by Amanda Tru
He leaped out of the car. Great! He didn’t seem wounded.
He grasped her hand, and they dashed away from the vehicle.
Seconds later, a heat wave hit them in the back, and an explosion thundered in the air. She gasped as its force nearly sent her to the ground. The stench of smoke filled her lungs.
He pulled her up as she shuddered in a cough. Eyes wide, she stared at something that so little time ago was her vehicle, and her insides shook.
“I’m sorry about your luggage,” she whispered.
“Sorry about your car.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “And Aunt Willow’s suitcase.”
She leaned into him, drinking in much-needed support. A hard lump formed in her throat, and she stifled a sniffle. “The main thing—we’re both alive.”
“If not for you, I wouldn’t be.” Emotion thickened his voice.
“If not for God’s glory.” As much as she’d tried to get used to the thought of living her life without Edgar, at least she knew he was somewhere, hopefully happy. She couldn’t bear the thought of losing him forever.
Thank You, Lord, for saving us.
Sirens wailed in the distance.
“So glad you had those scissors.”
Despite the grave situation, a weak smile tugged at her lips. “I dress casually, but I’m a girly girl at heart. I like my manicure, so I always have nail polish and manicurist scissors with me.”
The wail of the sirens neared.
He turned to her and cupped her face. “Don’t ever put your life in danger for me again.”
A strange wave spread through her at his touch. Must be her strung-up nerves making her feel weird. “If the situation was reversed, and my seat belt was stuck, wouldn’t you do the same for me?”
He leaned closer to her. “Of course I would. But it’s different.”
“How?” She nearly died, her vehicle and her luggage, including Aunt Willow’s beloved suitcase, were in the process of being destroyed, and still, his proximity wreaked havoc on her senses. Something must be seriously wrong with her.
“I don’t want anything to happen to you.” His eyes darkened.
“Listen, this is our trip together. For better or for worse.” Uh-oh. Realizing how that sounded, she cleared her throat. “Well, you know what I mean. I’m not going to leave you in danger. Especially if I’m somewhat responsible for it.”
“I wanted to tell you—”
Lights flashing, an ambulance and a police cruiser halted near them.
“What did you want to tell me?” Expectancy burned her eyes as they searched his face.
“Never mind. This is going to be a long trip.”
Swallowing her disappointment, she nodded. “No kidding. And we didn’t even make it far from Rios Azules yet.”
Edgar’s fingers tightened around the rental car’s steering wheel. “It was nice of the police officer to give us a ride to the car rental place in the nearest town.”
“True.” Her stomach growled.
What was he thinking? She must be starved. Hunger pains clasped his belly, too. “Let’s stop somewhere to eat. What would you like?” He glanced at a sign announcing they were approaching a town.
“I’m not picky.” Her voice cheered up.
“If not to count the fact that your favorite food is lobster.” He chuckled, glad for her change of mood. He wanted to protect her, help her, and instead she could’ve died in the car explosion.
“Lobster happens to be delicious. Besides, I only had it when I was with you.” Her voice dipped.
He frowned as he passed a car. While it warmed him that he’d given her the food she’d loved, couldn’t she afford it on her own? “Because… Hold on. I remember you were saving for your education. But when you didn’t go anywhere…” It dawned on him, and he nearly slapped himself on the forehead. He threw a glance her way. “You paid for your aunt Willow’s medical bills, didn’t you?”
“What needed to be done needed to be done.” Tension coated her voice.
“And then you needed to help your younger sister who became a single mother? Probably your uncle, too, whose business was failing? You can’t help everyone.” He nearly cringed. “Sometimes you have to think about yourself, too.”
With all her spunk, Sierra was also softhearted, and her family obviously took advantage of her.
“I felt it was the right thing to do. God wants us to help other people.”
“Yes, those who need help. But a line should be drawn when people dump all their problems on you.” His throat constricted. It didn’t matter he’d helped his younger brother for years, often working so hard he could barely see straight. His brother had taken it for granted and had spent Edgar’s hard-earned income on partying instead of tuition.
He pushed the thoughts away. It wasn’t about him right now. “Since I remember you, you always wanted to become a veterinarian. You can’t let other people stand in the way of your dream.”
“You should know,” she muttered. “People and, okay, pets matter to me. Family matters to me. I know your parents didn’t always treat you fairly, and I’m sorry for it. But doesn’t your family matter to you?”
He swallowed hard. His father had always been much stricter on him than on his younger brother, creating a painful divide. Unlike Sierra, Edgar hadn’t volunteered for the family obligations, he’d been thrown into them. It had been his job to do household chores or babysit his brother while his parents had been working or going out. Thankfully, Sierra had helped him and even made it fun.
Then it came time to earn money to pay not only for his own education but also for his brother and his rather lavish lifestyle. When Edgar had finally gotten tired of working several jobs in Houston and studying simultaneously—he’d been falling asleep in his classes—he’d tried to draw the line. For that, he’d been labeled an ungrateful son.
When things had started going better for him, he’d resumed payments, but not his love for his parents and his sibling. By then, his brother had dropped out of college due to too much partying and had difficulty holding down a job. Apparently, Edgar’s kindness had enabled his brother’s bad behavior.
“My family matters to me. I don’t think I matter to them.” His tone was dry as he pressed on the accelerator.
“I’m sorry. I really hope things will change. And… maybe your parents and your sibling want to make amends but don’t know how. I hope one day you’ll be able to talk to them. I’ll pray for you, your parents, and your brother.” Such compassion sweetened her voice.
It was always easy to talk to her about things he couldn’t talk about with anyone else. If they got married, it would be difficult to deal with all the demands her family placed on her. Well, he didn’t have to worry about that. The thought brought him bitterness instead of relief.
“Hmmm, I think I’m in the mood for lasagna.” Was she trying to change the conversation?
He glanced at the sign with the city limit of a small town. “Let’s see if they have an Italian restaurant here.”
“Oh, I see one!” She pointed somewhere forward. “Though I doubt their lasagna can be as good as the one I make. Aunt Willow’s recipe.”
For some reason, he became hungry for the lasagna made by Sierra and not any other one. “You sound pretty confident.” Then again, she’d been a good cook in high school, and her skills most likely only improved.
Family dinners with her would’ve been wonderful.
He nearly shook his head. No more looking back and obsessing over what might’ve been. He loved his life in Houston. He had a great job, plenty of good friends, and it wasn’t difficult to find a date if he wanted to. Only… Sierra had been part of his life for so long, nearly since he could remember himself, and it was lonely without her.
She glanced at the dashboard clock. “On second thought, how about a drive-through down the road? I’d rather keep going instead of a long, sit-down dinner.”
“Um, sure.” He spotted the drive-through while
swallowing bitter disappointment. He already started looking forward to a long, sit-down dinner with Sierra. “What would you like? The same as when we were kids?”
“Yep. A double-meat hamburger loaded with tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, and pickles. Extra pickles. And a large order of onion rings.”
He chuckled. “I could’ve guessed.”
Sierra always had a healthy appetite and wasn’t afraid to show it. No poking in a withered salad for her, like some of his dates did.
He pulled up to the drive-through and placed their orders, except his included a large portion of fries instead of onion rings. Then he handed her the bag from which enticing scents of fried potatoes and meat emanated. As he leaned to her to pass the bag, she smelled of smoke, but somehow the slight scent of coconut shampoo remained. Just the fragrance made his head spin when he’d been a teenager, and it had the same effect now.
Snap out of it, man.
He pulled up to the empty spot in the restaurant parking lot and parked.
Sierra bowed her head and said grace.
“Amen,” he said after a pause.
He’d stopped saying grace in Houston, stopped going to church. He’d rarely prayed. When had he grown so distant to God that he’d stopped making time for God in his life?
His heart squeezed, pushing heated blood through his veins. Maybe he was so disappointed with his father—a Christian on the outside—for treating him so unfairly that he carried that resentment toward God, too. While finding himself distanced from his father, Edgar had distanced himself from his Heavenly Father, too.
On the contrary, no matter what way Sierra’s family had treated her, her faith had never wavered. She reminded him about what was important.
They gave their food its due, and his taste buds danced in delight at the hearty fare. He loved the combination of juicy meat, fluffy bun, crispy lettuce, and salty pickle.
She grinned as she dipped a fry she stole from him in ketchup. “Remember all the times you took me to fast-food restaurants?”
He didn’t mind sharing his fries with her in the least. “Of course.” Back when he’d barely started working and couldn’t afford fancier restaurants. His father’s rule was that, if Edgar wanted to date, he had to earn money to pay for the dates. For some reason, that rule didn’t apply to his brother, and Edgar stifled the familiar resentment. Remembering the good times with Sierra was much more fun. “You smeared ketchup on your T-shirt.”
“Oops.” She chuckled, not looking embarrassed in the least.
“At the end, you said you were full and took most of your hamburger to feed a stray dog.”
“When you realized it, you went back and bought me another hamburger. That was very nice of you.”
It also meant he didn’t have enough left to pay for the movies. Sierra hadn’t seemed to mind, and they’d gone to the park with a few of her pets, played with the dogs, and talked. Somehow, just being around her was awesome.
Maybe he shouldn’t have remembered it because now nostalgia stirred inside him again.
Minutes later, he disposed of the wrappings, and they were back on the road.
“Tell me about your pets.” Okay, he wasn’t nearly as much an animal lover as she was, but what mattered to her mattered to him.
“You really want to hear about them?” Her voice softened.
“Of course.” He slowed around a curve.
The next hours, he spent laughing about her pets’ antics, and a few times his breathing slowed when she described taking care of them while they were sick. Sierra had a quick temper and wasn’t always patient with people, but she was always patient with animals.
Time passed in a blur as the rental ate up miles. As dusk darkened the horizon and lights flipped on in the various houses they passed, his eyelids started drooping. He rubbed his eyes.
“I should take over driving.” Seeming to notice his predicament, Sierra placed her hand on his arm.
They were so much in sync. Another thing Edgar had never been able to find in the women he’d dated in Houston.
“You must be getting tired, too. I see lights ahead. Looks like a small town. How about we stop there, grab something to eat, and find a hotel for the night?” He paused, realizing she might misinterpret him. “I’ll rent two rooms, of course.”
Her voice sounded sleepy when she said, “Sounds good to me. But I’ll pay for mine.”
Hmmm. He survived the first day on the road with Sierra—a true accomplishment considering how the day had gone.
Deep in the night, a desperate scream assaulted Edgar’s eardrums and threw him out of the land of dreams. For a split-second, he stared at the darkness, trying to remember where he was.
Oh, the hotel.
The scream…. It was Sierra’s voice!
A shiver traveled down his spine. He leaped out of his bed, groped the lamp switch, and pressed on it. The room lit up. Thankfully, he’d slept in his clothes—the only set of clothes he had after his luggage had gone up in flames.
His heart hammering, he dashed to the hall and knocked on Sierra’s door. “Are you okay?”
No answer, but definitely some commotion inside.
“Sierra, are you—”
A loud thud interrupted him as if something—or somebody—fell.
Lord, please help Sierra be okay.
The prayer appeared in his mind unexpectedly. Having grown apart from God, he hadn’t prayed much.
He could ask the administrator to open the door, but he couldn’t wait that long. What if something had happened to Sierra, and she needed immediate help?
He’d never before been so grateful to have CPR training. Bracing himself for the impact, he took a step back, then rushed forward. Pain reverberated through his body as his shoulder hit the door. The large chocolate-colored door shook and came off the hinges.
Worry constricted his heart as he rushed inside the room.
Edgar stopped in his tracks.
Sierra was sitting on the floor in the middle of the room, clasping what he assumed was a chandelier no longer attached to the ceiling.
“What happened?” He took the poor chandelier out of her hands, placed it aside, and pulled her up.
“Yes. I’d like to know that, too.” A male voice hit him between the shoulder blades. “I’m the administrator.”
People started gathering outside the room, probably woken by the noise.
“I think she might be still here!” Sierra’s eyes wide, she stared somewhere over his shoulder.
He tensed. “Who? Did you have an intruder?”
She visibly swallowed. “Um, you can say it this way. A mouse. She might still be in the room.”
“A mouse? All this damage because of a mouse?” The administrator’s voice rose. “Who’s going to pay for the chandelier and the door?”
Edgar raised his hand as he surveyed the place for the tiny intruder. “I will. Though you shouldn’t have pests in the rooms in the first place.” He drew Sierra close and stroked her fragile shoulders while doing his best not to notice how well she fit into his arms. “Shhhh. Don’t worry. That little rodent must be gone by now.”
“I… I wouldn’t be so sure,” she said into his chest.
A wave of tenderness spread through him. “I thought you loved animals.”
Her wobbling smile as she glanced up tugged at him. He adored and hated her kindness toward her family. He’d admired her bravery when she’d cut his seat belt seconds before the explosion. Her fragility endeared her to him even more.
He was falling for her again. Maybe he’d simply never stopped loving her, no matter how much he’d tried to persuade himself otherwise.
“I do love animals. Just not mice and cockroaches.” Her lower lip trembled.
“We don’t have cockroaches here.” The administrator huffed behind Sierra’s back.
Edgar cupped her face. “I’ll tell you what. How about I take care of the incident, then we check out of this hotel and find another place to sleep? Hope
fully, one without little guests.”
“Thank you.” Her lips curved up more, touching a soft spot inside him. She touched the soft spot inside him every time he stared in her eyes.
“I’ll go ring up the tally.” The administrator whirled around. “There’s nothing to look at here. Please, go to sleep,” he threw the words to the people as he marched to the hall.
That guy could really use some people skills.
Sierra tipped her dainty chin, a gesture so familiar to him. “Well, I guess it’s a good thing we don’t have any luggage. We can check out quickly.”
People filed away, and thankfully, they were alone soon.
“That’s one of the things I like about you. You always managed to find the good even in bad situations. Like when you’d get a bad grade. Or when we had to stay at home to babysit my brother.” Reluctantly, he let her go no matter how much he loved the feeling of her in his arms.
Some things never changed.
Her eyes widened. “Hold on. You said… you liked me?”
“I always did.” More than that, he had strong feelings for her—feelings that apparently had never gone away. It took one smile, one flutter of Sierra’s eyelashes, one embrace, and they flooded back full force.
“But…” Her lips parted. Then she seemed to catch herself. “Well, never mind. Thank you for volunteering to pay for the damages.”
“A broken door was my fault.” He tried to suppress a chuckle and failed. “Okay, let me get this straight. When you saw a mouse, you jumped and hung on a chandelier? Really?”
She flipped her auburn hair back. “I was coming from the restroom and that… rodent was sitting near my bed. I didn’t want to get too close to it to climb onto the bed. The desk and chair seemed too far.”
He sized up the distance to the ceiling. “How were you able to reach it? You probably broke some kind of record.”
“Not funny.” Then she gasped. “Look, she came back!”
The little animal darted to them, which didn’t make sense. It probably was as scared of Sierra as Sierra was of it. Thanks to a swift reaction, he managed to grab the mouse by the tail and lifted it.