Carter must have felt my hesitation, because he pushed at the small of my back, and the tingling I felt from his touch there made me gasp. Having forgotten about the truck and thinking solely about his hand at my back, I was startled when he lifted me up by my hips into the passenger side of the truck. I squealed, more from surprise than any fear, and he laughed again. I really liked his chuckle.
“I wouldn’t want you to get dirty trying to climb in there,” he said with a smirk. I couldn’t talk, even if I had thought of something to say. I could still feel the warmth from his hands imprinted on my hips.
I buckled myself up while he walked around the truck to get in. I took a look at the inside of his truck and was surprised to see how clean it was—nothing like Ethan’s mess of a truck. It was old, and when he started it I jumped at the rumble from the engine. It was incredibly loud, and rough. It totally matched his ruggedness.
As he started down our long driveway, my cell phone beeped from inside my bag. I pulled out my phone, and saw a text from Aunt Mel.
Have a blast tonight! I expect details!
Her text made me smile. She and Uncle Jim became aware of my date when they came over on Wednesday night for our weekly “family dinner.” Grandpa had spilled the beans while everyone was eating, well except Ethan, who hadn’t even been home yet. To say they were excited for me would be a huge understatement. Aunt Mel gushed, and offered to buy me clothes and make-up, which I adamantly refused. Uncle Jim kept smiling at me until I threw a roll at his head. Then he just laughed.
As I put my phone back in my bag, I noticed the outgoing mail in there.
“Hey, do you mind stopping at the mailbox? I need to drop off some mail for tomorrow,” I asked Carter.
“Sure, I’ll be your errand boy,” he replied with a smile.
I couldn’t help but grin back. I was half awe-struck, and half dumbfounded. I was—for the first time—going on a date, with a guy I didn’t know that well, and I was definitely more excited than afraid. Either I was stupid crazy, or I was progressing. I desperately hoped for the latter.
Carter pulled up to the mailbox, and as I started to unbuckle my seatbelt to get out, he stopped me.
“Let me take them.”
I was more than willing to let him do it, because seriously getting out and back in this monster was something I definitely could not pull off with even a modicum of grace.
“Thanks,” I said as I handed him the envelopes.
After he climbed back in the truck, he handed me a stack of mail, “These were in the box, today’s mail I think.”
“Huh, Grandpa or Ethan usually get the mail, they must have forgotten,” I said as I glanced at the pile of envelopes and advertisements.
As I shifted through the pile, I saw a white envelope with only my name typed out on the front. I pulled it out of the pile and looked it over. There was no post mark, no stamp, and no return address, not even my address. I felt a prick of fear and uncertainty for sure as I tore at the envelope. Inside there was a single piece of paper folded in thirds, I pulled it out and what I read seized my lungs and stopped my heart.
Chapter 7-Carter
“Taryn?!” I didn’t know what the fuck just happened. I saw her open a letter, then I heard a gasp, and now nothing. It was as if every muscle in her body seized, she looked stiff as a board, and her mouth kept opening, like a fish gaping out of water.
“Taryn?” I said again. She gave no
“I wouldn’t want you to get dirty trying to climb in there,” he said with a smirk. I couldn’t talk, even if I had thought of something to say. I could still feel the warmth from his hands imprinted on my hips.
I buckled myself up while he walked around the truck to get in. I took a look at the inside of his truck and was surprised to see how clean it was—nothing like Ethan’s mess of a truck. It was old, and when he started it I jumped at the rumble from the engine. It was incredibly loud, and rough. It totally matched his ruggedness.
As he started down our long driveway, my cell phone beeped from inside my bag. I pulled out my phone, and saw a text from Aunt Mel.
Have a blast tonight! I expect details!
Her text made me smile. She and Uncle Jim became aware of my date when they came over on Wednesday night for our weekly “family dinner.” Grandpa had spilled the beans while everyone was eating, well except Ethan, who hadn’t even been home yet. To say they were excited for me would be a huge understatement. Aunt Mel gushed, and offered to buy me clothes and make-up, which I adamantly refused. Uncle Jim kept smiling at me until I threw a roll at his head. Then he just laughed.
As I put my phone back in my bag, I noticed the outgoing mail in there.
“Hey, do you mind stopping at the mailbox? I need to drop off some mail for tomorrow,” I asked Carter.
“Sure, I’ll be your errand boy,” he replied with a smile.
I couldn’t help but grin back. I was half awe-struck, and half dumbfounded. I was—for the first time—going on a date, with a guy I didn’t know that well, and I was definitely more excited than afraid. Either I was stupid crazy, or I was progressing. I desperately hoped for the latter.
Carter pulled up to the mailbox, and as I started to unbuckle my seatbelt to get out, he stopped me.
“Let me take them.”
I was more than willing to let him do it, because seriously getting out and back in this monster was something I definitely could not pull off with even a modicum of grace.
“Thanks,” I said as I handed him the envelopes.
After he climbed back in the truck, he handed me a stack of mail, “These were in the box, today’s mail I think.”
“Huh, Grandpa or Ethan usually get the mail, they must have forgotten,” I said as I glanced at the pile of envelopes and advertisements.
As I shifted through the pile, I saw a white envelope with only my name typed out on the front. I pulled it out of the pile and looked it over. There was no post mark, no stamp, and no return address, not even my address. I felt a prick of fear and uncertainty for sure as I tore at the envelope. Inside there was a single piece of paper folded in thirds, I pulled it out and what I read seized my lungs and stopped my heart.
Chapter 7-Carter
“Taryn?!” I didn’t know what the fuck just happened. I saw her open a letter, then I heard a gasp, and now nothing. It was as if every muscle in her body seized, she looked stiff as a board, and her mouth kept opening, like a fish gaping out of water.
“Taryn?” I said again. She gave no
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