Page 22 of Cruise

“Okay. I’m going to think through some meals to help jog my memory on what we might be running low on,” Maureen said.

While she wrote out items, Lexi thought through how fast everything had changed. She and Booker hadn’t even slept together yet. It was sweet how all-in he was, but she couldn’t stop thinking about him in bed and what he could do. At the same time, she was petrified. He felt like the man she’d always wanted, but what if this was just that honeymoon period of a new relationship? Sure, they’d dated, but they’d been sixteen.

She was sitting here by this amazing man who’d uprooted his plans for her, and she was doubting if it could be real. But then she’d never felt love for anyone except for how she’d felt for him. And had it been love or just a first love that hadn’t petered out yet? She’d had relationships but that had been because she was searching for a closeness that she’d never found. She’d liked a couple of the guys she’d dated, and some of the others had just been placeholders because she was lonely.

She’d talked more to Booker last night than she had to her last boyfriend during their three-month relationship. Was she borrowing trouble or being smart about her future?

“You want to tell me what’s bothering you. You’ve got that look on your face of should I or shouldn’t I.”

She wasn’t sure she was ready to talk about it, especially when her mom and Compass were close enough to hear everything.

“Nope.”

Booker’s phone rang. He answered, “Hello.”

She tried to listen, but he had the volume turned down low.

“Cowboy has caught up. He also said the storm is moving faster, so new plan. The guys are going to load the motorcycles,and we’re heading on. We’ll stop and do the shopping, and that should give them time to catch up. Cowboy asked something I hadn’t thought of. Is the RV good for cold weather?” Booker asked.

Lexi nodded. “Oh yeah, I upgraded to be an all-weather RV. I mean, we can’t be out in the wind in twenty below-zero weather, but we’ll be fine for what we’re headed into.”

And she was so thankful she had. She finished her list and got up to hand it to her mom, then headed back toward the bedroom. She went inside and flopped on the bed. She’d made sure the bed could still be fully open when the slide was in. Her mom suffered from migraines. Lexi didn’t want to have to stop so her mom could rest.

She breathed deep to calm her nerves. Even with the guys going with them, she was worried about being at the ranch. If her brother was crazy enough to try to kill her mom, what would he do when he saw all the men helping them? She couldn’t forgive herself if Booker was hurt or any of his friends. She considered herself pretty self-sufficient, but right now, she was worried.

The door opened, and her mom plopped down on the bed beside her.

“Are you working yourself up about all the things that could go wrong?” Maureen asked.

“You know me too well.”

Maureen chuckled. “Honey, you come by the worrying and anxiety naturally. You got a lot of your dad, but unfortunately, you got my anxiety too. I was concerned too but these men, they’re like your dad. They’re trained to defend. I think we need to let the experts help us figure out how to defend our home even though, it breaks my heart we’re having to do this against your brother. The drugs have eaten away at every part of him that loved us. We’re not safe, and we won’t be until he’s in jail.You having to trade in your other RV because he’d tracked you is proof enough of that. Now, should we pick up a case of condoms at the store too? It’s been a long time for you,” her mom said, laughing.

“Very funny, Mom.”

She thought about teasing her mom about Compass, but she didn’t want her mom to shy away from anything with him. Lexi wanted her mom to be happy. If Compass could be that for her mom, then it would be great.

“It seems fast,” Lexi whispered.

Her mom leaned her head against Lexi’s. “Maybe so, but even though you’re different people, you already had a base to build on. How does it make you feel?”

Lexi thought, then decided she and her mom shared almost everything. “The short amount of time I’ve been with him has been the best in years. I know if he walked away at this point, I wouldn’t know what to do.”

“Then, sweetie, you know what to do. Grab on with both hands and ride into your happily ever after.”

Lexi laid there quietly by her mom, relaxing and not having to worry about anything. Even though she’d bought the RV through a corporation, in the back of her mind, she was always worried he’d find them. With Booker and the guys, Lexi didn’t have to worry.

Chapter Eight

They’d finished shopping and were loading the items in the RV when Compass told Booker he had a delivery. Lexi walked outside to see what he’d had delivered. A large black SUV was parked with the lift gate up. Booker and the guys were unloading boxes and storing them in the garage of the RV.

“What’s all this?” Lexi asked.

“Supplies I asked for since we’re heading to the ranch. Dex, this is Lexi.”

Dex walked over and held out his hand. “Nice to meet you, Lexi. I’m sure Twist shared stories of Booker, but I have a couple really embarrassing ones if you ever need a little ammunition.”

Booker bumped into Dex as he carried a box and knocked him back from her.

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