Once outside, the cool wind seemed to help revive her, and she sucked in a deep, ragged breath. “That’s good, Sandy. Breathe deeply.”
She looked up and down the road as though trying to identify her vehicle. As she reached into her purse, he observed her hands shaking. With his arm still wrapped around her shoulder, he guided her toward his truck.
She looked up in surprise and pointed in the other direction. “My SUV is over there.”
“You’re in no condition to drive. I’m going to take you home.”
Still pale and shaky, he could feel her spine stiffening. “I… I can drive. I’m sure I can drive.”
Despite her resolve, he didn’t trust that she was over the trauma and wasn’t about to leave her alone, especially since there was an obvious predator in the area. He turned and faced her, both hands on her shoulders, and leaned down so that his face was directly in front of hers. “Sandy, you’re a smart woman. Right now, with what happened in there, it’s obviously shaken you up a great deal. On top of that, there’s somebody out here preying on women. Now, I’m going to take you home, whether you want it or not. You can be mad at me, but I can go to sleep tonight knowing you’re safe.”
She sucked in her lips and held his gaze for a long moment. Finally, she deflated, and her shoulders slumped. Nodding slowly, she said nothing but allowed him to guide her to his truck.
Once on the road, Rory continually glanced toward the passenger side of his truck, his concern growing as she stared listlessly out the window. In all the months they’d been acquainted, he’d seen Sandy happy, laughing, talking, and even angry. But he had never seen her quiet, fearful, lost in her own thoughts. And now, she was all three. He had no idea where she lived but thought it might be in the trendy, high-rise condos near the Inner Harbor. Turning toward the downtown area, he said softly, “Sandy, you need to tell me where you live.”
She blinked and looked toward him before turning back to the windshield as though seeing the street for the first time. “Oh, sorry. I’m not anywhere close to here. I’m off of Almeda.”
Now it was his turn to blink as he turned the corner to head in the other direction. He knew the area off of Almeda Street, and it was far from trendy. It was the type of old neighborhood that was slowly being revitalized. Probably, in another five years, the townhouses and condos would be mostly bought and flipped, bringing in new owners and renters. That would also bring in some new businesses catering to the younger residents. But for now, while it was not run down or dangerous, it certainly wasn’t where he pictured her living.
As he got closer, she directed him at each intersection, finally saying, “This is my street. I have a condo on the corner. You can just park up here and let me out.”
“No way. I’m going to make sure you get inside safely.” If he expected her to argue, she didn’t, merely offering a shrug. For some reason he didn’t want to ponder, her indifference gnawed at him. Parallel parking, he glanced toward her building, surprise hitting him once again. He hustled out, and by the time he made it around to her side, she’d opened the passenger door. He assisted her to the ground, and considering he could still feel her body shaking, kept his arm around her shoulders as they moved to the front door.
So many neighborhoods in Hope City were multi-storied townhouses, but he still had trouble hiding his surprise. Hers was only two stories, right on the street level and on the corner. He glanced down, seeing her hand shaking as she attempted to insert the key into the lock. Gently taking it from her, he twisted it and the door swung open. She stepped through, flipped the switch to turn on the lights, and since she didn’t immediately dismiss him, he followed her into the living room. There, the surprises kept coming.
Instead of expensive, luxurious, plush furniture or trendy, modern furniture that would have been just as expensive and yet made a visitor feel as though they shouldn’t sit on anything, he entered a quaint space, filled with furniture that appeared comfortable and inviting. The coffee table and end tables were wood and appeared old but not antique. The lamps emitting the soft