Dire
“Okay.” I wasn’t thinking about keeping her. I was more concerned with how I was going to keep my hands to myself for the next few hours.
I went back to my sandwich. I polished it off before she even got back to the table. At least I could take care of that appetite. “My turn for the restroom.”
A few minutes later, we were heading out the door and back to the truck.
I opened her door. She looked at me funny before hopping in. Did she think I didn’t know how to be a gentleman? I’d never been rude to her before.
“The turnpike’s closed up at forty-one because of an accident,” a trucker called over. “If you’re heading west I’d go back inside.”
“Is twenty still open?” It wouldn’t be my first choice for a road, but it beat turning around.
“Sure, but who would take that road in this weather?”
“Me.” I got in the driver’s seat and backed out. At least we had chains on.
Mary Anne looked over questioningly. “What was he telling you?”
I debated how much to tell her as I drove back toward the turnpike. We only needed to go another fifteen miles or so before I could turn off and get us over to another road. I didn’t want to get her unnecessarily concerned, so I tried to play it off. “Oh, just that the turnpike’s closed about fifty miles up.”
“What?’ She sat up stock straight. “Then why are we back on the turnpike? We need to find a hotel.”
“No we don’t. It’s closed for an accident. We can take a highway on up and pass the part that’s closed.”
“A highway? In this weather?”
“Come on, we’ve got chains, and it’s only a few hundred miles.”
“I’ll pay for the hotel. Really, I don’t mind.”
“Mary Anne, chill out. I put the chains on. We’re fine.”
She gripped her seat. “But what if other people aren’t? What if drivers without chains crash into us?”
“Then we die.”
“GAGE!”
“Sorry. It’s going to be fine. Anyone without chains is going to steer clear of the smaller roads in this weather. Don’t worry.”
She crossed arms and huffed. “You better be right.”
“I’m always right. If you remembered what kind of sandwich I like, I’d think you’d have remembered that detail.”
“I can only remember what actually happens.”
I chuckled. “Ouch.”
“All right, if we’re doing this I want your eyes on the road.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“And no distractions.” She switched off the radio.
“What if that was helping keep me awake?” Besides, my biggest distraction was the one reprimanding me.
“Was it?”
“No, but you’ll just have to keep me awake yourself.” I’d let her interpret the comment any way she wanted.
“I can assure you, I’m not letting you fall asleep.”
“Did you tell your parents we were leaving tonight?”
“No. I didn’t have time. If I told them now they’d freak out. They’ve already left a message about waiting until Thursday to drive.”
“Same with mine. I guess we’ll just surprise them tonight.”
“Mine are still going to freak.”
“Nah. They’ll be happy to see you.”
“They just saw me last month.”
“Wait. I thought you didn’t go home for Thanksgiving.” I’d offered to give her a lift then too.
“I didn’t. We met up at my Grandmother’s in New York City. I took the train.”
“Oh, ok.” I should have known. Her brother hadn’t been home either.
We drove in silence for a while. The farther west we went, the fewer sets of headlights we saw. I knew it wasn’t going to be an easy ride, but at least I had company. Unbelievably distracting company.
Chapter Five
Mary Anne
Snow fell from the sky in sheets, blanketing the road and trees. Gage drove slowly, and we seemed to have good traction, but it was impossible to relax. For his part, Gage didn’t seem bothered by the weather at all. He just sat there staring straight ahead.
Guilt hit me. He was the one forced to drive, yet I wouldn’t even let him listen to music? “We can turn the radio on if you prefer. Want me to see if there are any good rock stations out this way?”
“I don’t mind the quiet.” He glanced at me before quickly returning his eyes to the road.
“I appreciate the ride. I probably should have said that in the beginning.” I hoped I wasn’t coming off as completely over dramatic.
He laughed. “It’s not a problem, but thanks for the thank you. I don’t mind the weather, but it’s nice to have some company.”
I loved his laugh. It was so deep and sexy. What about Gage wasn’t sexy? “Do you have any big plans while you’re home?”
“Big plans? In Mayville?” He arched an eyebrow.
“Ok. True enough, but if there’s anything going on you’d know about it.”
“Joey is throwing a party tomorrow night. Want to come?”
Joey would have never invited me himself, which meant I shouldn’t go. “Oh, that’s okay.”
“You don’t want to go with me?” Sometimes it was hard to know whether Gage was teasing or not.
“I don’t want to be the uninvited guest people make fun of.”
“Make fun of? Who would make fun of you?”
“Come on, Gage. We both know what your friends thought of me.”
“What? You weren’t in my crowd, but that doesn’t mean they made fun of you.”
“Cam did.” That guy had been the bane of my existence at one point.
Gage grinned. “That’s because Cam liked you. He asked you out and you shot him down.”
“What? To homecoming my sophomore year? That was a joke. A mean one.”
“A joke? You thought that was a joke?”
“Of course. A guy like him didn’t ask a girl like me to dances.” Nor did a guy like Gage.
“It wasn’t a joke. You hurt his ego.”
“Oh.” I wasn’t sure if Gage was telling the truth or not, but I didn’t care enough to push the subject. I remembered crying myself to sleep the night Cam asked me out in front of about twenty kids.
“You should come tomorrow night. I promise I won’t ditch you or anything.”