Respite

Chapter 5

Just like clockwork, Gray came rolling up my driveway a little after three AM. The front lights of his truck were turned off, but it was of no use. The sound of his truck would wake anyone up, and I was sure it would be any moment now until Conner came up and said his hellos.

"Good morning." I chirped. I hadn't slept much at all last night, but I was eager to hit the road and face some social fears. My bag hung on my shoulder for only a second before Gray snatched it and placed it in the truck. He was wearing some athletic shorts and a plain white t-shirt with the sleeves ripped off. I was able to stare at his broad shoulders and thick arms for only a moment before being caught. A devilish smile appeared on his face and a twinkle in his eyes sent my cheeks flushed red. I ducked my head down trying to formulate some words to move on from this awkwardness, and thankfully Conner burst through the shrubs with a happy smile, "Conner!" I smiled happy, Thank god.

"Hiya kids." He smiled warmly towards me, but made his way face to face with Gray, "Now you listen here Grayson, I'm quite fond of this young lady already. You take care of her, and I expect her home Sunday evening. I know where you live if she isn't home in time." A finger was pointed into Gray's sternum for added measure. I flinched at Conner's voice and commands and expected the worse, but Gray kept a small smile on his face and nodded.

"Yes, sir. She'll be cared for like a princess." Conner seemed satisfied and then moved over to me. I was engulfed in one of the biggest hugs I've had in a while, and I relished in the comfort. I felt like something big was taking place by the way Conner was practically giving me away.

"I'm proud of you kid, you're really settling into town." He smiled, "Have a good time, I'll keep an eye on your place. And don't miss me too much in the mornings, our dates have become my favorite time of day." He smiled.

"I will, I'll see you Sunday." Gray took that moment to open my door for me and give me a hand as I climbed up into the truck. Our hands were barely connected, but the warmth it set off throughout my body was comforting.

Conner waved after the truck until we couldn't see him in our rearview any longer. The hum of the truck was the only sound. Instead of feeling anxiety an intense wave of comfort and pleasure settled inside me. Just like Conner had said, I was really settling in. I had a friend who wanted me on this trip and was going to introduce me to more friends. By the end of the trip, I could have an entire system of people ready to support me and my new life here. It was all too real and probably too good to be true.

"If you want, take a nap. I'll let you know when we're close. No offense, but you look tired." He gave an awkward grin at his statement, but relaxed when I let out a laugh, "I'm serious, there's a pillow and blanket right behind you."

A nap sounded delightful, and I twisted around to find the blanket and pillow. It was then that I noticed how spotless the truck was. Before it had been covered in wood chips, sawdust, and tools. Now, it smelled fresh and the not a speck of dirt could be found. I stopped rummaging for the blanket and looked at him, "Did you clean your truck?" I had only known Gray for a week, but there wasn't an inch of his life that wasn't covered in his trade.

"For you." He confirmed, "I wanted you to feel comfortable." He shrugged his shoulders like it was no big deal, but my heart couldn't possibly grow bigger. I felt like a love-sick teenager, he cleaned his truck for me! La-de-dah! I almost snorted and rolled my eyes at my own thoughts. Gray was a grown man; these types of practices wasn't anything special. He was simply being gentlemanly.

"It looks amazing." I praised before continuing my rummaging for the blanket and pillow. Once attained I settled into the passenger seat, pushed the seat back as far away from the dash as possible and rested my head against the door slightly cockeyed so I could look at Gray. The blanket and pillow smelled like him. A musky odor combined with the sharp smell of pine. It was something I've grown accustomed to at the shop and calmed the turmoil inside me.

He was a model of confidence. One hand rested at the top of the steering wheel and the other rested on the gear shift. His shoulders were slightly hunched as he settled into the driving. He must have driven on this county road his whole life to be this comfortable in the pitch black. All of this just added to my attraction of the man. It was funny how just a week ago, I was horrified of him but now I was beginning to really look at the handsome specimen he was.

"This is twice now; I've caught you staring at me. Is there something on my face?" His soft words were more like a gunshot going off on a quiet night. I don't think I could have jumped any higher and again my face would have put a tomato to shame.

"Sorry." There was no denying my obvious stares.

"I don't mind it coming from you." He mused.

"Have you been stared at before?"

"When I was younger, I caught some stares. The town has always thought our family was a bit off kilter though." Again, he chose his words carefully.

"What do you mean? Conner says y'all were good boys and had nothing but nice words to say."

"So you talk about me on your morning dates, then?" Caught, again. My face was going to become permanently red if he kept this up.

"No!" I reasoned, "Just you came up in conversation when I said where I was working!" He began chuckling at me and my face got hotter.

"It's alright darling, you can talk about me whenever." He glanced over at me and gave me a wink before turning his attention back to the road. A silence filtered through the truck once more, the only sound was the truck tires thundering on the asphalt. Before I could make myself more embarrassed, I closed my eyes and willed sleep to take over. I prayed that I didn't drool or snore excessively with him next to me, but the longer my eyes were closed the quicker I slipped into a dreamless sleep.