Page 7 of Truck Off

A few minutes later, she walks out the front door and pauses when she sees me leaning against her car. I don’t miss the way her eyes roam down my body. Nor do I miss how her lips tick up like she’s enjoying the view.

I may be a mess from a morning of hard work, but Lina likes me this way.

“So,” she says when she reaches me. “I take it you haven’t changed your mind about Friday.”

I shake my head. “Just the opposite. I’m looking forward to it. In fact, let me get your number.”

I slide my phone out of my pocket and open a new message thread. She rattles off her number so I can save it to my contacts. Then I type out a quick message. I keep it simple but flirty.

A moment later, her phone dings, and she smiles when she reads it. “Really? ‘Can’t wait to make you smile, Grumps.’”

My phone dings with a response.

Lina: Already am.

Damn.

The smile that spreads across my face should be all the proof she needs that I’m Chase and not Christian, but she doesn’t pick up on it. Instead, she clears her throat.

“As much as I hate to end this conversation, I need to get to work. I’m already running late.”

“Oh shit.” I step aside and open her car door to let her get in. “I’ll text you later with a time.”

“Sounds good.” She smiles and brushes her hair behind her ear, revealing the full extent of her neck tattoos. Lina has a lot of tattoos, and I’ve always wondered just how much of her body is covered.

I wish it were my hand touching her like that. Her dark hair is shiny and probably feels like silk. If I’m lucky, maybe I’ll get to find out some day. Soon.

An awkwardness falls over us that I don’t like. Parting ways shouldn’t feel so weird.

I give her another smile and a small wave before I turn. Then I stop myself. “Wait, I almost forgot.”

I pull one of the Snickers bars out of my pocket and toss it to her. “Save it for a late-night snack and think of me. I’ll be saving mine until around nine. If you do the same, we can eat them together.”

I toss her one last wink and head to the bike. A bad feeling settles over me and I panic that I’ve made a terrible decision. I need to tell her the truth now, not later. Later will be far worse.

I turn around, ready to correct my mistake, but it’s too late. Lina has already pulled away from the pump and onto the main road.

I guess I’m telling her on Friday. I hope that doesn’t mean I’ve screwed things up for good and will never get a chance to show Lina Lange how good we could be together.

* * *

By the time I shut the bike off outside the barn, I feel like the biggest asshole in all of southern Ohio. Maybe even the entire tri-state area of Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia.

I should have told Lina the truth. Letting her think I was someone else was a dick move.

At this point, nothing I say or do will make me look like a good guy. I will forever be the asshole that let her believe I was my twin brother.

If I go upstairs with a long face, my brothers will know something is wrong. I never have a long face. I’m Mr. Smiles, all charm and playfulness.

I’m not ready to admit to them the dumbass mistake I made. They’ll razz me relentlessly, and I’m not ready for that. I need to formulate a plan before I tell them what I did.

Shaking it off, I grab the pizza and beer and head for the side door that leads upstairs to my new apartment.

My apartment.

This should be enough to put the smile back on my face, and it almost is.

Taking steps to move out of the big house was a tough decision. I longed for my own space but couldn’t go far. Not with the responsibilities of the farm on my shoulders.

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