Page 23 of Truck Stop Titan

I found the city beach and parked, awestruck by the full view of the lake and the surrounding mountains. Early morning joggers passed, heading toward the park, and I decided to follow, not ready to face my impending future just yet.

I strolled the clean pathway that led to the public beach, and found a spot in the sand, ignoring the cold, wet bite on my tender underside. A shiver tore through me, tiny ripples of pleasure, aftershocks I supposed, from the man who’d made me quake in more ways than one.

I watched the water tickle the shoreline, a peaceful ebb and flow, and I thought of Mom. She would have loved the little gem that was Whisper Springs. She would have been overjoyed to meet her granddaughter, no matter the circumstances. She would’ve chastised me for being careless enough to allow a strange man into my hotel room, but she would’ve been so proud that I finally gave Matthew the boot.

Matthew. Ugh. Wasted years. Not once had he brought me to tears during orgasm. Not once had he gripped me with enough passion to leave bruises. Dear God. Two nights with a strange man, and my whole existence had been upheaved. Flipped. Smashed to bits, exposing corners of me long hidden. I was more than a daughter. More than a caretaker. More than just an administrative assistant, or a girlfriend.

I was beauty. I was passion. I was raw, uninhibited sex.

And thank God for that bar. Thank God for whiskey sours. Thank God for hotel rooms, and one-night stands, and for Trailer. God. Trailer. The man with the funny name who made me feel, for the first time, like a desirable woman. Thank God I’d met him before my world turned again, and I could never again be so reckless, my sole focus, from that moment forward, being that tiny, broken girl who needed me to be her world.

I rose to my feet, dusted my rear, and headed back to the car, then toward the mansion, leaving my past behind, and hell-bent on embracing the future.

# # #

My suitcase wheels rattled and squealed as I dragged the purple beast over the newly polished hardwood floor.

“We’ve made up the room next door to your niece.” Tucker pushed open the door, revealing a large furnished bedroom, with a huge bed, a lush couch, and a large screen television perched above a stone fireplace. Soothing powder blue coated the walls, while bright pinks and pale yellows made up most of the accents.

“Thank you, Tucker.” I moved past him, and stood center, taking in the large space, and the perfect view of the lake through the picture window. “This is perfect.”

“Good.” He nodded. “The bathroom’s fully stocked, but if you need anything at all, let us know.”

A lawnmower roared to life outside. I peeked through the sheer curtain to see a tall man riding a bright red Toro. “You have a groundskeeper?”

Tucker laughed, his smile full of pride. “That’s my dad. You’ll meet him soon enough.” He rapped on the door. “I’ll let you get settled. I’m heading down to make breakfast, so feel free to join us whenever you’re ready.”

“I’d like to see my niece. Is she sleeping?” I forced confidence into my question, hoping to hide my reluctance, my jumbled nerves.

Tucker shook his head. “Dane is in there. He got her to eat a little bit more this morning. Now he’s helping my mom with her exam.”

Faint voices traveled through the walls. A deep male voice, and Lettie’s, but no cries from a frightened child.

I hated that a stranger could soothe her when I couldn’t. Make her feel safe, when she shied away from me. “Oh, good. I’d like to meet our hero.” I headed for the door, anxious to get in that room, give the man a hug, or a kidney, or a lung perhaps. Pretty much whatever he needed.

Tucker slid to the left, casually blocking the door. “That can’t happen, I’m afraid. I have to protect his identity, as well as yours.”

“But he saved her life. I owe him so much. I would like to thank him.”

“It’s better for everyone this way.” His voice lowered, and he pushed the door closed behind him. “The guy doesn’t operate on our side of the law. You’re better off not seeing his face.”

“Is he a criminal or something?”

“Something.”

My insides seemed to shift, settling like cement in my gut. “But you’ve left him alone in a room with a little girl?”

“Yes.” He scratched above his eyebrows, glanced out the window, then back to me. “She’s safer with him than anyone.”

I rubbed my aching stomach. “How do you know?”

Tucker cleared his throat, and his words came strained. “Because I know what he sacrificed to save her.”

Then he hit me with those piercing blue eyes, and they were sad, but sincere, and I understood there was a story he couldn’t tell.

“Oh. That’s too bad. I really would love to give that guy a hug, ya know?”

“Not sure he’s much of a hugger. Honestly, I’m surprised he’s stuck around to help. But enough about Dane. How about some breakfast?”

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