A while later, I jerk upright when I hear the truck door open. I’d shut my eyes just for a minute, and nearly fell asleep. “Ready?”
He nods, long and hard, before he pushes the box under the seat. “Yeah. I think we’re good.” He looks at me, and a slow smile slides across his face. It’s not guarded. Whatever he needed to get off his chest, it’s out there, and I can feel the relief rolling off him.
A full, unguarded smile to match his tugs at my lips. “All right. Then off to Wichita it is.”
As I drop the brake and shift into first, he says, “Why Wichita?”
I almost laugh, remembering when I’d asked that very question of Tyler. “It’s my stop.” From out the corner of my eye, I see his brows pull together. “Hey, you wouldn’t happen to have any Eagles in your case, would you?” I ask, changing the subject before he can ask.
He balks. “Of course.” He tugs out the leather CD case and unzips the side. “Any requests?”
I pull out onto the road. “Yeah. Witchy Woman.”
HOLDEN
Sam turns into the Holiday Inn near downtown Wichita at 11:45 pm. I didn’t think we’d make it here in under the projected MapQuest travel time, but she pulled it off. She drove the whole way, and even kept the speedometer at around seven miles above the speed limit on the highway.
No panic attacks.
I can tell she’s exhausted now¸ though. Hell, I’m exhausted, and I wasn’t the one driving. For her first time back in the driver’s seat, a four hour stretch from one unfamiliar city to the next is extreme. It’s even more impressive since we’ve already been on the road for days. She’s completely out of her element.
And I was right. Watching her drive my truck was a huge turn on. It didn’t help that she’s still in her jean skirt. I could’ve reminded her about her promise—but I think I’m accepting my fate as a masochist. Thoughts of sliding over to her and running my hand up that skirt, tasting her while she was driving . . . Fucking torture. I had to mentally douse myself with cold water a few times.
With an inward groan, I mentally flog myself for thinking of it again.
Outdoor World was enough to get my head on straight, at least for a while. It’s sad that I had to wait until after my brother’s gone to tell him what I’d been bottling up for years. But, it had to be done. I didn’t lie to Sam. I did promise Tyler that I’d look out for her. We promised that to each other. And I wanted to clarify that agreement.
I may have zero chance with Sam. But if she ever does give me a shot, I won’t back out this time. Not for anyone. Not even his ghost. I know I don’t deserve her, but I’ll try. I’ll try damn hard. I wanted him to know that.
After we drag ass up to the check-in counter, I’m seriously ready to crash. That hour rest wasn’t near enough. With all that’s happened, today seems longer than a day. More like a week. Or a year.
With few words, I get our room, and then we’re in an elevator and on our way up to the fifth floor. Glancing at Sam a couple of times, I take in her proud expression. I envision picking her up and pressing her to the elevator wall and kissing her senseless. I’m that proud of her.
I shake the image from my head.
“Are you all right?” she asks.
The elevator dings and the doors open. I let her walk through first. “Yeah. Just tired.”
She accepts my answer with a nod as we head down the hallway in search of our room. And I realize this is, hopefully, the first time on the trip I’ll actually sleep all night in a bed. I laugh out loud. I might be delirious.
Sam pauses before the door, the key card hovering over the metal reader, her eyebrows raised in question.
“Nothing,” I say, having a hard time wiping the smile from my face. “I’m just overjoyed to have a bed.”
Realization dawns, and her eyes go wide. “Oh, shit. You haven’t really slept much, have you?”
I shrug it off. “I don’t need a lot of sleep. But hell, I’ve never looked so forward to sleeping in a hotel bed before.”
As we enter the room, I’m stoked. One large king and a twin, and the comforters look clean and soft. I drop my bag, unconcerned where, and fall face first into the twin. It’s the first bed.
Sam’s laugh makes me smile into the bedspread. “You can have the big bed. I’m small.”
I don’t argue. She is tiny, and I’m going to stretch all of my six-foot two self out on that huge ass bed. Slogging over, I yank the comforter back and climb in, leaving my shoes on the floor.
Sam eyes me. “You’re not going to—?”
She halts as I hustle under the covers to get my jeans off and then toss them somewhere in the room. “Nope,” I say. “All done.” I look over and grin. “I’m a guy, you know. We don’t take much maintenance.” I crook a smile as I flip her excuse from last night around on her. And honestly, I’m too drained to care if she’s offended. I just want sleep. This is one night she doesn’t have to fear me making a move on her.