Page 3 of Drive Me Wild
I drive a Volvo. Safe. Dependable. Not fast and shiny and…
“Oh.”
I gulp as he slides out the door. Avery is still next to me, and we sit silently, watching his hulking frame stride across the drive toward the picnic table where the food is laid out. His eyes slice to mine, and I catch the hint of a smile. Or a smirk. I’m not sure which one.
“That’s Caleb.” Avery is looking at him, too.
“We’ve met. He’s Cole’s younger brother, right?”
“Yeah.”
“I never knew they made them that good-looking until I saw him.”
She turns to me with concern on her face. “He’s a player. Don’t get your hopes up.”
“So I’ve heard. But small towns always make perfect cauldrons for rumors. Are you sure it’s true?”
The night Caleb and I met last spring, I had just arrived in Owl Creek to visit Renée. He caught me in the hallway of a local bar while Renée was in the toilet. He had me against the wall with his arms over my head, only inches away. I’m sure it’s a classic player move, but I felt a pooling of warmth in my gut that my neglected lady parts still haven’t forgotten. That part of my body hopes the rumors aren’t true.
“Oh, I’m sure of it. I work at a restaurant across from his auto shop. I’ve seen him pick up a female tourist in the amount of time it takes to get a cup of coffee to go.”
“Okay, that’s actually impressive.”
“Zoe, you don’t know me, but trust me on this. He’s good for a hookup but nothing more.”
Avery’s concern is apparent in her soft eyes, and she’s right. I don’t want to get involved with a guy like Caleb, if only because he’d laugh me out of the bedroom. And even though she and I just met, I can’t wait to hang out with her more. She seems like a caring person and I need that in my life. I need people I can count on while launching into the world.
A sliver of the ache I felt in leaving home dissipates as I think about being here.
I have Renée. I have a place to stay. And even though I’m not as brave as Avery thinks I am, I know how to get things done. I can make this move and solving my business crisis into projects like any other. Because I’m good at projects. It’s what I do. I figure out everything that needs to be built, designed, or created for a particular result, then execute. Simple. Clean.
And when I’m ready, I can finally focus on what I have always wanted.
If I can fix my ‘problem’ first.
As I feel a hint of confidence blooming in my chest, Caleb pops a cherry tomato in his mouth and heads our way.
Chapter Two: Caleb
Iwas hoping it was Zoe sitting next to Avery when I walked my bag of potato chips over to the food table.
I haven’t seen her since the first weekend of the summer. Not since the night of the music show at the Grange Hall. The night my body switched into Rambo mode, trying to get between her and some drunk asshole when it looked like he was going to get violent.
We’ve only met briefly a couple of times, and I definitely hit on her every single one of those times. She’s hot as hell in a bookish, innocent way. But that’s not why I’m happy she’s here.
Somehow, I sense that she sees people for who they are—that she can see through the rumors or stories about them. I don’t know how I know this, but I do.
I’m trusting that I do.
Maybe that’s why I wanted to protect her that night. Because she’s genuine. She’s the kind of woman you know is bringing light into the world just by the way she looks at you. Because the first time she looked at me, I felt like she saw me. Not the grease man who fixes your car. Not the Casanova who can pickup any chick that comes to town and make her beg for more.Me. It scared the bejeezus out of me becauseIdon’t even know who that guy is.
But I’ve also never felt better. And even if I won’t ever be the right guy for her, I want to protect the light she shines.
I start to walk over to her and Avery, but my brother Cole grabs my arm.
“Wasn’t sure you were going to come. It’s good to see you.”
“Yeah, well, I almost didn’t.”
