“Jace, Please?”

He looked up at his old friend. “Hayden, I…”

“Man you gotta help me out here! She’s been sleeping on my couch for the last month. My wife wants her gone. Do you know how tense it is at my house with a wife and former flame under one roof?”

“Eggshells I’m sure.”

“She’s been trying to save money to pay for an apartment, but you know what even a one bedroom is going for these days. It’s ridiculous! Hell, she even sold her car to get that much more ahead on a deposit, but everyone wants a deposit plus first and last month’s rent.”

“Yeah, the rental market is way overpriced.” Jace had to admit.

“All due to the law enforcement training center they opened.” Hayden shook his head dismissively, “few can compete with Uncle Sam’s bucks; the Feds pay top dollar for everything, even the low value rentals.”

“True, most homes have been rented by the Feds. Look, I’d love to help, I really would, but this is supposed to be my new game room and…” Jace pointed up to the second floor of his garage. I’ve been living out here in the back garage for eight months while the house was being completely redone. Now that I can move back into the main house, I wanted—”

“She, she won’t be here that long, just for a while. C’mon man…” Hayden begged. “She’s really been through the wringer!”

Jace reached up, drawing fingers though short cropped blond hair.

Inwardly, Hayden smiled knowing his old friend could never turn down a hard luck case.

“She does have a job right?”

“Yes, works for United Parcel Service as a driver.”

“U.P.S. is all the way out on Atkinson, south end of town. How does she get to work without a car?”
“Rides the transit buses.” Hayden answered. “She’s up before dawn, back at dark. Why, you won’t even know she’s around, especially since she’ll be living above the back garage.”

“Party girl?”

“Nah,” Hayden shook his head emphatically. “she’s 40, and mature enough to know not to throw house parties.”

"Smoke?"

"No."

“What’s her name?” asked Jace while reaching down to absently pat his old German Shepherd.

“Dafne, with an “f” not “ph.””

“Ah.” Jace straitened up a bit. “How bad a ringer she been though.”

“Bad.” Hayden crossed his arms over his chest. “That’s the only reason I felt we had to allow her to stay a bit, despite my wife’s objections.”

“Bad how?” Jace looked up to meet Hayden’s eyes.

“Former hubby has gambling problem, they lost everything. By the time the ink on the bankruptcy had dried, so had the ink on the divorce.”

“Kids involved?”

“No, she had uterine cancer in her 20s, never gonna have kids, though she always wanted to.”

Jace let out a breath, “wow that is hellva story.”

“Yeah, she’s had a time of it.” Hayden leaned up against the side of the back garage. “Smart one she is too, has a degree in finance, had a full ride scholarship to the University of New Mexico. Instead, she took a partial scholarship, playing basketball at Texas A&M.”

Jace shrugged, “More prestigious school A&M.”

“With the downturn in the economy due to the housing bubble, jobs in her degree field are few and far between. She’s trying to save money and keep afloat on student loans. It’s been a real slog for her.”

“Yeah.” Muttered Jace, more than a bit grumpy foreseeing the imminent loss of a long anticipated game room. It was plain selfish to feel that way, but he had been planning this room for quite a while.

“Well…” he sighed heavily. “Give her my number.”

“Aww, man! thanks!” Hayden smiled, clearly relieved.

Chapter One: First Impressions

“And, certainly if you ever do get a car, the garage space is yours.”

“Thank you.”

A long moment of silence…

“Well then,” Jace clasped his hands together. “You both go on in and have a look.”

Watching them both mount the outside stairs to the second floor, Jace had to admit…

Dafne was intimidating.

Maybe intimidating wasn’t quite the word. Distant, or… aloof perhaps? She was not unkind, or generally off-putting. Just… she made very little effort to engage in conversation, giving her an air of mystery.

She was tall, he was expecting that. Hayden did say she played basketball in college. The descriptors short, and basketball player don’t normally go together. Tall, but not lanky, instead she appeared quite strong. Hazel eyes, and wine-red wine hair. It wasn’t outlandish her hair color, not neon in appearance, rather subdued, he guessed her normal hair color was black and she’d tinted it with a burgundy color. She’d worn her U.P.S. clothes to their first meeting. Brown Polyester pants with button down blouse of the same shade with dirty yellow stitching. Even her shoes were brown along with her name tag which read, Dafne Kepler in white letters.

Least, due to her name tag, he knew her last name as she hadn’t been forthcoming with that bit of info

Sitting down in a patio chair on his back porch, he observed his two pecan trees, and the flowers growing happily in their beds. He’d done a ton of work to get this garden going and a ton more to keep it growing. Worth it as the backyard was a nice retreat. Bright flowers and deep green grass, which contrasted with the dull brown hues of the plains in New Mexico. Cheered him to come out to the back yard and see color that was so absent everywhere else.

**

“Lights on the side of the building.” Hannah Merril observed as they reached the stair landing. “least you can find your way at night.”

“Hmmmm….” Dafne opened the door to reveal the apartment, truthfully she wasn’t expecting much. When Hayden told her it was slated to be a game room, she mentally pictured jerseys on the wall, and the place stinking like stale beer.

Actually, she was pleasantly surprised…

The floors were wood, a rich dark mahogany. The main feature in the room was the fireplace, the facing of which was made from cut field stone. Above the mantle, the only hint of a game room, a massive television.
The furniture consisted of beautiful dark brown leather couches.

She walked toward the fireplace, glad for the beautiful “A frame” ceiling overhead. When you are rather tall, lower ceilings are not a friend though you did learn to look for low hanging ceiling fans.

The fireplace was immaculately clean, a holder nearby filled with precisely stacked logs. Two narrow windows flanked it to let in light, above two skylights did the same.

“You’ve got a small deck here.” Hannah was looking out the windows along the front face of the apartment, above the double wide garage door. A glass door led out to the deck which had two comfy looking chairs and a little bistro table upon it. As with the fireplace, windows were placed to either side of the door, like those on either side of the fireplace they had bars to dissuade any would be intruders.

“View isn’t great.” Hannah chuckled. “Beautiful gravel alleyway filled with weeds and trash bins. “Be nice if the neighbors actually painted their wood fences instead of leaving them to warp in the weather.”

“Be nice, but not going to happen.” Dafne walked to the kitchen. Looking back at the two doors of the apartment, she noticed the two brass sliding bolts at the top and bottom of each. A massive bolt which slid into an equally beefy receiver. This place was secure.

“Ah!” Hannah announced while opening a long side closet on the same wall as the door they’d entered. “Look at this! Water heater, water softener, clothes washer, and a dryer! No more laundry mat for you.”

“Never had a place with a water softener.” Dafne found the kitchen small, a galley type which had a counter-top to eat at and an unobstructed view of the room.

“Nice stove, big sink a big refrigerator, and a dishwasher.” Hannah opened a cabinet. “Plates and such.”
Dafne took a peek, expecting plastic plates, beer mugs, and shot classes. She found spotless cabinets, and a full set of plain white china. Tucked on other shelves were wine glasses, clear beer glasses, and even a set measuring cups. Scooting by Hannah, she walked through the French Doors into the single bedroom.

Behind, Hannah giggled.

“What’s so funny?”

“A four poster full size bed, have fun squeezing into that.”

“He’s not as tall as me, I’m sure it suits him fine.”

“Tall is an understatement, Goliath.” Hannah snarked.

Dafne appraised the room, two nightstands, a large dresser with mirror, a desk. “This is high quality stuff.”

“Hayden did say, Jace guy had money from owning real estate.”

“Hmmm…” Dafne walked to the bathroom. Opening the door, she found a wide single sink vanity, nickel plated lighting sconces, and a most spectacular shower.

“You know, he’s single…”

“Men are dogs, Hannah,” pronounced Dafne with surety. “Come look at this.”

“Wow…” Pushing by the smaller woman entered the bathroom. “A ceiling mounted shower head. Even you can fit under that!”

“Jets to the sides as well.”

“You’re right.” The smaller women opened the glass door and stepped in much to Dafne’s amusement. “Even someone with your wingspan could fit in here.”

“C’mon.” Dafne gestured. “Let’s go see what outrageous price the man wants to rent this place.”

**

“And what do you want in return I wonder?” Dafne crossed her arms over her chest and glared downward.

“Nothing, other than a $1,000 good faith deposit, and proof you are placing cash into a savings account.”

“Why such generous terms?” she pressed.

Jace shrugged, “Hayden tells me you’ve had a time of it these last few years. I’m in a position to help, so I’m offering you help in getting back on your feet.”

Dafne remained unconvinced, in the silence which ensued, her gaze didn’t leave his until he looked down.

“You are free to turn me down, this is just business. I certainly won’t have hurt feelings or voice any objections if you do.”

“I’ll take it, but I need a 12 month lease.”

Demanding this one.

“Agreed.” He plopped the key into her hand.