CHAPTER 26
LOLA
Even I had to admit, the car in front of us had my full and undivided attention. I would have assumed we’d be traveling in something a little more discreet. From the frustrated look on Drew’s face, he did, too.
“It’s a bright fucking yellow Camaro!” he growled.
Gabbie smiled and ran a hand down the door affectionately.
“I know, with a black racing stripe, twenty-inch glossy black rims, 6.2 liter V8 engine, six-speed manual, and full leather interior.” She sighed and looked at it dreamily. “She’s an orgasm on wheels.”
“Where the fuck did you rent something like this?” Drew tugged me closer.
“They have a luxury rental center a few blocks from here. She hasn’t been taken out in a long while. I couldn’t let her just sit there, all sad and unwanted.” Gabbie actually pouted.
“You didn’t think, considering the circumstances, an inconspicuous vehicle might have been more appropriate?”
Drew was pissed and pissed Drew was formidable, but Gabbie was completely unfazed.
“Calm your farm, Cranky Bear. They’ll be looking for a black Hummer, and if they think we’ve ditched it, they’ll assume we’re driving something sensible and safe, like a dark sedan. This is as inconspicuous as it gets.”
Drew shook his head at her logic, and I smiled.
“That’s clever,” I said.
Drew gave me an exasperated look. “It stands out like dogs balls.”
I shrugged, plastering an innocent look on my face. “Bright yellow dogs balls, and I’ve never been in a car like this.” Stepping closer to his body, I leaned into his warmth. “And, I figure it’s probably fast. The faster we get where we’re going, the faster we can take a shower . . . maybe even together,” I whispered so only Drew could hear.
He became completely immobile, those fathomless eyes filled with desire, before pulling me completely into his body. My chest was flush with his hard front, my hands rested on his shoulders, and my startled gaze lifted to his intense one.
“Damn, Mouse, you sure know how to give a man incentive.”
Gabbie pressed a button and the trunk rose. Drew piled our overnight bags into the tight space then handed Gabbie the muffin and cup of coffee.
“For me?” she exclaimed. “For that, you can drive.”
I climbed into the cramped space in the back, sitting behind Gabbie so Drew could push his seat back. When the car started, I grinned. The sound of the motor was different from Hank who also had a V8 engine. This car was a more subtle beast; it purred like a jungle cat.
“Don’t get food on the leather,” Drew growled as he pulled away from the shopping center.
“Don’t worry. I’m starving,” Gabbie mumbled through a mouthful of food. “I’m not wasting a single drop of this.”
Leaving town was blissfully uneventful. I kept waiting for the next car chase, perhaps guns firing, but there was nothing but the occasional red light and the Mustang slowing for pedestrians. Even so, Gabbie and Drew remained alert, a gun lying on Gabbie’s thigh while they both kept a vigilant lookout. I had tried to keep my head down low in the hope nobody would notice me, and Gabbie had put on a cap, hiding her long hair. We soon made it to the highway, car chase free, and with nothing but an ever-disappearing city behind us. Drew accelerated, and Gabbie laughed at the sudden lurch in speed.
“I think we should name her Ripley,” I said.
Gabbie’s eyes lit up as she turned to face me. “Oh. My. God, like from the Alien movies? That’s perfect!”
“You can’t name her. She doesn’t belong to us,” Drew grumbled.
“Of course we can,” Gabbie argued. “Even foster babies have names, and hers is Ripley. And furthermore, this is totally a test drive for me. I’m buying one of these babies the moment we get home.”
“Really?” I asked.
“Oh yeah, and then you and me are going on a road trip, baby. Maybe Vegas.”
“Really?” I squealed, at the same time Drew said, “Hell no.”
“Once it’s safe, of course,” Gabbie added, giving Drew a stern look. “But then we are going to paint the town red . . . or yellow. I haven’t decided which color I’ll get yet.”
Drew shook his head while I rested back in the seat, a grin on my face. All the doors in my mind that led to worry and fear were closed, and I simply existed in the moment, dreaming of a day I could jump in a Camaro with a friend, no hiding or running from monsters, and simply have a good time in a city teeming with life and adventure.
***
Our safe vacation destination was so beautiful it took my breath away. A massive two-story log cabin sat nestled in a forest of thick pines. The Camaro wasn’t an off-road vehicle, but thankfully, the long, winding gravel road was much smoother than I expected. It was nighttime, but the front porch, which ran the length of the home, was well lit, and the warm light that spilled from the windows hinted that someone was still awake. Gabbie’s grin was unmovable as we grabbed our luggage and walked up the front steps. She sharply knocked twice, and it was soon answered by an older woman with long, grey hair pulled back into a neat braid. Cloudy grey eyes were set in a heavily lined face. She was tiny with stooped shoulders and a warm, knitted shawl hanging around them. Her gaze lifted to take us all in, and as soon as they landed on Gabbie, a smile split her kindly, weathered face.
“Gabriella, es que se?”
“Sí, Abuelita, soy yo.”
Gabbie stepped forward into the open arms of the old woman and hugged her tight. When she stepped away, the woman had a fierce grip on Gabbie’s hand and tears in her eyes.
“Abuelita, I’d like you to meet my friends, Lola and Drew.”
Drew’s smile was kind as he reached out a massive, pawed hand that engulfed the woman’s frail one. She held it with the same fierceness that she held Gabbie’s and brought it right up to her cheek and grinned.
“Un amigo de mi Gabriella es un amigo mío,” the woman murmured affectionately.
“Es un placer conocerte,” Drew said respectfully, and I acknowledged that Spanish was another of the languages he apparently spoke.
I had no idea what they were saying, but I knew it was Gabbie’s first language. Then the older woman’s cloudy gaze settled on me.
“Bienvenido a mi casa, dar a la abuela un abrazo.” She held out her arms.
“I don’t speak Spanish,” I quietly explained as the tiny woman brought me into her small, wispy body that smelled like lavender.
“It’s wonderful to meet one of my grandbaby’s friends. She has not brought anyone to me since Jase passed away.”
The joy in Gabbie’s face fell at her deceased husband's name, but her grandmother didn’t give us time to dwell on it. She hauled me into the large house as Drew and Gabbie followed.
“We were hoping to use the barn, Abuelita.”
“Sí, sí, the barn is yours, you use it whenever you need to. Are you hungry?” she asked, pulling us through the large open plan home toward the kitchen.
“Starved. Do you mind if we get cleaned up first? It’s been a long day.”
“Go clean up. I have leftover vegetable and chorizo paella. I’ll heat it up.”
Gabbie pulled off a key from a hook by the back door and gave her grandmother a kiss and a hug before leading us out onto the deck. Hidden, not too far away in the tree line, was another building, sitting in the shadows of the trees. Gabbie led us towards it, following a quaint little path around what I assumed would be a beautiful garden in the light of day.
“We can bring Ripley around back. There's a driveway that leads right up to the barn.”
“Once we get settled, I’ll move it,” Drew said, his big warm hand holding mine in a sure, firm grip.
Gabbie unlocked the very modern door on the large barn. When she said we’d be staying in a barn, I pictured an old weathered building and assumed there would be hay involved, perhaps even a tractor. This was nothing like that. It was sturdy, tall and wide, with quaint little windows running along a full-length porch.
Once inside, Gabbie flicked a switch and the room lit up. It was gorgeous, with slightly worn wood floors and a big sectional sitting in front of a fluffy rug and an old wood heater. On the other side of the room was a rustic looking kitchen with plenty of counter space and a small table to one side.
“Bathroom is right through there, up those stairs is my room,” she pointed to the small staircase that led up to a loft, “and over on that side, through that door, is a guest room where you can both bunk down. Or Drew can take the sofa,” she added with a wink.
“Wow, I didn’t expect this.” I remarked, ignoring the sleeping arrangements for now. I’d become comfortable sharing a bed with Drew, but sharing it while someone else was under the same roof embarrassed me for some absurd reason. “It's so warm and fresh. It doesn’t look anything like a barn.”
Gabbie’s smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. “My husband designed it. It was our home away from home, our real home.”
Drew and I stood in an awkward silence for a moment, neither of us quite knowing what to say.
“I’m familiar with the land. I’ll do a perimeter sweep tonight and move Ripley ’round back. Tomorrow I’ll show you around.” She was talking to Drew as I walked around the barn . . . house, and took in all the little things that made it Gabbie’s home. An empty vase sat on the wooden countertops, a cooking timer in the shape of a cow rested beside the stove top, magnets on the fridge, one which read, ‘I love to cook, so you can’t expect me to clean, too.’ The only picture was one of Gabbie and her grandmother, sitting in a wooden frame on a small book shelf. After a careful inspection of the kitchen and living area I realized there were no pictures of Gabbie’s deceased husband, Jase.
The quiet click of the front door as it shut left us in silence.
“She still grieves for him,” I whispered as I continued to explore.
“I don’t think you ever stop grieving,” Drew confessed, and I turned to look at him. He held out his hand, and I took it. “Now, I do believe you said something about a shower together?”
The shower was large and spacious with two shower heads at either end. Drew turned it on and let it heat up, then grabbed two towels from a tall, thin cupboard. He carefully removed his guns before pulling his shirt over his head. My eyes immediately found his stunning chest, a marvel of smooth skin, perfectly sculpted abs, and a trail of dark hair that led into the pants that sat low on his hips. His hands went to the button and zipper, and he pushed them to the ground, standing before me in a pair of boxer briefs.
Oh my god, what had I been thinking? Tempting Drew with the promise of a shower together was both terrifying and exciting. Being completely naked before him would leave me completely exposed and vulnerable in a way I had never been before. I wasn’t sure I could go through with it.
“I’ll wait if you would prefer to go first, alone,” Drew murmured. “I’ll go help Gabbie check the perimeter.”
When he reached for his pants, I stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.
“No, I want to do this. I trust you,” I explained. “I’m just nervous.”
Drew nodded, then quickly pushed his boxer briefs off his hips, leaving the impressive, silky smooth length of his cock in full view. He turned, ignoring the blush in my cheeks, and climbed into the shower. Reaching for a bottle, he lathered his hands and began washing himself. He acted as if us showering together was the most natural thing in the world, as if we’d done this a million times, and tonight was just another night of many. His casual nonchalance actually made it easier for me to slip out of my shoes, then jeans, and finally my t-shirt. I only hesitated a moment before reaching to unclip my plain cotton bra, then finally lowering my matching plain-Jane panties to the ground. Drew didn’t peek once, busying himself with bathing. I clenched my fists, standing naked as the day I was born, scars bared, heart thumping with anticipation.
I pushed through the shower door and right under the spray of hot water coming from the second shower head at the opposite end of the cubicle. Drew still didn’t look my way, standing under his own flow of water with his back to me. I wanted him to look. I needed him to just turn around and get it over and done with. Perhaps then the nerves that filled my tummy would settle.
“Would you hand me the soap?” I asked, my voice barely more than a whisper. Drawing in a deep breath I pressed my shoulders back slightly and tried to stand with a nonchalance I didn’t feel as I braced myself for Drew’s gaze.