Loving Eden (2 page)

“You can ride with me.” He pointed to the cab. “Sally there’ll move over for ya.” In the front seat was a long-haired golden retriever. I liked dogs, but I wasn’t about to let one I didn’t know sit in my lap.

I weighed my options. I could stay with the truck, keep an eye on my life’s possessions, and get harassed by every man who drove past; or I could ride with Hank the tow truck driver with Sally on my lap into a town I’d never heard of, and leave everything I own in this world on the side of a Louisiana back road.

Hank stepped toward his truck. “You comin’?”

“No. I think I’ll stay with the truck.” I still wasn’t certain I made the best choice.

“Suit yourself.” He opened the door. “Be back real soon.”

“Ok. Thank you.” I tried to smile, but knew I didn’t have much faith in Hank. He didn’t seem like a take-charge kind of guy.

Hank flashed his lights and made a U-turn on the highway, I presumed back to the town that had the tire I needed. I climbed into the truck, locked the doors, and turned on the radio.

I smiled as the song filled the cab. It was one of the Texas country songs Grey had introduced to me. It was only six months ago that I discovered there was an entire world of music I had never heard. Although, listening to anything with Grey’s arms wrapped around me was pure heaven.

I leaned into the vinyl seat and let the beat wash over me. Six months ago, I traveled to South Padre Island for spring break. I was alone, angry, brokenhearted, and determined. After my ex, Brett, stole my resort room, I ended up at the dilapidated Palm Palace, home to one hot handyman, Grey Lachlan. In ten days, Grey and I transformed from complete strangers to a couple who couldn’t stand to be away from each other for more than five minutes. It was the most amazing week of my entire life.

I usually skipped over the part of the story when I was back in North Carolina for six weeks, uncertain of where we stood, and Grey was in South Padre, thinking I was still someone else’s girlfriend. The day he appeared on my doorstep, everything changed.

He’s not the kind of guy to share his feelings. Driving all the way from Texas said more than any poem, song, or speech he could compose. I knew then that all the horrible things that had happened and the shitty relationship that preceded him were for a reason. A very important reason. It all led me straight to him.

I didn’t recognize the next song that played. I sat forward and hit the seek button on the radio. There was more static than music in this part of the country. It must have been thirty minutes since Hank, the tow man, left. Surely, he would be back soon.

I cracked the door just as a horsefly flew into the cab. I jumped out trying to avoid getting bitten.
Shit.
I walked to the back of the truck. My snacks, phone, and overnight bag were all in the cab along with an insect that would leave a welt the size of a quarter. Maybe if I left him long enough he would fly right out when I opened the door again. I took a seat on the tail of the trailer.

This was not how I pictured my move to Texas. I shouldn’t be stranded on the side of the road. I should be cruising over the Texas state line about now. I moved closer to the edge of the trailer, trying to avoid the most intense rays of the sun.

Grey could have been the one to move. He had offered to sell the Palm Palace and pack up his one-bedroom hotel room and head north, but it didn’t feel right. He had something in South Padre that I couldn’t take away from him. His grandfather had given him the motel, and even though it struggled in its first year with Grey at the helm, I knew it was going to be successful. Me, on the other hand, I was fresh out of college, no job prospects, nothing keeping me in North Carolina. It made perfect sense that I should move.

I never thought I’d be moving in with someone at the age of twenty-two, but then I never planned on meeting Grey. We tried the long-distance relationship for a month or two, but phone calls, emails, and texts weren’t enough. I wanted to see him. I missed him. The only way to fix that was for us to be in the same state. I pride myself on being a practical girl, and the practical decision was for me to move to South Padre. To the Palm Palace.

I saw the flashing yellow lights a few cars back. Finally, Hank had returned. He waved as he pulled behind the trailer.

“Got you a tire.” He beamed as he stepped out of the truck.

“Good. I was starting to worry about you, Hank.”

He walked to the back of his truck and retrieved a tire, slung it to the ground, and began rolling it toward me.

“This was the only one we had left in that trailer size.” He pointed to the flat. “Why don’t you scoot, and let me git this on here?”

I hopped from the ledge and watched as he began the process of dismounting the pancake tire. Sally must have seen this a hundred times. She pulled her head in from the window and folded herself in the front seat.

After fifteen minutes, Hank had finished the tire change process and stepped back to admire his work. “That oughtta do ya.” He smiled widely, and I noticed he had several teeth missing.

“Thank you. I really appreciate the help.” This wasn’t the time to tell him I’d been sitting on the side of the road for three hours because of him.

“Sure thing.” He tipped his hat and walked to the truck. “Be careful out there.”

“I will.” I almost jogged to the driver side. I was ready to get the last part of the trip underway. Nine hours and I would be in Grey’s arms.

I pulled twice on the lever, climbed into the cab, and screamed.
Damn it
. I had forgotten about the horsefly. He landed on the side of my neck and bit hard before I could dodge him. I rolled down the window and watched him fly into the road. I could only hope he became someone’s hood ornament.

I winced as I looked in the rearview mirror. On the side of my neck, a puffy red mark started to swell. My fingers pressed along the skin. So much for looking flawless when I showed up on Grey’s doorstep.

I switched on the turn signal, put the truck in drive, and waited for someone to let me merge onto the highway. I could do this. I could finish the rest of the trip on my own. Nine hours. I would see Grey in nine hours.

I
didn’t want to pull over again during the last leg of the trip, but the Welcome to Texas sign called for a stop. I had never lived in any other state other than North Carolina. This was momentous. I took a few pictures with my phone, and then positioned myself so the stone star was in the background over my shoulder. I was careful to turn the opposite direction of my hail-sized bug bite.

I smiled as I exited onto the interstate. I was officially in Texas. My new home. The state where I would reside for…hmm. I didn’t have a timetable in mind. Love wasn’t about setting limits. It was about facing the future together, whatever that future might be.

My phone started to ring and I tapped the speaker button.

“Hey, Taylor.”

“Eden, where are you? Are you there yet?” She sounded frantic.

“I actually just crossed the Texas state line.”

“Oh, I thought you’d be closer than that.”

“Me too. I had a flat tire in Louisiana and it took forever to get it fixed, but I’m back on the road.” I didn’t have to worry about Taylor ratting me out to Grey. She was still in Chapel Hill.

“You ok? You sound happy for someone with truck trouble.”

I laughed. “Surprisingly, I am.” I felt downright giddy. I was in the same state as Grey. Only seven more hours and I would be at the Palm Palace. “Other than that and the enormous horsefly attack I went under this afternoon, it has been an easy trip.”

Taylor sighed. “I wish you had let me come with you. It could have been our last big trip together, you know?”

“I know, but it was something I wanted to do on my own. Besides, you’ll be here in a month.”

As soon as I told Taylor I was moving out of our apartment at the end of our July lease, she made a reservation to visit me in South Padre. While I was planning my big move to Texas, she enrolled in graduate school, and stayed in Chapel Hill. I moved home for a month to spend time with my parents and go through the process of what to pack and what to store.

“Fall break can’t get here fast enough. I want to see South Padre and you’re new place with Grey.”

“I can’t wait either.” I hoped I wasn’t homesick in a month, but having the Taylor plan made it seem a little less daunting.

“So, are you moving straight into the motel? How is that going to work?”

I chewed on my bottom lip. “I guess that’s the plan.”

For the past few weeks, I had tried to imagine how Grey and I were going to combine our lives into one motel room. I was bringing bedroom furniture, a TV I received as a graduation gift, and enough housewares to stock an entire apartment. We didn’t even have a kitchen at the Palm Palace. Anything we couldn’t squeeze into room twenty-four would have to go in storage.

“Does Grey know how much stuff you’re bringing?”

“He told me to bring what I couldn’t live without and we’d figure it out together.” I guessed he probably meant survival items, like my hair dryer, but I wasn’t going to part with my books or my bed.

“It’s going to be so much fun moving in together.” Taylor sighed. “I don’t think I’m headed in that direction with Jesse. He is more non-committal lately than anything.”

“Why are you still dating him? He reminds me of Brett.” It wasn’t the first time I had told Taylor her boyfriend was less than stellar.

A few students stayed around the summer after graduation. Sometimes it was to finish out leases and to job hunt. Sometimes it was the layover before grad school classes started, and sometimes it was for the last summer hoorah before real life began. Taylor met Jesse at a graduation party, and she still hadn’t figured out his reason for staying in Chapel Hill.

“Because every time I think I’m going to break up with him, he does something really sweet. And have I mentioned the sex is amazing? Like, off-the-charts amazing?”

I giggled. I couldn’t fault her for that. “Yes, you’ve told me. I just wish you knew what his plan was. Is he staying for the semester? Is he moving home? What is his deal?”

“I don’t know. I’m just having fun with him, but I know I really want more than that. I want to match up our towels and cookware.”

“Don’t let him hear you say that.” Jesse was the skittish type.

“Oh, believe me, I won’t, unless I’m ready to make a break. Speaking of Jesse, he’s on his way over to watch a movie.”

“A movie, huh?”

“I doubt we’ll watch it, but yes, a movie.”

“You two have fun.” I slowed the truck. Traffic was getting dense as I approached Houston.

“Call or text when you make it to South Padre.”

“Considering your date and what time it is now, I’ll probably go with the text.”

“All right, send smoke signals if you have to, but I want to know you’re ok.”

I laughed. “Ok, smoke signals. Talk to you later, bye.”

I wedged my phone into the cup holder and exhaled. The tightness in my shoulder had spread to my neck, and the harder I gripped the steering wheel, the more I felt tingles of numbness shoot down my spine. This wasn’t the optimal way to drive, but I wasn’t about to stop now. I could do a few stretches when I made it to the island.

With the three-hour delay in Louisiana, I was scheduled to arrive at the Palm Palace at one in the morning. The granola bar I had eaten earlier had started to fade, and I rummaged through the cooler for a sandwich. I would have to call tomorrow to thank Mom for all of her snacks.

The edges of the bread were a little soggy from riding in a cooler for two days, but I savored every gooey bite. This meant I didn’t have to stop. This meant, as the miles rolled under the wheels, I was getting closer to Grey.

The billboards in Texas were different from the ones back home. There were advertisements for boot warehouses, and it seemed like every town had a rodeo event. I wondered if Grey liked rodeos. He definitely looked hot in his boots when he chose to wear them. There would be a lot we would learn about each other living under the same roof.

I sighed. I was going to be seeing Grey in his boots whenever he wore them. No more wondering what he was doing at night while I was eating pizza and drinking wine with Taylor. No more five-hour phone conversations when both of us were reluctant to hang up. No more lonely nights in an empty bed, wishing his hands were on me.