her in a hug. “It’s nice to meet you, my dear. Babe and I are old friends, back from when her first husband was in the Army. She’s always spoken so highly of you.”
“It’s nice to meet you, too.” Selina turned to look at Marc, who had walked up to them. “And this is Marc. He gave me a ride down here.” That seemed like such an understatement for what he meant to her. “And a friend.”
Still an understatement, but a better one. He was her rescuer, but now with her own room to rent—arranged by her—she was going to be her own rescuer. The thought gave her strength and hope for the future.
“Nice to meet you, Marc,” Pam said, shaking his hand. “Why don’t you get Selina’s bag and come in to the house? You can set it in her room.”
Marc and Selina dutifully followed Pam into the house and to Selina’s new bedroom.
“This is nice,” Marc said, and Selina realized that he’d been more worried about her than she had been. That realization was made sweeter because he wasn’t trying to stop her and he hadn’t used his worry or dire threats to try and convince her to stay with him.
Like the rest of the house, the room was very clean, if simply decorated, and filled with old, worn furniture. It was clear Pam took pride in her house, though she didn’t seem to have much money to spend on it.
“I’m so glad you had a room to rent,” Selina said.
“Honey, you’re helping me out as much as I’m helping you. I don’t know if Babe told you, but I’m still paying off medical bills from cancer two years ago. This income will be very helpful. And the food-and-utilities split works for you?”
Selina nodded.
“Good.” Pam put her hands on her hips and gave a curt but not unfriendly nod. Like Babe, Pam seemed to be a woman who didn’t let warmth and love get in the way of practicality. “I’ve got a lease printed out over on the dining table. Can’t be too careful with these things, even if you are a friend of Babe’s.”
“That seems smart,” Selina said.
As Selina followed Pam out of the bedroom, Marc put his hand on the small of her back. The simple gesture of support meant more to her than she could ever express in words. He stood by her as she read over and signed the lease.
“I’ve got dinner on the stove. Selina, you’re welcome to have some. Marc, do you want to stay for dinner?”
Selina tried not to hope for another hour with Marc, but that was as impossible as not needing to breathe.
“No, thank you. I called Snowdance and arranged a room for tonight. I’d like to drive up the mountain before it gets too dark.”
“I’ll walk you out,” Selina said quickly. She didn’t want him to leave without having a chance for them to talk privately. They didn’t need an audience for the end of this relationship.
Out in the cold, standing by Marc’s SUV, Selina shivered.
“Feel okay about this situation?” he asked.
“Yes. It will be good.” She wasn’t simply saying that; she actually believed it. Pam was kind. She’d seen the bus lines down the street. There were almost always waitressing jobs available, and then there was a matter of college, of course, but that could wait a couple of months. She might get a job at a gallery, and if not, she could volunteer at one of the art museums. Babe was already working on selling her car, too, so the money from that would give Selina a little safety net.
“More than good,” she said, her voice stronger in the crisp night air. “I’m in a much better place right now, and I have you to thank for it. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to repay you.”
Being here, she realized that it hadn’t even been the money that had been keeping her in her hometown. She had needed a push. And a pull. Gary had provided one; Marc had provided the other.
Only, it wasn’t just gratitude that was welling up in her chest. Marc was the man she had needed at the time, but in another life, in another situation, she would have liked to develop their relationship more. The affection warming her down to the tips of her toes could turn into love if she let it.
He put his hands on her shoulders, rubbing up and down her arms and along her biceps, generating even more warmth in her body. It wasn’t just the touch. It was his touch.
“I understand that you don’t want to come with me for the whole winter. You have a life you need to start here. That makes sense. But could I call you when I’m done with my travels? Maybe swing by to see you?” His expression turned serious in the dim light coming off the porch. “I like you, Selina. I like you a lot.”
Her chest swelled at that news, puffing out with pleasure until she was afraid she would pop the zipper on her coat. Thinking he liked her had been one thing; hearing him say it filled a different need entirely.
“I didn’t just want you along with me for company and the chance that we would have sex again, just so you know . . .” he continued. “I wanted you along because I think we could have been something. That maybe there was a future here.”