Freight Trained

by Sarah Curtis

  "Of course. Go. Talk to her." She placed her hand on his arm. "But go easy on her. Remember, she's a young girl on the verge of becoming a teenager. Her hormones are running amok, and she doesn't know how to control them. The angrier you get, the more defensive she'll become, and then you'll never get the answers you're looking for."

  They both watched Cole disappear into Becky's room before Sissy turned her attention back to Abby. "You seem very knowledgeable of preteen girls but look too young to have any of your own. If you don't mind me asking, where did you gain such wisdom?"

  Abby gave her a smile. "I teach sixth and seventh grade algebra. Twelve and thirteen-year-old boys and girls have been my life for the past two years."

  "Ah, well that explains it." She sat straighter in her chair. "So you're a schoolteacher." It was more a statement than a question. "And you just moved to Jasper Falls? Is that how you met Cole?"

  Abby couldn't prevent a small chuckle from escaping at the impassive look Sissy tried to display, ruined by the glimmer of excited interest that sparkled in her eyes. "Are you subtly trying to pump me for information?"

  Sissy gave her an embarrassed smirk before muttering, "Guess I wasn't subtle enough."

  That made Abby laugh outright.

  Sissy joined her but sobered when she said, "You know, I've known Cole for almost twelve years and in all that time, I've never once seen him serious about a woman. Now, don't get me wrong, I love him like a son, but I know his faults. So this should be the time when I say, 'you seem like a nice girl' and try to warn you away because I don't want to see you get hurt. But I don't think I'm going to do that, and do you know why?"

  Sissy paused actually waiting for an answer, so Abby shook her head.

  "Because since I've known Cole, I've never seen him look at any woman the way he looks at you."

  Abby couldn't help herself, she had to ask. "And what look is that?"

  "Like he's looking at his whole world."

  Shortly after Sissy had imparted her bombshell, Cole returned to the living room with a contrite looking Becky. His hand rested on her shoulder as he leaned down to whisper something in her ear.

  Becky looked down at the ground, nodding her head before she settled her gaze on Abby. "It's nice to meet you, and I'm very sorry for my rude behavior."

  Abby opened her mouth to speak, but Sissy spoke before she could get any words out. "What the heck is going on with you, young lady, and what was that outburst all about?"

  Cole gave Becky a little push in her mom's direction before reclaiming his seat on the couch next to Abby. She leaned in, speaking softly so only he would hear. "I shouldn't be here for this. I'm going to wait outside. I'll take Lucky for a walk."

  She made a move to stand but, Cole's hand landing on her thigh stopped her. "Stay." He tempered the command with a light kiss on her ear.

  Abby sat quietly next to Cole as Becky explained to her mom that the whole bullying thing had been a scam cooked up by her and her new friend Josh.

  "But why would you do something like that?" Sissy asked, sounding as perplexed as she looked.

  Becky lowered her head to look at the floor before she mumbled, "I thought if Cole needed to come here more often, the two of you would fall in love and get married, then he could be my dad."

  "Oh, honey," Sissy said, taking her daughter into her arms. "The heart doesn't work that way. Just because you bring two people together, doesn't mean they'll fall in love. My heart still belongs to your daddy and probably always will."

  Both Sissy and Becky were crying, and Abby felt like a big, fat interloper. She made a move to stand again, but Cole wrapped his arm around her shoulders, holding her in place.

  Sissy moved her hands to Becky's shoulders, backing her up a few steps, so she could look her in the eyes. "You understand what you did was wrong, right? Bullying is no laughing matter and should be taken very seriously. That you used a very real affliction that hurts millions of people around the world and used it to manipulate the people who love and care for you, greatly saddens me. I'm very disappointed in you."

  Becky lowered her head again, and Abby could tell by her expression that disappointing her mom was a huge deal for her.

  "It also saddens me to inform you that although I know you meant well, you still need to be punished. So no TV for a week and you can forget about going to the school dance on Saturday."

  "But Mom–"

  "Don't, but Mom, me. I'll also be having a little chat with Josh's mom."

  Becky was in tears again, but she nodded her head resigned to her fate.

  Sissy stood from her crouch. "Well, now that the drama's all out of the way, how about I make some lunch so I can get to know Abby a little better."

  It was a very different Cole on the drive home. No longer smiling, talking, or even tapping a beat to the radio, playing softly in the background.

  "You're quiet."

  He pulled his eyes from the road to give her a small smile before focusing his gaze back through the windshield. "I was just thinking." He sighed, shaking his head, and Abby gave him a few minutes to collect his thoughts. "I had no idea Becky felt that way about her mom and me. I know I've been a solid part of her whole life, especially right after we lost Marco, and that it would be natural for her to want me as a more permanent fixture but to go to such lengths, create such a big facade." He looked over, giving her another small smile before turning his eyes back to the road. "She's usually such a sweet kid. I had no idea she could be so devious."

  "If I hadn't entered the picture, do you think her plan would've had a chance of working?" Abby was sorry as soon as the question left her mouth. She didn't know why she asked that. And did she really want to know the answer? She could see Cole and Sissy were close, as close as two people could be that weren't related. She also witnessed the love and respect they had for each other. Maybe Becky was right, maybe given a little time and encouragement, the feelings they felt for each other would grow. Turn into something more than just friendship.

  She didn't like the feeling of doubt and insecurity that rippled through her. She'd never been jealous, never been in a relationship she needed to feel jealousy over and wondered if it was that emotion she felt now. If it was, she didn't like it and knew she had to nip this feeling in the bud as quickly as possible, and Cole's quick response went a long way in soothing her insecurities.

  Cole reached over, grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze. "Not a chance. Besides the fact that I think of Sissy as a sister, she was also my best friend's girl and in my eyes, will always be my best friend's girl. I'm not saying if she ever decided to move on, found someone else to love, that I wouldn't support her, it just would never be me."

  She gave his hand a squeeze back and a small smile of her own. Feeling silly, she tried to backtrack. "I don't even know why I asked that. It's not like it's any of my business."

  She saw Cole frown, but he didn't say anything so rushed on to explain herself further in the hope he wouldn't see her as the clingy girlfriend she was trying so hard not to be. He'd probably avoided relationships his whole life for that very reason. "I mean, we've barely known each other two weeks." She tried to laugh, but it came out flat.

  She noticed that now, not only was he frowning, but his jaw was clenched. He looked angry, but for the life of her, she didn't understand why. She kept talking, unknowingly digging herself deeper. "I mean, I could understand if we were together-together, then I would have the right to know but as we are now–"

  She stopped speaking abruptly as he skidded off to the side of the road and slammed on the brakes. His knuckles were white from the tight grip he had on the steering wheel. He looked over at her, and she could tell he was beyond angry,
he looked irate.

  "Are you fucking kidding me?"

  * * * * *

  Cole jumped out of the truck and made his way around the hood to the passenger side. He did not want to have this conversation while speeding down the highway at seventy miles per hour. He didn't know why he was so angry other than the fact he and Abby didn't seem to be on the same page, and that pissed him the fuck off. He yanked her door open. "Get out." She was too slow to react, so he reached across her, unclasping her seat belt before snagging her hand and pulling her from the truck.

  "You're not planning on leaving me on the side of the road are you?" she asked with a nervous giggle, sounding as if she weren't one-hundred percent sure what his answer would be. That pissed him off even more.

  He backed her into the side of the truck bed, moving in so close, his head hovering over her, she had to tip her head way back to keep him in sight. He knew the smile he gave her was menacing, he felt it in the sinister twist of his lips and saw it in the slight widening of Abby's eyes. One hand gripped the edge of the truck bed while the other fisted the back of her hair, holding her head steady as his lips came crashing down on hers.

  It was not a gentle kiss. His tongue didn't ask permission but forcefully pushed its way past her lips, plundering and taking what it wanted. The soft, warm, velvety feel of her mouth nearly tipped him over the edge, and he bent her head back farther, gaining greater access while grinding his throbbing cock into her belly.

  Anger overriding his other senses, it took him a minute to realize she didn't fight him. Her mouth compliantly surrendered to his onslaught while her hands clutched fistfuls of his T-shirt in a bid to hold on. He gentled the kiss then. Slowly savoring her heat and the tiny moans he extracted from her.

  When he finally had his anger under control, he ended the kiss, backing just far enough away to view all her features. He watched her slowly open her eyes before he spoke. "That feel together-together enough for you?"

  She gave him a slow nod while staring at him looking dazed, her cheeks flushed and lips swollen from his kiss.

  "Good." He nipped at her lips before soothing the bite with his tongue. "Now, I don't want to hear any more bullshit about how something's not your business and in case you missed it, we are definitely together-together. Okay?"

  "Okay." That one word in her sultry-as-fuck voice was enough to take away the last of his anger.

  "Let's go home. I believe you owe me an orgasm."

  She gave him a saucy grin. "I believe I owe you two."

  Chapter Fifteen

  "Wait. Stop!" They were driving down their street, passing Abby's house, and Cole slammed on the brakes at her shouted announcement.

  She rolled down her window and stuck her head out, her body twisted, straining against the seat belt to get a better look behind her. She turned back around, looking at Cole. "My front door is wide open."

  "What the fuck?" He put the car in reverse, throwing his arm over the back of her seat and backed up, parking in front of her house. "Stay here."

  He jumped out of the truck before she could respond, but no way she was waiting in the truck knowing someone had broken into her house. They'd been gone all day, the late afternoon sun low in the sky, and the break-in had probably happened sometime late the night before. The odds were slim the intruders were still hanging around waiting for her to get home.

  She caught up with Cole at her front door, placing a hand on his hip when she came up behind him. He gave her an exasperated look over his shoulder. "I thought I told you to wait in the truck."

  "Oh, were you talking to me? I thought you were talking to Lucky, as it was a command and all." The noise he made sounded distinctly like a growl, and his look implied he might want to do her bodily harm. She didn't want to stick around to find out. Trying to squeeze herself past Cole to enter, he stopped her with a firm hand on her arm.

  "Let me look around real quick. Make sure no one's still here."

  Abby rolled her eyes, knowing her earlier logic was sound and no one was in the house, but let Mr. Bossy have his way to spare herself the argument. She was quickly learning it would be wise to save her battles for important issues and let him have his way with all the piddly stuff.

  While he was gone, she scanned the living room. Other than the roses missing from the vase on the kitchen counter, nothing else seemed disturbed. Cole returned less than a minute later, cell phone attached to his ear.

  His eyes found hers as he talked. "Yeah, we'll be here." He hung up, sticking the phone in his back pocket while approaching her and taking her hand.

  "Who was that?"

  "Sheriff. Come on, I need to show you something."

  He pulled her to her bedroom, and she stopped short in the doorway. The petals from the missing flowers laid scattered along the floor and all over the bed. But that's not what drew her eye. A bottle of champagne and two wineglasses sat in the center of her bed. What the heck?

  She went to take a step into the room, but Cole held her back. "I don't want to disturb anything until the sheriff gets here."

  "We need to get Lucky from the truck. It's warm out there."

  Cole nodded and closed the bedroom door. "I don't want him jumping up on the bed."

  Abby giggled. "I don't think he can. I had to pick him up to put him in bed with me the other night." Abby slapped a hand over her mouth, giving Cole wide, innocent eyes.

  He scowled down at her, flinging an arm around her shoulders and steering her toward the front door. "You're very lucky I choose to find you adorably cute when you disobey me, or you'd be very uncomfortable sitting for the next few days."

  Abby looked at him in mock horror. "Did you just threaten to spank me?"

  "Darlin', I don't make threats."

  They were sitting on the porch steps when the sheriff pulled up. Lucky lay snoozing at the bottom of the steps tired after their long car ride. It would be a perfect time—the late afternoon sun setting and a light breeze blowing, chasing away the heat—to sit on the porch, beer or wine in hand, relaxing and enjoying some peace at the end of the day. But peace was far from Abby's mind and sadly, a glass of wine wasn't in her hand.

  "Cole. Ms. O'Neal," the sheriff said, tipping his hat in greeting.

  "Sheriff," Cole said, standing, offering his hand to help Abby to her feet.

  "Please, call me Abby," she said, holding out her hand. She wiggled her fingers. "No barbecue sauce this time."

  Sheriff Brody gave her a small smile while taking her hand. "Cole tells me you had a break-in. Mind if I look around?"

  "No, please help yourself." She did that stupid arm at the door gesture she seemed so famous for, internally cringing that Cole had to witness her awkwardness yet again.

  "This the point of entry?" the sheriff asked when he reached the front door.

  "Yes. At least I think so," Abby said. "The door was standing open when we arrived."

  The Sheriff checked the door for prints before walking in the house. Cole and Abby followed the sheriff inside, and after doing a quick scan of the living room, he went down the hall, stopping at her closed bedroom door. "In here?" he asked, turning to Cole.

  Cole made a grunting noise, and the sheriff opened the door. He took out his phone and started snapping pictures while asking Abby the standard questions. "You notice anyone paying special attention to you, Abby?"

  The sheriff's back was to her as he leaned in close to get a shot of the champagne bottle in the center of the bed. "No, not that I've noticed."

  The sheriff must not have liked her quick response. He looked over his shoulder at her before saying, "Really think about it for a minute." He looked over at Cole, giving
him a chin lift. "You notice anyone looking at her longer than they should?"

  Cole made another little grunting noise. "Every guy that looks at her is looking too long."

  The sheriff softly chuckled shaking his head. He looked back at Abby. "Notice anything unusual around the house or out of place besides this?" he asked, pointing to the bed.

  Abby thought a minute before she answered this time. "No. Nothing."

  The sheriff nodded and pulled a pair of latex gloves from his back pocket. "Any weird phone calls from unknown numbers? Hang-ups?"

  Abby didn't have to think about that one. Maggie was the only person who called her. She hadn't even heard from her parents since she arrived. "No."

  Depositing each glass into a ziplock bag he'd pulled from yet another pocket, the sheriff said, "I'll take this stuff in and run it for prints. You never know, we might get lucky, but I have a feeling they're gonna be clean."

  He left to deposit the evidence in his cruiser and came back meeting them on the porch steps. "This one of the Frendrick's pups?" he asked, giving Lucky a scratch behind his ears.

  Cole responded with another grunt that had Abby wondering whether it was a new language she would need to learn. She smiled at the sheriff after rolling her eyes at Cole. "Yes, sheriff, his name's Lucky."

  He absently nodded before spearing her with a very intense look. "Take this seriously, Abby. Be vigilant. I don't want this to be a repeat..." He closed his eyes and sighed heavily. "Just don't let your guard down."

  Abby knew he was thinking about the loss of his daughter six years ago. "I won't. I promise."

  "Call me if anything else unusual happens. Even anything small. You never know what may be a clue."

  "I will, Sheriff, and thank you."

  Cole held out his hand, and the sheriff clasped it. They did more a manly hand squeeze than an actual handshake.

  They watched the sheriff drive off then Cole threw his arm around Abby's shoulders steering her into the house. "Come on. Let's grab some more of your shit. You're staying with me again tonight."