TWO
He was right. Civilization was just another four and a half miles down the road, which meant that when Vivian’s car sputtered and died at the four-mile mark, she didn’t have far to walk.
In hindsight, the four-inch heels probably weren’t the best attire for a road trip. It was just that they made her legs look amazing, and she needed a good dose of amazing after everything she’d been through in the last year.
It wasn’t every day that a woman found out the man she’d been, well, not in love with, but in committed matrimony and mutual like with since…well, since their families pushed them together was in love with another man.
At least Andrew’s parents were on her side. As part of high society, the DeBoises had an image to uphold, and their bachelor son bringing home his boyfriend wasn’t part of that perfect family image. The divorce had been enough to send them into a tailspin, harassing their son day and night to reconsider and to “stop this nonsense at once.” When they found out about the boyfriend, they were going to be livid. She didn’t want to be there when that happened. Andrew would be lucky to get out alive.
Stopping in the middle of the desolate roadway, Vivian slipped off her shoes and hobbled the rest of the way toward a dusty old building with a big weathered sign mounted to the front over the wide porch that read “Grocery.” Apparently, they got straight to the point here and didn’t like fussy stuff, like actual defining names that the box stores had.
Loose rocks made the journey a painful one, and loose dirt in the parking lot made it a dirty one, but at this point, Vivian was beyond caring. She’d already lost everything, so why not her dignity too? Seemed par for the course.
Wooden planks creaked under her feet as she stepped up onto the porch, and a little bell chimed her arrival as she walked through the door. Casting her gaze around, she saw long aisles of shelves filled with everything a home might need in the way of food and personals. What she didn’t see was a clerk anywhere.
Approaching the counter, she read the small, handwritten sign that had been left out. “Back in ten. Leave your money on the counter. Thanks for shopping with us,” she read to herself. The honor system? In this day and age? “People are crazy,” she muttered as she turned back around and decided to peruse their stock. She was in desperate need of coconut water and protein bars. There hadn’t been many places to stop along her mysterious route, so she hadn’t eaten in hours.
She found chips of every brand and flavor—jerky, too—pops and beers galore, and an entire deli slash bakery slash meat counter fully stocked. What she didn’t find was anything she actually wanted.
Of course. Just her luck. Trapped in the middle of nowhere with people who lacked basic good taste. She’d bet they wore Wrangler jeans and Hanes T-shirts too. Maybe she should have just stayed in the city instead of running off like a drama queen.
But she wasn’t a drama queen. She had good reason to get out of there. Andrew had made her life hell, taken all their friends for himself, and given her the boot from their penthouse, leaving her practically destitute. From trophy wife to pauper in a matter of weeks. She was so depressed, she almost picked out a candy bar. But losing her figure would be just another black mark on her already dour mood.
You know what? Screw it! She was getting the candy bar. There were so many to choose from, but since they didn’t have coconut water, she picked a Mounds. At the counter, she opened her wallet and put down a dollar bill because she didn’t carry change, and ripped open the wrapper, stuffing a dark-chocolate nugget into her mouth.
The bell above the door chimed again, and Vivian turned to see who it was. Probably the clerk returning from wherever people around here disappeared to—Nope. Since it wasn’t her lucky day, week, or even month, it had to be the sexy cowboy.
He stopped to stare at her, amusement coloring his sunburned cheeks. Vivian stopped chewing and shifted the mountain of coconut and chocolate to one cheek.
“Saw your car down the road,” he said.
“Ran out of gas,” she replied. She resumed chewing and quickly swallowed. When her mouth was clear, she glanced past him to the door. “Didn’t hear you pull in. Horse break down?”
“He’s at the trough,” he said, hitching his thumb over his shoulder—because of course there had to be a trough—as he moved toward her, then breezed by on his way to…yep, the rack of jerky bags. He picked a jalapeno flavored one and ripped the top off. Smashing a chunk of dehydrated meat into his mouth, he gnawed on that sucker as he made his way to the back and, a moment later, Vivian heard a cooler open. When he returned, he was cracking open a bottle of Pepsi.
“The cashier isn’t here,” she told him as he went up to the counter.
“That’s ‘cuz he’s on break,” he said as he bypassed her and went straight for the door. Without paying!
“Hey,” she called after him, “aren’t you forgetting something?”
He paused and looked up at the sky, still chewing on that piece of jerky. “Gas station is down the road,” he said, answering the question she hadn’t had a chance to ask. He started walking, the door slapping shut behind him.
From nice guy to ass. The difference was so stark, she wondered what had changed.
Appalled that this seemingly honorable man had completely shirked the honor system, Vivian chased after him. He was untying his horse when she reached his side. “You’d better get back in there and pay for that, mister, or I’ll…I’ll…”
He flashed her a cocky little smirk. “You’ll what, darlin’?”
Her phone was on its last bar, and the reception was horrendous out here. There were no signs of life besides him and her. What would she do?
“I’ll tell,” she said with a lifted chin. There had to be a sheriff somewhere, and if she didn’t find one of those, the cashier would come back eventually.
“Aw, and here I thought we were friends,” he said as he pushed by her and swung himself up onto the horse’s back.
Vivian was steaming mad as he pulled the reins and turned the beast toward the road. “Good seeing ya again, miss. If we happen to cross paths again, maybe I’ll take ya out for a bite.”
She narrowed her eyes. Yeah, and stick her with the bill, she’d bet. Man, she was a terrible judge of character! But better late than never. “I don’t plan on hanging around long, but thanks for the offer.”
He tipped his hat in that way she’d thought was sexy but now found utterly irritating. Then, without a word, he tromped off.
Making her way back inside to escape the heat of the evening sun, Vivian huffed as she took out another bit of cash and put it on the counter with her dollar. She couldn’t believe that jerk had stolen from his own town’s grocery store. Did the townspeople know they were living among a thief? It was something she would expect from people in the city, but these people were working on the honor system. Granted, she thought that was terribly misguided but sweet in a childlike, naïve sort of way, and they clearly trusted each other…and clearly, that trust was misplaced.
Her faith in humanity took a decided hit. Was no one in this world good and pure anymore?
She was rechecking her phone, just to make sure a miracle hadn’t happened and it’d recharged itself since the last time she’d looked at it when she heard something rummaging around in the back.
Probably a raccoon, she thought to herself, her nerves rattled. But then, to her surprise, the plain white slab door in the corner behind the counter swung open and out stepped an older man with thick white hair and a matching full-face beard. He was cleaning his hands with a greasy rag when he spotted her standing there.
“Oh, hello!” he greeted. “Sorry, I was tinkering around in back and didn’t hear ya come in. Damn A/C has been on the fritz.” Overhead, there was a little grind and whir of an engine starting, and then the sound of air being pumped in. He grinned. “And there she blows. I see you saw my sign,” he said, heading toward the register to put away the cash.
Reluctant to tell the man the bad news, she decided honesty was the best policy. And he should know he had a thief in the area. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, especially since I’m not from around here, but a man came in a few minutes ago and took off with some stuff without paying.”
He paused, sending a thoughtful gaze out the storefront windows, and then said, “Big fella, about yay high”—he held a hand up above his own head—“wears a cowboy hat and rides a horse?”
She might be in the countryside, but she doubted many fit that description so well. “Yeah, I think that’s him.”
He waved a hand in the air and balked. “That’s just Nash. He’s in and out of here all the time.”
Vivian nodded, noting that he hadn’t said this Nash character ever paid for anything. But she guessed it wasn’t really any of her business. If he was okay with the guy ignoring his honor system, then far be it for her to argue with him.
“So what parts are you from?” the man asked, looking her up and down. “The city’d be my guess.”
“Good guess.” She smiled.
“Which one?”
“Chicago.”
His bushy eyebrows popped up. “Far from home. Well, let me be the first to welcome you to Hayfield.”
“Thanks.” Although so far, it didn’t feel like a place she was happy to be stuck in.
“What brings you in?”
“Well, I’m actually just passing through. I ran out of gas. Right after I blew a tire, which Nash helped me fix.”
The man’s eyebrows rose again. “Well, it sounds like you’ve had quite the afternoon.” He was speaking the gospel. “Let’s see… Gas station is about ten miles down the road, but I keep a container in the back for emergencies. I’d be happy to lend it to ya if ya promise to bring it back. Should get ya a good twenty miles, just enough to reach the station. You can leave the can there and tell ‘em to hold it for Jack. That’s me. I’ll pick it up later on my way home.”
Vivian couldn’t believe her ears. “Really? That would be amazing. Thank you!” she gushed, feeling like she’d just hit the lottery. Even though Nash had turned out to be a jerk, what were the odds she’d run into two such helpful people in her time of need?
Must be a country thing.
Jack retrieved the can from the back and wished her well on her travels, and Vivian barefooted it back to the car. Despite the persistent heat and her weary feet, she had renewed hope on her side, and that got her where she needed to go…which was to a tiny, two-pump station, just down the road from Jack’s store, right where he’d said it’d be.