Chapter 2 Two

Linda sat in the narrow twin bed that night, staring into the warm darkness of her borrowed bedroom wondering what was going to happen to her.

She had spent the first week trying to make herself scarce. She didn't want to put out on anyone, she had acted invisible thinking she would be gone sooner than they could notice her presence. But to her disappointment, her mother didn't show up the first week as she had promised. But then, she should have known better. Then the next week, she had tried as better as she could to make herself useful, since she had outstayed her welcome . She didn't wish to be an otiose person. It hadn't been easy to be useful on a horse ranch when she knew absolutely nothing about horses to begin with. Also, she had been frankly afraid of the huge animals. But she had tried. She had to because she had experienced that the best way to keep from wearing out your welcome at a strange house was to be helpful and unobstructive.

She remembered the time she had spent with a distant relatice of her mother. That was the first time she had been sent to live with a relative, the beginning of her mothers' short vacation. Her mother had said she was just going do a week. But to her shock, her mother didn't come the first week. Linda had been naive and had thought staying out of their hair was the way to keep from wearing out her welcome, she had been wrong. When her mother finally came for her two weeks later, they had told her mother not to bring her over again to their house. They had called her lazy, claiming the only thing she had done in the house was eat their food, which wasn't true. Her mother had scolded her. The next time her mother had dropped ger off to another relative, she had learnt her lesson and had never been 'lazy'.

Nico had tolerated her helping out. Infact, he had been nothing but a good host to her. He had even started to teach her about horses. But even with all this, Linda wasnt so comfortable. She felt like she was dispensable at anytime, and that Nico was doing nothing than tolerating her presence.

Now it was the end of the first month yet she hadn't heard anything from her mother and she was beginning to get really worried. She had tried to place a collect call to the number her mother had left, no one had answered. She had been afraid to try and tracker down any other way. Phoning Paris wasn't exactly cheap.

Only this morning did one of the ranch hands yelled at her for getting in the way around the stable. She sighed heavily, school was supposed to be starting soon. Would her mother come back in time for her to be enrolled somewhere?

An even more frightening question popped in her head .... Would her mother come back for her at all? Linda hadn't allow herself to think such horrible thoughts. She had been optimistic, but now they all came flooding in like a pack of moth attracted to light. What if her mother had been attacked by terrorist? She read somewhere Terrorism risk was high in the country. What if she had been kidnapped or worse killed in such an attack? What if she never heard from her again? What if Nicolas Black decided not qs tired of having her around and sent her off to a foster home? What was going to happen to her?

The horrible 'What ifs' she had ben burying for weeks suddenly overwhelmed her and she bursted into tears. She wrapped her arms around her knees, crouching in the narrow bed, trying to sob quietly so she wouldn't bother Nico as his room was directly above hers. But despite her effort to keep her sorrow silent, he still heard her. Light from the hallway spilled into the room ad someone opened the door. She looked up to see the tall figure standing in her doorway, looking rumpled and sleepy. Nico was wearing pajama bottom with no top, his broad chest covered with a crisp of black hair was revealed in the dim light of the hallway.

"Hey, kiddo." His deep voice was soft and unexpectedly gentle. "What's going on? Are you all right?"

Linda shook her head and wiped her eyes with quick jerky motions, "I .... I'm fine ... I'm sorry ... I didn't mean to wake you." She huddled in on herself trying to be small and unobstructive, trying to disappear in the darkness so he would go back to bed and leave her to cry in peace. But that wasn't how Nicolas Black was . When he saw a problem that needed fixing, he fixed it and right then Linda must have looked exactly as she felt, completely broken. He walked into the room and sat on the side of her bed, wrapping his hand around her, one large palm caressed her back through the night shirt she wore. "Hey, Linda," His voice rumbled softly in her ear "Why don't you tell me what's wrong, huh?" This was the first time he was calling her anything but 'kiddo'. Maybe it was the way he said her name, or the way his voice sounded, so soft and gentle, or the way he touched her, his hand so warm and firm and soothing on her back. But for whatever reason, Linda found herself melting and soon she was sobbing in his arms. She poured out all of her horrible thoughts and questions. Nico held her close and let her cry, running his fingers through her hair and rubbed her back while the sobs shook her, murmuring soothing nonsenses words. He gentled her as he would have one of his horses. She snuffled.

"All right now?"

Linda pressed her wet face to the broad, scratchy chest and breathed in deeply inhaling the aroma of horses and leather and clean masculine sweat that was at once and entirely Nico. "I don't know. Mom's lest me for a long time before, but she's never gone this long without atleast calling. Do you think something happened to her?"

''I don't know." Nico's voice was soft in the darkness of the room, his hand still stroking her back. "But I do know that you are welcome in my house for as long as you want to be here, Linda."

Linda's eyes bulged in disbelief. "Really!"

"Yeah. We'll try to track down your mom but even if we don't find her right away, you are gonna be okay right here with me. All right?"

Linda nodded hesitantly, still a little uncertain despite his warm words.

"That's my little Linda." He uttered approvingly, squeezing her tightly as though to emphasize his point.

"And ... And you really don't mind my staying here? You promise?" She asked, letting her heart fill her eyes.

Nico looked at her solemnly and took her small hand, he placed it on his broad bare chest. "I will do better than promise, Linda, I swear it. Heart swear, baby, the most sacred vow I know. I want you here with me and that's the truth." She could feel the steady thump of his heart beneath the warm, scratchy skin, beating in a reassuring rhythm that seemed to echo his words.

Linda copied his motions, taking his large hand and placed it against her own flat, bony chest. "Heart swear." She repeated, feeling at ease for the first time in weeks. "Thank you .... Nico." It was the first time she was calling him anything other than 'sir' , good manners being essential for getting along in a strange house.

"Nico, huh? I think i like the sound of that." He grinned and ruffled her hair before giving her a warm kiss on the forehead.

By the time he tucked her back into the narrow little bed and pulled the covers up to her chin, she was completely his .... Mind, body and soul, and we'll on her way to falling helplessly, hopelessly in love. It was a love she knew Nico might never return . . . .