Page 20 of Force of Nature

Chapter Seven

––––––––

Iwake with a start, my eyes sweeping upward as I try to place where I am. It takes several long moments for the realization to dawn and once it does I fly up, clutching the blanket as I look around the tiny camper.

I struggle to piece together how it is that I’m still here. I don’t remember falling asleep. Then again, when do you ever actually remember falling asleep?

Remembering I wasn’t alone last night, I peer to my right. Relief floods through me when I see that Thad isn’t here, followed by a slight wave of embarrassment. Did I snore? Oh god, what if I drooled? And then there’s the biggest question of all–if I slept here, where did Thad sleep?

A vision of him curling into me as I slept flashes through my mind and I find that I like the thought probably a lot more than I should which is unsettling.

Deciding I should get the hell out of here before someone realizes where I am and gets the wrong impression, I quickly crawl out of Thad’s bed. Slipping on the tennis shoes I left on the floor, I open the door a sliver and press my ear to the opening.

When I’m fairly certain no one is around, I open the door just wide enough to peek my head out, looking both ways before pushing it the rest of the way open and quickly slipping outside.

I climb down the two metal steps leading to the ground, my feet barely hitting the Earth before I hear a throat clear.

Shit.

My entire body goes stiff and I close my eyes, mentally preparing myself for what’s to come.

Slowly turning my head, my stomach twists at the sight of my mom standing a few feet behind the camper where her vegetable garden is, a gardening hoe in her gloved hands.

“Mom.”

“I wondered where you were this morning at breakfast. Guess now I know,” she says indifferent, giving me no real read on her reaction to catching me sneaking out of Thad’s camper.

“Sorry. I must have dozed off while Thad and I were watching a movie last night.”

“Is that what you were doing?” She gives me a look that tells me she’s unsure.

“What else would we be doing?” I say like it’s the most absurd question in the world, adjusting my ponytail as I close the few feet between us.

“You’re a beautiful young girl. He’s an attractive man. I can use my imagination.”

“Mom!” I act completely appalled by the thought. “It’s not like that. I barely know the guy.”

“You’re right, you don’t,” she says in a way that tells me she knows a hell of a lot more than I do.

“What’s that mean?”

“Thad’s a good person; I truly believe that. If I didn’t he wouldn’t be here. But he’s had a pretty rough way to go over the last few years and he brings with him much more baggage than you could ever imagine. I don’t want to see you get tied up in that.”

“What kind of baggage?” I question.

“It’s not my place to say. Just trust your mother on this one, okay? Now why don’t you go freshen up? When you’re done grab a pair of gloves and help me finish laying these seeds.” Her demeanor shifts so abruptly it takes me a moment to catch up. “These should have been planted already but the weather’s been too unpredictable.”

“Um, okay.”

“Just don’t be too long. I want to have this done by lunch time.”

“I’ll be right back,” I assure her, spinning on my heel and taking off toward the house.

I cross paths with Thad as I step inside. He’s coming out right as I’m going in. We both hesitate in the doorway.

“Sleep good?” He smirks, his voice low enough as to not be overheard by Chris who’s standing on the other side of the kitchen scrapping a plate into the trash.

“As a matter of fact, I did. That is until my mother caught me sneaking out of your camper.” I give him a pointed look.

---