Her CEO Stalker and Her Second Chance Mate Chapter 24

Briar

After messing with the truck for a few hours more, we had changed the oil and tinkered with every fluid, along with putting at least ten gallons of gas in the thing after syphoning the old but nothing would work so far. I sighed, wiping my hands off on an old shop towel. Carter rested similarly, beside me as I leaned against the truck, while Rosie thumped her tail from the porch as she looked back and forth between us. 

“I guess I’ll take you up on that hot shower,” I said looking down at myself covered in oil and dirt. He grinned.  I don’t know how I had gotten so dirty when he had insisted on doing the majority of the work. He reached over and cupped my chin as he drug his thumb across my cheek. I braced to startle at the touch, but instead, I found myself relaxing, my eyes glued to his, hypnotically. I did however startle when he pulled away and showed me his blackened thumb. It was the absence of the touch that startled me instead. I shook my head in disbelief. He looked smug with himself.

“How bout you get whatever you need, you can bring any laundry and anything you got to charge, we can make an evening of it. I don’t think they will get you hooked up ‘til Monday or Tuesday, by the way it sounds.”

I had gotten more comfortable with him throughout the day. I was very leery of how friendly and accommodating he was, but these were Uncle Jake's people, and something about Carter broke through the paranoia. Maybe it was stupid, but I did need clean clothes and a hot shower after a week on the road and the last few days of relentless cleaning. He followed me into the house as I collected a few strewn bits of clothing from the living room.

When he trailed me as I walked down the hall he broke his silence. “What all else do you plan to do with the place?”

“I suppose I’ll know more when the water and power come on, I gotta clean out this room,” I said, pushing open the door to the spare. It doesn’t feel right taking over Uncle Jake’s room. I’d rather keep it as is for the time being. Kinda feels like he’s with me if I sit in there. Is it weird I sit in there and talk to him sometimes?” I found myself asking out loud.

Carter’s smile was sad but warm at the same time, maybe he was reminiscing about Uncle Jake, too.

“No”—he was quiet for a moment— “sometimes I find myself coming over to sit on the back porch and talk to him, too,” he admitted. I zipped up my backpack and went to throw it over my shoulder when he grabbed it from me.

“You, Missy, need to take it easy. I got this,” the look on his face told me I wouldn’t win this fight. “At least, til we get you wrapped up for a bit, so you can heal. If it’s not better in a few weeks, you're gonna have to see a doctor, and all this work you've been doing around here isn’t doing you any favors,” he pointed out, as I followed him disgruntled out the front door. When I locked it and pocketed the key, Carter gave me a strange look but kept walking towards his truck. Rosie hopped into the back, the tailgate having been down from rummaging for tools and what have you.

“Folks around here don’t usually lock their doors,” he said, tossing the backpack into the bed of the truck carefully, before opening the passenger door and holding his hand out to help me into the raised vehicle. I took his large calloused hand and found it much easier to get in with his help.

“Not everyone is looking over their shoulder wondering when their demons are going to catch up with them.” I responded, not looking at him. His presence stilled as I buckled my seatbelt, before he finally shut the door. He walked the long way around the back of the truck and I caught him pause in the rearview mirror as he took a few breaths and stared up at the sky. When his eyes turned to me, I quickly averted mine, forward out the windshield. He hopped in a moment later and I could sense the mask of forced calm, as he smiled at me and put the truck in gear. 

“Burgers or steak?” he asked, apparently trying to change the directions of his thoughts.

I shrugged. “Food is food these days, better fresh than out of a can, I suppose,” I responded flatly, with unbiased honesty. He grunted at that as he made way down the long driveway. 

I paid attention to the route he took, and in reality, he was really just up the road. Ten minutes later he was meandering down his own long drive until we came to a house built of logs. The porch light was on as the sky behind it began to turn into vibrant colors of the sunset. It was two stories with the windows uncovered. It looked inviting and beautifully rustic. Two rocking chairs adorned the homely covered porch, a table between them, and a pair of work boots rested next to the front door. 

Carter parked the truck and followed my gaze. “Home sweet home, what do you think?”

I couldn’t help but smile, “It’s beautiful, really,” I admitted, as Rosie leapt out of the back, and my smile widened. Carter unbuckled and pushed his door open and I did the same. I was surprised to find him in front of me. Was he moving fast or was I that slow? He helped me out and Rosie yipped as she waited by the door.