Hitman's Creed - 15

 

Joey knew he needed to be careful how he approached his mother to get her permission for Glenn to come over and work on what was needed to secure their home and the coffeehouse. He figured he could, and would, go behind her back if necessary, but in the end he'd still have to tell her. After all real security meant more than the alarm box they had by the back door at the coffeehouse.

So after Sunday supper, as soon as he'd finished with the dishes, he sat down beside her at the table. She looked up in question as he usually went off to study when he was done.

"Can I talk to you about something?" he asked.

"Of course. Anything, you know that."

"All right. Promise not to get mad until I've finished?"

That question made her look at him with a frown. "How bad is it, whatever it is?"

"It's not bad, just…" He took a deep breath. "Glenn was in security before he retired and, well, we got to talking about father and he said we should have really good security if we don't, which we don't, and he offered to give us some suggestions but he has to look at both places first and… well… you know."

Miriam clasped her hands together and rested her chin on them as she stared at him. Finally, after a long drawn out pause she nodded slowly. "He's probably right, but it seems, it's always seemed like we'd be asking for trouble if we did something like that, like tempting fate. Besides, how would your father know where to find us, and if he does, well he hasn't done anything so far so why would he start now?"

"Glenn said because he might think that the statute of limitations is up so he'd be free to come out of hiding."

"I guess that's a possibility, but in that case it seems to me he'd go after Miss Nye first. After all she's the one he was trying to kill."

"Mom, can I ask a question?" When she nodded, Joey said, "Why were they at our house? Do you know?"

She nodded again. "According to what she told the police, and this is only her story of course, he said he was going to ask me for a divorce and they were there to pick up some of his things. Then the little girl started acting out, he hit her to shut her up, and things escalated from there."

"Damn." Joey shuddered then frowned. "He was never… he never hit me."

"Because I told him if he ever laid a hand on you that would be the end of it and he believed me."

"Why would you… Oh hell, did he beat on you?" Joey's eyes flashed with anger when she nodded slowly. "I'll kill him. He comes near here and I'll kill him, I swear."

"You will do nothing of the sort," she told him firmly. "He's ruined our lives enough as it is. If he comes here, and I really don't think he will, but if he does we will let the police handle it. Do you understand?"

"Yes, mom, I understand." But his hands fisted.

She reached out, putting hers over them. "I mean it, Joey. Promise me you won't try to do anything on your own."

He looked at her then said. "I promise, if you promise to let Glenn set up whatever security he thinks we need here."

She smiled slightly. "I promise."

 

 

Hitman's Creed - 14

 

"I know," Glenn replied. "And, yes, I'm bi. I have been since I first figured out the differences between men and women. Well, maybe not that long ago but you get what I'm saying."

"But… you're living out here all by yourself… All right, I suppose that didn't make much sense. I mean, you're older and you don't have someone in your life, especially since you can have your choice and… Damn! I'm going to shut up now."

Glenn smiled, patting Joey's arm. "It's okay; I get what you're trying to say. I'm just not one for relationships. I've never really had time for them."

"Well you do now. Oh shit!"

"Going to try to match me up with your mom?" Glenn asked with a perfectly straight face.

"She's too old for you."

Glenn kept up his teasing, saying "Maybe I like older women."

"Oh, well, yeah then…"

Because Joey looked so woebegone, Glenn relented. "I have no idea if I do or not since I've never even gone out with one. I'm bi, yes, but I lean more toward men than women on the whole when I'm… Okay, I don't know you well enough to be playing true confessions about my life so how about we drop this subject?"

It seemed as if Joey was going to protest but then changed his mind and he nodded.

"Do you think there's some way to keep us safe from my father if he does show up?"

"There are things we can do but I won't know what until I take a good look at your place and the coffeehouse. Will your mother allow that?"

"Maybe. I can ask. Even if she doesn't I have no problem with letting you inside to check out the house when she's not there. I don't want anything to happen to her."

Glenn nodded seriously. "I got that idea. You're a good kid to worry about her."

"She's my mom. Of course, I do." Joey glanced at the clock on one wall of the living room and jumped to his feet. "I didn't realize it was getting so late. She's going to kill me."

"You're late for work? Come on, I'll drive you back."

"Yeah, not horribly late but, yeah, I'd appreciate that if you don't mind."

"I wouldn't have offered if I did. Let me get my stuff and I'll be ready to go."

When Glenn headed up the stairs Joey watched wistfully. He wished this was like his dreams and he was beside Glenn or even already in the bedroom, sprawled provocatively on the bed. "Yeah, right, like that would ever happen," he muttered under his breath as he got his jacket. "When pigs fly."

"Where are they flying to?" Glenn asked as he came down the stairs.

"No where. Pigs don't have wings," Joey replied with a small smile.

"Now you never know." Glenn put on his jacket and headed toward the kitchen and the back door with Joey in tow. "Maybe Farmer Jones owns a private airstrip and the pigs have learned how to pilot airplanes."

"And they travel to… where?"

"Hmm, Bacon, Georgia; Bacon, Missouri. Bacon Cove or Bacon Ridge, Canada."

"Hamburg, Germany; Hampton, Virginia; Hamilton, Ohio…" Joey responded, getting into the game.

"Eggs and Bacon Bay in Tasmania."

"You're putting me on, that's not a real place."

Glenn nodded as he unlocked the car to let Joey get in. "Honest, it is. There's also Pigtown, Ohio and Hog Mountain, Georgia."

"Or they could fly to… I think they call them hogbacks, outside of Denver, a kind of rock formation."

"There are hogbacks a lot of places. Then there's…"

The game continued until Glenn pulled the car up in front of the coffeehouse. "Want me to alibi you with your mom?" he asked as Joey got out.

"Naw, it'll be okay. Thanks for the ride and, well, everything."

Glenn nodded. "I'll give you a call and we can set up a time when I can go over to your house. What's your number?"

Joey gave it to him then raced into the coffeehouse. Glenn smiled as he pulled away. He hadn't had that much just plain fun in… well he couldn't even remember when the last time had been. 'And that's just sad,' he thought morosely as he headed back to his house.

Hitman's Creed - 13

 

"He tried to murder her," Joey said angrily. "He might have killed Mom too if she hadn't called for help and someone heard her."

"That puts a different light on it. Has she heard anything from him since then, or have you for that matter, since you witnessed it?"

Joey shook his head. "I haven't, and she's never said she has. But…" He chewed his lip.

"But you're afraid he could show up sometime?" Glenn said, and Joey nodded. "And that's why you didn't want to go away to school?" Joey nodded again. "I presume both your uncle and the police know about him."

"Yeah, but what good does that do? Maybe I'm jumping at shadows but what if he decides to try to get back at Mom? What if he finds out where we are? He could just sneak into town and… well, you know."

"Does he know that you have family here?"

"How the hell would I know?" Joey replied angrily.

"If your mother has said something, for one thing."

"Well she hasn't. She never talks about it or him. It's like she's put it in some box in the back of her mind and locked it in there."

Glenn remembered Mrs. Fairburn's reaction when she mentioned Joey being like his father in his inquisitiveness and he seriously doubted she'd locked everything away. More than likely she didn't want Joey to worry. Not that her approach was working. "One thing to think about, Joey, he hasn't tried anything in seven years, so why would he start now?"

"'Cause like you said he might think he can come out of hiding now." Joey scrubbed a hand over his face. "And if he does…"

"Then we have to figure out a way to keep both of you safe. I presume you moving somewhere else would be out of the question."

"We?" Joey looked at him in surprise.

"I've worked in security, I know a bit about how to do that," Glenn pointed out, sticking with the story he'd told Joey.

"Yeah, but… I mean do you want to get involved, and why would you?"

"You're a good kid so I'd hate to see anything happen to you, or your mother."

"I'm not a kid!"

"Joey, you're thirteen years younger than me. You're a kid." Glenn watched as Joey's face fell at his words. "Why does it matter?"

"It doesn't," Joey replied, denial of those two words reflected in the way he dropped his eyes and in the downward cast of his mouth.

Glenn was about to say more when it hit him. He remembered Joey's saying, or hinting, that there had never been a girl in his life. Maybe a big jump in logic, but he'd bet his bottom dollar the kid was gay. This made Glenn wonder if he’d had any boyfriends or if he kept that part of his life deeply closeted. He leaned back as he studied Joey.

Joey felt Glenn's eyes on him and looked up. "What?" he asked with a frown.

Glenn took the oblique track. "Does your mother know?"

"Know what?"

"Okay, don't shoot me if I'm way off base here. Does she know you're gay?"

"Uh huh, and she's okay…" Joey stopped, shocked at himself for what had just come out of his mouth. "Sorry," he muttered. "I shouldn't have admitted that."

"Why not? Not a damned thing wrong with it."

"Says the straight man trying to be all 'I don't do prejudice'."

Glenn chuckled. "Says the bi man who doesn't do prejudice."

"You? Seriously?"

"Yeah I hate prejudice," Glenn replied, deliberately misunderstanding Joey's question.

"That's not what I meant."

Hitman's Creed - 12

 

"Aren't you the tidy one," Glenn commented with a chuckle.

"Not according to mom, but… I mean look at this room. Not a thing out of place."

Glenn did look, and saw it through Joey's eyes. Everything was perfectly placed, books aligned on shelves by author, the television perfectly centered on its table, no knick-knacks, nothing just lying around other than the book he was reading which sat on the seat of his favorite chair. "Habit, I guess."

"From when you were a kid?" Joey sat down on the sofa and looked up at Glenn in question.

"Yeah, I suppose."

"Are your folks still alive and like retired in Florida or something?"

Schooling his face not to show the pain the thought of his parents death still evoked, Glenn replied, "They died a few years ago in an accident before Dad got a chance to retire."

"I'm sorry," Joey said sincerely.

"Thanks."

Glenn hesitated, something he rarely did, before he sat down at the other end of the sofa from Joey. "What about you? Obviously I know your mother's still around because I've talked to her, but what about your father? You seemed a bit reluctant to talk about him last time you were here."

"He's not around," was Joey's tight reply.

"And good riddance from the tone of your voice. You and he didn't get along?" When Joey's face closed down, Glenn said quietly, "Sorry, I'll quit probing."

"Thanks."

Stymied as what to say or do next, Glenn remained silent. Apparently that was the right thing to do because Joey sighed. Glenn cocked an eyebrow in question.

"I…" Joey looked at him then away, saying almost inaudibly, "You'll probably hear about it one way or the other somewhere along the line if you're planning on staying here. My father's on the run because he assaulted his girlfriend and abused their daughter."

"Damn." Glenn reached out a hand with the intention of… he wasn't quite certain what, and drew it back again. "They didn't arrest him?" he asked, knowing the answer but not wanting Joey to know that.

"Yeah they did, but he escaped somehow. Stupid cops."

"No one knows where he ran to I take it."

"No." Joey scrubbed a hand over his face. "We moved away after that because the cops figured it would be safer, in case he blamed Mom, because she's the one who stopped him before he killed his girlfriend."

"That must have been something else, her walking in on that. I presume that's what happened."

"It was… awful." Joey's face shut down again as he whispered, "Awful."

"You saw it?" Glenn asked in apparent surprise.

"Yeah."

"Hell, how old were you?"

"Fourteen."

"So he's been on the run for seven years. Not too good. The statute of limitations may well have run out for both charges if it was simple assault on the girlfriend, which means he'd have no fear of reappearing," Glenn said pensively.

 

Hitman's Creed - 11

 

Very early Sunday morning, two days after the freak snowstorm, Joey was standing at the foot of the lane leading up to Glenn's house. He'd gotten a ride to the side road from a friend then walked up here. He wasn't certain now that this was his brightest move but, for whatever reason, he wanted to see the man again. Somewhere where he couldn't turn around and walk away from him.

'Which is damned well insane. All he has to do is ignore my knocking, or tell me to leave the stuff on the porch. And why does it matter if he does let me inside? I'm a kid as far as he's concerned. A stupid kid who managed to get lost in a storm like a tourist.'

The problem was he found Glenn interesting in ways he never had any other male he'd met. Not that he hadn't looked at other men. Hell, he'd done more than look a time or three. The old barn at the far edge of Mr. Tallon's property had been the make-out site for half the teens in town at one point or another and he’d been no exception. The only difference was he'd made out with a couple of the boys at school who didn't want anyone to know they liked guys more than girls.

He didn't know why Glenn had become the subject of his nighttime fantasies. Hell, he was old enough to be his… well not father, never that. But an uncle or… or something. Whichever, he had to be ten years older than Joey, or so he figured. And yet fantasize he did… in very graphic detail.

Joey sighed, clamped down on where his thoughts were headed, and started up the lane.

* * * *

From his bedroom window on the second floor, Glenn watched as Joey came closer to the house. The young man had a backpack and from what Glenn could see of it, it seemed to be crammed to the gills, probably with all the clothes he'd lent Joey other than the jacket, which Joey had slung over one shoulder.

He shook his head, not quite certain whether he was annoyed or amused by the fact that Joey had gone against his express wishes and come here to return everything. Still, if nothing else it might give Glenn a chance to probe a little into the story of Joey's father, if he could figure out how to do that without raising red flags.

After putting on a shirt, Glenn headed downstairs. He reached the living room just as Joey rapped on the door. He opened to say sternly in lieu of a greeting, "I am quite certain I told you I'd pick everything up when I came into town."

"Yeah, well, I was in the neighborhood and figured what the hell."

"That is the lamest excuse I think I've ever heard. I'm in no one's neighborhood, by choice." Glenn regretted he'd said the last two words seconds later but it was too late to take them back.

Joey tapped a knuckle against his lips as he looked up at Glenn. "Why by choice? You said you used to work security. Did you piss someone off and they're after you now?"

"Yep, the Mafia. I had the goods on one of them and the man's associates didn't appreciate it," Glenn replied, deciding to play along. "So get your ass in here in case they're in the trees trying to get a good shot at me. I'd hate for them to hit you instead."

Joey flinched even though he was certain Glenn was teasing—he hoped. He walked quickly past the man into the living room then stood there, not sure what to do now that he'd achieved his objective.

Glenn solved part of the problem. He held out his hand for his jacket and told Joey, "You can dump the rest of the things on that chair."

Joey did as he'd been told, piling the clothes neatly on the chair with the boots carefully placed in front of it. Then he hung his own jacket on one of the hooks by the front door.

Hitman's Creed - 10

 

"This is a man who belongs on someone's hit list," Glenn muttered angrily as he read through the information he'd gathered. "No wonder the kid wants to stick around." He stared at the news report again, shaking his head.

 

Local man escapes after being arrested for attempted murder of girlfriend and abuse of the girlfriend's daughter. Steven Fairburn was stopped in the process of beating his erstwhile girlfriend when his wife returned home unexpectedly from an out-of-town visit with her parents. According to police reports Miriam Fairburn and her son walked into their home to find Mr. Fairburn with his son's baseball bat in one hand. A woman later determined to be the mother of his nine-year-old daughter lay on the floor with his foot holding her down. Mrs. Fairburn screamed for help while attempting to take the bat from her husband. A male neighbor heard her screams and came to the rescue. Between them they managed to subdue Mr. Fairburn then call the police. Mr. Fairburn escaped custody as he was being taken to court to be arraigned on charges of abusing a minor child and attempted murder.

 

Glenn had accessed the police reports. He found out that Mrs. Fairburn had had no idea that her husband had a mistress and another child. Joey had been fourteen at the time of the incident, old enough to understand what had happened. It might have ended there if Fairburn hadn't escaped. The police in the town where they’d lived had suggested that Mrs. Fairburn might be safer if she took her son and moved somewhere else. Obviously she'd taken their suggestion seriously. Glenn suspected they'd chosen this town because her brother lived here. Not a smart move if Fairburn really did want to pay her back for what had happened, but understandable on her part.

'I wonder if Fairburn has made contact with her or if Joey's just afraid that he might at some point in time.' He’d found no reports that Fairburn had been seen at any time since his escape, but that didn't mean anything. He was undoubtedly in hiding even after seven years but that didn't preclude his wanting to do something to his wife as payback for her part in his arrest.

Glenn lit a cigarette and leaned back to stare up at the ceiling as he wondered if there was anything he could do about the situation. Then he shook his head. 'Why the hell would I want to? It's not my damned business one way or the other. I'm sure the police here are well aware of the situation and are keeping an eye open for him, as is her brother.' With that thought in mind he closed the file he'd started, and went into the kitchen to fix supper.

Hitman's Creed - 9

 

"So," Joey's mother said as soon as he came through the door, "how did you end up there?"

"I told you when I called, I got lost."

"You don't get lost. You know this area like the back of your hand."

Joey looked at the back of his hand once he took off the borrowed jacket. "I never could figure what that saying meant. I don't know the back of my hand."

"Joey, answer the question," she said in mock exasperation.

"Okay. I really was lost for a while, or at least way off course. But I figured out where I was more or less and started back. Then, well, I was freezing my ass off and I thought I was close to his place and so…"

"You decided to take advantage of the situation and do a little snooping."

"Make friends with a neighbor," he replied with an innocent stare in her direction.

"He's hardly a neighbor, so you were snooping."

"I was getting out of the snow and cold!"

"Joey Fairburn, you were snooping. So what did you find out about the elusive Mr. Glenn whatever?"

"Nothing really," Joey admitted once he'd finished stuffing the borrowed socks into the borrowed boots. "He makes a mean pot roast, from the smell of it he smokes though he didn't while I was there, and his place is totally neat."

"A neat male; I didn't know they existed," she said with a laugh.

"Hey, my room's neat, mostly, usually."

"Sometimes." She glanced at the clock then nodded toward the stairs. "It's late so maybe you should get to bed now? Put everything in the hamper and I'll do a load of laundry in the morning so his sweats are clean when you take them back to him."

Joey was about to tell her that Glenn would pick them up… someday. He thought better of that. After all if his mother wanted him to return them then return them he would.

Hitman's Creed - 8

 

Glenn filed the last half of that away for the moment to ask, "What are you studying?"

"Criminal Justice. I hope to be a cop when I've finished, or on the way to being one."

"Really? Here or some big city?"

"That depends." Joey studied his empty plate. "Probably here if there's an opening when I'm ready, at least until I get my feet wet. The chief's a… well, a friend of the family so I have an in. Can I ask what you do that you can live out here and…? Okay, not my business, sorry."

"It's not, but I'll tell you anyhow," Glenn replied with a slight smile. "I inherited some money and decided to retire."

"From what?"

"Security work." This was at least the partial truth. Glenn figured since he had spent his life making certain that his clients were secure from the problems posed by the people they wanted out of the way, he could consider his work to be in the security field.

"So you were sort of a cop."

Glenn nodded. "Sort of, although the cops probably didn't look at it like that." He decided it was time to change the subject before Joey started to probe deeper. "Does your family own the coffeehouse?"

Joey nodded. "My mother does. She owns it and I work for her, or I guess with her, and for my uncle who has the garage down the street."

"So your family owns half the town," Glenn replied with a chuckle. "Does your father have a business here too?"

"My father's out of the picture," Joey said tightly.

Glenn felt the anger and something else that radiated from Joey's suddenly tense body and figured there was more to it than just the man having divorced Joey's mother. Especially considering that Joey had as much as said there was something keeping him here in the town, something that sounded like more than just love of family.

"That happens sometimes. Any brothers or sisters? Okay, now I'm being too nosy, I suspect. Next I'll be asking about your friends and acquaintances. I suppose that's a hangover from what I used to do."

Joey took a deep breath then chuckled. "It could be, and no, I'm an only child."

"That makes two of us. Have you had enough to eat?"

"More than, thank you." Joey stood and began to clear the table. When Glenn cocked an eyebrow, Joey explained, "Mom trained me well. She cooks, I clear and wash up."

"Then I'll just sit here and let you. When you're finished, I'll see if I can get the car down to the road and take you home."

Joey looked out the window over the sink. "It's stopped snowing finally so maybe, if your car's a tank."

"Not quite, but it's snow-worthy enough, I think, if I run the snow blower one more time first."

"I can do that if you want," Joey told him as he finished rinsing the dishes and put them in the dishwasher.

"Are you always this eager to help people?"

"When they help me, sure. Is that so strange?"

"Sometimes it is, yeah. All right, you want to help, you can, but better get dressed more than you were when you got here." Glenn went into the mudroom. When he came back he handed Joey a thick jacket, boots and gloves. "You might need extra socks in the boots. Hang on."

When Glenn left, Joey went into the bathroom to see if his clothes were anywhere close to dry enough to wear, which they weren't. He heard Glenn come back into the kitchen and went to join him. "My stuff is still sopping wet."

"And that's a problem why?" Glenn gave him two pairs of thick socks. "You can return my stuff to me next time I come into town."

"The twelfth of never?" Joey said, chuckling.

Glenn smiled in amusement. "Maybe a bit sooner than that."

* * * *

Between them Glenn and Joey got the lane dug out enough that the car made it down to the narrow side road that led to the main one. It was rough going but Glenn was correct, his car was snow-worthy. By the time they made it to the road into town Joey was asleep, his head resting against the side window.

"Kids, no stamina," Glenn murmured to himself in amusement.

When they reached town, he shook Joey awake. "Where to from here?"

Joey looked a bit bemused until he got his bearings then told Glenn which way to go. When they got to his house, Joey thanked Glenn profusely for everything and promised he'd try to get his clothes back to him sooner than later.

"I told you I'd pick them up next time I'm in town," Glenn reminded him.

"Yeah, but…"

"It won't be that long. Now get inside before your mother wonders what's taking you so long."

Joey got out, bending to thank Glenn one more time before racing into the house.

'Nice kid,' Glenn thought as he drove off. 'It'd be interesting to find out what the deal is with his father.'

Hitman's Creed - 7

 

Joey did as he'd been told. When he came back Glenn chuckled in amusement. "Now you look like a kid in his big brother’s hand-me-downs." Although truth be told, there was something about seeing the handsome boy with Glenn’s sweats hanging from his hips that brought on a predatory urge. One that Glenn decided needed to be ignored.

Joey smiled ruefully. "Better than a snowman, and thanks for the clothes."

"Better than you catching pneumonia. What the hell were you doing out in this weather dressed the way you were?"

"It was barely snowing when I left the house. I was going for a run and, well…" Joey shrugged.

"All snowy hell broke loose. Gotcha. Maybe you should call your mother and let her know you're all right."

"Yeah. Let me…" Joey started toward the door to the kitchen.

"Here, use mine." Glenn took his cell from its holster and handed it to Joey. "You hungry?" When Joey nodded, Glenn went into the kitchen, as much to give Joey privacy to talk as to find something to fix for supper. He looked up from the stove a few minutes later when he heard the door open. "Was she glad to know you found a safe haven?"

"Oh yeah, big time. She was really worried."

"Big shock there. Sit down, this should be ready soon."

"Can I help?"

"Sure. Grab plates from the cupboard," Glenn pointed, "and get out silverware." He nodded to one of the drawers. "You getting warmed up?" he asked as an afterthought.

"Yes, thank you." Joey got everything and set the table. His stomach began growling from the aroma of whatever Glenn was making. "Smells good."

"It is." Glenn put the pan on the table. "Pot roast on the second day is always better than the first. Dig in."

Joey had to agree the food was good, even more than good. When he finished his first helping, he glanced at Glenn for permission to take more.

Glenn nodded that he could and smiled when Joey filled his plate again. "You're at the age when you're a bottomless pit, I think. What are you, nineteen, twenty maybe?"

"Twenty-one," Joey told him, trying not to huff.

"Ah, then you're legal."

"I was legal at sixteen," Joey replied with great seriousness.

Glenn laughed. "Hopefully your girlfriend was as well."

"Yeah, well," Joey looked at him, said, "Never had one of those… and why the hell did I just admit that?" He turned red with embarrassment.

"That's what happens if you're tired, the brain to mouth filter shuts down."

Joey snorted. "It'll do that sometimes even when I'm not tired."

Glenn decided to give him a break instead of teasing him more. "Are you in school, college or whatever?"

"I'm taking courses online. There's no college close enough to commute and I don't want to move away until… well, not yet."

Hitman's Creed - 6

 

Glenn watched the snow fall through the living room window and thanked his lucky stars he'd gotten new tires when he had. Not that he minded the idea of being snowed in but he had sense enough to understand he didn't know the area to the degree that he could make the trek into town on foot should an emergency arise.

Of course having a car which could make it on snow-covered side roads did no good if he couldn't drive along the lane to get to them. Therefore, even though the snow was still coming down heavily he decided it seemed logical to get out the snow blower and take a stab at clearing the first layer off the lane. At least that way if the snow kept up he'd have some idea where the hell it was come morning.

He dressed in layers, sweatshirt, sweater, and a thick coat, then added the boots and gloves he'd had the forethought to buy the last time he was in town, pulled on a ski mask he'd acquired many years ago, and trudged to the garage.

Half an hour later, he wondered if the effort had been worth it as he put away the snow-blower and stepped out of the garage. The lane was visible since there was less snow on it, but it already had at least an inch of the white stuff covering it again.

He let out a few choice words and grabbed the shovel when he realized the walkway to the back door was ankle-deep with snow. He got it cleared then went around the house to do that same for the front walk.

"Damned exercise in futility," he growled out loud when he finished. "Sometimes I wonder what the hell I use for brains."

"Hey," a voice called out from the trees several yards to the west of the house. "Is someone there?"

"Yeah," Glenn called back as he started in that direction. "Holy shit," he said seconds later when the kid from the coffeehouse came into view, covered in snow and obviously freezing from the look of him. "Not exactly dressed for the weather, are you?"

"No, sir," Joey agreed through chattering teeth.

"Come on. Let's get you inside where it's warm." Glenn nodded toward the house then waited for the kid to move. When he didn't, Glenn said tersely, "I don't bite, but if you want to stand out here and become more of a snowman than you already are, be my guest." Then he started toward the front porch.

"I… don't…"

"You don't what?" Glenn asked without stopping.

"Want to… impose…"

"For the love of all that's holy, you're freezing your ass off. Consider this a rescue mission of sorts and get in here." Glenn opened the front door and shot the kid a look of annoyance. "Now, before all the heat leaks out."

Joey hurried past him into the house. "Thank…you."

Glenn closed the door firmly behind them. "Yeah. Welcome. What's your name, kid?"

"Joey." He kept his arms wrapped around himself while he wondered if the man would be pissed if he went to stand in front of the fireplace to warm up.

"A name for the snowman. I'm Glenn. Get out of those clothes. You're dripping all over the floor."

"What?" Joey looked at him in shock.

"Oh hell." Glenn shook his head in amusement. "Not all of them, just the jacket, your shoes." As he spoke Glenn took his own coat and the rest of his outerwear off and hung them on the hooks by the front door with his boots underneath.

"Yes, sir." Joey toed off his shoes, took off his jacket and put it on a hook. "Could I…?" He nodded toward the fireplace.

Glenn eyed him and noted that his jeans were soaked up to the knees and the shoulders of his shirt were damp as well. "Yeah, go ahead." While Joey did, Glenn went upstairs. He returned a few moments later to hand the kid a set of sweats. "You'll swim in them. Go change." He pointed to a door off the living room. "Take a left and you'll find the restroom."