Chapter Nine

 

JESSIE

 

After a long soak in the bathtub, I’m grateful to relax in my new bed, the soft cotton duvet feeling like a cloud beneath me. Flicking through channels, there doesn’t seem to be much on television tonight, so I decide to watch a dramatic movie on the Lifetime channel. My eyelids are growing heavier by the second when my phone rings from my nightstand. Looking over, I don’t recognize the number, but it’s the Danville area code so it can only be a handful of people.

“Hello?” I answer wearily, hoping it’s not work related.

“Why are you still up?” I instantly place his voice, the low decibel and bashful undertones.

“Well, hello to you too, Daryl,” I tease, sitting up to prop myself against the headboard, my tiredness rapidly fading away in exchange for fluttering butterflies.

“I thought you’d be sleep by now,” he says, shuffling noises in the background.

“Where are you?” I wonder aloud.

 

“Currently stumbling through my living room like I don’t live here,” he chuckles before taking a deep breath, I imagine he’s finally sat down.

“Where do you live?” I find myself asking before I can stop myself from being so intrusive.

“About five minutes east from you,” he answers casually.

“Whoa! I was worries about my question crossing some boundaries, but you’ve already got my address?” I pretend to be appalled.

“You live in Mr. Parker’s house. How would I not know where that is?” He asks rhetorically, and I can hear him smiling.

“And what about my number? You stored your number in my phone, but I never gave you mine,” I recall.

“I called my phone from yours,” he explains.

“You’re a little trickster, Daryl. What else do you know about me?” I quiz.

“Hmmm,” he pauses before laughing softly. “Let’s see… I know you worked in the LAPD, but now you’re Earl’s partner for the deputy force. I know you drove across the country without changing your oil. You think Danville is interesting, which is pretty funny to me. And you recently broke up with your boyfriend, so I guess this is like witness protection for you.”

I’ve never been more grateful to be on the phone as opposed to in person. Typically, I hate talking on the phone; so much seems to get lost in translation without body language. But the way my eyes are ready to pop out of my head, my mouth dropped in shock, I am beyond thankful Daryl cannot see me. I expected him to know some things about me, I know how small of a town Danville is, but not all of that. He just gave me a rundown of my life like it was no big deal. Here I am refusing to ask my co-workers about him, and he’s busy doing full recon on me!

“I’m sorry. Was I supposed to pretend I didn’t know anything?” He boasts. I know he can sense my shock.

“That’s not fair, you have sources and I don’t,” I pout.

“You work for the police department, I think you’ve got a few people you can ask,” he reasons.

“Yeah, but I didn’t want to use my work resources for personal reasons,” I utter, regretting my decision.

“So, you did want to ask about me, though?” He calls me out, and I clench my eyes shut, realizing what I’ve revealed.

“Maybe,” I answer in a drawl.

“Well, in my defense, no one must have ever told you that Mrs. Rose is like a tape recorder. Whatever you tell her, she just replays to anyone that’ll listen, and because I happen to spend two hours a week listening to her, I knew everything about you when you walked in the shop.”

“Not about my break-up,” I correct him, knowing I’d yet to reveal that to Mrs. Parker.

“You’re right. I actually learned about that yesterday when I fixed a leaky faucet for Tom,” he clarifies with a sigh.

“I feel disadvantaged,” I admit, half serious.

“You’re the new girl, disadvantage is part of the part, right?” He teases and I find a smirk begging to spread.

“What are you doing?” I change the subject.

“I’m talking to you. Why? Are you busy doing something else?” He quizzes.

“No. Well, I was watching a movie, but it’s a pretty bad one,” I shrug looking towards the television.

“Oh yeah? What are you watching?” He asks and I hear the sound of a television turning on.

“A Lifetime movie,” I bashfully admit.

“Oh, chick flick. Is that channel 223?” he flicks through his channels as I press buttons on my remote.

“Yep, 223. I’m shocked that you knew that,” I tease.

“My grandma watches it sometimes,” he chuckles and I feel like a teenager all over again with this innocent banter.

“Oh, I’ve seen this one! The wife ends up killing the mistress,” he exclaims excitedly.

“Ever heard of a spoiler alert?” I ask sarcastically.

“Well now you can give me your attention without missing the movie,” he justifies ruining the movie I was barely following.

“Oh, is that what this was? A ploy for my attention?” I giggle.

“Actually, I wanted to watch the movie with you, I just didn’t expect to have seen it before,” he reveals.

“Since you ruined this one, you have to take me to see a different one,” I instantly bite my bottom lip at my boldness.

“You want to go to the movies?” He chirps in a high pitched tone.

“I love going to the movies,” I nod although he can’t see me.

“Okay, I’ll take you tomorrow,” he casually agrees and now I’m smiling like an idiot.

“So now that we’ve handled that, and you have my attention, are you going to tell me about yourself?” I ask.

“Well what do you want to know?” He shoots back after a short pause.

“Hmm… So is your name actually John?” I start with something easy.

“Nope. Daryl,” he answers quickly.

“You can’t lie in your answers,” I clarify the rules to my impromptu game.

“Why would I lie? My name is Daryl,” he chuckles.

“So, on your birth certificate it says Daryl?” I challenge.

“Yes.” He answers flatly.

“That might be the country-est thing I’ve ever heard,” I begin to giggle and he joins me, his laugh deep and throaty, really sexy actually.

“Are you the only child?” I quip, trying to think of my next question before he answers.

“No, I have an older brother,” he reveals, as he flicks through channels.

“Did he teach you about bikes?” I wonder.

“No, my grandpa taught me the basics, but for the most part I just learned on my own,” he answers nonchalantly.

“Well, I might have lied earlier, because I did get a little information on you. Mrs. Rose told me you can build a motorcycle from spare parts,” I say, recalling my last conversation with her.

“Oh yeah. For some reason that’s quite impressive to people,” he sighs.

“Umm, yeah.” I laugh.

“Oh? Are you impressed too, Miss. Jessie?” He teases, and I’m again lucky he can’t see me because I know my cheeks are burning red.

“Have you ever wanted to move away from Danville?” I ask.

“No. Maybe I’ve wanted to visit other places, but I’d never leave my grandma. She’s my world,” he says seriously and it’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.

“That’s sweet,” I whisper.

“What made you want to leave California?” He asks and I’m shocked, because he never asks anything.

“Well, you were pretty much right, I’m in witness protection. I was supposed to be getting married next month, but since that got called off I really just needed a fresh start,” I shock myself at my openness.

“Oh, you were engaged? Rose left that part out,” he drawls.

“Have you ever been engaged?” I ask quickly, hoping to flip it back on him.

“No. Why’d you call it off?” He pries further, denying my request to move on.

“I didn’t, he did.” I admit after a brief pause.

“Why?” He questions and I’m beginning to regret starting this game.

“He recently told me he wanted me to change some things, and I guess he thought taking away the proposal would be a good incentive to do whatever he wanted,” I shrug.

“Change what?” He follows up and I roll my eyes at his sudden curiosity.

“My career.” I answer bluntly.

“He didn’t like that you were a cop?” He says aloud, but it’s not really a question.

“Right.” I say, confirming his thought.

“I could see that,” he responds and I feel my stomach drop. That wasn’t what I expected him to say.

“Why? You don’t like women being police?”

“I don’t mind, but I could see being worries about you. I want you to do whatever you want, but if you were my lady I’d worry about you regardless, so I don’t really fit the mold.” He explains further.

“And what mold is that?” I challenge him to expound.

“Jessie, I work at a shop all day. I build bikes and work with my hands. I’m not exactly husband material, so no I don’t think I’d react like your tight-ass ex-boyfriend. But, I would worry about you whether you taught kindergarten or protected the president, I just wouldn’t let my worry stop you from doing what you love.” His voice is clear and direct now, unlike his usually bashful tone. He’s just said everything I ever wanted Michael to say, everything I wanted him to be.

“Have you ever been in love?” I blurt out.

“No, but I’m guessing you have?” He assumes.

“No.” I shake my head.

“Then why did you say ‘yes’ to your ex?” He presses on.

“It seemed like the right thing to do,” I admit to him what I’ve yet to tell anyone else.

“Looks like you dodged a bullet,” he chuckles, and I let out a deep sigh.

“What time are you taking me out tomorrow?” I try my best not to gush.

“I’m gonna come and get you when you get home from work,” he answers matter-of-factly.

“Is that so?” I jokingly challenge.

“Yep. So, you just call me when you’re ready and I’ll be on my way,” he assures me.

“Okay. Well, I should probably go to sleep then. I can’t have bags under my eyes at the movies,” I smile, giddy with anticipation.

“No more questions?” He acts surprised.

“Hmmm…” I pause before deciding to ask the one thing I want to know that most. “How do you know Caleb?” The words roll slowly off my tongue.

 

“He’s the older brother I told you about.”

Holy fuck! I figured they had some long history, but brothers? Oh gosh, I attacked his brother? Well, he started it, so it was more defensive than anything, but I definitely ended it.

“Oh.” I pause, racking my brain for words, but none seem to come to me.

“I know. I wondered if Earl had told you that,” he chuckles.

“I was telling the truth when I told you I didn’t want to ask about you,” I repeat my decision.

“You asked my grandma,” he reminds me and I burst into giggles, I’d completely forgot about that.

“I didn’t know she was your grandma then,” I blush.

“Yeah, she said ‘some girl was here looking for you. The one with the wrangler’,” he mocks a woman’ voice and it’s the funniest thing I’ve ever heard.

“I was all set to see you and then I open the door and there’s this sweet little lady behind the counter,” I recall the morning I picked up my Jeep.

“Yeah, I don’t do mornings too well,” he jokes.

“That’s what she said,” I inform him of my other discovery.

“I think you know a lot more than you’re leading on,” he smirks.

“I promise that’s it. It sounds like a lot, but nothing personal. I’d definitely remember that. Everyone says you’re the nicest guy, and every time I see you out you seem like Mr. Popular,” I share my opinion of him.

“You keep saying that,” he sighs.

“Well, you do know everyone,” I reason before yawning loudly and excusing myself.

“Alright, Miss. Jessie. One day I’ll introduce you to the dark side and force you to stay up with me, but for now I’ll let you go to sleep,” he says in a deep tone so sexy my thighs squeeze together as my ab muscles clench.

“Goodnight,” I whisper into my now warm smartphone.

“Night, babe,” he says casually before hanging up and I stare at my phone in shocked he used a term of endearment.

Forty-two minutes and eighteen seconds. That’s how long we were on the phone. I haven’t talked to a boy that long, or twirled my hair that much, since I was in high school. I feel too giddy to sleep, but I know I should go to bed, because I have to be at the station first thing in the morning.

Tonight was one of the most fun days I’ve had in a really long time. Looking over at the gigantic teddy bear that now lives in the corner of my bedroom, I replay Daryl playing the game. He is so handsome, and sexy, but it’s completely effortless. Our phone call was like a continuation of our night together, because he said more in those forty-two minutes than he did the hours we were hand in hand at the fair.

Maybe that’s just the start, and now that I’ve broken his bashful shell he’ll be more open when we’re face to face. I guess I’ll have to wait until our date tomorrow to figure out.

Thoughts of him rush through my mind as I fail to calm myself for bed. There’s still so much I want to know about him, and it feels like tomorrow can’t get here fast enough. It’s no surprise that I dream about him, our fingers interlocked as we walk through my Melrose neighborhood in LA.

Although my life has moved on, my dreams still know my hometown best, and tonight I took Daryl back with me. It’s my first good sleep since moving into my new place, and I guess I owe it all to the soft-spoken bike wiz who’s taken over my dreams.