While driving from the city to my home, I thought about my position and life over the past five years. I had left a dinner meeting with my financial advisor. I met with Frank Stewart biweekly since winning millions in the lottery. I bought the ticket as a twentieth birthday present for myself. I wanted to make sure to use my windfall wisely. I had read stories about people who won the lottery and were broke soon after cashing their checks. When I realized my ticket held the winning numbers, I researched ways to keep from squandering the money.

After making a few calls, I hired Joan Philips, an attorney specializing in wealth management. We met at her office, and I explained my needs. She suggested I create a living trust and place the winnings in it. It took two months to get everything in order before claiming my winnings.

Once I had deposited the money in the trust, Joan introduced me to Frank. He and I met with Joan and formulated a plan for purchasing a house and investments. My state didn’t require me to make my winning public. Following Joan’s advice, I limited the people I informed. I asked my parents and sister to respect my privacy when I told them.

For the first year, I didn’t make many changes to the way I lived. I kept my job as an IT tech and bought a used SUV. Before winning the money, I followed a man’s podcasts and investment advice. I learned purchasing a new vehicle wasn’t the best idea because it was a diminishing asset. I didn’t take a big hit on the value when I bought a two-year-old SUV.

It took me a couple months to define my lifestyle and decide that I enjoyed my freedom as a bachelor. I found and purchased a four-bedroom, four-bath home on twenty acres outside the city. After remodeling and furnishing my house, I added an enclosed swimming pool and pool house.

I considered quitting my IT job and living on the earnings from my investments. The company owner didn’t want to lose me and offered me the opportunity to work from home. The company’s offer allowed me to live off my earnings and not touch the money in my trust for everyday expenses.

Over the next years, I worked and enjoyed my home. While I was reclusive, I did socialize with my family. My parents and sister didn’t mention my wealth.

During high school and after, I dated a few girls but never found anyone I wanted a permanent relationship with. After winning the lottery, I was more cautious about dating. I feared getting involved with a woman more interested in my money than me.

I was lost in my thoughts and missed my exit. Once I realized what I had done, I exited the highway to a place to turn around. I noticed I was in one of the areas of the city known for crime, drugs, and prostitution. After checking the door locks, I proceeded to return to my route.

After pulling to the curb, I started entering my address on the truck’s navigation system when I heard a knock on my window and saw a girl standing beside the passenger side of my truck. Without thinking, I pushed the button, lowering the window. The girl looked into the open window and said, “Blow job twenty dollars.”

Shocked, I said, “What?”

“I said I’ll give you a blow job for twenty dollars. You’re looking for a girl, aren’t you?”

I was about to close the window and leave when I recognized the girl. Not knowing what else to do, I unlocked the door and said, “Get in.”

The girl opened the door and got in. Her short skirt rose, exposing her thighs clad in fishnet stockings. As she closed the door, she said, “You’re not a cop, are you?”

I shook my head and said, “Penny?”

The girl’s head snapped toward me. She stared for a moment and said, “Brad?”

Feeling uneasy sitting where we were, I put the truck in gear and pulled away.

Penny was my cousin. Her mother was my dad’s sister. Penny’s mom never married the guy who got her pregnant. From what my father told me, his sister was a wild child and hadn’t changed after Penny’s birth. I knew Aunt Fran lived in a trailer park and worked in a bar. She and Penny didn’t attend family events, so it had been a few years since I saw my cousin.

I drove to a safer area, pulled into a parking lot, and parked my truck. Turning to Penny, I saw tears in her eyes.

“What the hell are you doing out here, Penny?” I asked.

“I’m trying to make some money.”

“Does Aunt Fran know what you’re doing?”

Penny sobbed. “No, of course not. It doesn’t matter because she doesn’t care about me or what I do. Mom threw me out three days ago.”

“What? Why did she throw you out?” I said.

“She has some man living with her. He started hitting on me, and I told my mom. She said Tom was staying and I should leave if I didn’t like it. We got into a big fight, and she threw me out.”

“That’s horrible, Penny. Where are you staying?”

“I have a room at a motel near where you picked me up. I had enough money to buy this outfit and pay for a few nights, but now I’m broke. I was trying to make enough for another night.”

Penny twisted on the seat, causing her skirt to rise and expose more of her fishnets. I noticed they were pantyhose. She wore a halter top and high-heeled shoes. She saw me looking and tugged her skirt down.

“I know my outfit is sluty. I found the skirt and top at a thrift shop and the pantyhose at a store.” Penny began crying again. “I don’t know what I’m doing, Brad. I thought my outfit would help me find a man to earn a few dollars. Please believe me that this is the last thing I want to do. I’ve never been so scared in my life.”

I sat, thinking. I could give Penny money, or I could take her home. Even though we’d never been close because of my aunt, she was family.

“Do you have a job, Penny?”

“I did. I worked as a server at the bar Mom works for. She made me give her most of the money I made.”

“You’re not old enough to work in a bar,” I said.

“I’m nineteen. I’m old enough to work in a bar but can’t drink.” Penny chuckled for the first time since I picked her up. “Not legally, anyway.”

“Look, Penny. I don’t want to get involved in your life, but you’re family. I’m not going to leave you on the street. If you want, we can get your things, and you can stay with me until you figure things out.”

“Really?”

“Of course. You don’t want to be a streetwalker, do you?”

Penny shook her head and started crying again. “I don’t know anything about it, Brad. Tarmra, a girl who stays at the motel, told me I could make money having sex with men. She told me about walking on the street where you found me. I’d only been there for a few minutes.”

“I normally wouldn’t have rolled down my window, but I thought you may be in trouble. When you said what you did, I almost pulled away until I recognized you.” I chuckled. “I assure you that I wasn’t out looking for sex. I made a wrong turn and was trying to figure out how to get home. If I’d seen you, I wouldn’t have stopped.”

“I’m glad you did. Were you serious about me going to your place?”

“Yes, if you want to.” Penny smiled and nodded. “Let’s get your things and get out of the neighborhood. How much do you have?”

“Not much. Just a few plastic bags. I never had many things,” Penny said.

Penny gave me directions to the motel. When I pulled into the driveway, I almost gasped. The place was rundown and shabby. Several people were milling around, making me nervous. Penny pointed at one of the rooms, telling me it was hers.

When I moved into the country, I took up shooting as a hobby. I purchased a handgun and learned to shoot. After becoming proficient, I took a class and received my carry permit. My forty-five in the holster on my belt made me feel more secure.

“I have to get my key from the office. I’ll be right back,” Penny said.

When she returned, I got out and followed her. Penny unlocked and opened the door and stepped inside the tiny dingy room. I went in and looked at the worn carpet, scratched and damaged furniture, and the bed.

“That’s my stuff,” Penny said while pointing at several black plastic bags on the floor. “Give me a minute, and I’ll be ready to leave.”

Penny gathered a few things strewn around the room and stuffed them into a bag. When I asked if she needed help, she said no. Penny went to the bathroom to get her toiletries and packed them with the other items. Once she finished packing, we took the bags to my SUV and placed them in the back.

“I know this place is nasty, but it’s not much worse than Mom’s trailer,” Penny said.

Not knowing how to respond, I nodded.

“I was doing what I had to do to survive, Brad. I didn’t want to end up sleeping under a freeway overpass bridge.”

“I’m not leaving you on the street, Penny. We’ll figure out what to do.”

Penny stared out the window. I glanced at her and saw tears running down her cheeks, streaking her makeup. Reaching over, I put my hand on her arm.

“It’s going to be okay. You need somewhere safe to relax and think.”

“Why are you doing this for me?”

“I already told you. You’re family, Penny. While we’ve never been close, you’re still my cousin.” I chuckled. “My dad would kick my butt if he ever found out I left you on the street.”

Penny took my hand in hers and looked at me. “You’re not going to tell anyone that you found me walking the streets and offering sex for money, are you?”

I squeezed her hand and smiled. “Of course not.”

Penny and I were mostly silent for the remainder of the ride to my house. When I turned off the highway onto a two-lane road, she asked where we were going.

“I live in the country. I like my privacy,” I said.

I turned into my driveway and drove to the house. Using the remote, I opened a garage door, pulled in, and parked next to my ten-year-old pickup truck.

“This is it. Let’s get your things and get you settled in,” I said.

Penny and I grabbed her bags from the back of the SUV. I unlocked and opened the door, leading her into the mudroom. As we moved to the kitchen, I pointed to a door.

“That’s the laundry room. Feel free to use it, Penny.”

We went to the kitchen and placed the bags on the floor. “I’ll show you the house before taking your things to your room.”

Penny nodded as she looked around the country kitchen. When I led her to the great room, she gasped.

“This room is huge. Do you use the fireplace?” Penny said.

“Yes, but not as often as I use the one in the family room. I don’t use this room much.”

I led Penny to the family room. She turned around and said, “I like this room. It’s homey.”

“This is where I relax. Come on.”

I showed her my office before I led her to my bedroom. Penny continued to comment about the house and furnishings. I opened the bathroom door, and she stepped into the room.

“Wow! I’ve never seen a shower this huge. Do you ever use the tub next to it?”

“It was one of the things I liked about the house when I first saw it. I’ve used the Whirlpool tub a few times. Let’s go upstairs, and I’ll show you the guest room.”

Penny and I went up to the second floor, and I showed her the guest room I had furnished, telling her the other two rooms were empty. She sat on the edge of the queen-size bed, chuckling as she bounced. As Penny moved, I noticed her short skirt rose.

Taking her hand, I pulled Penny to her feet. “This is your bathroom. There are towels in the closet and a few things in the cabinets. Make yourself at home.”

Penny checked out the bathroom, the walk-in closet, the dresser, and the chest of drawers. She came to me, wrapped her arms around my shoulders, and hugged me as she cried. While holding my cousin, I saw her head was about even with my shoulders. I’m five-eleven and estimated Penny was about five-six.

“I don’t know what to say, Brad. Are you sure you want me to stay here with you?” Penny said.

“Yes, I’m sure. Let’s get your things up here. Are you hungry? When’s the last time you ate?”

Penny continued hugging me. “I had coffee and a donut from the gas station this morning.”

“That’s all?” Penny nodded. “Come to the kitchen, and I’ll fix you something to eat.”

Penny and I retrieved her bags and took them to the guest room. We placed them on the floor near the dresser.

“Do I have time to clean up and change? I want to get out of this outfit,” Penny asked.

“Sure. I’ll head downstairs and fix food for us. Take your time.”

I left Penny in the room, went to the kitchen, and removed leftover stew from the refrigerator. After placing the stew in a pan, I started reheating it on the stove. I grabbed a bottle of Jameson Irish Whiskey from a cabinet and poured myself a drink.

Sitting at the island counter, I sipped my drink while wondering what I was getting myself into. For the past few years, I have lived alone. My parents and younger sister, Kim, were my only visitors on rare occasions. Chuckling to myself, I realized my preference to be nude would be put on hold for a while.

After purchasing the house and having the pool installed, I swam naked. It wasn’t long before I didn’t bother dressing after my swim and remained nude. I'd wear a shirt if I had a video conference for work.

I got up to stir the stew. While standing at the stove, Penny walked into the kitchen.

“What are you making?” Penny said.

Looking up, I saw Penny had showered. Her shoulder-length light brown hair was wet and framing her face. She wore shorts and a snug tank top. I realized she was braless when her ample breasts wobbled as she walked to the stove.

“I’m reheating stew I made the other day,” I said.

“Are you kidding? I haven’t had a home-cooked meal in forever. I usually ate at the bar. If we did eat at home, it was fast food or pizza.”

I picked up my glass. “Would you like a drink? I drink whiskey straight. I have an assortment of booze if you’d like something else.”

“Whiskey is fine. I like it on the rocks if it’s okay.”

I grabbed a glass from the cupboard and added ice and whiskey. Penny swirled the ice and took a drink. After another sip, she walked to the counter and looked at the bottle.

“Wow, Jameson. You drink the good stuff, don’t you?” Penny said.

“Yup.”

Taking two bowls from the cupboard, I laddled stew into them. After placing the bowls on the counter, I got a loaf of fresh bread and spoons.

Sitting at the counter, Penny attacked the food. She dipped her bread into the gravy and spooned the stew into her mouth.

“This is amazing, Brad. You’re a good cook,” Penny said between bites.

“Thanks. I’m glad you’re enjoying it, Penny. Did you figure out the shower controls?”

“Yes. It took a few minutes, but I managed. That’s the best shower I’ve had in a long time.” Penny giggled. “I thought I was going to run out of hot water.”

Penny finished her stew, got up, and refilled her bowl. When she asked if I wanted more, I nodded. She brought the pan to the counter and added more to my bowl.

When we finished eating, Penny rinsed the bowls in the sink and loaded the dishes into the dishwasher. I topped off our drinks and led her to the family room. She sat on the reclining loveseat, and I sat in my recliner.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

Nodding, Penny said, “Yes. I’m overwhelmed, but I’m fine. Brad, this all feels like a dream. I planned to make money on the street a few hours ago, but you came along. It’s like I had a guardian angel looking out for me. When I left my room dressed like a whore, I felt sick because I was about to do something to make money that appalled me.”

I didn’t know how to respond, so I nodded and sipped my whiskey.

“After getting into your car and realizing it was you, I was devastated. I didn’t want someone I knew to find me offering sex for money. I felt you’d call me names, but you didn’t. Once we talked, I felt better. When you offered to help me, I couldn’t have been happier.”

“I guess I was in the right place at the right time. Let’s finish our drinks and get some rest. I’m sure you’re exhausted.”

Penny nodded. “Yes, I am. I didn’t get much sleep the last few nights. There was so much noise outside my room, and I was scared.”

“You’re safe now. Let’s go to bed. We can talk in the morning,” I said.

Penny stood, and when I got up, she moved to me, and we hugged. I could smell her shampoo when her head was close to mine. After a moment, Penny pulled her head back, looked into my eyes, and kissed me. The kiss was a quick peck on my lips.

“I don’t know how to thank you, Brad. I have no words for how I feel.”

“Knowing you’re off the street and safe is...