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related at all.”
    “That’s how it goes.”
    Warner let out a little laugh as the whistle on the tea pot sounded.
    Christian stood and poured the water into the mug. “Clara was fine until Darcy came into the picture and the story was brought up again. She doesn’t blame Darcy, it just surfaced memories.”
    “I understand that.” Warner couldn’t hear an old OX song without thinking of the moment he found his father dead. He shook off the thought. “She’s a strong woman. I don’t suppose there is anything that could take her down.”
    “You two gossiping like little girls makes me wonder about how strong you big men are though.” They both looked up to see Clara standing in the doorway.
    Her hair was wet, and much darker than normal. She wore a pair of yoga pants and a tank top. She obviously had skipped the bra and that had Warner looking away and down at the table.
    Clara sat down at the table and Christian pushed the mug toward her.
    “Thanks.”
    “No problem.” Christian walked around her and gave her a kiss on the head. “I’m going to head upstairs. Tori is supposed to Skype.”
    “Where is she?”
    “L.A.” He stood up straight and held his hand out to Warner who shook it. “Thanks for taking care of my girl.”
    He looked at Clara who smiled. “My pleasure.”
    Christian headed upstairs leaving Warner and Clara in awkward silence.
    “I assume you know why I’m a chicken in the dark.”
    He reached for her hand. “I don’t think that way. You have every right to have been frightened.”
    “It was a long time ago. It upsets me more when I get upset over it.”
    He understood that emotion. “It looks to me that everyone takes good care of you though when you need it.”
    She smiled. “Yeah. The Kellers work that way.”
    “I’ve already seen it quite a bit in less than a week.” He ran his thumb over her knuckles. “It’ll never go away. You just learn to deal with the situation that frightened you.”
    Clara narrowed her eyes. “You’re talking about your dad, aren’t you?”
    “I found him.”
    “Warner…”
    He sat back and shrugged. “He ran the car in the garage. I sometimes wonder if he meant to take me with him in his forever journey.”
    “Why?”
    “Because I was home asleep in my bed.”
    Clara covered her mouth. “That’s horrible.”
    “It is what it is. And if I never get a record deal or sell one song, I’ll know I’m a survivor. So are you.”
    “I guess us kind should stick together, huh?” She moved in closer to him.
    Warner rested his forehead against hers. “You’re willing to risk it all over some slob like me?”
    “You may not have been raised a Keller, but something tells me you have the same kind of fight in your blood.”
    He grinned. “I like that.”
    “Stay with me, Warner. Just hold me all night.”
    “Are you sure?”
    “Yes. Let’s both sleep our demons away wrapped in each other’s arms. Nothing more—just comfort.”
    He knew he shouldn’t accept the invitation, but he couldn’t help it. This had gone far beyond needing her voice. He needed her.
     

Chapter Six
     
    The private world beyond Clara’s door told Warner exactly who she really was and it brought a grin to his lips.
    Her bed was unmade. The girly rose covered comforter was bunched up at the bottom of the bed as though she had been too hot to sleep with it. There were miscellaneous clothes strung over the back of a chair in the corner of the room and a pile of shoes making their exit from the closet by way of potential avalanche.
    A guitar sat in the corner as well as a keyboard. Sheets of music lay on the floor next to them in a pile.
    Clara was carefree and this proved it to him. Nothing was too important and Warner liked that. Living with his grandmother that hadn’t been the case; a perfectly organized and tidy house was more important than anything, including the happiness of her grandson.
    But Warner knew a creative mind. He had one too and his apartment