Road To Love

by Courtney Brewer

  “Geesh, jumpy much?”

  “Only with some people;” he mumbled. Their eyes on briefly connected; “I know my way around some cars, but I don’t know what it is; I’m not a mechanic. My advice is to call a tow truck have it towed some place that can check it out; you can come with me, and leave you car in a mechanic’s hands.”

  “You would like that; wouldn’t you?”

  “Frankly, I don’t care what you want to do. I do care if you have to miss your brother’s wedding because you’re stubbornness is keeping you from swallowing your pride.”

  “I could rent a car.”

  “You could, but it’s a holiday and chances are you won’t get far.”

  “Why do you have to keep shooting down my ideas?”

  After thinking of various reasons he threw up his hands. “I’m going back to the car; if you need a ride you can let me know.” She didn’t say anything as she turned and left.

  He watched her as she made numerous phone calls; each time looking more defeated than the first. At one point he saw the tow truck as it came to the restaurant and get her car. He considered helping her get her bags out of the trunk, but he knew she wouldn’t accept his help. She didn’t look his way; she continued to make phone calls. As the minutes ticked away and the flurries began to fall, he knew it was time to get forceful. He went back over to where she was standing; her pitiful expression made him want to embrace her. However, he stopped himself. “This is the worst day ever. My car broke down, there are no rentals available, and it’s starting to snow.”

  “I know and now you’re stuck travelling with a guy that makes your blood boil. When will it ever stop?”

  “I’m sure that you don’t want this anymore than I do.”

  “I’m fine with it; I just want it as relaxed as possible. What do you say?”

  “I don’t see that there’s any other way.”

  He began to pick up her luggage and she joined him. “We make it what it is, Abigail.” He put her stuff into the back of his truck and turned to her. “If we imagine that everything is fine then it will be.”

  “Yeah, sure;” she mumbled as she got in the passenger seat. He laughed. Only 8 hours to go; everything would be fine, if they didn’t kill each other.

  ***

  Two hours into the trip Abigail was sure it was a mistake. She would have rather hitchhiked than having to deal with his questioning nature. “Are you sure we are going the right way?”

  She left out an exasperated sign. “Yes; for the millionth time, the map showed that this is a shortcut.”

  She saw him roll his eyes. “We haven’t seen any sign of civilization for miles and the snow is falling harder. I hate to have to question you but it does seem odd that it’s taking us down such a bumpy road.” The jarring and rampant movement of the road was enough to make anyone sick.

  “Well, maybe you should invest in a GPS. Get with the new era; it does wonders for people.”

  “I’m sorry that I’m old-fashioned and like to look at a map.”

  “I am telling you; this is the way it said to go. If you don’t like my navigation then I’ll drive.”

  He chuckled at that. “I don’t think so; give me the map.”

  “You can’t read it and drive.” She argued.

  However, by that time his hand was on the map and his truck started to fish-tail. “Hold on!” He yelled as his arm flew in front of her and they went headfirst into a snow bank. “Are you alright?” She noticed a look of concern flash over his face.

  “I am, but I told you not to grab for it.”

  “Abigail now is not the time to point out wrongdoings.” She didn’t say anything else. “I have to try to get out of here.” She only heard the sound of spinning tires as he attempted to back up. He tried again, but they remained in one place. “Stay right here.” He ordered as he got out of the car.

  He knelt down at the tires and then went to the other side of the truck. She got out of the truck and went up to him. “Will we be able to get out?”

  “Don’t you ever listen? I asked you to stay in the truck.”

  “Correction, you TOLD me to stay in the truck. Is there anything I could do to help?”

  “Yes, you could get back in the truck. It’s cold, snowing harder, and the last thing I need is for you to catch your death.”

  “I didn’t know you cared.”

  “I don’t, but your brother would be pretty mad at me.”

  She ignored his sarcasm. “Do you have a shovel? Maybe we could dig our way out.”

  “Yes, I just carry a shovel wherever I go.”

  “There’s no reason to be testy; I’m not the one to drive into a drift.”

  “You’re unbelievable.”

  “Thank you;” she smirked.

  “It’s not a compliment. Maybe you weren’t the one to drive in the drift, but you didn’t do anything to help the situation. None of this would have happened if you would just have come with me in the beginning. We would have had plenty of time and wouldn’t have wanted to take a shortcut.”

  “So it’s my entire fault?”

  “Abigail, let’s not argue anymore. We have about an hour of light left and it’s late. It’s the day before Thanksgiving and the chance of getting someone out here tonight is minimal.”

  “There has to be a way; where would we sleep?” As the realization really hit her she started to hyperventilate.

  “Abigail, listen to me…” he touched her shoulders and didn’t continue until she looked in his eyes. “I’m not going to let anything happen to us. I just have to think.”

  She nodded as he went back to surveying the damage. As he walked back around the car she followed him. “What was that?” She looked up as she heard the rustling in the trees and a low moan.

  “What was what?”

  She waited and heard it again. “That, it sounds like a bear.” She tried to look between the trees as she clutched on tightly to his arm. The only thing she saw was snow and trees.

  “It’s not a bear.” His voice was shaky, proving that he didn’t know what it was. When they heard it again and it sounded like it was closer he looked at her. “Abigail, listen to me…RUN!” He grabbed her hand and they ran as fast as they could. They didn’t know where they were headed, but they tore through the woods and Abigail felt like her lungs were about to explode.

  “Ugh…” she cried as her foot hit a tree root and she went down. He face was pushed in the snow and she would’ve cried had she not been astounded by the impact.

  “Are you okay?” He reached down and pulled her up by the arm.

  “I’m fine;” she got up and quickly brushed her pant knees. “Where are we going to go?”

  “I don’t know.” They hurried towards the unknown destination; this time being more careful not to trip and fall. “Over here.” Like a sign from GOD, a little shack came into view. Abigail hesitated. “Right now we only have two options. We can stay out here and freeze, possibly getting mauled by a bear, or we can take a chance.”

  “Someone could live here.”

  “It doesn’t appear too likely, but at any moment we will have no light. Besides, the windows are all boarded up. I’m sure that if someone once lived here, they’re long gone. Let’s just try the door.”

  Upon checking the door they saw that it was open. He motioned for her to enter with him. Reluctantly she did. The cabin was dark, but she could tell that it was vacant and more than likely it had been many years since it was occupied. “It’s dirty.” She scrunched her nose and he laughed.

  “I doubt that it is a housekeeper. It will do until tomorrow.”

  “I guess so, but it will get even darker in here.”

  “When I go back out, I will get a couple of flashlights.”

  “What do you mean when you go back out?”

  “I have to go back to the truck. We’re going to need blankets.”

  “Travis, isn’t there some other way we can keep warm? He chuckled and she realized how tha
t sounded. “I mean, there’s a fireplace and maybe we could find some wood.”

  “I have to go back to the truck, but I’ll wait it out for a little while.” The shack grew quiet. “How are you since your fall?”

  “Bruised ego, but that’s all. A little cold on the knees, but I’ll manage.”

  “You better call Todd and tell him were not going to make it tonight.”

  She nodded as she dialed up his number, but the call kept saying failed. “Great;” she mumbled.

  “No service?”

  “It doesn’t surprise me; I wouldn’t have expected cell phone towers. This day just keeps getting better.” She cringed when she felt the tears spring to her eyes. She started to sob and she felt him touch her shoulder. “He’ll wonder where I am, but then he’ll question where you are. We aren’t even supposed to be together. He won’t know that we are.”

  “Abigail, he knows we’re together.”

  “How?” Her sobbing slowly lessened.

  “I told him I would do whatever I had to, to watch over you. In this case it came down to following you.”

  “You mean you did follow me from the apartment?”

  “I had a promise to keep. Are you mad we deceived you?”

  Abigail contemplated that until she slowly shook her head. She was surprised that she wasn’t angered by the deception. “Thank you!”

  “You’re thanking me? What for?”

  “If you hadn’t have followed me, I could still be stuck at the restaurant.”

  He snickered. “Yeah, but we’re still stuck.”

  “True, but I’m not alone and frankly I’m grateful for that. I might have a cool exterior, but I am not as brave and I look.”

  “I didn’t think you would ever find being stuck with me an advantage.”

  Abigail smiled. “There’s first time for everything.” In that moment she was starting to feel better about the situation.

  Chapter 10

  Several minutes had passed when Travis decided to try to go back to the truck. Abigail begged him to let her go too, but he wouldn’t budge. They didn’t know if the creature, animal or human, was still nearby. Now as Abigail waited impatiently for his return she feared the worst. As each minute went by she felt like something had gone dreadfully wrong. When she heard the door open she let out a sigh of relief. “Thank GOD you’re back.” She threw her arms around him; his arms were still full as she held him close. When she pulled away she realized how truly shocked he was. “I was worried.”

  “I didn’t think you cared.”

  “I don’t, but that would mean I would have to fend for myself. Plus, Todd would be pretty mad at me if something happened to you.”

  He laughed. “Truer words never spoken.”

  Their gaze never swayed from each other. “Did you get everything?”

  “I did; here are two flashlights, two blankets, and a picnic basket.”

  “What’s in the picnic basket?”

  “I came prepared. It’s not gourmet, but it will have to do. Are you hungry?”

  She smiled. “I am.”

  “I have fruit, cold meat sandwiches, chips, and water.”

  She opened the basket and stared. “You came with enough food for an army. Did you plan this accident?”

  She shook his head. “Yes, I risked my life so that we would be forced to spend the evening together. Go ahead and eat; I saw some wood outside, I thought we could have a fire.”

  She went on to eating from the basket and waited for him to return. He carried 4 logs in his arms and Abigail started to laugh when he put in the fireplace. “Did you forget something?”

  “What?”

  “Um…something to start the fire.”

  “You underestimate me.” He reached in his pocket and produced a matchbook. “Always come prepared.”

  “Hm…” she took a bite of her sandwich. “You surprise me Travis.”

  He turned back to her as the fire started to grow. “I’m sorry about, well…everything.”

  “There are too many apologies being made. We’re both sorry and let’s just leave it at that.”

  “Okay; I like that.” He laid a blanket in front of the fireplace. “Shall we?” He grabbed the basket from her and she grabbed the other blanket and joined him in front of the fireplace. “This should warm this place in no time.”

  “I half expect to see 7 dwarfs walk in at any moment.”

  He laughed. “Wouldn’t that be something?” He grabbed a sandwich and took a bite. “I know that Thanksgiving is tomorrow, but I’ll wake up early and beg someone to come help us.”

  “We don’t even know where we are.”

  “I’ll figure it out.”

  “I believe that.”

  “You do?” He faced her and she smiled and shrugged. “We’ll get out of here with as little disruption in our lives as possible.”

  She trusted him and she knew where there was a will, there was a way. “Thank you for the food. I don’t know what we would have done if you hadn’t been so prepared.”

  “Luckily we won’t have to find out.” He removed the basket from the blanket and looked at her. “Are you comfortable?”

  “Yes;” she paused and faced the fire. “If this was under different circumstances the fire would be so romantic.”

  “I know what you mean.” His words were quiet; they were barely audible. His eyes fell to her lips; or at least she thought they did.

  “We should get some sleep.” She leaned in and brushed a kiss across his cheek. When she pulled away she saw the passion in his eyes. He reached up and touched her lips; she closed her eyes to his touch. When she opened her eyes she saw him moving closer to her. He stopped inches from touching her; he looked at her as if he was asking for permission. She slowly nodded and he moved in. A moan escaped her lips as he took possession. She pulled him closer to her and felt his heart beating rapidly against her chest.

  ***

  “Are you sure?” He whispered between kisses. His hands were dangerously close to intimate territory and his tongue swiped across hers. He took the faint nod of her head as permission. His hands pulled her sweater over her head as she fumbled with his shirt. He helped her free it from his jeans as his hands trailed to her pants.

  She moaned as he bit her bottom lip, but never broke the kiss. Moments later both of their pants were being flung to the ground. His hands trailed up her stomach as they reached her bra. With a flick of his wrist he had removed it. He lowered her panties, never removing his lips from hers. She helped him remove his boxers. He held his hand on her back as he lowered her to the blanket.

  Their kisses intensified as he ran his hands down her arms. He could feel her shaking underneath him. He pulled away so that they could catch their breath. Her breathing was almost as ragged as his. “It’s your call;” he lowered his mouth to her neck and she arched her back as he trailed kisses to her shoulder. He looked into her eyes and he knew what he wanted, but he was worried to proceed. “What do you want me to do?” He held his breath as his mouth hovered over hers.

  “Make love to me.” His mouth covered hers and he pulled away as he moved his lips down the front of her neck. “Yes;” she sighed. As she moaned with desire he made their union one. He groaned with pleasure as they continued to fill the night with their cries of passion. It felt so right and yet so wrong.

  ***

  Abigail woke up and looked at the blanket next to her; she had considered the likelihood that she had dreamed the whole thing. The feel of his arms around her, the taste of his kisses, and the smell of his cologne so close to her, it was all so real. She closed her eyes and thought it over and nodded. It had to be real.

  She looked around the small shack. With the light of the outside shining through the open cracks in the boards it didn’t look so small. As she sat up she realized she wasn’t wearing any clothes under the blanket. That helped her to know that she wasn’t completely crazy. She looked at the door when she heard it opening. His eyes met hers
and he didn’t smile; he upset and irritated. “Good morning.” It wasn’t spoken like a man that had just made love. It was spoken with awkwardness.

  “Good morning.”

  “I spoke with Todd; he’s aware of what’s happening.”

  “You should have woken me.”

  “You look like you needed the rest.”

  She didn’t know how to take that. “Did you talk to someone about the truck?”

  “Yeah; a tow truck will be here in about an hour. It snowed all night; I had to unbury the vehicle.”

  “It seems you have accomplished a lot. What time did you wake up?”

  “I didn’t sleep well;” his eyes fell over hers, but he quickly looked away. “I went out at the first light of the morning.”

  “Are there any animals out there;” she giggled, but he just nodded. “That’s good;” she was at a loss of why he was so mad. She questioned if her love making was really that bad. She didn’t have anything to base it on. “I better get dressed.” When she pulled the blanket off of her she noticed him look away. She chuckled. “It’s too late for any modesty. We did sleep together.”

  “Yeah, I know.” He turned from her and left the shack. By the look on his face she could tell he was feeling guilty. It had nothing to do with her; at least she hoped.

  Chapter 11

  “I’m all set.” Abigail exited the shack and he tried to ignore her.

  “Good;” he mumbled as he grabbed the blankets from her arms. She followed him and was barely keeping up. “Be careful; we don’t have time for more accidents.”

  “Can you slow down?”

  “The tow truck will be here any minute; we don’t have a second to waste.”

  When they reached the truck they threw the rest of the things in the back and had to wait for the tow truck. Travis went about to the other side of the tuck and grabbed the map from the passenger seat. When he looked up he saw Abigail looking at him. They both looked away and he rounded to the other side of the vehicle. “Maybe we can get the wrecker to tell us how get off this road.”