Page 34 of Tucker
Tuckergrabs my gloved hand in his when we step off of the porch into about fourinches of snow.
Yeah,he obviously can’t stand to be around me. God, the guy is one big damn riddle.
Thesnow does make it a little easier to walk as long as I take careful steps.
“Ohno, your swing,” I groan when we get a few feet down the driveway. The massiveoak tree that once shaded the driveway and supported a wooden swing largeenough to seat three people is now lying across the driveway. The swing iscrushed into splinters of wood beneath it.
“Ican build another one,” he replies.
Ittakes us over twenty minutes to make it down his driveway to the county roadthat crosses it. In addition to the oak, there are three more trees across hisdrive, but it’s the sight of the road that makes his face crease with worry.
Aftera few moments of silence, he mumbles. “Eighteen.”
“What?”I pull my hat up to uncover one ear so I can hear better. The wind roaring inour ears doesn’t help.
“Icount eighteen trees down across the road and that’s just the length we cansee.”
“It’sgoing to take road crews forever,” I complain.
“Comeon, kid.” He tugs my hat back down over my ear and grabs my hand again. “Let’sget inside before you get frostbite.”
Kid.
“Youknow, just because you’re all strong and muscly doesn’t mean you don’t have thesame chance at frostbite as me,” I point out as we head back.
“Ispent an entire winter outside and never got it.”
Idon’t know what to say to that. He never brings up the time he spent homeless.Instead of replying, I take out my phone and snap some pictures.
Thestorm may be a total pain in the ass, but it has transformed the world intosomething beautiful. Thin beams of sunlight catch in the ice making thebranches and power lines sparkle. Snow covers everything, making the farmappear pristine. The slight mist still hanging in the morning air makes me feellike I’m moving through some kind of fairy world just outside our own.
“It’sso beautiful,” I breathe, snapping a few more shots.
Tuckergrunts. “Not how I’d describe it.”
“Thenyou aren’t looking close enough.”
“Youthought the last thunderstorm was beautiful,” he teases.
Hesuppresses a grin when I shoot him a dirty look. “I said the lightning waspretty. Do you never see the beauty in nature?”
“Guessnot.” He shrugs.
“Well,it’s there, in everyday things your brain just glosses right over. There’sbeauty in everything.” I peek up at his wind reddened face. “And in everyone.”
“Youthfuloptimism,” he replies, obviously amused.
“I’mnot that much younger than you, asshole.”
Thatdraws a loud laugh from him as he pulls open the front door. “I put a smallkerosene heater in the downstairs bathroom if you’d like to take a shower whileit’s warm.”
Forsomeone who is constantly annoyed with me, he sure anticipates my needs andtries to keep me comfortable. Catching him off guard, I plant a kiss on hischeek, near the corner of his mouth. “Thank you.”
Leavinghim there speechless, I run to my room to gather some clothes for a shower.
* * * *
I’mmaking my move tonight. I’m tired of waiting around. I don’t know why he’sfighting it, whether it’s because I’m Dare’s sister, he thinks I’m too young,or if it’s something else, but I’m tired of waiting for him to stop screwingaround and start screwing me.
