The Road That Leads to Us

by Micalea Smeltzer

  A few minutes later she came running out, holding two bags overflowing with stuff. Willow always went overboard. She couldn’t help it.

  “Did you get enough?” I joked.

  “I think we’re good for a day or two,” she said seriously.

  “Find any lollipops?” I asked her.

  She nodded, rifling through the bag. “Lollipops and rock candy. That place is the holy grail of gas stations. They were even selling rocks carved into different animals. I got a turtle and I got you a dinosaur, and they even had a hedgehog so I got that one to bring back to my dad.”

  I merely smiled at her and tossed my thumb over my shoulder. “Now I’ve gotta pee.”

  “I’ll man the boat, Captain.” She saluted me as I jogged off.

  When I returned a few minutes later it was to find Willow sitting behind the steering wheel, the white stick of a lollipop hanging out of her mouth, and her baseball cap sitting backwards on her head.

  She looked endearingly adorable, but I scrunched my face up like I was mad.

  “What are you doing, Will?” I asked, bending down to her eye level and grabbing the edge of the door.

  She smirked at me and plucked the lollipop from her mouth. “I’m driving,” she said with a sly grin.

  I pressed my tongue against the side of my cheek and tilted my head. “Since when do you know how to drive a stick shift?”

  “Since you decided to teach me.” She smiled widely and patted the empty seat beside her. “Hop in sweet thang.” She winked.

  “You’ll kill my transmission,” I grumbled.

  She mock-gasped. “I’d do no such thing.”

  “Uh-huh.” I bit down on my tongue before I could say anything else.

  Blinking up at me, she said, “Have I told you that you look handsome today? Plaid is your color.” She reached out and stroked the rolled up end of my shirt by my elbow.

  “Willow.”

  “Please, Dean?” She begged, crossing her hands together and holding them beneath her chin. She even jutted out her bottom lip for good measure.

  “Alright, fine.” I tossed my hands in the air and made my way to the opposite side of the car to sit in the passenger seat.

  I was a sucker.

  “Thank you!” Willow cried, leaning over to quickly wrap her arms around my neck. “You’re the best!” She smacked a loud kiss against my cheek.

  “Just don’t hurt my car or get us killed.”

  “Your faith in me is astounding.” She smiled, completely unfazed.

  “Alright, Tiger, listen carefully to what I say.”

  She nodded and mimed zipping her lips.

  “Your clutch is on the far left and you use it when you’re moving up or down from one gear to another. You got that?” I asked her. She nodded so I continued. “Neutral isn’t a gear,” I pointed, “second gear is where it’s at.” I let her soak in that bit of information. “Now, turn off the car.”

  “What? No! I want to drive!”

  I chuckled. “I know. But turn it off so we can go through the gears and then we’ll try actually moving.”

  “Oh.” She shut off the car and put the keys in her lap. Sitting up straight, she said, “I’m ready.”

  She grew quiet as I began to instruct her again and took her hand to guide her through each gear.

  “That’s not so bad,” she said, seeming relieved.

  I chuckled. She had no idea.

  “Wait ‘til we start the car and then let me know if you still feel the same.”

  There was a little bit of fear back in her eyes.

  “Now, put the car in neutral before you start it.”

  She did as I said and then sat quietly, waiting for my next instructions.

  “The clutch is what allows you to move gears easily, so never forget to press on the clutch or the car will sound like it’s dying.”

  She looked a little scared at that, but I continued on.

  After another ten or so minutes of instructions Willow sat there with a determined look in her eyes.

  “I’ve got this,” she said.

  “Let’s see what you can do.” I leaned back in the seat and rested my arm on the door.

  We were still in the gas station parking lot, but thankfully the road leading back out to the highway wasn’t a busy one.

  I stayed quiet and let Willow work through everything I’d told her. I knew she wouldn’t want me to repeat myself now. She’d want to do this on her own.

  She went to move the gearshift and there was an awful grinding sound.

  “Oh!” She jumped back like she’d been shocked. “I forgot to press in the clutch,” she muttered, even though I already knew that was her mistake.

  “It’s okay,” I said, trying not to think about my poor car, “try again.”

  She did it again and this time was successful.

  We eased forward a few feet before the car stalled out.

  “I really thought this would be easier.” She sighed, clutching the steering wheel.

  “It takes time to learn,” I assured her.

  She smiled at me apologetically. “I think you should take over driving for now. But I’m not giving up,” she warned me, “I’m going to learn how to do this. We need to find an empty parking lot or something.” She waved behind us at the gas station crowd. Three guys were gathered around drinking what looked like beer—I guessed it was five o’ clock somewhere—and laughing at her failed attempt.

  Willow glared at them and gave them the finger.

  “That’s my girl.” I chuckled.

  She beamed at me and opened the driver’s door, climbing out so we could switch.

  Once we were seated again, I asked her, “Where to now?”

  “Today,” she began, “we’re going to find Palatka, Florida if it kills us.”

  I laughed as I started the car and slipped my sunglasses on. “Sounds like a plan.”

  Willow

  A few hours later we pulled off the side of the road and I grinned triumphantly at the sign that boasted the name of the town.

  Palatka, Florida.

  “We did it,” I breathed, a pleased flush fanning over my skin.

  “You did it. I drove.”

  “Come on, come on,” I cried, stumbling out of the car. “We have to get a picture.” I turned to rifle through my bag for my camera.

  Dean sighed, pretending to be mad at my demands for another picture, but I knew he secretly loved that I wanted to document every moment.

  We took picture after picture in front of the small sign and once I was satisfied we had enough we got back in the car.

  “So…” I began. “Now that we’re here, what do we do?”

  He tapped his bottom lip in thought. A moment later his face lit with a thought and he grinned. “Give me some directions.”

  “What?” I asked, confused.

  “You know, like take the second left, first right, blah, blah, blah.”

  “I’m still confused.”

  He chuckled and draped his arm across the back of my seat. “Give me some random directions, and when they run out that’s where we stop.”

  “Ohhh,” I drew out the word, “I’ve gotcha now.” I tapped my fingers against my knees and thought. “How about I tell you as you drive, that way you won’t forget what I say.”

  “Okay.” He nodded.

  He started the car once more and pulled back onto the road.

  “It’s really beautiful here,” I commented as he drove, “the palm trees, the water, the bridges.”

  “It is,” he agreed. “We’ll have to go to the beach while we’re here.”

  “And find a parking lot so you can teach me how to drive.”

  “That too.” He laughed.

  He came to a stop sign and turned to me, raising his brows to indicate I needed to tell him which way to go. “Straight ahead, Captain.”

  He did as I asked.

  “Right,” I said when we came to the next street.

  We
were driving further into the town and all the cute little shops amazed me.

  “Left,” I told him. “Stop,” I added, when I saw an empty parking space. I pointed and he pulled over to park the car.

  I rifled through my backpack for my coin purse and once I had it in hand I stuck enough money in the machine to cover us for a few hours.

  Dean spread his arms out, encompassing the town. “And now we explore.”

  We strolled down the street and I gasped when I spotted a cupcake shop.

  “Ooh, ooh!” I grabbed his arm. “We have to go in there!”

  “Of course we do.” Dean shook his head. “It’s not like you could’ve possibly had enough sugar for the day already.”

  “You know you want a cupcake too.” I dragged him inside the building.

  The walls were painted a bright pink with cream stripes and there were pictures of cupcakes decorating them.

  Three little tables sat by the window so you could sit down and enjoy your cupcake.

  A bell had chimed above the door when we entered and the woman working there came bustling up to the counter from the back. She was adorably rumpled with flour on her apron and in her hair.

  “Hi,” she smiled pleasantly, smoothing her hair down. “How can I help you?”

  I scanned the clear case the cupcakes were displayed behind and my mouth watered.

  So. Many. Choices.

  “I’ll have the chocolate one.”

  Dean pointed out the one he wanted and she grabbed it.

  “And for you?” She asked me.

  I tugged on my bottom lip with my teeth. They all looked so yummy.

  “I’ll have a Red Velvet.”

  She grabbed my cupcake and gave us the total.

  I was going to pay, but Dean beat me to it.

  I leveled him with a glare and he chuckled as he handed me the cupcake.

  “Just eat the cupcake and say thank you.”

  “Thank you.” I took it from him and immediately swiped my tongue into the frosting. “Mmm.” I hummed. “That’s good.”

  We took a seat at one of the tables and Dean bit into his cupcake.

  I giggled when he set the cupcake down and there was a dollop of icing stuck to the end of his nose.

  I reached across and swiped my finger over it before licking the icing from my finger.

  Dean’s eyes flashed a darker shade of green and I shivered.

  Something stirred in the air between us.

  It was strong and unbridled.

  I quickly looked away, breaking the temporary spell that had been cast over us.

  Dean cleared his throat and shuffled in his seat.

  We were quiet as we finished our cupcakes and then left the shop.

  We walked side by side down the street and I ended up dragging him into a cute little bookshop.

  The shop was small and decorated in warm colors that made you want to snuggle into a large chair with a cup of coffee and a good book.

  I scanned the shelves, looking for anything that sounded like I might actually make it to the end of it. I didn’t have much of an attention span.

  I ended up grabbing a fantasy book that sounded action packed. Surely I wouldn’t grow bored with that.

  The store boasted a table of pencils, pens, journals, and other miscellaneous items. I picked up two of the journals and tucked them under my arm along with the book. It was only the third day of our trip and my journal was nearly filled. I’d been writing in it a lot. Not to mention all of the pictures.

  I spun around and couldn’t find Dean, but then I spotted a small archway that led to a backroom. I poked my head through the doorway and sure enough there he was, along with a huge pile of Manga books.

  “Looks like you found something good,” I commented, pointing at the stack of books by his feet.

  His head snapped up and he closed the book he’d been looking at. “Oh, yeah.” He grinned and bent to pick up the stack. “Have you finished looking?”

  I nodded and held up my lone book and journals.

  His smile widened. “Think you’ll make it past page one?” He joked.

  “I’m going to try.” I shrugged.

  Dean followed me into the larger room and over to the register. There was an older gentleman sitting behind the counter on a stool.

  “Hi,” I smiled pleasantly as I set my stuff down, “is this your store?”

  He nodded and slid my items closer so he could enter the prices into the register. “Owned it for over thirty years.”

  “It’s a wonderful place,” Dean piped in behind me.

  The man flashed a grateful smile.

  “This seems to be a lovely town,” I said, rifling through my backpack for my wallet.

  “Did you move here?” The man asked, giving me the total.

  I handed him my credit card. “No, sir. We’re on a road trip. Just passing through.”

  His fuzzy gray brows furrowed together as my receipt printed. “Palatka seems like a strange place to stop on a road trip.”

  I shrugged and pointed at Dean. “He made me close my eyes and point to a place on the map. We ended up here.”

  The man looked up and took note of Dean. “Your boyfriend?”

  “No!” I cried, my neck growing hot. “He’s my friend.”

  The man stared at me for a moment and then harrumphed in disbelief.

  I glanced over at Dean with wide eyes and the jerk was laughing his head off.

  I smacked him in the arm.

  I grabbed my things off the counter and moved out of the way so Dean could check out.

  “Enjoy Palatka,” the man said as we started to leave.

  I said nothing in reply. The stranger was currently on my shit-list for implying that something was going on between Dean and I.

  “Can we head back to the car to drop these off?” I asked him as I lifted my bag in the air and gave it a little shake.

  He nodded. “That would probably be a good idea.”

  It didn’t take us long to find the car. We set our bags in the backseat and Dean grabbed his guitar case.

  “I saw some signs for a dock. I thought maybe we should check it out.” He said as he locked up the car.

  “Sounds good,” I added a few more coins to the meter. “Are we staying here tonight?”

  “I figure we might as well.” He shrugged, toying with his sunglasses before putting them back on. “We should relax tonight. Have a nice dinner.”

  “What’s wrong with McDonald’s?” I joked.

  He made a face, which in turn made me laugh.

  “Maybe we’ll find somewhere to stay right around here,” I commented as we strolled down the street, “it’s cute.”

  The town was adorable, with an old-fashioned vibe that made me feel like a horse and carriage might come barreling down the road at any second.

  “We might,” Dean agreed, looking around.

  The town sat right on a river and in no time we found a dock leading out onto the water.

  We took a seat and I swung my legs back and forth.

  “This place is beautiful. And to think, we might’ve never found it if it weren’t for you and your map.” I bumped his shoulder with mine and smiled at him.

  He grinned down at me and reached up to swipe a hand over his stubbled jaw.

  “And your pointing skills,” he added.

  “I don’t know,” I remarked, “I just closed my eyes and jabbed at it.”

  He chuckled and laid his guitar case down so he could unzip it.

  He rested the guitar on his lap and searched for a pick.

  Once he located one he flipped it between his fingers and smiled lopsidedly. “Will you sing with me?”

  I grinned. “Of course. I might be a little rusty, though. So no judging.”

  He chuckled. “Willow, you have the voice of an angel and you know it. Quit playing.”

  I laughed and pushed my blonde hair out of my eyes. I looked out at the water and waited for him to start p
laying.

  The first few chords rolled through me and a smile touched my lips.

  This song…it was a special one.

  One I knew by heart and was etched into my soul.

  It was the song my parent’s had written about me before my birth and was titled My Sweet Willow. It was one of a few duets they’d released over the years. My dad, while the drummer in his band, could sing, and so could my mom. Together, their voices melded beautifully.

  Dean sang the opening lines of the song and I closed my eyes, absorbing the sound of his voice.

  I’d always loved to hear him sing. His voice was husky and deep, with this unique shakiness to it that I knew came from his passion for music.

  My turn to sing came and my higher pitch lifted into the air.

  I managed to open my eyes then and turned to see Dean grinning at me.

  It had been a long time since we sang together. Too long.

  The chorus came and both of our voices melded together.

  Our voices were so different, but somehow it worked.

  I found myself smiling at him around the lyrics.

  It came time for me to sing by myself again and he ducked his head, a piece of hair falling over his forehead. When he lifted his head and his green eyes connected with mine I felt a little gasp tumble from my throat, making me stumble over the words. I quickly recovered, although I was mildly embarrassed about my reaction.

  Dean pretended not to notice, but I knew he did.

  Dean didn’t miss anything.

  I finished my part and his voice picked up once more.

  God, I loved to hear him sing.

  Hearing him now reminded me how much I’d missed this.

  My year away at college I’d shut myself away from everything back home. It had hurt too much to be reminded of everything I missed so much. I’d been miserable and I didn’t want the reminders. So I ignored phone calls and texts and pretended my life back at home was on pause, just waiting for me to return.

  Dean could’ve been pissed at me for my silence, but he wasn’t that kind of guy.

  Instead, like I wanted, he’d picked up like I’d never even gone.

  A single tear coursed down my cheek and I wiped it away hastily, erasing it from existence.

  Dean and I finished the song together, although my voice was shaky from unshed tears.

  Dean set his guitar aside and looked at me with worry in his eyes. “What’s wrong?”