Chapter Three

A Chapter by Tabitha t

Chapter Three

How long had she been sitting in the growing shade of the old rusted through pickup truck? Trisha couldn’t tell anymore. Emmy had long since fallen asleep curled up on the well worn and soft brown leather of the trucks bench seat. Linda had cranked the air conditioning on enough to keep Emmy and the fast asleep puppy cool in the mid afternoon sun but not enough to drain the half empty gas tank. If she were lucky she would have enough left to get to town once she got herself out of this mess.

Linda’s back ached as she leaned against the warm metal of the truck. The pain surfaced low in her hips as she sat on the uneven dirt road. She could feel a small lump from a rock underneath her but she felt to down to bother brushing it aside. All around her the sun was well on its way to sinking below the hills that faced her. Crickets had began to voice their night time revelry and the moon was now visible to her right as she watched with only slight interest as the sun began to bleed into the sky turning it a coppery orange.

Her eyes lazily scanned the road in the direction that the earlier truck had disappeared down. Had she heard the roar of an engine? Seen a cloud of dust from a set of tires? She wasn’t sure but she stood up to get a better view. Her legs tingled from sitting for so long.

There is was again. A glimmer of light on metal. A car was definitely coming her way. Linda stood up and stretched, a crackle ran up her spine and she sighed deeply with relief. She could feel beads of sweat tracing the lines of her collar bones as they ran their way down her body leaving cool fingerprints against her flesh in the hot southern sun.

The sound of a roaring engine hit her ears and she waved her arms in welcome to the approaching vehicle.

Please stop, She prayed. Please stop.

The driver had spotted her and as it approached it quickly decelerated and pulled to the side of the road. With the engine still idling the driver stepped out of his light blue truck and lowered the cowboy hat from his brow. With dark chestnut brown eyes that reminded Linda of a sweet tempered buck the man looked from the flattened tire to Trisha.

“In need of help mam?” He asked as he wiped the brim of his head against the plaid material of his long sleeve shirt and walked to the edge of the truck bed.

They make them right in the south. Linda thought as her eyes soaked in the strong arms and chest.

“Yeah, I’ve had nothing but trouble from this old thing and now I’ve gotten a flat.” Linda’s mouth said even though her brain was screaming many different things.

“Gotta spare?” He asked thoughtfully as he assessed the tire again and rubbed his chin.

“Sure don’t.” Linda sighed as she pinched the front of her shirt and fanned it against her skin. She couldn’t wait to get out of this humid weather.

“Not a problem mam.” He said as he flashed a set of brilliant white teeth and quickly turned around to head back to the bed of his own truck.

“You aint from these parts are ya?” He asked as he drug out a spare tire and hefted it up under one arm. His arms bulged underneath his shirt and Linda felt herself getting even hotter then she already was.

“How can you tell?” She answered with her own question as she fanned herself even more vigorously.

“Well,” he answered as he reached into the back of his truck again and this time came out with a tool chest in the hand that wasn’t already holding the tire.

“Around here people know to never leave the house without a spare tire. You could be stuck on these back roads for hours before someone just happens along.”

He set down these items by the now useless tire and stood up and with a lopsided grin he stuck his hand out to Linda.

“Names Lance mam.” He grinned brighter as she took his hand and shook.

“I am very glad you came by. I didn’t know how long I was going to have to sit here before another car came by after I was almost run over by some big red truck.” She smiled.

“Someone passed you and didn’t stop?” Lance frowned. Linda couldn’t help but notice the dark lines that traced his lips as he did.

Don’t stare at his lips you idiot! She reprimanded herself before inhaling a quivering breath and looking back up at the less provocative features of his face. He is so beautiful. Her mind wandered as she took in the features of his face. Tanned and smooth skin framed a square jaw line with just a hint of dark bristle stood out on his chin.

“Yeah some jacked up red truck almost plowed me over as I tried to flag him down.” She answered after a moment of silent man worship.

“That must have been Wallis,” He growled. “The good for nothing son of a b***h.” He shook his head.

“Well mam lucky for you my mama raised me right unlike your friend Wallis there who was in too big of a hurry to get to the bar before sundown.”

With that he rolled up his sleeves to show more tanned skin on hard forearms and crouched to begin his work on the busted tire.

As he worked Linda stood by and watched the process. The way he easily loosened the bolts and washers and the way his tight back flexed and constricted with the effort.

You are loosing it girl! She cursed herself with only the slightest hint of humor.

Isn’t studying gorgeous man meat what got you in this mess to begin with? She took a deep breath and fanned herself again. Just to preoccupy her eyes she went and peeked in the window at Emmy and Justin who were both still fast asleep on the worn leather seats. Emmy’s arm was lightly draped over the fuzzy body of the puppy and Linda silently saved the sweet sight in her mind.

“So mam where are you from?” Linda heard Lance grunt as he pushed the old tire away from the vehicle and grabbed a hold of the spare that would take its place.

“You can call me Linda.” Linda smiled down at her first southern prince charming.

“And I come from up south a ways.” She explained. “Today is actually my first day in town. I just bought a fix her upper a few miles back.” She stuck her thumb over her shoulder to indicate the way she had come.

“Oh!” Lance’s eyes lit up. “You must be talking about the old McCain place. About five or six miles back, light yellow wash boards with a white trim?” He asked.

“Yeah that sounds like the very one.” Linda laughed. “Two bedrooms and a lot of work that needs to be done.”

Lance smiled over his shoulder as he tightened one of the lug nuts on the tire.

“Well Linda it looks like you and I are going to be neighbors.” He grinned wider then ever.

“I live just a mile or so down the lane. Green wash boards with tan trim and an old beagle out front.”

Could this get any better? Linda laughed at her own good luck.

“Well then neighbor. I know you have already gone out of your way to help a woman in distress out but maybe you can tell me of any work that needs to be done in town?” Linda asked. She had used up most of James’s account funds in buying the house and what was left she knew wouldn’t last forever. She wanted to get a job as soon as possible.

“What do you do?” He answered with his own question as he straightened up and rubbed the small of his back.

“Well I took photography and a bit of journalism in college, but Ill do just about anything.” Linda pictured herself in a white smock with a mustard smear across the left side of her breast taking orders at a local café and serving endless cups of coffee. She had to admit the picture wasn’t a pleasant one but she wanted to erase Trisha completely which meant giving up her assets and working hard.

Laughter ripped Linda from her thoughts. She looked up only mildly startled at Lance who stood before her laughing uncontrollably. One hand held on to the sides of the truck for support as the other hand clenched his hard abs in slight pain as he laughed.

“Excuse me,” He gasped as he tried to control the fit as he wiped a few tears from his cheeks.

“It seems that this isn’t just your lucky day but mine as well.” He said in a happy tone.

“You see I run the local press here in Abbott. I usually run things mostly by myself but I haven’t had much time recently and have been thinking about finding someone qualified to help out around the place.” He giggled ounce again and in order to not burst back into laughter he took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

“So you must understand how shocking it is to run into a woman who is broken down on the side of the road on her first day in town and she just happens to be a journalism major and photographer.”

“You’re right.” She smiled. “That is a very interesting coincidence.” And it was. Everything just seemed to be falling into place.

“Oh I don’t believe in coincidence mam.” Lance smiled as he picked up his tool box and the now useless tire and threw both into the back of his truck with a clang.

“So after you have settled into your new place and feel like getting to work head on over. You can’t miss the place, its one of the oldest building in town.” With that he placed the tall brimmed hat back on his ead and climbed into his own truck.

Linda watched him continue down the road where she now knew that he would pass her own house and then in a short minute he would reach his own.

It just got better. She thought as a small smile crept its way onto her face and she hopped into her own truck and continued on her way into town as the sun dipped completely behind the hills in the distance.

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© 2012 Tabitha t

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Reviews

Craig2591

Things are going very well... a little TOO well?

Mam is spelled ma'am. I don't mean to be picky, but that was really bugging me for some reason. : )

Again, well told, easy to follow. I like the story so far.