What in the world was the matter with her? She wanted him to leave, yet she'd just offered him a reason to stay. She held her breath, fearing he would say yes—fearing he would say no. Wes fingered his hair and beard, barely aware of its unruly length and style. Being around this woman was physically painful. All it did was remind him of his loss, and yet there was an emptiness inside of him that had nothing to do with food. "Well, do you want something to eat or not?" Ally asked. Wes took off his hat, then fiddled with the brim for a few seconds before he nodded. "Yes, ma'am, I'm hungry." "I have some food in the kitchen. Come sit at my table while I heat it up." "No, ma'am. I'm too dirty to sit at anyone's table." Once more Ally shocked herself by pointing to a small shed built onto the side of the house. "In there's the laundry shed, but there's also a shower. It's not much, but you're welcome to use it while I heat up your food." Wes let the gentleness of her voice wash over him and thought of the luxury a shower would be.
