Page 8 of Losing Sleep
“Excuse me?” I turned to face him fully, surprised.
“You know, the rare exceptions to the rules that everyone references but aren’t actually the norm,” he said with a shrug.
“If that’s the case, why do you keep online dating?” I watched him, genuinely curious.
“Because, who knows? Maybe I’ll get to be the exception one day.”
The sincerity in his tone made me pause, speaking to a longing I tried to keep hidden, especially in the wake of Lyle’s rejection. It was the longing of a little girl who would have given nearly anything to live in the same home for longer than a year and for her mom to work normal hours that didn’t require babysitters at all hours of the night.
“What if you’re not the exception? What if you’re the rule?” My questions came out soft, hinting at vulnerabilities I kept buried deep.
“Then I guess I’ll keep waiting for my unicorn while I get caught in the rain on long walks on the many beaches filling the landlocked state of Utah.”
While Grey’s response was the quietest I’d heard him, there was a level of hope and sincerity I couldn’t ignore. Maybe there was more to Grey than I realized. And maybe, if I remembered this moment of vulnerability, I might just survive this car ride after all.
Chapter Four
Of course, my survivingthe car ride assumed that it would end at some point, preferably before nightfall. I quickly learned Grey’s one exception to the “no food talk” rule. I’d been so absorbed in our conversation around hobbies and online dating that I hadn’t asked Grey about the shortcut I assumed we were taking up the canyon. Turns out, it wasn’t a shortcut. Grey had taken a detour up Logan Canyon to visit what he informed me was his favorite place in Cache Valley: an outlet store connected to a local dairy company.
“I’ll wait here,” I said, unwilling to get out of the car. If he knew I was waiting, it might even speed up his shopping.
“We were so close, I couldn’t not stop. My life is sorely lacking in various cheeses and shelf-stable chocolate milk. Have you ever had their cheese curds? They’re life-changing. Now, comeon.” Grey climbed out of the car and waved me towards the store.
I did my best impression of a stubborn child, shaking my head with my arms crossed over my chest.
“Are you lactose intolerant?” Grey leaned into the car, watching me from the open driver’s side door.
“No…” I trailed off, not sure where he was going.
“Do you hate cheese and other sources of joy?” He quirked an eyebrow, his lips tipping up into a smile that promised mischief.
“No.”
“Are you afraid of outlet stores that promise deep discounts and other forms of delight?”
I gave a frustrated laugh. “No! But I also would like to reach the cabin before dark.”
Bad things happened on mountain roads after dark. Animals darted out onto roads and accidents happened, resulting in injuries, scars, and leaves of absence from work so I could take care of my mom while she recovered. I pushed the thoughts away, refusing to dwell on those dark days. The accident had happened over a year ago, and Mom was fine now, even if I still carried some of the emotional scars.
“I hate to break it to you, but the fastest way to get back on the road is to come with me.” Grey took a slow, measured step away from the car, starting to inch the door closed. “Otherwise, I have a tendency to get distracted by all the cheese and milk flavors. I could be in there for hours, debating purchases.”
“Hours?” My voice held a shrill note that I couldn’t quite erase. “You takehoursshopping for cheese?”
“And flavored milks.” Grey threw me a wide grin and closed the door, sauntering to the white storefront attached to the factory. It looked like something out of the Swiss Alps, with its green shutters and bright red and white flowers.
I fumbled with my seatbelt, slipping on my shoes and scrambling from the car. I hoped Grey was joking about needing hours to make his purchases, but I also had a sinking suspicion he would take his time shopping just to push my buttons. My flip-flops slapped against the asphalt as I chased after him, catching up to him as we reached the automatic doors. They whooshed open, welcoming us into the store with a gust of AC-cooled air that made me shiver.
Grey grinned at me, extolling the virtues of various cheeses as he grabbed a basket. I slipped my phone out of my leggings pocket to text Tory, moving in the opposite direction from Grey. I hoped my presence in the store would be enough to remind him we had a schedule to keep.
ME:Is it murder if I make it look like an accident?
TORY:I’m not a lawyer, but best guess, yes.
ME:What if he had it coming?
TORY:What is this, a remake ofChicago? Was he popping his gum too loud? Or did he lie to you about having another wife?
ME:I’m serious. He just took an unannounced detour for cheese.
