The sun was beginning to set, making now one of the worst times possible to break down.
I lifted the hood of the car and peered under it.
Willow rounded the front of the car and rested her butt on the end.
“Find anything?”
I twisted to look at her, smiling ruefully. “In the point two seconds since I’ve looked? That would be a no.” I went back to studying the smoking engine. It was hard to see, so I pulled my phone from my pocket and flipped on the flashlight.
About that time Willow’s phone began buzzing in her pocket. She looked at the screen. “It’s my dad,” she groaned, “he has the worst timing ever.”
He certainly did. It was quite a talent. “Don’t tell him we broke down,” I warned her, “or he’ll be on the next plane out here before you can blink.”
She laughed and nodded her head in agreement before walking a few feet away and standing under the shaded cover of a tree to answer the phone.
The smoke coming out from the car told me it was likely something wrong with the radiator.
Poking around a bit more it didn’t take me long to deduce that the coolant was leaking. It would be a quick fix, but I didn’t have the time tonight considering it was getting dark and we needed to find a place to stay.
Willow ended her call and I slammed the hood closed.
“So?” She asked.
“Coolant leak.” I crossed my arms over my chest and sighed heavily.
“Is that a big deal?”
“No,” I shook my head, “but I can’t fix it now. We need to find a place to stay.”
She blew a big bubblegum bubble and looked at me blandly. “We can sleep in the car.”
I shook my head adamantly. “I’m not doing that again.”
She cracked a grin. “You don’t want to be my snuggle bunny again?”
“No.”
Sleeping with Willow in my arms all night was great…but not in the back of my car.
She laughed and blew another bubble. It popped and she started to laugh. My hand swiped out and I stole the gum from her mouth and stuck it in mine.
Her jaw fell and she looked at me in disbelief. “Dean!” She cried, and rushed me like she was going to tackle me.
I blocked her easily and pulled the gum from my mouth, dangling it above her head. “Is this what you want?”
“Yes!” She jumped, trying to grab the dangling piece with her teeth.
I laughed at her pathetic attempts.
Sticking it back in my mouth I stretched it out, so part of the gum adhered to my finger and pulled, wrapping it around my finger like you saw girls do with their hair in movies.
“Come and get it,” I challenged.
Willow’s eyes sparkled with silent laughter. She grabbed my hand and sucked my finger into her mouth. The gum came off easily and she pulled until it broke off. A piece dangled on her chin and she giggled before using her tongue to pull it in her mouth.
“Sharing is caring.” She winked.
I nodded woodenly, unable to process a coherent thought at the moment.
“So, if we’re not sleeping in the car…where are we going?” She asked, gesturing around to the vacant stretch of road we were on.
“We’ll figure it out.” I shrugged. “We always do.”
I put the cover on the roof of the car and grabbed our bags and my guitar before locking it up.
I held my guitar in one hand and reached for Willow’s with my other. Her fingers twined with mine.
“We can’t walk,” she whined, yanking on my hand and trying to let go. When that failed she locked her legs and I ended up dragging her in the dirt.
“We have to,” I said, focusing on the road ahead.
Always look ahead, never behind. Best advice I’d ever been given.
Willow groaned. “It’ll be miles before we get somewhere. Why don’t we search for an Uber driver?” She reasoned.
I tightened my hold on her hand. “Because I don’t want us to end up murdered.”
“Oh, come on, Dean. We’re not going to get murdered…but we might get eaten by a wild animal if we’re out here long.” She hurried her steps to catch up so that I wasn’t pulling on her.
“I thought you weren’t afraid of anything,” I jested, and adjusted my grip on the guitar case.
“I’m not afraid,” she said the word like it was disgusting and left a bad taste on her tongue, “but I don’t feel like walking for who knows how long.”
I gave her hand a light squeeze and she gazed up at me. “Think of it as another adventure.”
She nodded. “I can do that. I think.”
After about a quarter of a mile, a car passed us and Willow jumped at the opportunity.
She waved her arms, trying to flag them down, and held out her thumb in the hopes they’d stop.
They didn’t.
“Dammit!” She groaned and kicked at the dirt, sending up a dust cloud around us.
The sun had almost completely disappeared at this point, and we had no light but for the ones on our phones.
Several more cars passed us in the next hour, but none stopped.
“I have no faith in humanity,” Willow growled, letting her arms fall as yet another car passed.
I shrugged and continued walking. “Most people are too scared to help a stranger.”
“Do we really look that scary?” She countered.
“People don’t like the unknown.”
“Fuck the unknown!” She yelled up at the night sky. “It’s there for a reason so you can discover something great! Without the unknown life would be a stale cheese goldfish cracker!”
I snorted. “Willow that might be the single greatest thing you’ve ever said.”
“I’m too mad to accept a compliment at the moment.” She quickened her strides and passed me.
“When do you think you’ll be open to compliments?” I switched the guitar case to my other hand.
“Never.”
I chuckled just as a pair of headlights lit us up from behind.
Willow straightened at the light cast, but didn’t try to flag them down like she had been. I knew it wasn’t that she’d given up—Willow didn’t give up—but that she was too mad to care at the moment.
Luckily, for her, or the both of us really, this person stopped without any action on our part.
Dirt billowed around us from the tires as the car pulled off the road.
I stopped and waited for the person to make the first move.
A window rolled down and a voice called out, “You guys need a ride?”
“Yes!” Willow cried, running past me and towards the SUV that was pulling a camper. “We would love a ride. Thank you so much!”
“Not so fast.” I grabbed her arm when I reached the car window. I wanted to check these people out before we hopped in a car with them.
“Hey, I’m Chase.” The guy in the driver’s seat smiled and lifted his hand in a half wave.
“Alyssa.” The blonde in the passenger seat that called out to us said. “And this is Alexis and Jacob.” She pointed to the two people in the back seat. “Where are you guys headed?”
“Malibu,” Willow replied instantly.
“Our car broke down,” I told them, “we’re trying to find a place to stay for the night until I can get what I need to fix my car.”
Chase pointed straight ahead. “We’re headed to a camping site about ten miles from here. There’s not enough room in the camper for another couple, but we have tents if you guys don’t mind roughing it for a night. We’d be happy to take you to get what you need in the morning and back to your car.”
“You guys are life savers!” Willow cried. “I love you!”
“Thank you,” I told them, meaning those two words immensely. “This means a lot.”
“Sure thing.” Chase tipped his head in my direction. “Get in.”
The back door opened and Alexis and Jacob made room for us to crawl in and to the third row of seats.
Once we were seated Chase pulled back onto the road and headed in the direction of the campsite.
“Where are you guys from?” Chase asked.
“Virginia,” Willow said at the same time I replied with, “California.”
She elbowed me in the gut and hissed loud enough for the whole car to hear, “They’re not murderers, Dean. I promise they’re not going to find where we live and try to kill us.”
The four people in the car busted out laughing while I sat mortified.
It wasn’t the first time Willow’s big mouth had gotten me in trouble.
“Your girlfriend’s right, man, we’re not going to hurt you.” Jacob twisted around in his seat to face me, still stifling uncontrollable laughter.
I shrugged. “You never know.”
They only laughed harder.
We arrived at the campsite a few minutes later. They had a reserved spot that was near a cropping of trees with a view of the rocky landscape. It looked almost post-apocalyptic.
Everyone filed from the car and I thanked them yet again.
They set up their camper and Chase said, “Wait here,” while he rummaged inside.
He returned a minute later with a dust-covered tent. “You know how to put one of these up?” He asked me.
I nodded. “Sure do.”
“We’re going to make dinner and there’s plenty so you guys are welcome to join us.”
“Thank you.” Willow reached out and hugged him. “We appreciate this so much.”
Chase dipped his head in acknowledgment and went back inside the camper with the others.
“You pick,” I told Willow, indicating all the space we had to set up the tent.
She tapped her lip in thought and finally pointed. “There.”
Willow moved to sit on a large boulder, gazing out at the view, while I went to work setting up the tent.
I’d been camping many times with Willow and my family, so it took me no time to have the tent assembled.
When I was done, I went to join Willow. I sat behind her on the rock and she leaned her back against my chest. I wrapped my arms around her and burrowed my head against her neck, pressing my lips to the spot where her pulse raced.
She made a happy little humming sound in the back of her throat and I smiled against her skin.
We’d fallen so easily into the roles of a couple. It didn’t feel stilted or awkward at all. It was just…right.
“What are you thinking about?” She whispered into the night air.
“You.” I brushed my lips over the shell of her ear and she giggled. It looked like I’d found a ticklish spot.
“Me? When you could be enjoying all of this?” She pointed at the view.
“I’m enjoying myself.” I grabbed a piece of her hair that had blown in the wind and twisted it around my finger.
She tilted her head up to smile at me before returning to the view ahead.
Around us bugs chirped and buzzed. Unlike at home, though, it didn’t bother me. In a place like this their sounds felt like the music of the land—necessary to see the whole picture.
The others began to set up a table and a small portable grill.
“We better go help them,” I told Willow. It was the right thing to do, considering their generosity.
“You’re right,” Willow nodded, her head rubbing against my chest with the gesture, “but selfishly I don’t want to move.”
We began to disentangle and went to offer our assistance.
As we all worked we got to know each other. We learned that Chase was studying to be a doctor and about to start his residency, which was why he and his friends and fiancé were on this trip for a small getaway before he became consumed by work.
Alyssa, his fiancé, would be starting her final year of college to become a teacher.
Jacob and Alexis called themselves self-proclaimed bums, at least in comparison to their friends, but considering they said they owned a small health food store where they lived in Texas I didn’t think they were bums at all.
Chase manned the grill, keeping an eye on the burgers and hotdogs.
Several grocery bags sat on the table and we worked on unloading them while we chatted.
“Why are you guys headed to Malibu?” Alexis asked, setting a bag of potato chips on the table.
“To see my cousin,” Willow answered with a pleasant smile.
“Who doesn’t know we’re coming,” I added.
Jacob chuckled. “That’ll be interesting.”
“Liam’s cool.” Willow shrugged, completely unaffected.
“Wait…” Alexis held up a hand to Willow’s face. “What did you say your name was?”
“Willow,” she replied hesitantly, unsure where this was going.
Her mouth popped open and she stared at Willow in awe. “Duuude.”
“What?” Jacob, Chase, and Alyssa all said at the same time.
“Willow…Liam…” Alexis mused. “Your dad’s in Willow Creek, right?!”
Willow’s eyes popped out and she looked about ready to run away. She hated this kind of attention.
“No, you’ve got the wrong person.” Willow shook her head and brushed her blonde hair over her shoulder.
“No, no.” Alexis was adamant. “I know the drummer,” Willow rolled her eyes at this, “has a kid named Willow. And Mathias’ son is a surfer in California named Liam. I’m not crazy. This can’t be a coincidence.”
Willow looked like she was two seconds away from chucking a hard object at Alexis’ head.
“Willow—” I began, reaching out to put a hand on her shoulder.
“What do you want?” Willow finally muttered. “Autographs? A picture? Blood type?”
Alexis’ dark brows furrowed together. “No, I don’t want anything. I just think it’s cool that you’re the Willow. It must’ve been so cool growing up with a rock star for a parent.”
Willow appeared shocked by what she had to say. When she finally regained her composure she said, “It’s not all it’s cracked up to be.”
Alexis frowned at this while the others looked on in confusion.
“I’m so lost.” Jacob rubbed his head, like the gesture would help him to gain clarity on the situation.
Alexis huffed a sigh. “Her dad is the drummer from Willow Creek, right?” She glanced at Willow for clarification.
Willow nodded and picked at a loose thread on the tablecloth thrown haphazardly across the wooden table.
“What?” Alyssa gasped. “That’s so cool!”
“Their music is timeless.” Chase agreed with a nod.
Willow glanced up at me and her teeth dug into her bottom lip. I knew she was wishing a hole would open up and bury her alive.
Beneath the table I reached for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, reminding her that I was here.
“So, you’re like famous,” Alexis said, sitting across from Willow. “What was that like growing up?”
“I’m not famous,” Willow said adamantly. It was her standard reply.
Alexis wrinkled her nose and tilted her head to the side. She seemed to know she’d hit a soft spot of Willow’s and luckily let it go.
“How do you two know each other?” Chase asked, wagging a finger between us.
“We grew up together,” I answered, glancing at Willow to make sure she wasn’t about to panic and run. I’d often believed her adventurous spirit stemmed from her need to escape—and this conversation was bound to send her running unless I could keep her calm. Beneath the table, I rubbed my thumb over her hand and I felt her relax a fraction.
“That’s so cute!” Alexis cried, clapping her hands together. She was obviously the much more exuberant of the two girls. Alyssa was the quiet type who sat back and studied a situation before making an observation. “You’re like a couple, right?”
I nodded.
“I can’t believe you grew up together and now you’re a couple. That’s so romantic. Are you famous too?” She asked me.
I knew Willow had probably rolled her eyes out of her head at that comment.
“No,” I shook my head. “I’m just Dean and she’s just Willow. That’s all.”
“Lexi, can you help me inside. I need to find something.” Alyssa pointed towards the camper.
Her face fell, but she nodded.
Once the girls were gone Willow breathed out an audible sigh of relief.
Both guys smiled apologetically.
“Sorry about that,” Jacob shrugged, grabbing a beer from the cooler, “Lexi can be a bit nosy and this is the closest she’s come to meeting a famous person.”
“It’s okay.” Willow mumbled, but I knew it really wasn’t.
“Let’s go for a walk.” I stood from the table and she followed reluctantly.
I hoped if I got her away for a little bit she’d feel better. I knew Alexis meant no harm with her innocent questions, but Willow didn’t like it because it set off a ring of thoughts in her mind about what people expected of her because of who her dad was. On the surface, Willow seemed like she had it all together, and she did in many ways, but like everyone else she also had doubts and those doubts could eat away at her.
We moved into the cover of trees and I leaned my back against one, turning her so she faced me. I held her by the waist so she couldn’t get away and her sad eyes lifted to mine.
“Are you okay?” I asked her.
She nodded. “I feel silly for clamming up, but I hate talking about my dad and my life.”
“I think most people hate talking about personal things with strangers,” I assured her. “But when you have parent’s in the public eye, people assume it’s fair game. They don’t think.”
“I’m not crazy?”
“Not when it comes to this.” I smoothed stray blonde hairs off her forehead before rubbing my thumb over her plump bottom lip.
“But you’re saying I am crazy,” she laughed, and it felt good to hear it after how quiet she’d been.
“Most definitely.” I grinned, cupping her cheeks in my hands so I could look at her.
One of her hands rose and fit over top of mine. The love in her eyes sent me reeling. So much had changed in such a short amount of time, but at the same time it felt like nothing had changed.
“You always make me feel better,” she whispered, her words carried to my ears by the wind.
The Road That Leads to Us Page 20