Page 21 of Charlie Takes a Chance

Usually, I’d offer to help someone into the truck, but not Charlie. That seems like a sure way to get injured.

“Did you sleep okay last night?” she asks as she buckles her seatbelt, checking it to make sure it latches completely.

“Yup. Like a baby.”

“Hmm, just curious. You have some dark circles here.” She points to under her eyes.

I start the still-warm truck and shoot her a glance. “I’ve had some recent stress enter my life.”

Charlie runs a hand through her hair. “How interesting. I’ve been experiencing the same thing.” She gives me a sharp look, but I see the twinkle in her eyes.

I back the truck up and drive up the small hill that goes between the two houses.

“Since you’re not being nice to me and only driving to town to get lumber, what exactly are you doing?”

“Believe it or not, I actually leave the ranch occasionally. I like to talk to at least three people a month. It keeps me normal.”

“So many? I think you might be overdoing it. You went to dinner last night and into town today. You’ve probably met your quota.” She grins. “Besides, I think the normal boat has passed you by.”

I clench the wheel and keep my eyes on the driveway. The snow is falling slowly but steadily. We might be in for some white holidays.

By the time we get to the big hill on the highway, I’m not sure if I’ll burst out screaming or laughing from Charlie’s ongoing snarky commentary on her very capable Honda.

“My car could have totally made this hill. There’s hardly any snow!” She points to the barely white road that my truck is climbing.

“Well, look at it this way, you survived to drive it another day.”

We reach the top of the hill, and just on the other side is a small car, very similar to Charlie’s, nose-first in the ditch. No one is in it, so they must have gotten a ride the rest of the way into town until they could tow it.

“See?”

Charlie crosses her arms over her chest. “I refuse to think badly of my car. And there’s nothing you say or do that could convince me otherwise.”

“What all do you need in town? I need to stop by Darlene’s.”

Charlie’s head whips around. “Do you have a girlfriend in town?”

“No.”

She leans back in her seat. “Does that mean you have a girlfriend out of town?”

“No.”

“Do you keep her in the basement?”

“You have a strange fascination with my nonexistent girlfriend.”

She shrugs. “Nah, I’m just trying to figure you out…why you’re such a recluse. I thought maybe, if you had somebody out here, it would make sense.”

“I’m not talking about girlfriends with you. We’re not friends. Just because I’m giving you a ride into town doesn’t mean we’re going back home to watch rom-coms and braid each other’s hair.”

Charlie turns to lean her back against the door as she studies me. “You know, I think your hair might actually be long enough to get a little bit of a braid in. We’ll try later.”

I glare at her.

“Road,” she says quietly.

I jerk my eyes back to the road and narrowly miss swiping the Flying J’s mailbox. They would have loved that. I’ve done it before. Hubert Jefferson—the owner of the Flying J cattle ranch—is a good guy. But I know his wife would be annoyed about their mailbox getting hit again.

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