Free Desolate by A.M. Guilliams Page B

patted my shoulder and walked over to the table to retrieve the glasses. When he walked past me, I grabbed the untouched beer and downed half of the glass. I walked over to the bar and left the glass on the counter. The gentleman in me couldn’t allow her to leave just like that. It was dangerous around here to drive in an emotional state. One wrong turn, a skid off the road, and you’d go down the terrain for sure.
    As I walked through the door, I saw her across the parking lot unlocking the door to an SUV. The chill in the air had me pulling the sleeves down on my shirt to get some relief from the wind. I took off across the parking lot in hopes that I’d catch her before she drove away. Just as she was about to shut the door, I caught it in my hand, causing her to scream.
    “I didn’t mean to scare you,” I gently stated. She covered her chest with her right hand and lay her head down on the steering wheel in an attempt to calm her apparent racing heart.
    After a moment, I risked it and spoke again. “I’m sorry for upsetting you back there, but I don’t make a habit of making women cry and I wanted to make sure you were okay to drive. These roads aren’t that safe at night on their own, and throwing emotions into the mix makes them even worse,” I stated to the back of her head. She was still breathing pretty heavily and had yet to move. I probably looked like some insane person just standing here waiting for some sort of response, but I couldn’t leave knowing she was upset before. My parents’ would kick my ass even at my age if they thought I let her drive away upset.
    A few moments later, she moved her head back and rested it on the headrest. She’d steadied her rapid breathing a few moments later and turned toward me and hung her legs out of the side of her vehicle.
    “You didn’t have to come check on me. I can take care of myself. But thank you for making sure I was okay. It wasn’t anything you said. I’m just not used to all of this,” she confessed as she waved her hand around into the night sky.
    I wasn’t sure what she meant about ‘all of this,’ but it wasn’t my place to ask.
    “Are you okay to drive? You looked like you were having a little trouble breathing a moment ago.”
    “I was after you scared the life out of me,” she stated with a stern look, trying to look tough. Only a hint of a smile appeared on her face.
    “I apologized for that. I didn’t mean to, but I had to get your attention somehow before you left.”
    “Thank you for being a gentleman, but I’m fine. I better go. Goodnight, Weston,” she replied and pulled the door closed, leaving me standing there as she put the SUV in reverse and pulled away. It was as I watched her taillights disappear into the distance that I realized I’d never gotten her name. That didn’t sit well with me, but there wasn’t anything I could do about it now. Instead of going back into the bar, I headed to my vehicle with thoughts of the woman with no name on my mind. Tomorrow I was due to help Clyde with the old Miller farm. I needed to be focused to get the tiresome job done. It was something to do to pass the time until my dreams could come true in a few months.

Chapter 10
    Weston
    B efore walking out of my parents’ house, I walked down the hallway and opened the door. The soft snores coming from my angel filled my heart with happiness. She had only cried for her momma that first week. The first time she cried for her broke my heart. She’d scraped her knee on the gravel driveway and cried for an hour straight, the whole time asking for her mom. She hadn’t asked for her since that first week and I was selfishly thankful.
    Every part of me wanted to pick her up and cuddle her, but I knew better. I had to leave and she’d be a bear if I woke her up, especially if she woke up this early. Without making too much noise, I backed out of the entryway and pulled the door shut.
    I grabbed the tin lunch container and my hat and