Get to Me

by Lara Van Hulzen

  She gathered her stuff from the guest room and told Gladys what was happening. Gladys agreed it was a good plan and hugged her.

  “I can’t thank you enough for letting me stay.”

  “You are welcome here anytime, dear. And I’ll be praying for both of you.”

  “Thank you. I wrote down my friend Torie’s number for you on the notepad in the kitchen. You call her if you need any help at all.”

  “Oh that’s so kind. Thank you.”

  The women hugged again as Dane opened the front door and took Aimee’s bags. He hefted everything with zero effort.

  “You take care, Gladys.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek.

  The sweet woman actually blushed. Aimee smiled.

  “You take care of your girl.”

  He frowned at that, obviously bothered by Aimee being referred to as his girl.

  This would be an interesting adventure indeed.

  ***

  Dane hung up his phone and set it on the console of his truck. He’d spent the first fifteen minutes of their trip calling work and getting things settled for him to be gone. Having a reason not to chat was fine with him. Instinct told him this was the right decision, taking Aimee to his parents’ place. Unfortunately, his stomach turned at the thought of what he faced once he got there.

  “You okay?” Aimee peered over at him, her eyes a sea-green today in the morning light.

  “Sure. Why?”

  “Because I can hear you grinding your teeth from here. You’re thinking so hard my brain hurts.”

  Dane relaxed his jaw. He maneuvered his truck onto Interstate 5 and settled back into his seat. A long day and a lot of road lay ahead.

  “Yeah. Sorry.”

  “Ah, look who’s apologizing now.” She smiled, melting some of his angst.

  “Is it work? I don’t want to cause you trouble with your job, Dane. I can find a place to hide out on my own.”

  Over his dead body.

  “No, no. Work is fine. I’ve had vacation days piling up for so long, my boss practically celebrated when I said I was going to use them.”

  “Not much of a vacationer, are you?”

  She crossed her legs and leaned an elbow on the center console. Her silver toe ring glimmered in the sun, drawing his eyes to her candy-apple-red toenails.

  Yeah, a long ride indeed.

  “Not too many places to go.”

  She looked out the window. “There’s always somewhere to go.”

  “You like to travel.” It wasn’t a question.

  “Always have. I get that from my dad. He likes different scenery, meeting new people. I like seeing new landscapes, places to sketch or photograph.”

  “Have you always been an artist?”

  “Since the first crayon I ever held in my chubby little hand.” She smiled at him.

  He could picture her as a toddler, her cherub face tucked beneath curls all askew. The image made him smile and squirm at the same time. The thought of green-eyed children and Aimee was a dangerous combination. Soon he’d see a white picket fence with a dog in the yard too. He’d fantasized about those things before and they’d only brought him heartache.

  Changing the subject was always a good idea. “What about photography? What age did you find an interest in that?”

  “My dad bought me a camera when I was a teenager. He likes to dabble in photography himself and thought it would be fun for me to learn to see life through the camera lens as well as my sketching and drawing. He was right.”

  The windows of his truck were rolled halfway down, the wind causing her hair to float around her head. A whirlwind of garnet framing her face. Her smile was peaceful, calm. Her demeanor relaxed from talking about what she loved.

  In spite of himself, Dane relaxed a bit too.

  They drove in quiet for a few miles until his phone on the dash vibrated, rattling the calm.

  “This is Scott.”

  “Hey Dane. It’s Ben. I told Tess everything and she wants to talk to Aimee.”

  “Sure thing.” He handed the phone to Aimee. “It’s Tess. She wants to talk to you.”

  She took the phone from him, the warmth of her hand a jolt to his system.

  “Hey, Sis. How’s the honeymoon?” She waggled her eyebrows at Dane and winked.

  Shifting in his seat he turned his focus straight ahead. The last thing he needed were thoughts of honeymoon bliss, especially since his fantasies now always involved Aimee.

  ***

  Aimee turned her face towards the passenger window and grinned. Man, it was too much fun to make Dane squirm. And too stinking easy to boot.

  She focused on her sister’s call.

  “The honeymoon is awesome, of course, but Ben filled me in on everything and I wanted to check in on you. Hear your voice, make sure you’re really okay.”

  Hearing her sister’s concern brought warm fuzzies Aimee hadn’t felt in weeks. Well, not counting the ones the hunky Cowboy driving next to her sent her way, but Tess was family. It was good to hear from her.

  “I really am fine. I was rattled, for sure, with everything, but I’m more pissed than anything now.”

  Did Dane just snort? She turned his way but he simply stared out over the steering wheel, lost in thought.

  Hmph.

  “Well, I’m so grateful to Torie and to Dane as well for taking care of you. I know you’re a grown woman but it doesn’t hurt to have people looking out for you.”

  Aimee smiled. Not long ago Tess was in trouble and her good friends and neighbors, Mike and Emma, were her support system. People Aimee was grateful for in his sister’s life as well.

  “You sure you’re okay with being at Dane’s family’s place? I agree with Ben and Dane that it’s the safest place for you right now, but I hate not being there to help you myself.”

  “No, no. You stay and have a great rest of your honeymoon. I’ll fill you in on everything later. I’m more than fine.” She turned her head away from Dane and lowered her voice. “I feel safe with Dane. I’ll be fine.”

  “Is there anything else you wanna tell me about you two?”

  Her sister’s teasing tone was not lost on her. She rolled her eyes.

  “Not now, that’s for sure.”

  “Oh. Yeah. Right. He’s right there, isn’t he?” Tess whispered as if Dane could hear her.

  Aimee laughed. Man, she missed her sister.

  “I promise you that when you get home we will have a long, long talk about all of this.”

  “With details?”

  “With details.” Aimee felt her face flush and turned even more towards the window. Tess was killing her! The man was right here and she was digging for dirt.

  “Go be blissfully happy, Tess.”

  Tess giggled. “Okay. But call me soon.”

  “I love you but that’s not happening. You’re on your honeymoon. Go have fun. Good-bye.”

  “’Bye.”

  Aimee could hear the grin in her sister’s voice and it brought one to her face as well.

  She ended the call and looked at Dane, who was desperately trying to bite back a huge grin.

  She was trapped in a truck with a gorgeous man who scrambled her brain and confused her to no end. It was going to be the longest drive of her life.

  Chapter 15

  Her stomach rubbed along the surfboard, the smooth finish of the wax a salve to her skin. Arms pumping through the water, the sun on her shoulders, the wave beneath her. It was the best wave of the day. Every fiber of her being moved with the wave as one. A fluid motion to a standing position. The cool water lapping at her feet. The wind blowing her hair.

  Looking towards the shore, she saw him. His smirk mocked her. Walking straight into the water, he yanked her from her board, her body like a ragdoll in his grasp. Bringing his snarl close to her face he spat out, “You’re next.”

  Aimee woke in a spasm of arms and legs. Her feet hit the truck door, her arms out, one hitting the window, the other nailing Dane in the
shoulder.

  Breathing hard, she took in her surroundings. Dane’s truck. Not water. Not Damien Marcos. Just her and Dane. That was good. Her breathing slowed as Dane put a hand on her arm.

  “Hey. It’s okay. I’m here.”

  His voice and words covered her like a warm blanket, replacing the icy-cold fear she’d felt moments before.

  “You okay?”

  He cradled her face in his hands, causing her to look him in the eye. She swallowed hard and nodded. Words escaped her. Not because of her nightmare but because of the pools of blue filled with concern that bore into her soul.

  He touched his forehead to hers and took a deep breath. “Can I hold you?”

  Goodness, if her heart didn’t melt into goo at that question. What man asked that?

  She nodded again.

  His arms wrapped around her, pulling her across the console as she nuzzled her face into his neck.

  Oh yeah. Much better.

  They sat there a moment, Aimee gripping Dane as a lifeline while he gently rubbed her back.

  “Where are we?” Her voice was hoarse from sleep.

  “At a truck stop. I didn’t want to wake you, but there isn’t another stop for quite a while so I thought you might want some food, drinks, bathroom break…”

  She pulled back and nodded, instantly missing the warmth of his arms. “Yeah, that’s a good idea. I’m sorry about…wigging out like that.”

  He shook his head. “Don’t apologize. You obviously had a bad dream. You wanna talk about it?”

  She shrugged “It was no biggie, really.” She ran her hands through her hair—hair she was certain looked horrid after sleep. “I was surfing and it was great, but then Marcos was on the shore and he walked into the water and grabbed me. Said I was next.”

  Her curls bounced as she shook her head. “It was nothing. I’m fine. Let’s go get some snacks.”

  She opened the truck door and crawled out before Dane had a chance to answer. Before she had a chance to lose it and make him think she was a frail, crazy, loony person.

  The dream was simply an aftereffect of the stupid stunts Marcos had pulled. Nothing more. She was fine. Totally and completely fine.

  ***

  Dane watched Aimee march towards the truck stop, her head held high. She was putting on a brave front, but he knew she was freaked. Marcos had rattled her, understandably, but for whatever reason she felt the need to prove she was tough. Unmoved by all that had happened to her.

  He caught up to her and held open the door and they entered the truck stop. The air smelled of burnt popcorn and sweat. The wall of cold air was a relief from the central valley heat, but still stale.

  “Don’t you just love truck stops?” Aimee whirled around in a circle, a huge grin on her face.

  She had to be kidding.

  “I’m not kidding.” She stuck out a hip and placed a hand on it. “Don’t give me that look. I mean it. Truck stops are fun.” She turned and walked down an aisle filled with chips and candy.

  Dane shook his head and smiled. “I have a feeling you could make just about any place fun, Miss Aimee.”

  “Why, I do declare, Mr. Scott. We’re not even halfway to your home and your western gentleman charm is already making its way back.” She swished her skirt back and forth with one hand as she batted her eyelashes at him.

  Good Lord, what was he going to do with this spitfire? He had a few ideas but was pretty sure they went against any rules she had for herself before wearing a ring on her left hand.

  She giggled and went back to searching the shelves for a snack. He’d never known a woman whose giggle tickled his insides and made him want to kiss her. Most of the time it annoyed him. But not with Aimee. Everything she did turned him upside down and sideways.

  Dane took in their surroundings. One guy with grungy jeans and boots, an un-tucked flannel, and a hat that said, “My way or the highway” filled a basket with Red Bull and Doritos. Another guy, similar in dress, stood at the counter buying cigarettes and beef jerky.

  The bell above the door tinkled as a family walked in. The couple looked haggard and the kids bolted for the candy aisle. The epitome of a family road trip at its finest.

  “So are you a Cheetos kind of guy or more potato chips?” Aimee waved a bag of Lays in front of him.

  “Neither, really.”

  She raised an eyebrow and looked at him. “Go on. I’m intrigued.”

  “I’m more of a pretzel kinda fella.” He reached around her and grabbed a box of Snyder’s large pretzels.

  “And an entire box. My, my. The plot thickens.” She held onto the Cheetos bag and strolled towards the cold drink section. She opened the door and retrieved an enormous bottle of iced tea.

  “Wow. That’s impressive. Remember though, there’s not another stop for quite a while. You drink all that and you’re gonna have to find somewhere in a field to go, and I’m thinking you’re not that kind of girl.”

  She wrinkled her nose at him. Apparently he was correct.

  “You have a point. But I know how to ration my liquids and therefore, will be fine until the next stop.”

  She moved out of the way so he could grab a drink. A bottled water was enough for him.

  “That’s kind of boring, don’t you think?”

  He looked at the bottle in his hand then back at her. “What? Water? It’s the best thing for you.”

  “True. But boring. Although you’ve got other things working in your favor, so you’ll be okay.” She winked and then looked him up and down in a way that made his toes tingle.

  Dane decided turning the tables on her was his best bet. “What about you? Tea isn’t all that exciting.”

  She frowned and looked down at the bottle she held. “It’s not boring. It’s perfect. Besides, soda has too much sugar.” She wrinkled her nose again. If she kept doing that he’d be forced to place a kiss on it.

  “Well, I guess I’ll have to settle for boring then, because I’m a coffee and water kind of guy. End of story.” He stepped past her and headed for the counter to pay.

  When they reached the counter he placed his items down then took hers and did the same. He reached for his wallet and paid the attendant.

  “You don’t have to do that. I have money.”

  The stern look he sent her way worked. She backed down and said, “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “I’m gonna hit the ladies’ room. I’ll meet you back at the truck.”

  He nodded his Stetson and grabbed the bag of snacks.

  As he climbed in his truck and roared the engine to life, he set her tea in the cup holder, the large bottle barely fitting, and grinned. He certainly hadn’t been prepared for the whirlwind that was Aimee to enter his life. But he was quickly becoming grateful she did. He also hoped she meant what she said about rationing that tea.

  ***

  Aimee looked at herself in the mirror and groaned. She was right. Her hair was not at its finest. The right side was mushed down from her nap against the passenger door, and the other side had frizzed out.

  Awesome.

  Beautiful.

  Whatever.

  She ran her hands under the cool water from the bathroom faucet and splashed her face. She ran her fingers through her hair, hoping the water would help tame her curls in some way. She’d grab a clip from her bag back in the truck. It was hotter than Hades out there, so putting up her hair was a good idea on a lot of fronts.

  Her hands shook as she reached for a paper towel. That dream had rocked her more than she was willing to admit, but she’d be damned before she’d let Dane see her rattled.

  She pulled herself together and headed for the truck. The cool air from the AC was welcoming as she climbed in. Her tea sat in the cup holder and her Cheetos bag was propped on her purse on the floor.

  “You all set?” Dane asked as he put the truck in gear and backed out of the parking space.

  “All set.”

  They sat in pea
ceful quiet as he guided them back onto the freeway. A few miles down they settled into a rhythm of him munching a pretzel and her chomping Cheetos. She only allowed herself the guilty pleasure when on road trips because, let’s face it, those things were no good for anyone. But the cheesy goodness sticking to her fingers and the crunch in her mouth along with Jake Owen crooning from the stereo about going anywhere with you, mixed with the sense of calm from her hunky driver, made for a perfect combination of her own private heaven.

  She stole a glance at Dane. He guided the truck with one hand while the other held a large pretzel. His five o’clock shadow worked hard on the crunchy bite he’d just taken.

  “Yes?”

  Crap. He’d caught her staring.

  “I was just wondering about your glasses.”

  “My glasses?”

  “Yeah. When we first met you had big, black glasses on. I notice you only wear them sometimes. Why is that?”

  He finished his bite of pretzel and took a swig of water. “I use them for reading, mainly.”

  “Huh. Same here. Mine have sparkles on the frames, though, where you have more of the Clark Kent thing going on.”

  He choked on the sip of water he was taking. “Clark Kent?” he managed between coughs.

  “Yeah, you know. The whole ‘I’m Mr. Sexy but hide behind big glasses at work,’ thing.”

  “Sexy, huh?” He gave her a dimpled grin.

  Had she said that out loud? Her mouth was always getting her in trouble. Her cheeks flushed. She took a sip of tea and looked out the window. A change of subject was definitely in order.

  “So is your family excited you’re coming home?”

  His grin disappeared, a full-on scowl replacing it. Maybe a change of subject wasn’t such a good idea.