Page 5 of Possessive Trucker

I don’t want to, but the thought of him suddenly not being there, it’s too much.

Chapter Four

Thorn

I can’t just tell her how I feel. I’ve just met her.

She’s had a rough day, and then some by the looks. I don’t want to be the next in a line of people making her day worse.

Shit! What am I even thinking?

As if a young girl like this is really gonna go for an older guy like me. I must be twice her age.

I tell myself to stop even trying to flirt, that I’m only embarrassing myself, when she suddenly looks like she’s about to cry.

I feel like I’ve done it again, that I’m doing this all wrong.

It can never work…

Just when she’s looking at my phone, thinking about the call she has to make, it rings loudly and makes her jump.

It shocks the tears away from her face though, the ones I see and feel coming.

The ones I know I couldn’t wipe away for her.

Not yet.

It’s the office calling. It’s always the office.

“I gotta take this,” I groan, swiping the phone off the counter and keeping my eyes on her in every reflective surface in the diner, I take the call.

It’s one of my contractors, Kip being patched through from the office. He’s swinging back this side of the bridge after a drop off, wanting to know if I have any more work for him for today.

I look up to the ceiling, thank you.

“Uh, yeah. If you can pick up from Rick’s diner… yeah yeah, the roadhouse… I’ll be here… see you then.”

I can unhook my trailer, let him take it. That way I’m free. Free to spend time with Sophie.

I can take her home, make sure she’s safe.

My home or her home though?

That depends on what she wants, but it’ll give me some time with her, the only thing that matters to me now.

I know what I want, but I need her to want the same thing before I can relax anytime soon. Even the sight of Rick asking her if she wants anything else gets my back up, even though I know he’s only doing his job.

Having an ace up my sleeve now, I feel a wave of confidence wash over me, that this whole thing is destiny.

It’s working. All I have to do is follow the signals.

Join the dots.

“Just work,” I tell her, getting back to my seat and seeing her looking less like crying, I figure now’s as good a time as any.

“You’re welcome to use my phone now or I can take you wherever you need to go. I’ll have the truck unhooked and free for the rest of today soon,” I announce, almost proudly.

But my face falls when I see hers looking down again quickly.

“Uh,” she starts to stammer. “I think I should just call my dad. I’m grateful for your help, Thorn. I really am… but…”

She looks up again and I can see she’s torn. Careful not to upset me for being nice, but watching her own back just the same.

It’s a smart girl who refuses to just hop into any man’s truck. Whatever the reason.

I puff air out through my cheeks, nodding.

Dying inside.

“Sure, well… The phone’s there when you need it. If you want something else, Rick will fix it for you. I’ll just go… the truck,” I stammer myself, feeling winded. Like I’ve just taken a boot to the groin.

Well that went fucking aces! What happened to that magic feeling?

I struggle not to kick the door open as I leave the diner, the cold air blasting me as I make my way back to my rig, muttering to myself.

See? No way would a girl like that go for you. She’s too clever. Too sensible. Too… good, she’s just so fucking perfect!

Idiot! You just blew it by acting like some Neanderthal. Fuck!

Grinding the gearbox while I park the rig behind the diner, then skinning my knuckles without even cursing as I unhitch the trailer without remembering to put gloves on, I realize just how wound up all this has made me.

How hard I’ve fallen for Sophie and I’ve known her less than an hour.

I turn down hitch hikers every day I drive, and no girl, nobody has ever arrested my attention like this.

Blowing some air over my stinging hand, I huff out a big gray cloud of precipitation.

I’m proud of you Sophie. I am. No woman of mine would just jump into another man’s rig, but…

But just this once can’t you make an exception?

“God, why can’t she just. I just wanna tell her. Ugh!” I growl out loud, not managing to finish what I’m saying before I bump right into her as I spin around, ready to storm back into the diner and just tell her.

My scuffed up hand brushes her chest and she gasps, then putting her own hands up against mine, she notices my skinned knuckles.

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