Oh, yeah. Riding with him was going to be so much fun.
Chapter Three
The rumbling of the car engine brought me awake. Strong and loud, in fact, the louder the engine got the faster it felt like we were moving. I opened my sleepy eyes and tried to make sense of the scenery outside, but all the colors seemed to blur together, and I couldn’t make out any images. Within a matter of seconds, the engine grew quieter and the cloudy sky and trees came back into focus as the sound of another loud engine rapidly decelerated next to us. Fox made a sudden left turn and slowed to a stop in front of a convenience store.
“Hey, motorcycle girl.” Fox gently shook my thigh.
I turned my head and wiped my eyes, my gaze immediately landing on those striking bright blues.
“I need a break, I’m going to head inside.” I nodded and pulled my legs from the dash as he opened the door and got out of the car. It was impossible not to admire the way Fox’s faded jeans hugged his tight butt perfectly. God, he really was delicious.
Looking around it felt like we were in the same town even though I knew we had been driving for at least two hours. All I saw was sparse countryside with farm animals scattered about and not much else. With a sigh, I got out, stretched my legs then went to find the ladies’ room. Fox was at the counter paying for an energy drink when he turned his head in my direction. I pointed to the restroom and he nodded.
“Hey, Harley? Did you want anything?” Fox called out and I whirled around to face him.
“Well, that depends on what you’re offering?” I grinned saucily. A faint hint of color stained his cheeks just like earlier. The clerk behind the counter chuckled and I decided to show Fox a little mercy. “Surprise me,” I threw over my shoulder and walked into the ladies’ room.
While doing my business, I considered the possibility of Fox leaving me stranded. I really didn’t know him or why he was helping me out. I’d learned a long time ago that the only person I could depend on was myself. It was easier that way. If I held no expectations, then I had no reason to be disappointed. When I got outside, I found him still parked and waiting.
“I wasn’t sure which you would prefer so I grabbed a couple of things.” He held out a bottle of water, and a cola as I slid into the passenger seat.
“Thanks.” I smiled, taking the cola. “I could use a little caffeine.”
He gave me a quick head nod, then pulled away from the store. We rode in silence for a few minutes as we both sipped our drinks.
“We are about thirty minutes from the island.” Fox was the first to start speaking, “I’m hoping we can get to the ferry before they shut it down.” The little digital clock in the center console showed it was almost noon.
“Why would they shut it down so early?”
“Well, the hurricane is supposed to make landfall sometime this afternoon. We managed to get ahead of it, but I don’t know for how long. We should be fine, though, once we get to the island since it’s outside of the eye.”
A hurricane? For the first time since I’d gotten back into the car, I realized that it wasn’t raining, although the sky was cloudy. It was the season for hurricanes although I never paid much attention to the forecasts.
r /> “I didn’t know. I don’t ever watch the news.”
The last time I’d watched the news, I found out something I should have been told in private, not experiencing it for the first time along with the rest of the world. A strange woman on TV wearing an ugly blue blazer narrated the destruction of my family and life as I knew it.
“So, what do you do then?” Fox’s voice cut through my thoughts.
“Whatever I want.” I shrugged. My phone buzzed in my purse, and I looked to see Mack’s name flashing across the screen. Shit. The call went to voicemail, but I knew he wouldn’t leave a message.
“You’re not going to answer that?” Fox asked.
“Nah, it wasn’t important.”
Then my phone chimed with a text.
Mack: I’m not even mad about the money. I expected it. You owe me now so be ready to pay me back in pussy the next time I see you.
I rolled my eyes. That was so typical of Mack and I didn’t respond, something that was so typical of me. One thing I knew for sure was that I wasn’t planning on going back to Charleston. There was nothing there for me to go back to.
“Everything okay?”
I nodded in response to Fox’s question but didn’t speak. I suddenly had no idea what I was doing. There I was in a car with a stranger, on my way to a destination I wasn’t familiar with anymore and I had no plan beyond that. I really could make stupid decisions sometimes.
“Son of a…” Fox muttered as he pulled over to the side of the road. “The bridge is closed.”
“Oh? Is that the only way to get to the ferry?” I looked ahead to see that the gate was down and spotted a worker with a yellow reflective vest waving people away.