Page 26 of Salute, To Bravery
I looked back at Ian, who was thoughtfully looking out the windshield.
“Uh, you’ve been down there before?” I tilted my head to the side slightly.
“Oh yeah, spent a lot of time there. Mostly in the Missouri part, but I ventured around into Arkansas too.”
“Why were you down there? Vacation?”
“I was actually born there. That’s where I’m from.”
I didn’t bother hiding the surprise on my face.
Ian caught me looking at him and chuckled. “What?”
“You just casually drop that we’re going to your home and you don’t bother saying anything?” I crossed my arms.
“I haven’t been back in years. It’s not a place that holds a lot of good memories for me anymore.” Ian got quiet and stared out the window again.
“Should we go somewhere else? We have time to change direction?” I started to pull up my GPS, ready to make other plans.
Ian reached over and put his hand on top of my phone, wrapping his fingers around the top of mine. “No, it’s fine. It’d be nice to show you some of the hidden places. I’m sure you’re going to love it there.” He met my eyes for a moment. “Really, it’s fine.” He squeezed my fingers slightly before putting his hand back on the wheel.
I watched him from the corner of my eye, stealing glances whenever I could. He seemed lost in thought, but other than that, I couldn’t get a read on him. I wanted to ask what the story was, but I knew better than to ask.
As much as I tried to fight it, I dozed off in the passenger seat, but was jarred awake when I felt the RV come to a stop. I hadn’t opened my eyes yet, but I heard the engine shut off, and then I smelled Ian’s scent. It was like cedar mixed with something smoky, and it annoyed me that I still couldn’t put my finger on it.
“Hey Dottie.” I felt his warm hand give my shoulder a gentle shake.
I opened my eyes and saw him leaning toward me. “What’s wrong?”
Ian smiled. “Nothing’s wrong, just had to stop for gas and figured you might want to get out and stretch your legs. Maybe get a drink or some snacks?”
I nodded sleepily and yawned. I rubbed my eyes and took in my surroundings. There was literately nothing to see. A few gas stations and fast-food chains. There was the highway, but then nothing but trees and rolling hills. “Where are we?”
“Rolla, Missouri,” Ian answered from outside the RV. The soft summer breeze blew through his open window.
“There’s nothing here.” I hopped out of the RV and made my way around the front to stand next to Ian while he pumped gas.
He chuckled. “Not much along the highway, but if you go further in, there’s a lot. They even have a pretty good college here.” He nodded to one side of the overpass. “It’s a good place to stop when you’re traveling on I-44 though.”
I just nodded before heading into the gas station to get snacks for the road.
I insisted on driving after we got back into the RV, even though Ian thought it was a bad idea. “Do you just not trust my driving or what?” I giggled, feigning offense.
“Look, I’ve never even seen you ride a bike. This is a huge vehicle for most people. I’m just a little . . . nervous.” Ian tightened his grip on the door, which only made me giggle more.
“It’s a mostly straight highway, Ian, I’ll be fine.”
“For now. Even this highway gets some pretty tight corners around these hills, so just be careful, okay? Especially as we go further south.”
I rolled my eyes again and fought to keep from outright laughing at him. I decided to change the subject to help ease his mind. “So, where’s are first stop?”
It worked. Ian grinned. “A gas station.” The gleam in his eyes was contagious and utterly adorable.
“Why are we stopping at another gas station, we just got gas?” I didn’t bother hiding my confusion.
“Oh, this isn’t just any gas station, it’s also a huge gift shop, and you just gotta see it to believe it. It’s actually not too far up the highway. I’ll tell you when to get off.” His grin got bigger as I just got more confused.
“Okay, if you say so.” I shook my head. The silence that ensued was comfortable, but something had been gnawing at me formost of the day. “Ian, can I ask you a question? It’s pretty personal?”
