“I take it he didn’t take your advice so well.”
Molly laughed, remembering Rick attempting to lure his dog away from her and into his truck. “He couldn’t wait to get out of here.”
“I hope the next time you see him things will be better.”
Molly gasped. “Next time? I don’t want there to be a next time.”
“Why? You said yourself he seemed like a nice guy and it is a small town. You’re going to run into him again. Try being nice to him next time.”
“Whose side are you on?”
“I’m on whatever side ends with you enjoying the rest of your vacation.”
Chapter Ten
The following morning, Molly woke again to the sound of the dog sniffing around her tent. She fought against the urge to talk to him, which would encourage the dog to stay. She knew if Hudson stayed, Rick would follow to pick him up. She guessed if the dog lost interest in her, it would move on to another site before Rick arrived. But maybe there was still time to give Hudson some attention.
She dressed and climbed out of the tent to give him a short greeting, which turned into a longer greeting as she scratched Hudson behind the ears and the dog nudged her hand for more. Instead of sitting in the chair to allow the dog to lie beside her, she remained on her feet while eating her bowl of cereal. Next, she cleaned her dishes and started down the road, leaving Hudson at the end of her campsite.
Molly wanted to call the fluffy, old pooch to her and encourage him to follow. If Rick listened to her, she wouldn’t be as hesitant to interact with him again, but she met his type before. Men like him were arrogant and best kept at a distance unless she wanted to risk getting hurt again. The warning signs were all there with Brad, but she had ignored them. Brad only wanted to do the things he found interesting and always came up with excuses to turn down Molly’s invites to activities that interested her. Whenever Brad bought something new, he needed to show it off to anyone who would give him five minutes of their time. It became clear to Molly, he cared more about himself than about her. Brad didn’t even care about animals, often shouting at a barking dog or complaining about the odd strand of fur on his clothes.
Rick seemed different in that regard. Distracted by the mud on his jeans, Molly didn’t notice right away the dog fur on his clothes that hinted at an engaged, caring owner.
She scolded herself for thinking about him again and gave her head a shake. Wait… were her thoughts about Brad or Rick? Did it matter? They both gave her plenty of reasons to get her mind off them. She had found some success forgetting about Brad. Getting away from the city seemed to work and now she only had to work on forgetting about Rick, which was difficult to do at the campground while his dog stood at the end of her site to watch her walk down the road.
Completing her circuit around the campground, she added a quick stroll through the trail near the entrance and came back to her loop. Ahead, she spotted Rick’s truck parked a few sites from hers.
Molly’s stomach muscles tightened as she slowed her pace. She thought she caught herself speeding up when she spotted Rick’s truck, which was ridiculous. She wasn’t excited to see him. She wanted to avoid him, which was the whole reason she had taken the walk.
Rick walked around the back of the truck to the driver’s side, and Molly inhaled. Even though she wasn’t interested in him, he still looked appealing. He was missing the brown jacket and wore a gray T-shirt that left his arms exposed and Molly longing for a closer look. The brake lights lit up and Molly stood in place watching the truck pull away.
While she successfully avoided Rick picking up the dog, it gave her no happiness. The whole situation of avoiding Rick in his hometown was ridiculous. What should it matter to her what that man did? He lived in Lemon Grove, and she was a tourist.
It occurred to her that sitting around a campground in a small town she didn’t know, while attempting to avoid a man, wasn’t any fun, so she decided visiting another town where he didn’t live might be a solution. According to the map she had noticed when she was booking her stay at the campground, there was a town another twenty or thirty minutes away. She should hop in her car and explore. Tourists explored, and she was the tourist.
Molly climbed into her car and exited the campground onto the highway. As she pulled away from Lemon Grove, the first drops of rain splattered against her windshield. She missed noticing the clouds earlier. Maybe it had been clear, and it was just how fast the weather changed in the mountains, but she was thankful the rain hadn’t started while on her walk.
In less than a minute, the rain was pouring down, forcing her to put on the windshield wipers. She wouldn’t be able to do much exploring without getting wet. All she could do now was note points of interest and plan to return to visit it another day.
Molly’s car slowed as the engine sputtered and stalled. She glanced down at her fuel gauge and saw the meter below the final red line, then slammed her hand on the steering wheel and let out a yell. Why didn’t she check how much gas was in the tank before she left? She always checked it before she left to go anywhere, but not today. She pulled her car onto the shoulder as it rolled to a stop and Molly fought back tears. Nothing about this vacation was going right. This was not the adventure she had signed up for.
* * *
Rick paid for his supplies and slid his wallet into his pocket. The hardware store owner came around the counter and handed Hudson a treat, who wagged his tail in anticipation. People in small towns went the extra mile, and little things like a dog treat made Rick a returning customer. They would never permit him to bring his dog into a store in the city. They welcomed Hudson at Lakewood Hardware whenever Rick needed to grab a few things for the cabin and never once told Hudson he wasn’t welcome. In fact, it became part of their routine after collecting Hudson from his wanderings to make the twenty-minute drive to Lakewood every Monday to gather supplies for the week.
He exited the store and patted the truck’s passenger seat, signaling for Hudson to jump inside. Hudson pulled himself up onto the bench, then stared out the windshield and waited for Rick to enter on the opposite side. Rick had learned from Hudson’s previous owner how much the dog enjoyed car rides, and whenever Hudson saw Rick getting ready to leave, he would beg Rick not to leave him behind. Hudson’s expressive personality was what Rick liked about the dog when he met him, which made it an easy decision to take the old pup in when his owner became too ill to care for him.
Hudson was well trained and behaved better than most dogs in town. He already had a reputation for being an obedient, mellow dog. Hudson had been making his wandering circuit every day for twelve years, alone or accompanied. The only problem Rick discovered was training the dog to return to Rick’s cabin and not to the vacant home of his deceased owner. It had taken a year for Hudson to learn to return to Rick’s cabin, and it wasn’t because Hudson couldn’t find his way home. Hudson missed the old man and was waiting for him to return.
It had been two years since Hudson began returning to Rick’s home, but over the past five months he became too tired to make the return trip from town. Hudson started napping at the campground, finding empty camping chairs to climb onto or doormats at the base of trailer doors. That was when Rick arranged with Glenda to call him when Hudson arrived. Calling Rick would give the dog the chance to continue to have the freedom he enjoyed, even if it cut into Rick’s day. He didn’t mind the interruption, but apparently some people did. People like Molly. Rick tried to see it from her perspective. Hudson was getting old, it was true, but Rick wasn’t ready to take away the one thing his dog enjoyed. He would know when it was time to stop the independent walks, but not yet.
Pulling away from the hardware store, he turned onto the highway toward Lemon Grove and replayed his encounter with Molly. She hadn’t been complaining about Hudson being at her campsite like others had done before, but rather Hudson’s well-being concerned her. She was thinking out of an urban context, and she misunderstood Hudson’s inclination to roam,
but her heart appeared to be in the right place.
Part of him wanted to go to the campsite and apologize to Molly for their conversation the day before. Had he kept his cool, he might have been able to better explain Hudson’s history. He loved this dog as if he had raised it from a pup and would never allow Hudson to be where he might get hurt. If she understood that, then maybe she would recognize Rick was doing a good job caring for Hudson, and Molly wouldn’t judge so harshly.
But why did it bother him that she judged him? That’s what people from the city always do, so it was no surprise when she passionately shared her views on pet care. Like her, he came from the city, and Rick didn’t think he was all that bad. Not everyone was like his family, and if he was around Molly long enough, she might show him that she was different. For one thing, Hudson seemed to like her, and for a dog, he was always an excellent judge of character. Rick should have listened to Hudson’s groans whenever Valerie used to come around, and he had promised himself he would trust the dog next time. Hudson seemed to have gained some wisdom over his many years.
Ahead, Rick spotted amber hazard lights from a car stopped along the side of the highway and he slowed his truck. Anyone stopped along this stretch would have a long walk ahead of them to reach Lakewood, and cell-phone reception was spotty if calling for help. Their best chance would be for someone like Rick to help them out.
As his truck approached, he got a good look at the driver and snickered to himself. Of all the people to run into again. He liked the way the corner of Molly’s upper lip curled as she attempted to mask her disappointment when she saw the identity of her rescuer.
“Well, Hudson,” Rick said. He applied his brakes. “Should we help her out?”
The dog turned his head and lifted his ears. Hudson didn’t understand, but was happy Rick spoke to him.
Rick steered the truck to the shoulder and made a U-turn back to where Molly sat waiting in her car. He brought his truck to a stop behind her car and Hudson wiggled in his seat.
“You stay here.” Hudson took a step toward the open driver’s side door. “Stay.”
Hudson whined as he watched Rick approach the car. Since the rain had stopped, Hudson would have a clear view.
Molly rolled down her window and smiled. She replaced her expression of disappointment with a relaxed, pleasant curl. Perhaps he misread her expression earlier?
“You look like you need some help,” he said, leaning into her window.
“Thanks for stopping.” Her voice filled with more relief than he had assumed would be there. “I ran out of gas.”
“Out of gas?” He wanted to laugh. Someone who expressed concern over the care of animals couldn’t even care for herself. Who wouldn’t think to check the fuel gauge? “The next gas station is in Lakewood up the road. I can take you there, if you’d like.”
Molly took her time to respond. If she was weighing her options, she didn’t have many. She could accept his offer, or wait for a tow truck, which wouldn’t come unless someone called from cell-phone range. The only tow truck was owned by Ed Halton. He only took his truck out when someone called for help, and no one called for an empty gas tank when most locals were willing to help a stranded driver.
She nodded. “If it isn’t any trouble.”
“No trouble at all.” Rick had told the truth. He had only planned to take Hudson home to play in the yard like any responsible dog owner would do. Play comprised of throwing a ball a short distance as Hudson couldn’t run like he used to, and he already had his morning walk. “Hudson won’t mind the trip back to Lakewood. He enjoys the company.”
Molly looked over her shoulder to the truck, and her smile widened. She must like his dog. “Thank you. I’ll just grab my things.”
Rick took a step back as she grabbed her purse from the empty seat beside her and rolled up the window. She locked her doors and followed him back to his truck. “I appreciate you stopping. I was considering walking up the road until I found some cell reception.”
“You would have walked right up to the edge of town.” Rick opened the passenger door and encouraged Hudson to jump into the backseat. “Into the back, Hudson. You’ll get to go back in the front in a bit,” he said. “We have a guest.”
Hudson groaned and moved to the back. It had been some time since Rick had someone sitting in the passenger seat and Hudson became accustomed to having the seat to himself.
“Hi, Hudson.” She climbed into the seat and stretched out her hand to the dog, who nuzzled and licked her palm. “Thank you for rescuing me. You’re a good boy.”
“You’re welcome,” Rick said, before closing the passenger door. He enjoyed watching her through the windshield as her cheeks reddened. He couldn’t help but tease, although he rarely teased strangers. Not everyone had the same sense of humor he did. “I’m surprised you’re not at the campsite searching for stray animals.”
“I don’t have to search. Strays find me.” She reached back to Hudson and gave his head another scratch.
Rick laughed and pulled the truck onto the road back toward Lakewood. “I guess you’re right. Although this one is not a stray.”
“It’s hard to tell when a dog is wandering around alone in a campsite.”
“About that,” Rick cleared his throat, “I wanted to apologize for coming off so defensive yesterday. You had his best interest at heart.”
“I was worried about him.” Hudson stretched his neck forward and licked Molly on the cheek. “I’m sorry for trying to tell you what to do with him. He seems happy.” She rubbed her forehead. “Oh, gosh. I’m so embarrassed.”
“Don’t be,” Rick said. They both had acted poorly yesterday. “When you come from out of town, you wouldn’t be familiar with dogs like—”
“I don’t mean over that.” Molly sighed. “I’ve never run out of gas. I feel so stupid for not checking how much gas I had before I left Lemon Grove.”
“Not to worry,” he said. “It happens.” But not to him.
“I’ve been sitting in my car wondering what I was going to do. Not many drivers passed by, and none of them stopped.”
“They weren’t locals. Folks who live out here would have stopped.” Rick could have said the drivers who passed without stopping came from the city, but decided to check this chip on his shoulder for her benefit.
Rick struggled to keep his eyes on the road. The pretty girl in the seat beside him had the loveliest, gentle features. Molly seemed too delicate to be camping alone in the woods, but her personality made up for her petite frame. She had some spunk to her, and he admired it.
She rested a finger against her upper lip with her elbow against the truck door. Her forehead creased with worry while she stared out the window, and Rick wished there was something he could do to take away her concerns. Driving her to the gas station had to help, which it did, as her back straightened at the sight of the station sign.
“There it is,” she said. Molly ran a hand over her cheek and smiled. Had she wiped away a tear? Rick couldn’t tell.
Molly fussed with her purse and Rick put the truck into park, jumping out before she pulled out her wallet. “I’ve got this.” As he closed the door, he saw her mouth open to protest, but he left before she could say a word.
Rick pulled his empty jerry can from the bed of his truck and stood beside the pump, watching the numbers rise. After yesterday’s conversation, he hadn’t pictured paying for her fuel, but here he was filling the jerry can to the max.
As he climbed back into the truck, Molly was counting her cash. He placed his hand over hers, covering the bills and coins. He never expected the rush of feelings he experienced when he felt her hand under his. Rick also hadn’t expected his own fingers to wrap around the side of her cool hand to feel her warmer palm.
“You don’t have to give me anything,” he said, softly.
“But, I—” Her eyes met his, and he saw the worry had left her face. There was a sparkle as she held him in her gaze. He didn’t want to turn a
way, or move his hand, but he had to. Even in that moment, he couldn’t help but remember that she wasn’t from Lemon Grove and would leave once her vacation was over. Visitors were an easy ticket to getting hurt.
“Consider it a thank you for looking out for Hudson.”
Rick turned the ignition, and they drove in silence to her car, still parked where she left it. She thanked him many times as he emptied the can into her car’s fuel tank, and he remained at the side of the road until she pulled away. He knew it was the right thing, stopping to help her. Now he needed to do the right thing and keep his distance before he was the one in need of help.
Chapter Eleven
Molly’s eyes shifted from her hands on the steering wheel to the road ahead. She had felt a tingling on the back of her hand since Rick covered hers with his, and she experienced nothing like it before. The sensation could have been from nerves. Only moments earlier she had been counting cash from her wallet, hoping to have enough to pay him back for the fuel. Watching the meter climb on the pump, she wanted to ask him to stop filling the container just in case the gas station didn’t have an ATM available.
Then, as she counted, he stopped her. His tender touch had caught her off guard. She hadn’t expected the feelings that surfaced as she noticed the warmth of his skin. While her body froze in place, she caught herself holding her breath and she almost reached for his hand before he pulled away. That never happened with Brad. There were no butterflies in the stomach or wishing he would stay a little longer. She had always assumed people only experienced those feelings in fairy tales.
Today, she felt it, and its lingering effects. How ridiculous that she became swept up in emotion so soon after meeting someone. Even Carla wouldn’t approve. Or would she? Carla knew better than anyone how little Molly felt for Brad, or she thought she felt a little until he left. Carla said the feelings were mourning being in a relationship, and given how unhappy Molly had been throughout the relationship, yet refused to end things, Carla pigeonholed Molly as afraid of being alone. Had she really been so desperate not to be alone that she missed out on feelings like this?
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