Page 4 of December's Ride with Scar

“Oh, on the first day there was a guy on my bus who was going to propose to his online girlfriend. They had never met in person, but they play video games together. He says he told her he wanted to exchange Christmas cards to get her address, and he was going to hand deliver hers. Poor girl. But he was soexcited he had it all planned out in the style of whatever game it was they had been playing.” She shakes her head dubiously.

“Yeah, that poor girl,” I say, agreeing.

“Well, I choose to think it's romantic, and she will love the effort. I will not believe anything bad this Christmas,” she says.

While I feel like there is a story there, I don't want to push her.

She is quiet again, so I ask another question.

“Do you have everything you need with you? We can head into town tomorrow to get whatever you need.”

“I think so, though I might need a better jacket and some warmer clothes. Kentucky cold is much different from Montana cold. More so than I thought it would be.”

“I will make sure you get what you need. Between the Merc and the outpost, we should be able to get you a good jacket.” In my mind, I am already making plans to get whatever she needs.

Then she’s quiet again, so I fill the silence. “What do you normally do for Christmas?” I ask, trying to get her to talk.

“Normally, my family goes all out with decorations. My mom and I would bake cookies for the Senior Center and the first responders. My dad would help our neighbors put up decorations. The week before Christmas, we’d drive and look at lights. Then come home and have hot chocolate and cookies,” she says with a smile that fades quickly.

“I didn't do much last year,” she whispers.

“Well, my friend will have a huge party, and the town is celebrating after a hard year, so we can do as much or as little as you want.”

That earns me a smile that makes my heart skip a beat. I have to remind myself to keep my eyes on the road because all I want to do is memorize every inch of her face.

“Tell me about Mustang Mountain,” she says.

“I really think you'll like Mustang Mountain. It's the kind of town that always helps neighbors and is a great place to raise a family. Ruby is the mayor’s wife and runs the Merc. She knows everything that goes on in town, so if you need anything, she is who you go to.

“I'm in a motorcycle club called the Mustang Mountain Riders. We are the good guys. We do things like helping at the women's shelter or assist with anything around town. You will meet the guys and their girls and will have more friends than you know what to do with by Christmas. They are all excited to meet you.”

I don't know why I say that, but I get the feeling she needs it. You don't leave everything you have ever known behind if you have friends and a support system to help you.

I pull into my driveway and make the drive up the mountain to my cabin, and she takes it all in. I help her take all her bags inside and that’s when it hits me, not a corner in this house looks like I was preparing for her.

My place is relatively clean, but there is so much more I'd have done if I knew she was coming today.

“Here, you can stay in the guest room. I have to apologize because it's not quite ready for you. I have been spending a lot of time at the Club the last few weeks overseeing the renovations.” I stay as close to the truth as possible.

“That's okay, point me toward the sheets, and I can take care of it,” she says with a smile.

”Not a chance, sweetheart. You can start unpacking while I get the bed set up for you. The bathroom across the hall is all yours. The one in my room has a tub, so feel free to use it any time. After all, it will be your room soon, too.”

Her eyes go wide at my words.

Turning, I go down the hallway and grab the sheets. No way is she going to stop me from taking care of her. She is going tolearn this is pretty much a done deal between us, at least on my end. Though I will wait for her to come to that realization.

While I make the bed, she unpacks and gets settled in.

“This can be your room to do with as you please. We can decorate it, paint it, or do whatever you'd like,” I tell her.

She simply nods as I finish with the bed.

“Okay, there are more blankets in the hall closet. I'm going to go make dinner while you finish up in here,” I say and quickly bolt to the kitchen, needing to get some space between us.

While I make dinner, I think of all the things I need to get done around the house to make sure she feels at home here. It's been my bachelor pad for longer than I'd like to admit, so I don't have pillows and blankets to make it cozy. Maybe she wants those things. I know Ruby has some at the Merc.

I know I told her she can do what she wants with her room and she can, that will her spce but I need to clean out what her closet will be in the main bedroom, and make sure there is room for all her stuff in the shared bathroom. The sooner I can get her stuff intermingled with mine, the better. I'm so lost in thought and planning, I about jump out of my skin when she starts talking to me from the other side of the kitchen.

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