Page 76 of Truck You

He breaks the kiss way too soon. Cupping my cheek, he drops his forehead to mine. We both struggle to breathe. “Making out with you in the cab of my truck wasn’t my plan.”

I chuckle. “Oh, yeah? What did you have in mind?”

“Let’s stargaze.” He opens his door and slides out from under me. I stare at him, unsure if I heard him correctly.

“Did you say stargaze?”

He lets out a soft laugh that sends butterflies swirling around in my belly.

“Yeah.” He leans in for a quick kiss before he grabs a stack of blankets from behind his seat. “It’ll be romantic. We can talk, count the stars, or you know,whatever.”

He winks and takes my hand to help me out. I know exactly what he means bywhatever.

He spreads a couple of blankets on the bed of his truck, then helps me up. We stretch out, side-by-side, on our backs. He covers us with another blanket before I snuggle into his side and stare at the night sky.

We’re silent for a few minutes before I finally look over at him. “Are you going to tell me about it or not?”

His brow furrows in that same grumpy way it always does, and I smile. He looks so sexy when he’s grumpy and growly. “Tell you about what?”

“The Grassman.” I playfully slap at his chest like I’m irritated. “I asked you to tell me about the legend. Is it a local thing or something? Like I have to live here for a certain amount of time before I’m privy to the story?”

“Oh.” He chuckles. “No. It’s not a local thing. It’s an Ohio thing. I’m surprised you’ve never heard of him before.”

“I guess we city kids find other ways to entertain ourselves.”

His frown returns. “Like what?”

“Let’s see. We go to the movies or go out for dinner. Sometimes, we go out to a bar or a nightclub. There are also comedy clubs and plays. I like comedy clubs. Sometimes they’re really funny.”

“We have movies, restaurants, and bars,” he says like he’s slightly offended.

“But you prefer to hang around a bonfire and drink beer in an open field. Or better yet, the middle of the road.”

He lets out a deep, throaty laugh that hits me right between the legs. “Yeah, I guess we do.”

I shove at his arm. “Now stop stalling and tell me about the Grassman.”

He takes my hand in his and holds it over his chest. “Well, there’s not really that much to tell. The legend is a lot like Sasquatch, but Grassman is reported to be more aggressive with longer hair. The legend dates back to the Native Americans that lived in these parts. Ohio has a lot of small caves, and explorers have found cave markings they credit to this legend. The Grassman is said to roam the forested areas of southern Ohio. He gets his name from the grass hut he lives in.”

I wrinkle my brow. “That’s it?”

“Yep. That’s it. Ohio’s very own Sasquatch. We have fun with it though. You’d be amazed at how many people believe in him. Occasionally, hikers have found long hairs or feces in trees. They’ve even sent samples to Ohio State University for testing. Nothing has ever come of it. But legends are fun, so we keep it alive and strong.”

“Sounds silly. We never had anything like that in the city.”

He lets out a deep, contented sigh before he speaks again. “Will you tell me what it was like growing up in the city with a mom and a dad?”

“Oh, jeez. Let me think.” I take in a deep breath. I know what he’s really asking me. I know enough about his family dynamics to know he really wants to know what it was like growing up with anormalfamily. But what isnormal?

“It was good, I guess, if not a little boring. My parents are good people. My siblings and I grew up knowing we were loved. My parents want what’s best for us, but they’re not perfect. They don’t accept my choices. We fight a lot—my parents and me. We didn’t used to. I told you about how my dad would take me to work with him when I was little. I thought my life was perfect back then. Then one day, going to work with him became unacceptable.”

“But they still love you?” he asks. His voice is quiet, almost too soft to hear.

“Yeah. That’s never been an issue. I know they love me and just want what’s best for me. But what they think is best isn’t what I want.”

“They just want you to be safe. That’s what normal parents are supposed to want for their kids, right?”

“Mac.” I sit up and toss my leg over his waist until I’m straddling him. “You don’t think your dad or Grams want you to be safe? Or your brothers? They all care very much about you.”

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