Stella glanced at the building behind them. Sure enough, the sign read Little Store, Gas Station and Barber shop. “Will it be safe?”
“Oh Sure.” He chuckled and then strode away from her. Presumably to make arrangements with this Jake person.
By the time her car was parked in what was little more than a shed, Peyton had thrown Stella’s luggage into the bed of the truck and sat out front waiting for her. Reluctant to irritate him further, she rushed over and opened the passenger side door.
“Gah!” Stella couldn’t halt her startled reaction at the sight of the dog glaring down at her.
“Hop in the back!” At first, she thought he was talking to her until the menacing creature took a few tentative steps, jumped over the seat back and landed successfully behind Peyton. Not much room back there but the dog looked to have made himself quite comfortable.
“She sure minds well.” At least the beast behaved his master.
“He.” Peyton said. “Red’s a boy.”
Trying not to imagine all the dog hair she would be sitting on, Stella tentatively reached one foot up to the step and attempted to pull herself into the truck. If only her skirt wasn’t so tight.
She raised her other foot and hitched the denim material up, hoping it would buy her enough room to climb…
He’d just been sitting there watching her, but in one smooth motion shifted the car into park and pushed open his own door. Before she knew it, those warm, strong, greasy hands were on her waist, lifting her into the seat. “What the hell were you thinking?” His voice grumbled behind her. “Don’t you own a goddamn pair of jeans?”
She sat on the seat, stunned. Surely now the grease from his hands would have picked up several of the dog hairs and plastered them onto her brand-new blouse. She’d been trying to be nice. For Corinne. For Misty.
Neither of them said a word as he pulled out of the parking lot and turned onto the main road but Stella was nearly shaking.
How dare he? By the time he’d turned onto and began maneuvering up a single lane, rutted dirt road, she could contain herself no longer.
“I’m sorry if I’m not dressed to your standards but your sister needs me. She’s my best friend in the world and when she says she needs me, I’m gonna drop everything and come. I’m so sorry I didn’t stop to consider the appropriateness of my ensemble this morning.” Her voice broke. “It’s just not fair, you know that? It’s not fucking fair.” And then she did what she normally did whenever she got angry.
She covered her face with her hands and cried. Damnit, why couldn’t she just once not lose it when confronting somebody?
Peyton stopped the car and shifted it into park. It wasn’t necessary to pull over on this deserted road, they’d not come across another living soul since turning off the highway.
The only sounds in the cab of the truck were her sniffling hiccups and Red whining in the back. Apparently, her crying agitated the dog.
And then Peyton Parker’s hand landed on her thigh. Not in a sleazy, creepy sort of way, but in a kind and comforting one.
“I’m sorry to be such an ass. You don’t deserve it.” He removed his hand, hit the button that rolled down both their windows and then cut the engine. The air felt a little cooler up here. Stella rifled through her purse for a Kleenex while Peyton stared out the window. “She’s my baby sister, you know?”
Stella hated that he couldn’t stay a jerk long enough for her to just hate him.
She sniffed and dabbed at her eyes. She likely had makeup smeared all over her face by now.
“Corinne downplayed it– on the phone– but I know her. It’s bad, isn’t it?”
He didn’t say anything right away. This seemed to be a thing with him. Delaying whatever he wanted to say by about ten seconds.
And then he nodded slowly. “It’s already spreading.” His throat worked, as though he had to swallow hard. Inside the truck, he’d removed his hat. His hair was the same color as Corinne’s. Dark brown with auburn highlights. It matted down where his hat had sat, and a few dark strands clung to his forehead. His grieving face wore a day-old stubble.
A few strands of Stella’s hair trailed across her cheeks when a breeze blew through the car. Leaves rustled in the aspen trees along the road and a whistling sound rose from the valley below. Peyton finally turned to look at her. Had he felt her watching him?
“I’ve known of people who got sick like this. They took the treatments because if they didn’t, they’d feel guilty, like they were letting their family down. Corinne’s gonna subject herself to all kinds of poisons in the slim hope that she can stick around for Misty.” He reached behind him to pet Red’s neck. “And as much as it sickens me to think about her going through all of this, I’d hate it if she gave up.”
A few crows cawed in the distance as Stella absorbed his words. This wasn’t about her. This wasn’t about him. This was about Corinne and Misty.
“Okay then.” Stella sat up straight. If Corinne wants to fight it, then that’s what we’re gonna do.”
And hope.
He seemed to know what she meant. Wait for it Stella: one, two, three, four, five. There it was, that imperceptible nod of his. “Yep.” He wiped one hand across his face and then pinned her with his gaze. “You okay then?”
