His laugh was low and just a wee-bit sexier than she ever thought a laugh could be.
“Willow, you are definitely one in a million.”
“You think so, huh?”
“Oh, I know so.”
“It’s because I’m such a dork, right?” she teased. At least, she hoped he realized she was teasing. There was no way she wanted him to agree with her being a dork.
Way to be a dork, dork…
“That’s not what I was thinking,” he said, and Willow let out a slow sigh of relief. “I meant because you are very open and honest about yourself. It’s kind of amazing. Most people don’t want to admit to having any flaws or are always trying to put the blame for the bad things that happen to them on other people. But you just own it and I think it’s very cool.”
“Donna and Jen say the same thing to me, but I always thought they were just being nice.”
“I’m sure that’s part of it, but it doesn’t make it any less true.”
Her hand smoothed down his arm until she reached his hand. Squeezing it, she said, “Thanks, Levi. You’re a really great friend.”
It felt wrong to say it, but…their trip was coming to an end and they didn’t have to pretend anything anymore. Sadly, it was time to get back to the way things were before they left New York a week ago.
And she hated even the thought of it.
Not the part about going home–she actually couldn’t wait to see Josh and all the dogs–but about things going back to the way things were between her and Levi. The thought of only seeing him on Friday nights and talking while he was working his shift filled her with such an overwhelming sense of sadness that she hadn’t expected.
Although, to be honest, she hadn’t allowed herself to think this far ahead. In all her planning for the week, Willow’s main focus was on keeping her family off her back. Never in her wildest dreams did she allow herself to think about developing real feelings for Levi that had absolutely zero to do with friendship.
Oh, God…he’s seen me naked! None of my friends have seen me naked! I always hide when I get changed!
Releasing his hand, she straightened herself in her seat again and sighed.
“You okay?”
“What? Oh…um…yeah. I just needed to get comfortable.”
With the idea of us not being boyfriend and girlfriend anymore.
They drove in silence for several miles before Levi called out, “Hey, look! Florida oranges in one mile! Want to stop?” He looked at her with the biggest smile. How could she possibly do anything but smile back?
“Absolutely!”
Something was definitely up.
For the life of him, Levi had no idea what it was, but something was bothering Willow. He just hated that he didn’t know her well enough to just know, and he wasn’t sure if it was smart to push her to talk about it.
They had stopped for oranges.
A ten-pound bag of them.
Willow bragged about loving all citrus fruits and how she couldn’t wait to get home and make herself freshly squeezed orange juice every morning.
He didn’t have the heart to tell her it might take all of those oranges to make a decent glass of juice.
Now they were in Georgia and had just stopped for peanuts and peaches.
Luckily, not ten pounds of either.
“So…peaches not as big of a deal?” he asked as they loaded their latest purchases in the car.
“Yeah, not a huge fan of them. Like I’ll eat one or two and be good to go. But I know Jen loves them, so I’ll give the rest to her.”
“And the peanuts?”
She shrugged. “I wanted to see what all the fuss was about.”
Unable to help himself, he laughed. They were back in the car and he was about to back out of the parking spot, but he couldn’t. “You wanted to see what all the fuss was about…peanuts?”
“Well, yeah. I can walk into any grocery store and buy peanuts like it’s no big deal. And yet once you start driving through Georgia, there are these giant signs everywhere that make it seem like these are the greatest peanuts in the world. So I need to taste for myself and see what I think.”
“Should I have kept them up front with us?”
“Nah, not in the mood.”
For a moment, he could only stare. “So you’re curious, but not curious enough to try them right now. Do I have that right?”
“Yup.”
If anyone asked him for one thing he learned about Willow this week, it was that she was utterly unpredictable.
And in a good way.
“Would you mind if I tried some?”
“Now?”
He nodded.
“Sure. Be my guest.”
And there it was again. Some of her spark and light was gone.
So instead of reaching into the back seat and grabbing the peanuts, he turned toward her and stared until she returned his gaze.
It took almost a solid minute.
“What? What’s the matter?” she asked.
“That was going to be my line.”
Brows furrowed, she didn’t respond.
“Willow, clearly something’s bothering you. Is it me? Did I do something wrong?”
She looked like she was about to say something but changed her mind.
“I have no problem waiting you out,” he explained. “I’m very patient.”
“You’re being ridiculous, Levi. There’s nothing wrong. I guess I’m just a little tired and not looking forward to the long drive home. For some reason, it always seems to take longer.” Then she shook her head. “And I know we’re doing it in less time, but it already feels like it’s going to take forever.”
It made sense. Sort of.
“You’re already missing your grandmother, aren’t you?” It wasn’t a question. Over the few days they were there, Levi could tell Willow and her grandmother were very close. It was very sweet to see, and he knew they both wished they lived closer together.
Both sets of his grandparents had always lived close by. He never had to travel farther than the next town to see them. It was hard to imagine what life would have been like without them being so close.
If his grandfather had lived anywhere else and owned a pub, he had to wonder if he still would have followed the path he was currently on.
Wow…this is some deep shit. I need to lighten things up.
“Does she ever come back up to New York?” he asked, trying to get back to the topic at hand.
“No, not anymore. She loves to travel and so much of our family is scattered around now that I’m the only one left up there. It’s easier to go to her. Usually I don’t mind it. This was just a more stressful trip because…well…you know.”
“For what it’s worth, I think it all went perfectly. No one questioned our relationship and I don’t think you’re going to be getting any grief from your parents any time soon.” He glanced over at her and winked. “At least, I hope you won’t.”
Her soft laugh made him hopeful that maybe they were lightening the mood. “I honestly can’t say yes or no to that. No one’s ever put my father in his place the way you did. This should be interesting to see how it all plays out.”
“I have to admit, I’m kind of curious about it myself,” he teased. “Just basing things on what I observed and not on the stories you shared with me, I’m thinking it’s going to be interesting. How often do you talk to them?”
“I get a call from my mother once a week,” she replied. “It’s a perfunctory sort of thing; like I don’t think she’s genuinely interested or concerned with what I’m doing, but she calls to see if I’m going to fall in line with what they want me to do.”
“Okay, so let’s be optimistic,” he said, doing his best to sound positive. “Let’s say they are now officially off your back. How does that make you feel?”
“Honestly?” she asked with a nervous laugh. “I don’t know yet. It’s all too new and too foreign of a concept yet.”
“Oh, come on…don’t
you feel like you can take on the world? Just a little bit? Last night you said it felt like a ginormous weight had been lifted off your shoulders. You should be thinking about hitting the ground running when we get home and being free to explore all kinds of opportunities!”
Tilting her head, Willow blinked at him like he was crazy.
“What? I’m being serious here! I think all their negative comments and energy were holding you back. You’re free now.”
“Okay, that sounds a little dramatic…”
“Me? Dramatic?” He blinked at her innocently. “I wouldn’t know the first thing about being dramatic. I leave that to my sisters, thank you very much.”
“Sounds like something a brother would say.”
And now he saw the impish grin peeking out that he was used to.
From there, they talked all about the things her brother used to do while they were growing up, and Levi realized for as crazy as her parents were, she had a fairly normal childhood. He felt a connection to her brother even though they had never met, mainly because they were both the only boys in their families. It wasn’t often he met someone with the same family makeup as his and now he almost wished they could all get together sometime.
So not going to happen…
Just the thought of his mild-mannered, fun-loving parents hanging out with Willow’s insane and uptight ones was enough to make him laugh.
And he did.
“What’s so funny?”
Levi explained what he was just thinking, and luckily she laughed with him.
“I can’t even imagine,” she said, still laughing. “Although, to be fair, I haven’t met your parents so I’ll have to take your word for it. But based on your description, it would be incredibly awkward.”
After that, the conversation flowed and Levi was confident that whatever funk she was feeling earlier had finally lifted. They stopped for lunch in Savannah, and Levi had been tempted to call his sister and see if she could join them. But after some discussion, he came to the conclusion that if they were going to stick to some semblance of a schedule and get in the most hours of driving for the day, they needed to keep their breaks short.
Once they were back in the car, Willow pulled out her phone and began checking their route. “I think at the pace we’re going, we should consider stopping once we cross into North Carolina.”
“And after we stop at South of the Border.”
“Naturally.”
Chuckling, he agreed and figured they’d simply play it by ear and see how they felt once they got there. “When we stop for dinner, we’ll see what the area is like and where the nearest hotel is. How does that sound?”
“Like the perfect plan.”
He wasn’t quite so sure…
They were still in the parking lot of the diner they had eaten lunch at, and after several long moments, Willow looked over at him. “How come we’re not driving?”
“Well, technically, there is no we in that. I’ve been doing all the driving. I think it’s your turn.”
“What?!”
“Come on. It won’t be so bad. South Carolina is fairly easy to drive through. The roads are nice and smooth, the traffic’s not that bad…I really think you should try to do some of the driving. Just for an hour. What do you say?”
He saw the indecision and panic on her face, but he knew this would be a good thing for her. Maybe if she tackled this–the whole driving thing–and succeeded, she’d have a little more confidence in herself.
Or…this could all go horribly wrong and you’ll end up taking a Greyhound home…
Okay, thinking like that wasn’t helping anyone, and Levi forced those thoughts aside.
Before he could change his mind, he climbed from the car and walked around to the passenger side. Pulling the door open, he reached in and took Willow by the hand. “You got this. I have faith in you.”
“Levi…” she whined. “This is crazy! I’m telling you, this is the worst idea ever! Worse than anything you’ve ever done!”
He led her around the car and helped her get seated behind the wheel. For several minutes he helped her move the seat until she was in a good position, then he pointed out everything she could possibly need to drive. With a quick kiss on her cheek, he said, “You’re all set!” before jogging around and getting in on the passenger side.
And that just felt weird.
Like…super weird.
Like…I don’t like this weird.
But now that he’d opened his big mouth and made such a production out of making her drive, he was just going to have to make the best of it.
And pray nothing went wrong.
It took her almost five minutes to pull out of the parking spot and then out of the parking lot. Levi made sure to be supportive and encouraged her with every inch she moved the car.
It was exhausting.
They weren’t far off of I-95, and he found himself holding his breath as she merged into traffic.
“You doing okay?” he asked once she was doing the speed limit and going with the flow of traffic.
She had a white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel and he was pretty sure she hadn’t blinked in a solid minute, but…she nodded.
At least, he thought it was a nod.
“Willow?”
“Just…shush!” she hissed. “Don’t distract me!”
“Willow, we’ve got like four hours between here and South of the Border. You can’t expect me to be silent the entire time. That’s crazy.”
She glanced at him, and the car immediately swerved into the next lane.
“Willow!” Reaching out, he grabbed the wheel and waited for her to get back in her lane.
“I told you,” she murmured. “I know myself, Levi. I know that I need to concentrate. At least for a little while. I’ll let you know when you can talk.”
He was afraid to even comment, so instead, he reached for the radio to turn it on.
“No!” she cried. “No music!”
“Um…”
“If you turn on the radio, I’m going to inevitably hear a song I like, and then I’ll start singing along, possibly dance, and then the next thing you know, the car will be in a ditch! Or a tree!”
“How can you dance while you’re driving?”
“Levi…please…” she whined.
“Okay, okay, okay.” He made a zipping motion over his mouth and reached over and went to grab his phone.
“What are you doing? The GPS is on there! You can’t just turn it off!”
It was obvious he’d made a mistake.
A horrible, horrible mistake.
“We’re on I-95. We’re not getting off of I-95. It’s pretty much a straight run for the next 180 miles. You don’t need the GPS. Trust me.”
“I did trust you, and now I’m driving this big scary car and trying not to get us killed.”
“Do you want to pull over and switch back?” he asked, feeling completely exasperated. “There’s going to be a rest area when we cross into South Carolina. We can stop there and just forget this whole thing.” With a loud sigh, he closed his eyes and slumped down slightly in his seat.
“And now you’re mad at me,” she huffed. “I told you, but did you listen? No! You would think you’d realize that I know more about myself than you do! Or that maybe you would appreciate that I was being protective of you and your car because that’s the kind of person I am. Considerate. Compassionate. And…and…thoughtful. Here I was all concerned about your feelings and you didn’t do the same for me. Wow. Just…wow. Thanks a lot, Levi.”
“Now who’s being dramatic?” he murmured under his breath.
“I heard that.”
Arguing with her was pointless. So instead he said, “Just…drive, Willow. The rest area isn’t that far away. I think we can do it without incident.”
As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he wondered if he was lying to himself.
And prayed that he wasn’t.
13
“Holy shit! Are we…are we alive?”
“I think so.”
“I don’t…I mean how…when…”
“I know. Think how I feel.”
Levi scrubbed a hand over his face as he looked around in dazed confusion. He reached for the door handle and immediately stopped. “I can’t get out over here.”
“Well, don’t think I’m going to move the car!”
Willow watched him swallow hard as he considered his options. “Okay, are you okay to get out?”
She nodded.
“You do that, and then I’ll climb over the console and move the car.”
“Levi, I’m…”
But he held up a hand to stop her. With nothing left to do, she slowly climbed from the car and took several steps back.
Inside the car, Levi was doing his best to twist himself into a pretzel to get into the driver’s seat and she cursed herself for making him do it.
They had driven by the rest area three and a half hours ago. She had settled into driving, and felt like it would be okay for her to keep going. About an hour into her shift, Levi had dozed off. It would have been mean to wake him up and really, there wasn’t any traffic and it was a fairly uneventful stretch of road.
So she kept going.
“Ugh…why did I keep going?”
The car door slammed, and she saw Levi moving the seat back to his position and felt bad all over again.
Everything was going just fine until she pulled off the exit at South of the Border. That was where they had agreed to stop and she was excited that she’d driven the entire way without incident. Levi was still asleep at that point and she figured she’d wake him up once she had parked.
The parking lot was crowded and Willow had been slightly twitchy as she maneuvered through the throngs of cars. She was confident that she could find a spot to park far enough away that she wouldn’t be near anyone else. Then someone beeped at her and she jumped, hitting the gas pedal hard and ended up pulling a stunt that belonged in a Dukes of Hazzard episode–she sped up, jumped a curb, and spun the car 360 degrees and ended up pressed up against a pair of eight-foot-tall roosters.
Good going, Willow…
She was afraid to see what the passenger side of the car looked like. No doubt it was all scratched up and damaged.
Test Drive: Road Tripping Series Page 16