“Do you think I can slide in on your side?” I asked.
“Sure thing.” I shut the door lightly, trying not to wake her up. I followed Brooks to the other side, and as he opened the door for me, I looked up at the seat, truly, for the first time. It was as high as my shoulders.
“Here,” he said, holding his hand out to me when he realized I needed help. I took it as I stepped up onto the metal step and climbed up to the seat of the truck. When I got there, I crawled across the cab and turned to sit when I reached the middle.
When I looked back, Brooks was standing there, frozen. His eyes were slightly wide, and his cheeks were flushed.
“You coming?” I asked, confused.
He cleared his throat and looked down, slightly shaking his head. “Yes, let’s go.”
He drove us down the muddy road easily. I looked over the fields as we passed. There were a few green patches where it looked like things were beginning to grow. I couldn’t even guess what they were, but it was very pretty and very different from what I was used to. Everything in the city was sleek and gray, but everything out here was vibrant and teeming with life.
However, it was hard to focus on the outside. I tried my best to stick close to Matilda, but it was a small cab, and Brooks was a large satyr. Plus, I wasn’t all that small either. I had curves everywhere, and my thighs definitely expanded when I sat. So my left thigh was all but glued to his, and every time the truck hit a bump in the road, I swayed against his large, muscled body. I was trying to think about something else,anythingelse, but apparently I had a one-track mind.
Soon, wide-open fields became stout brick buildings with lots of different signs. I saw a sign for Cool Beans Café, Ted’s Diner, and a place that just said… Bookstore, which seemed odd, but I didn’t have much time to think about it.
Looking to the left, I did a double take when I saw a phone booth. I don’t think I’d ever seen one except in the movies, but it made sense with the lack of signal.
We soon pulled up to a large white Victorian home with pillars running across the front and a shingled brown roof. Did everything in this town look like it came straight out of a cheesy movie?
Brooks hopped out, his hooves clacking on the paved drive, and I slid out in his direction. As I did, my foot caught on the step of his truck, and I felt myself begin to fall.
I braced myself for it, but was quickly caught by a warm, hot body that held me to his chest. My eyes widened as I realized Brooks had caught me. His blue eyes shone in the early evening sun, making them almost twinkle.
He cleared his throat, setting me on the ground safely. “Are you okay?” he asked.
I nodded, unwilling to trust my voice.
“We should probably get your co-worker.”
Right. Matilda, my job, all the things I was here for.
I followed him around the truck, almost needing to run to catch up, and gave Matilda a shake, letting her know we were here. Brooks helped her out of the truck, to which she noted how nice of a young man he was—again—and led us inside. I tried to tell him we could take it from here, but he insisted it was no bother.
He grabbed our stuff from the back, carrying it inside easily. The inn was cozy-looking, with worn wood floors and cream walls featuring older, black-and-white photos in mismatched frames.
“Welcome!” a cheery voice from behind the counter said. It was a woman with brown hair and freckles, but she also had a pair of bunny ears flopping down around her face. “Do you have a reservation?”
“Yes.” I went to pull out my phone but remembered there was no internet. “Should be under Sydney Jacobs and Matilda Smith.”
To my surprise, she then flipped open a handwritten guest book and ran her finger down until she found our names. “Yes, I see you here.”
She wrote a few things by hand and turned to grab something. When she pressed the cold metal in my hand, I was shocked by the regular keys I was given—no keycard, all manual. It again added to the obvious charm of this place.
“You’ll be in room three,” she told Matilda, “and you’re in four across the hall. Breakfast is served from six to nine. Definitely drop into Ted’s if you’re looking for lunch or dinner, and Cool Beans will have lavender macaroons to celebrate the Blossom Festival happening soon.”
Blossom Festival? What kind of event was that? I thought I shouldn’t ask, since we’d probably be out of here before that, anyway.
“Thank you,” I said, handing Matilda her key.
When I turned around, Brooks was still standing there, bags in hand. “I can help bring these to your room,” he offered.
“I think we’re—”
“That would be lovely. You’re so kind,” Matilda cut in before I could finish.
I huffed, but gestured toward the hall. It was fairly thin, and while Matilda and I could walk side by side, there was no way someone could walk next to Brooks. His shoulders almost touched the walls on either side. My gaze slid from his toned shoulders to his enormous arms that looked seconds from bursting from the sleeves to his tight back.
