by Iris Blobel
"What brings you to the USA, Jared?" she asked, hoping to find out more about the very handsome stranger in front of her.
But he only shrugged and said, "Holidays."
How can he casually say holidays? Assuming that holidays were the same as what Americans called vacations, she thought she'd never had vacations in her life, let alone go to another country to have vacations.
"Australia is supposed to be beautiful. Why didn't you drive around with your RV down there?"
He raised one eyebrow at her, and she wasn't sure what that meant. Staring at him, he simply stared back.
"Are you running?" she asked carefully.
"Nope, I'm drivin'."
Letting out an exasperated sigh. "I meant in—"
His laughter startled her. "Nah, I'm not running." Then he met her gaze dead on. "But you are."
The words were quietly spoken, but still went through her like a knife. Not sure why, though, because she had done nothing wrong. Yet, she still wasn't so sure about her companion.
The waitress took their order and, even though Ivy ordered only a small sandwich, he added an extra serving of fries for her. It annoyed her, and she was determined not to eat it.
"For what it's worth, I'm not running," she said after a long moment of silence.
"Good for you. I'm not runnin' either. Until three hours ago I was enjoyin' me holidays."
That made her look up, feeling somewhat hurt inside. "I'm ruining your vacation?"
He laughed again. "Actually no. Ya makin' it more interesting. Especially as your thoughts are turning your hair into smoke. What crazy idea have ya come up with?"
She glared at him.
"Mate, ya hot and cold. Obviously needin' the ride, but scared I might be a lunatic."
The waitress came with their food, and Ivy was quite pleased with the interruption of the conversation. It gave her time to think. Time to think what to answer. Because bottom line was, she did need that ride and, deep down inside, she kind of believed he really was a charming landscaper from Australia. But then again, she had thought Dylan had been the love of her life. How wrong she'd been with that assumption. Yes, she had loved him and, deep down inside, she still loved him. She missed him and, in the time since she'd left him, there had been many moments when she wanted to call and tell him exactly that—she missed him so much.
But life wasn't a fairy tale. With her working all day, and Dylan spending almost every penny, life wouldn't ever get better. She wanted better, though. So much better.
"Are you? A lunatic I mean."
Jared choked back a chuckle. "I suppose I am in a way, sitting here with a stranger having the weirdest talk." He took a bite of his steak burger and then sipped on his drink. "Mia says I'm about as boring and laid back as a man can be."
"Are Mia and you—"
He nearly spilled the drink when he figured where she was going with this. "Nope. Mia's about seventeen. Has been happily hooked up with Josh for ages." About to take another bite, he mumbled, "At least I thought so."
Chapter Five
Later that afternoon they arrived in Kingman. It was a small place in the middle of nowhere. And, as much as Jared tried to enjoy the view, it wasn't his kind of scenery. He needed the sight of lush, green bushes or trees. There wasn't much of either around. Actually, there wasn't anything around, or so he thought.
They drove into town with Ivy behind the steering wheel. She was indeed a very good driver. Ivy had no trouble steering the big vehicle through the small streets, and before he knew it, they'd stopped in a shopping parking area. It suited him as he wanted to stock up on a few items before he hit the road again.
"I suppose that's it," she said quietly.
He simply nodded. There wasn't much to say. As much as he enjoyed the little bit of company, she hadn't been a great talker and was too tense about the whole situation she was in. Whatever the situation was. He'd never asked. It wasn't any of his business. The bottom line was, he wanted to enjoy a nice holiday and not take on somebody else's problems. Bad enough that he would have an extra passenger in a few days when he made it to Utah.
"Thanks," she added and held out her hand.
He took the hand and replied, "No worries mate."
That made her smile. A smile he wouldn't forget. "Look after yourself and don't forget to eat, will ya?"
Taking her bag, she said, "The woman who will end up with you, will be one lucky lady."
He chuckled. "And I had the impression you thought of me as a criminal."
"No," she lied.
And he chuckled some more.
"I'd better go. It was really nice meeting you. And I really appreciate you helping me out."
He stood and locked the doors to the motorhome. Yet, she wasn't moving.
"Ivy."
"Hmm?"
Watching her carefully, he finally said. "Your feet aren't movin'."
Her beautiful eyes filled up with tears, and Jared felt bad for pushing her. Obviously, her impression of him being a criminal couldn't have been all that bad, because she wasn't leaving. Exhaling a big breath, he met her gaze. Nothing was going to plan, so why not?
"Wanna come a little further?" he finally asked.
To his surprise, she shook her head. "No." Drawing in her lips, she stepped back and then said. "Bye, Jared."
With a guilty conscience, he watched her walk across the car park and into a distance. "Nice knowing ya," he said to himself and then went into the shopping centre.
Jared's mind wasn't on shopping at all. Instead, he replayed the last twelve hours and the few words that had been spoken between him and Ivy. She had never mentioned why she was running. In fact, she hadn't said much at all. It had driven him nearly insane how she had nibbled at her sandwich, although her craving for food had been obvious. Yes, he had been attracted to her. But that would've been one big disaster. Hooking up with an American girl was not something he needed. Not to mention a runaway one at that. Criminal! He chuckled. For all he knew, she could've been a con-woman on the run.
Back in the motorhome, he packed everything away and got back onto the road. Next stop was the Grand Canyon. It was about a two-hour drive to Williams and another half to find somewhere to stay. He wanted to get there before dark. The scenery hadn't changed much, but until a few miles before Williams—finally some trees, he thought. Yet the temperature had made a big dive, too. Jared got some petrol before heading towards the campground. He loved the little place and its atmosphere, but unfortunately, he was too pooped to go out that night to enjoy some local cuisine or meet some people. Tired? He'd spent all day driving in that small motorhome and he was tired. But yes, focusing on the wrong side of the road had been exhausting indeed. Then again, there was also his mind, which constantly kept going back to that beautiful flower-girl. She had settled in the back of his head and simply wouldn't leave. Not even when he was fast asleep later that night.
****
Ivy felt sick in the stomach of hunger and of fear. She was lucky that an old lady driving along took pity on her and offered her a ride for a few hours. It was a very awkward few hours, though, with the lady insisting on a conversation, probably to figure out what had made her run.
A few miles before Williams she had to turn north though, and Ivy was forced to walk the last hour-and-a-bit into town. It was almost dark, and she wasn't sure where to go or what to do. For about the thousandth time she questioned her decision not to take the Australian tourist's offer of another ride. Stupid pride! Now she was paying the price. She found a small motel near the main streets. It was cheap, and she had somewhere to sleep. And she was tired. And lonely. And so scared. What had she done?
She thought of Jared. He had looked so sexy when he had come around the RV, but Dylan had looked sexy when she'd first met him. No need to remind herself how that had ended. She lay back on the most uncomfortable bed and stared into the night. Imagining how life could be and how life should be. Life with a loving husband and possibly kids
. A life in a small house with a backyard, designed by Jared. She shook her head. When did he sneak into her dreams?
She giggled, then whispered to herself with an exaggerated accent, "Ya have to eat, mate." She imagined what Australia was like. She'd seen a few movies, a few with crocodile hunters or when a dingo apparently hurt a baby. Ivy envisaged white beaches, blue water, and beautiful lagoons. And there was Jared again. She smiled, and the smile still lingered on her lips when she drifted off to sleep.
****
Hunger woke her the next morning. Ivy hadn't slept well. She'd been cold and her stomach kept reminding her how much she'd neglected to fill it. After a quick shower, she dressed and left. It was still cold, but the sun was shining, and she hoped for a beautiful day. And a caring person to give her a lift as far as possible.
A honking horn startled her out of her melancholy thoughts. She turned and saw Jared waving from his RV.
When he stopped next to her, he lowered the window and said, "G'day flower-girl."
She felt the heat creeping up her cheeks. "Good morning."
"Where to this morning?"
She turned around and gazed into the distance. Ivy didn't know. Suddenly she was aware she was running, but didn't know where to. The thought scared her. Where was she going? The east coast definitely. North Carolina maybe. But if she was near giving up after a few hundred miles, how would she make it to the east coast? When she heard the noise of the door, she turned back and saw him coming towards her. Resisting the inner urge to step back, she held onto her bag tightly. Not that he'd given her a reason to be afraid. Not at all. It probably was only a reflex. Her stomach growled at that moment, and he laughed.
"Ya still not lookin' after yourself?"
Embarrassed, hungry, and not wanting him to pity her, she bit her lip and didn't reply
"So where are you headin' today?" he asked again.
She cleared her throat to give herself a minute to hold back threatening tears and finally said, "I don't know." Her voice nearly broke and, at that moment, it felt so good to know this man from the other end of the world.
There was a moment of silence, and she noticed he seemed to struggle with his decision, but he finally asked, "Ever been to the Grand Canyon?"
Ivy shook her head. "No."
With a nod towards the RV, he said, "Come on in then. Let's have a good day and then get you sorted."
But her feet wouldn't move. She wanted so much to go with him, spend a day with him, and not worry about what lay ahead, but her common sense told her she needed to move on.
"I won't hurt ya," he said.
"I know."
He placed his finger under her chin and slightly lifted her head until she met his gaze. "No questions asked. No favour in return. Just a nice day."
Her whole body was suddenly on alert. His brown eyes were full of warmth and friendliness.
"Okay," she finally said.
"Wanna drive?"
Boy, he was gorgeous when he smiled. Or did he grin?
"Still haven't adjusted to the right-side driving?"
He chuckled. "Nope. Only tired. Too many kids running around early this morning."
Ivy pushed her bag into his arms, walked around to the driver's side and got in. However, before she was able to get going, she felt his hand on her arm.
"C'mon on, flower-girl. Let's get some food into you first."
She wasn't able to say no and got into the back of the RV. As she watched him prepare some bacon and eggs she asked, "What do you know about the Grand Canyon?"
He quickly glanced at her before returning his attention to the breakfast. "It's a bloody big nature spectacle. Worth havin' a look."
She laughed. "It's a big gap in the Colorado Plateau. Not necessarily the deepest canyon in the world, nor the widest, but it's known for its size and colourful landscape. There's also some geological significance, but I can't remember that one."
Jared stared at her. "Where did that come from?"
Ivy shrugged and then looked out of the small window. "I've not always been on the run. I went to school as a kid."
Chapter Six
Ivy loved being with Jared. During their drive towards the Grand Canyon he told her about his home and described as much of Tasmania as possible.
"I always imagined Australia with white beaches and beautiful water."
"That's up in the north in Queensland," he explained. "I live on a small island in the very south. The last step before the Antarctica, so to speak."
"That sounds cold!"
He chuckled. "It clearly isn't Queensland." She felt his gaze on her. "But it has beautiful beaches as well. And wonderful marine life."
"It sounds beautiful."
Once they arrived at the National Park and walked towards the edge of the Canyon, she touched his arm to get his attention. Not that she needed to touch him. His attentive nature drew her to him, and she couldn't get enough of listening to him.
"I feel bad that you pay for everything," she said quietly.
Jared shrugged. "It's only money and luckily the Australian dollar is—"
"Whether you can or can't afford it, it doesn't matter. I don't like it."
He stopped and turned towards her, but she kept walking. It took him only a few steps to catch up with her and, by way of placing his hand on her shoulder, to stop her.
"Wanna tell me why?"
Avoiding his stare, she lifted her shoulder in a casual shrug.
"A shrug is not really an answer, ya know that, right?"
Yes, she knew that. How could she tell him that she had left Dylan because she had worked hard for the money only for him to spend it? She didn't want to be in the same situation, as in spending someone else's hard-earned money. But deep down inside she didn't want to hurt him. Ivy was enjoying her time with him so much, she wasn't ready, yet, for it to end because of some silly pride.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a little squirrel in the bushes. A perfect distraction.
"Look!" she said louder than she had intended. "A squirrel."
It worked! Jared quickly grabbed his camera and kneeled down to get the best shot possible of this little creature.
Kneeling next to him, she asked, "Don't you have squirrels?"
Still trying to get that perfect photo of the little creature, he whispered, "Nope."
Ivy looked at the small animal. They were nearly everywhere, and every kid knew about squirrels and took them for granted.
"I'm sorry about before," she said suddenly.
Still kneeling, he moved the camera away from his face and looked at her. Under normal circumstances, she enjoyed gazing at his beautiful face and his mesmerising eyes but, at that moment, she was glad she was kneeling. Her legs felt weak.
"I'm not really running. I've left my boyfriend."
He lifted his eyebrow and remained silent, probably waiting for her to continue.
"Dylan was his name." Letting out a heavy sigh, she stood. "He lost his job a few months ago and started drinking."
Now standing as well, Jared turned off his camera and slowly packed it away.
"Did he hit you?" he asked quietly, without looking at her.
His eyes didn’t meet hers, and the thought the conversation might make him uncomfortable crossed her mind.
"No." Another sigh. "No, he didn't. He drank away all the money, was all."
A frown appeared on Jared's forehead as he looked at her. "Was all?"
How did this all happen? Another sigh as she looked around avoiding his gaze. She moved a bit aside to let other tourists walk past her and then watched them as they explained to their kids what they were about to see. Without looking back at Jared, she followed the people and, only a few metres further, she was able to see Mother Nature at its best.
"Oh, wow. Look at this, Jared," she said.
As he strode closer to her, he mumbled, "Avoiding hot topics like a trooper." At least that was what she thought she heard him saying.
&n
bsp; "No, not avoiding, but stalling." She paused. Hesitating, she looked away before she added, "It hurts to be a failure."
He didn't get a chance to reply, though, as she walked to the edge of the Canyon, taking in the remarkable view.
"Do you think you're able to take a photo of me and somehow print it out as a souvenir?" she asked him.
Jared nodded. "No worries."
She posed for him when a man came up to Jared and offered to take a photo of them both. Surprised by his acceptance, she moved a bit to the side to give Jared some space on the lookout. She was even more surprised when he placed his arm around her shoulder and gently pulled her closer. They posed for a couple of pictures before heading towards the information centre.
"It's a beautiful place. Thank you so much for taking me with you."
"My pleasure," he replied and added with a wink, "Thank you for being an informative tour guide."
She giggled. "It hasn't been all that informative."
"Beats reading this book," he said while holding up a small book about the USA.
****
Jared was sure that Ivy wasn't a runaway girl. The facts she'd given him about the Grand Canyon had been basics, but probably just as much as he would've learnt from his little travel guide. He had to admit, he was getting used to her company, although he'd figured that there had been more than simply leaving her boyfriend because he'd liked the booze too much. He reminded himself that it wasn't his business, and he wasn't even sure how much longer she'd be his travel companion.
"Wanna have some lunch?" he asked.
"I'd love to."
He packed the camera in his bag, and they both went towards the information centre.
"Jared?"
"Hmm?"
"I wouldn't like you to spend too much money on a lunch for me, and I couldn't afford a packet of sugar in there."
