Turning Home (A Small Town Novel)

by Stephanie Nelson

  “I was just watching them,” James said. “I didn’t let them touch me.”

  Again, he was right, and I hated it. I wished there was a logical explanation to my obsession with Dylan Crawford—maybe a pill I could take to get over it.

  “Sorry,” I told him honestly. Then I thought about what Dylan had said about James putting something in my drink. I still thought it was absurd, but I was also curious.

  “That night,” I began, my voice nervous. “… did you … slip something into my drink?”

  James’s eyes widened, shifting away from my face and back again. “A vitamin,” he explained. “Grayson said it helped with hangovers, and I know you don’t drink that much. Why, what are you accusing me of?”

  “A vitamin?” I asked skeptically, surprised that Dylan had been telling the truth. He did see James put something into my drink.

  James nodded, holding his phone out to me. “Call Grayson if you don’t believe me. He slips one into all of his first drinks.”

  I ignored his phone and crossed my arms. “Why wouldn’t you just, you know, tell me about it and have me take it?”

  He shrugged again. “Grayson said it breaks down in the alcohol and gets into your bloodstream faster.”

  I watched him, disbelieving. “In the future, don’t put pills in girls’ drinks. Someone might think you’re slipping them something else.”

  He blanched. “You thought I slipped you the date rape drug? I know I’ve been a little forward with wanting to sleep with you, Brooke, but I wouldn’t drug you to get it.”

  Call me stupid, but I was starting to believe him. Our conversation was cut short when my mother came around the house and waved at me to follow her. I silently grumbled, noticing the darkening sky and hoping everyone would go home soon. With one last look at James, I rejoined my going away party.

  After dropping Dana off and grabbing something to eat, I drove out to the spot where Brooke and I had our mud fight last night. I nervously bent down and half-filled a mason jar with the dirt. Walking to the back of my truck, I opened my tackle box and took out a red and white bobber. Smiling at my idiocy, I dropped the bobber on top of the dirt and screwed the cap on. I shook my head and sat on the tailgate of my truck, holding the jar in my hands. If I closed my eyes and concentrated hard enough, I could almost hear Brooke’s laughter as she forgot her manners and slung mud at me. I could still see the way her thin tank top clung to her body and the way her bare legs looked even more tempting slathered in dirt. Brooke had always been beautiful, but when she let go of her inhibitions … she was fucking gorgeous and tempting as hell.

  My mind wandered to our time at my apartment last night, and I groaned. I had never obsessed over one girl like this. I wasn’t sure if it was because the girl was Brooke Kingsley, and her attention fed my bruised ego or if it was something else. What? I had no clue.

  Hopping down, I slammed my tailgate shut and got back into my truck. I sat the jar of dirt on the seat next to me and started my truck, shaking my head. I had every intention of meeting up with Jase at the local watering hole, Reds, but somehow my truck ended up driving down the road that led to the Kingsley’s estate.

  I parked alongside the road—far enough back that my truck wouldn’t be spotted. A long, tree-lined driveway led up to Brooke’s white Colonial mansion. The house sat far away from the road, a short white fence bordering the land. To the left sat a large red stable. From my vantage point, I could see half of the backyard. A party was in full swing, bright lights lighting up the backyard. I grabbed the jar of dirt and shook my head. There was no way it could compare to the expensive gifts Brooke was probably getting tonight. She would take one look at it and laugh that I had given her dirt and a used bobber as a going away present. What the hell was I thinking? Girls like Brooke expected fancy things—things I couldn’t give her. I wondered—not for the first time—what the hell she saw in me. Was I just a curiosity to her, a whim she wanted to try before starting her life?

  My cell phone rang, shaking me out of thoughts. Leaning my back against the seat, I pushed my hips up so I could reach into my pocket.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, handsome,” a female voice said.

  I frowned, trying to place the caller. The woman let out a breathy chuckle.

  “Ruby?”

  “Hmm,” she moaned. “You wanna come over? I have a fifth of Jack and no clothes on.”

  My eyes flicked to Brooke’s mansion, indecision weighing on me. I knew I should forget all about my two days with her, but last night had stayed me with me. I knew what she allowed me to do wasn’t a common occurrence. Knowing she trusted me that much when we weren’t even dating did something to me.

  “I’m busy,” I said.

  “Since when are you too busy to come over?”

  Ruby was two years older than I was and worked as a waitress at the Rising Sun diner. We started hooking up a little over three months ago. She had a one-year-old son who she was raising by herself. The father left after he found out she was pregnant. I knew she was lonely and just looking for the comfort she missed with him. I had caught her murmuring his name once in her sleep. We all had baggage of some sort, but it was finding others with the ability to deal with it that got us through some tough days. While I was with Ruby she could pretend that she wasn’t a single mother with a crappy waitressing job, but a young, sexy woman who was still desirable to men. And while I was with her I felt needed.

  “Sorry, Ruby,” I said sincerely. “Maybe another night.” Ruby was a step up from Michelle, only calling me when she felt lonely instead of spreading her legs for every willing man. Then again, Michelle’s issues were deeper rooted than Ruby’s. I knew how to pick ‘em.

  “Okay,” she said, her earlier confidence waning. A soft click sounded as she hung up, and I rested my head against my seat, closing my eyes. Headlights bouncing through the cab of my truck made my eyes snap open. A silver BMW was heading down the drive—James’s car. I slumped in my seat, knowing damn well it wouldn’t do any good; he knew my truck. Watching, I tried to see if Brooke was in the car with him. He stopped at the end of the drive, turning in the opposite direction than where I was parked. Releasing a breath, I sat up straighter and looked toward Brooke’s house again. I thought I saw a figure sitting on the front steps, and after careful inspection, I realized it was Brooke. As the party raged on behind the house, she sat by herself and stared up at the sky. I itched to be beside her, holding her while the night surrounded us. I wondered what she thought of while she stargazed. What could a girl who had everything possibly dream about?

  I watched her for about ten minutes before I realized what I was doing was creepy. My hand on the key, I was just about to start my truck when I let my hand drop and reached for my phone. Bringing up Brooke’s number, I hit the CALL button and waited to see if she would answer.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey,” I said, smiling as I watched her on the steps with the phone pressed to her ear. She leaned her elbows on her knees and, if I could really see her, I’d bet there was a smile on her face.

  “How’s the party going?”

  “I’m ready for it to be over.”

  “Well, I’m here to kidnap you,” I half-teased.

  The line was silent for a moment, and I worried I scared her. Mentally calling myself an idiot, I was about to tell her I was joking when she spoke.

  “I would love to be kidnapped.”

  “Your chariot awaits, Princess,” I said with a grin. “I’m parked outside your house.”

  I watched her head snap up, and she stared out at the lawn. She probably couldn’t see me behind the couple trees I was parked behind.

  “You’re here? At my house?”

  I didn’t miss the panic in her voice. It was like a pin to the bubble of excitement I had at seeing her again.

  “Yeah, sorry,” I said. “I was going to drop something off, and then I saw you on the porch and thought I would call to see how everything was going.�
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  “It’s … okay,” she mumbled, standing up. “It just … surprised me.” She paused for a moment, and I watched her slowly descend from the stairs and make her way down the long drive. She looked like a midnight angel beneath the moss-covered trees and moonlight. The pale green dress she wore glided against her legs as she walked.

  “What were you going to drop off?”

  I got out of my truck and walked around to the front, leaning against the grill. “It’s stupid and silly. I think I just wanted to see you, and it was my excuse.”

  I imagined her smiling, a light blush coloring her ivory cheeks. My eyes tracked her as she moved down the driveway. I cemented my feet to the asphalt, instead of running and swooping her up into my arms.

  “I didn’t think …” she said, her head coming up and swiveling as she searched for where I was.

  “What?”

  “I didn’t think that after last night I would hear from you again.” The surprise in her voice bothered me. She expected me to lose interest after our intimate moment. I didn’t blame her—that was the type of guy I normally was.

  “You would have heard from me sooner had you not been busy all day. I just couldn’t hold off any longer.” I frowned at my confession. “Sorry, that made sound like an obsessed loser. I just … wanted to see you on your last day in Roseville.”

  She finally made it to the end of the drive, and our eyes connected, phones pressed to our ears. A wide smile curled her lips and lit up her whole face. God, when she looked at me like that—like I was something special—well, it made me feel special.

  “I wanted to see you, too,” she said, coming closer.

  I grinned. “Not sick of me yet?”

  She shook her head, looking away from my eyes sheepishly. “No.” She stopped just in front of me, lowering the phone from her ear. She met my eyes for a moment before looking away again. Her cheeks reddened, and I wondered if she was thinking about last night. I hadn’t stopped thinking about it.

  I tucked my phone back in my pocket and closed the space between us. Slowly, I slipped my arms around her small waist and hugged her body to mine. Nuzzling her neck, I inhaled her hair and almost moaned at the clean floral scent filling my nostrils. Her arms came around my neck, and she hugged me tighter as though afraid she would be ripped away from my embrace.

  “What are we doing, Dylan?”

  “We’re two people enjoying each other’s company,” I whispered against her ear.

  “No,” she said, smiling as she leaned back to look at my face. “What are we doing tonight?” When I arched a questioning eyebrow, she continued, “Make me forget that I’m leaving in the morning—that this crazy, whirlwind thing between us is ending.”

  I brushed my hand against her cheek, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She studied my face, her blue eyes hopeful.

  “Come on,” I spoke softly, tugging her toward the passenger’s side of the truck. Opening the door, I helped her climb inside and made my way around to the driver’s side. Turning the key, I headed down the road. Brooke eyed her house as we drove past it, her head turning to me with a smile on her face. I laughed, shaking my head. I had never read about princesses happy to flee their castles, but Brooke looked almost relived. She sagged against the seat, her head lolling to the side to look at me.

  “What are you thinking?”

  She grinned. “Just that … when it comes to you, all my common sense goes out the window.” She blushed a little with her confession, looking away from me. “My mother is going to be ticked.”

  “That’s funny,” I said, glancing over at her. “Because whenever I’m around you it’s like my common sense kicks in.” I had never thought about my actions around a girl as much as I did with Brooke.

  She sat up, shaking her head. “I disagree. It wasn’t smart to plop me down in a pile of mud. Do you have any idea how long it took my manicurist to get the dirt out from under my nails?”

  I chuckled, resting one arm on the steering wheel and reaching for her hand with the other. It amazed me how comfortable we were with each other.

  “Ah come on, you had fun.”

  She laughed through her nose, her fingers slightly tightening around mine. “You have a way of making everything fun.” She smiled shyly at me, her eyes shifting out the window.

  I watched her, volleying my eyes between her and the road. I loved how perfect she looked sitting passenger in my truck. Her wavy caramel hair rested against her shoulders, soft and smelling of flowers. My eyes flicked down to her legs, one crossed over the other. The flimsy material of her dress lay against her soft skin. My gaze traveled down to the high-heeled sandals on her feet. I took in the state of my truck: dust on dashboard, trash on the floor, a grease stain on the seat between us, and a small rip in the lining above our heads. Still, no matter how basic my truck was, she belonged right where she was—sitting beside me.

  Her head swiveled, and her eyes met mine. I smiled at getting caught staring at her and brought my attention back to the road.

  Dylan stopped by his apartment on the way to wherever we were going to pick up a few blankets. At seeing them, my face reddened, and I had to avoid his eyes. Thoughts of what happened last night filled my mind. Now that some time had passed between then and now, I couldn’t help but be embarrassed by how I acted. Every time I thought about how I had moaned, moved my hips against his body and … had my first orgasm, I was overcome with humiliation. I knew it was due to my inexperience, but that didn’t help ease my mind. Dylan had turned me on so much last night, it was as though I had stepped out of my body and my evil, sexier doppelganger took over. All of the worries I normally had when things went too far with James disappeared when I was with Dylan. His mouth on my skin prodded my nerves into wanting more contact. My blood warmed, and I grew dizzy as all rational thought left me. Last night, my body reacted as it wanted, acting bolder than I ever thought possible.

  Now that I had come down from the foggy place I’d been last night, being around Dylan left me nervous again. When I found out he was waiting outside my house, all I could think of was racing down the drive to jump into his arms. Coming to the end of the driveway and seeing him leaning against his dirty truck made me catch my breath. When he smiled at seeing me, I thought I would let out one of those cheesy, shoulder sagging sighs. I had it bad, and that wasn’t good.

  Dylan turned off the main road and onto a small one-lane road. The overgrown brush on either side made me feel claustrophobic. Branches and leaves smacked against the windows and side of the truck, but Dylan didn’t seem as unsettled as I was.

  “Where are we going?”

  Dylan squeezed my fingers, a reassuring smile on his face. “You’ll see.”

  I seriously didn’t care where we were going so long as I was there with him. So far, all of his plans had been exciting and new. I didn’t even care if he was taking me cow tippin’. I silently laughed at the thought, and Dylan smiled at me.

  “Did you get my text last night?”

  The heat that normally settled in my cheeks, traveled south, and sparked my already high attraction to the boy beside me.

  “Yes,” I said, my voice whispering through my lips. “I still can’t believe I let you keep it.”

  Dylan laughed. “I’m glad you did,” he said. “It’s my screensaver.”

  My eyes widened. “You’re kidding, right?”

  Dylan shook his head, a grin lifting his mouth up crookedly. “It’ll be my only memento after you leave. I want to see it and remember that night every time I open my phone.”

  I turned my head to keep the embarrassment on my face hidden from Dylan. Though I was still innocent in the ways of sex, I felt a little more mature since spending last night with him. I still wasn’t as confident or open as Lily when it came to discussing it, but I would try at least.

  Dylan leaned over and slid his arm behind my back, pulling me across the bucket seat so I was nestled against his side. He kissed the top of my head as though
we’d been dating for months rather than just casually hanging out for a couple days. He made me nervous, but I was also oddly comfortable around him.

  “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, Brooke,” he said. I looked up at him, and he continued, “I would trade every sexual experience I’ve ever had just to relive that one moment over and over with you. I can’t look at my bed without seeing your beautiful body stretched out on it.”

  “Oh,” I said lamely. I wanted so desperately to believe him, but that was a big statement and probably said to charm me. Either way, it was working. Taking a moment to escape my thoughts, I sat up and looked through the windshield. We were in another field, this one filled with tall grass instead of mud. In the distance, a small forest bordered the land. Dylan parked his truck, turning the key so that the radio stayed on. He made sure to turn the volume up some.

  “What are we doing?”

  With a smirk, Dylan opened his door. “Come on.” He reached his arm out to me, and with a smile, I took his hand. Dylan pulled me across the seat and wrapped his arms around my waist, lifting me out of the truck. Slowly, he allowed my body to slide down his, tightening his grip when my face was in front of his.

  “I’m going to kiss you now,” he breathed, his eyes searching my face.

  I bobbed my head, my heartbeat a hopeless flutter in my chest. “Okay.”

  The breath of his chuckle landed on my mouth as his lips pressed against mine. My body sagged against his, and I brought my arms up and twined them around his neck. Tilting my head to the side, I moved my mouth against his, moaning when his tongue slipped through my lips. I could spend the rest of my life kissing Dylan Crawford.

  Somewhere I thought I heard a cell phone ringing, but I was too lost in the sensations consuming my body.

  “You wanna get that?” Dylan spoke against my lips, one side of his mouth lifted in a smirk.

  “No,” I whispered.

  “It’s probably your mama or daddy,” he said with an arched brow.

  I bit my lip to hold back my smile. “You’re probably right, but they’re not going to ruin the last night I have with you. I’ll deal with them later.”