Perry kept saying they were welcome to stay at his place as long as they wanted. And he hadn’t done a thing to cast any doubt on his sincerity. It was more that Ike still wasn’t comfortable taking charity—not from anyone. He already owed Perry more than he could ever repay. As much as he wished he could get his new friend something special for Christmas, he had no idea what the deputy might need or want.
The sun was sliding into the hazy sky at the edge of the mountains when Dot arrived. She checked the till and sighed. “Slow day, huh?”
Ike nodded. “Yeah, seems like everyone has gone to the city today. I served a couple of cars going through town and needing a quick meal, but that was about it.”