Page 13 of Blind Trust
From what he’d observed of Cecelia, and what others had told him about her, she was an amazing woman he was very much interested in.
As Leah had said, he needed to take it slow. Which wasn’t a problem. He would savor each moment of this trip, each small step while he wooed her and watched her face. For that privilege alone, this trip would be perfect.
After helping Cecelia into the truck, he asked if she’d had breakfast, and she said that, yes, Emma had made her such a big breakfast she’d thought maybe the cook was afraid Cecelia wouldn’t be fed on this trip.
Brian laughed. “She does like to make sure everyone gets fed, and she fusses over you like a mother hen.” He laughed again. “Okay then. We can plan for a late lunch but tell me if you get hungry. I have snacks packed and water in the cooler.”
“Sounds perfect,” Cecelia said. As they headed out on the road, she relaxed back on her seat and tucked her hair behind her ears because a breeze blew through the open window, spreading it across her face.
“Would you like me to roll up the window up and turn the air on?” he asked.
“No, not yet,” she said. “Maybe when it gets hotter. I’m so often inside on the phone that it’s nice to be riding along, feeling the wind on my face.”
“Well, you just let me know when you want me to roll it up,” he said.
“Okay.”
They listened to the radio for a while, and then he glanced over and noticed she was dozing. Her head was leaning to the side and bobbing.
He reached for a small blue pillow behind him on the back seat, and then reached across to tuck the pillow next to her head to cushion and support her head.
She snuggled into the pillow and kept on sleeping.
He couldn’t believe his good luck. Here he was, driving down the highway, this beautiful woman by his side, as they headed to San Diego.
He wondered how she’d feel about walking on the beach. Then he remembered she wouldn’t be able to see the sunset.
How will she feel about that?
There were so many things he would have automatically done when dating, but now he needed to put even more thought into it.
Dating her was going to be both challenging and exciting, and he looked forward to every moment of it.
The day was spent with Cecelia dozing and waking, with a thirty-minute lunch at a burger place, which was nothing special but was the only place where she could get the milkshake she craved. She’d passed on the fries and ordered onion rings, a burger, and a chocolate shake.
They spent the time talking about their high school days and places they went after a football game for late night meals and snacks. He had played football. She had been a cheerleader. Both had enjoyed high school very much.
Then they were on the road again, miles behind them and many more to go.
Cecelia dozed off again after they ate lunch, and when he woke her for a gas refill and bathroom break, he asked if she felt all right as she’d been sleeping so much.
She confessed she’d been having nightmares lately about fires. The nights of short sleep, and restless sleep when she did get it, had caught up with her.
“Then I’m glad you’ve been sleeping,” he said. “It sounds like you needed that rest.”
He was also glad she felt comfortable enough with him to fall asleep like that. That was very good.
“I’m going to suggest something, which of course you can say no to, but I think it might be better for us both. We can get one hotel room with double beds, then I’d be there to hear you if you have another one of those dreams. I can wake you.”
Her expression showed surprise, or was that shock?
Chapter 4
Brian hurried to go on,before Cecelia said no, hoping she would say yes. “We would each sleep in our own bed though, so don’t be getting any ideas just yet. It’s too soon in our relationship for that.”
His final tone closed the door, making it clear that sex of any sort was off the table…for now.
She sat quiet for a moment, thinking, and just when he’d thought she would say no way, she said, “Yes, I think I might sleep better, if you’re there to hear me in the night. Sometimes when I wake up, I’m really disoriented and think I’m back in that fire and can’t get out. Leah has suggested everything she knows to suggest, but nothing has stopped the nightmares yet. And I wish they would stop.”
