Page 51 of We Redeemed the Rain

“Good morning. If you’re feeling good enough to come out, text me and I’ll find you.”

The door swung open again. I jumped in surprise, the blanket slipping down a bit with gravity. All the essentials were covered…barely.

Tag’s eyes widened right before he slapped a hand over them. “Oh—shit. I’m so—oh gosh, I’m so sorry.” He staggered away as I scrambled back to the bed chambers, looking like a queen, my quilted train dragging across the dusty floor behind me.

Laughter exploded out of me as I jerked the curtain closed again. Really, I was mortified and wanted to die. The contrasting pale white and lobster red lines across my top half must’ve been one heck of a sight. I had no idea why I was laughing. “Tag!” I called through the curtain. I wheezed, “You’re—good. I’m—I’m in the back now. You’re fine.”

There was a low moan of dread, filtering in from outside the semi. A thud as he put his foot on the step rail. “Bea. I am so sorry. I hadnoidea you were even awake.”

“No, I’m the one that’s sorry.” I gasped. “Come in. I’ll stay back here.”

“I just needed to grab my wallet. I left it on the console.”

“You’re good!” I tried to reassure him. “Grab it.”

A soft creak sounded again as he came up and into the cab. “I’ll get it and run.”

No way I was letting him walk away without me. “Do you want to wait? I need like five minutes to get ready.”

A long pause. “Sure.”

His tone told me he would rather evaporate which made me laugh harder.

“I’m sorry, Tag. I wasn’t wearing a shirt through the night because of my sunburn.”

“Oh, uh, it’s fine.”

I giggled again. “Do you mind handing me that aloe?” I stuck my hand through the curtain.

The cool bottle was pressed into my palm.

“Thank you, by the way, for all the stuff.”

“How’s it feeling?”

“Awful.” I squeezed some aloe into my hand and got to work, the temperature difference between the gel and my blazing skin causing me to gasp. “All of my shirt options are sleeveless, too. And that won’t work. I’ve got to cover my shoulders if I’m going back out.” Even though, holy heck, it was going to hurt to cover them.

“You don’t have to come out if you don’t want to.” I tried to ignore the fact that he seemed like he hoped I wouldn’t.

Quiet fell as I smoothed the slippery liquid around the bottom of my armpits and down my arms.

He cleared his throat. “You want a t-shirt? I have extra.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, top drawer in that little dresser back there.”

I jerked it open to find a stack of meticulously folded t-shirts, socks and underwear. A super soft red one would do the trick. “Found one. Perfect.”

I gritted my teeth, mentally preparing to ease my sports bra over my shoulders. I stifled a groan. Tears filled my eyesas I grabbed the hem, adjusting it down. I puffed out a few breaths to keep my composure. Reaching for the shirt, I instinctively lifted it to my nose, taking a quick sniff.

“Tag, do you do your own laundry?” I pulled it on, relishing in the buttery, aged fabric.

“Yeah?”

“I was just wondering because all your clothes, sheets, towels smell like Gain.” I fiddled with the hem of the shirt, making a quick, bunched knot over my hip bone.

He didn’t respond.

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