final time to make
sure he didn’t forget something. I wanted to ask about his father.
I’d never heard anyone mention him before today.
In his room, Chase grabbed a backpack
and large duffle bag. “Ready?”
I blocked his way back out the door.
“Are you okay?”
“ I will be when I get
home.”
“ You know, I don’t know
what it’s like to feel so incomplete that I can’t
breathe.”
“ Yeah,” he hugged me to his
side and rested his chin on top of my head. “It will feel good to
breathe again…and where the hell did you get a right hook like
that? I’m impressed.”
“ Grandpa was a boxer,
remember?” I led the way outside to the truck, and tried not to cry
as his mother hugged him again. Todd shook hands with Chase. His
little sister watched shyly from behind him.
I was getting into the truck, when Mrs.
Carter stopped me. “You’re not going with him, are you?”
I smiled. “I am.”
Surprise spread over her face, and she
glanced at Chase, then back at me. “I hope you know what you’re
doing.”
Chase opened the door wider so I could
get in. I held back. “Why?”
She shook her head, a far off look in
her eyes. “Oh, about eighteen years ago I got in a truck much like
this one, excited, not knowing what to expect. I was in love with a
fairytale and soon found out that kind of life wasn’t for
me.”
“ I don’t put a lot of stock
in fairytales, Mrs. Carter, but thank you for your concern.” I
climbed into the truck, not looking back. Chase followed, and we
didn’t say anything as he pulled out of the driveway.
I wasn’t thinking about fairytales. I
was thinking about adventure, and doing things I’d never done
before. Something told me that McCree Ranch was going to be more
than I ever imagined and even better for me than it was for Mrs.
Carter.
Chapter 11
Chase
“ Is Ash doing okay?” Briar
asked, twisting in the seat to look out the window. It was night,
and she probably couldn’t see much.
I nodded, glancing in the rearview
mirror. “He’ll get a chance to stretch his legs in a
bit.”
She turned back and sank into the seat,
propping her feet on the dash. She was wearing black hiking boots,
ones with pink laces and glitter on the logo. They weren’t like
anything I’d ever seen, but they would be comfortable and sturdy,
and she looked damn cute in them. “How long till we get
there?”
I eyed the upcoming road signs,
“Why?”
She shrugged, “Just
wondering.”
I glanced at her, “Are you
bored?”
“ Not really…” she laughed,
shoving at my arm when I rolled my eyes. “It’s been three hours
since the last rest stop. I just want to get out and walk
around.”
I checked the GPS. We were already in
Tennessee. Around eleven hours on the road. “It says we’ve got
another three hours till we reach the inn.”
“ I can wait.”
“ Yup.” I smirked, watching
her dig through her purse. She pulled out a bag of peppermints and
offered me one. She’d bought them at a gas station along with a
cherry cola. The cola was gone. Now three mints and half a magazine
later she was looking for something else to do.
When it was nearing the end of the
first leg of our trip, I slowed, pulling off onto the shoulder of
the road. Briar almost leapt from the truck to stretch her legs,
she bounced on her toes next to me, while I leaned against the open
truck door trying not to laugh.
“ Want to drive the rest of
the way?”
She glanced at the massive truck, and
back to the trailer. “You’re kidding.”
“ Nah, you can’t hurt it,
and we’re on a back road. Thirty minutes from the inn.”
She smiled, “I don’t know…”
“ Come on, I’ll be right
next to you the whole way.”
“ Okay, if you insist.” I
didn’t insist, but a break would be nice. I got in the truck and
she climbed in next to me. Behind the wheel her feet barely reached
the pedals and she squealed half the way.
But Briar handled it like a pro. She
wasn’t ready for the
sure he didn’t forget something. I wanted to ask about his father.
I’d never heard anyone mention him before today.
In his room, Chase grabbed a backpack
and large duffle bag. “Ready?”
I blocked his way back out the door.
“Are you okay?”
“ I will be when I get
home.”
“ You know, I don’t know
what it’s like to feel so incomplete that I can’t
breathe.”
“ Yeah,” he hugged me to his
side and rested his chin on top of my head. “It will feel good to
breathe again…and where the hell did you get a right hook like
that? I’m impressed.”
“ Grandpa was a boxer,
remember?” I led the way outside to the truck, and tried not to cry
as his mother hugged him again. Todd shook hands with Chase. His
little sister watched shyly from behind him.
I was getting into the truck, when Mrs.
Carter stopped me. “You’re not going with him, are you?”
I smiled. “I am.”
Surprise spread over her face, and she
glanced at Chase, then back at me. “I hope you know what you’re
doing.”
Chase opened the door wider so I could
get in. I held back. “Why?”
She shook her head, a far off look in
her eyes. “Oh, about eighteen years ago I got in a truck much like
this one, excited, not knowing what to expect. I was in love with a
fairytale and soon found out that kind of life wasn’t for
me.”
“ I don’t put a lot of stock
in fairytales, Mrs. Carter, but thank you for your concern.” I
climbed into the truck, not looking back. Chase followed, and we
didn’t say anything as he pulled out of the driveway.
I wasn’t thinking about fairytales. I
was thinking about adventure, and doing things I’d never done
before. Something told me that McCree Ranch was going to be more
than I ever imagined and even better for me than it was for Mrs.
Carter.
Chapter 11
Chase
“ Is Ash doing okay?” Briar
asked, twisting in the seat to look out the window. It was night,
and she probably couldn’t see much.
I nodded, glancing in the rearview
mirror. “He’ll get a chance to stretch his legs in a
bit.”
She turned back and sank into the seat,
propping her feet on the dash. She was wearing black hiking boots,
ones with pink laces and glitter on the logo. They weren’t like
anything I’d ever seen, but they would be comfortable and sturdy,
and she looked damn cute in them. “How long till we get
there?”
I eyed the upcoming road signs,
“Why?”
She shrugged, “Just
wondering.”
I glanced at her, “Are you
bored?”
“ Not really…” she laughed,
shoving at my arm when I rolled my eyes. “It’s been three hours
since the last rest stop. I just want to get out and walk
around.”
I checked the GPS. We were already in
Tennessee. Around eleven hours on the road. “It says we’ve got
another three hours till we reach the inn.”
“ I can wait.”
“ Yup.” I smirked, watching
her dig through her purse. She pulled out a bag of peppermints and
offered me one. She’d bought them at a gas station along with a
cherry cola. The cola was gone. Now three mints and half a magazine
later she was looking for something else to do.
When it was nearing the end of the
first leg of our trip, I slowed, pulling off onto the shoulder of
the road. Briar almost leapt from the truck to stretch her legs,
she bounced on her toes next to me, while I leaned against the open
truck door trying not to laugh.
“ Want to drive the rest of
the way?”
She glanced at the massive truck, and
back to the trailer. “You’re kidding.”
“ Nah, you can’t hurt it,
and we’re on a back road. Thirty minutes from the inn.”
She smiled, “I don’t know…”
“ Come on, I’ll be right
next to you the whole way.”
“ Okay, if you insist.” I
didn’t insist, but a break would be nice. I got in the truck and
she climbed in next to me. Behind the wheel her feet barely reached
the pedals and she squealed half the way.
But Briar handled it like a pro. She
wasn’t ready for the
Similar Books
