Free Road to Redemption by Natalie Ann Page A

with more than one word?”
    His lips twitched. “Sometimes.”
    “I saw that!” She pointed a finger at him in the cab of the truck.  “You almost smiled.  I know you can do it, you have to want to.”
    His lips twitched some more.
    She laughed again. “Almost there, Jack.” He caught her looking at him when his eyes crinkled a bit, but never quite made it all the way.
    A few minutes passed with only the sound of the windshield wipers on the window when he finally asked, “Why do you care if I smile?”
    “I don’t know. I just do. I like helping people. That’s why I went into nursing. Even if it’s just making them smile,” she said with one of her own. “Don’t you like making people smile?”
    “Never thought much about it,” he answered honestly.
    “Well, I do. And I like making them laugh. Life is better that way.  Isn’t it better to be happy than sad?  To have fun doing what you need to do to get through life?” She ground her teeth, when he remained silent.
    “I can’t give you want you want,” he stated suddenly.  There, it was out in the open. Maybe now he could breath a little, and she would understand. 
    “How do you know what I want?”
    “I’m not looking for a girlfriend,” he continued.
    “Who said I was asking?”
    Maybe he could shock her. “Or a lover.”
    “Me neither,” she replied without batting an eye.
    “What do you want from me?”  He really needed to know. Maybe she was looking for the same thing he was, something casual.
    “How about being your friend?” She grinned. “For now.”
    Nope, guess not. “I don’t need another friend.”
    “Sure you do. Everyone could use another friend,” she stated and reached over, placing her small hand over his large one on the seat.
    He sighed.  And let her hold onto his hand.
     
    ***
     
    “Brooke, he’s so sad. I want to help him,” Cori said the next afternoon when Brooke dropped her car off.
    “You can’t help everyone, Cori,” Brooke pointed out.
    “I don’t want to help everyone. I want to help him .”
    “Why? What is so special about Jack? Besides the obvious hotness,” Brooke mocked when she saw Cori’s knowing look.
    “And the heartburn. Don’t forget the heartburn,” Cori added with a grin.  “Honestly, I don’t know. Anyone else I would write off.  But I told you. Something is pulling me toward him.  I can’t explain it. But there it is. And you know me, I’m going with it,” she said on a more positive note.
    “How are you planning on doing that? Your week in Orthopedics is over, right?”
    “Yeah,” she said with a pout. “Guess I need to try to get creative. I mean it took me five days to get a smile and a grin out of him. But hey,” she added excitedly, “I held his hand last night in the truck.”
    “What are you in elementary school? At the rate you’re going, you might even get a hug out of him by summer,” she said, teasing an eye roll out of Cori.
    “Oh, I bet I can get more than a hug out of him. And by the end of the year, too.  Now I’ve got a goal. I just need a game plan,” Cori said, rubbing her hands together with glee.
     
    ***
     
    Watching the NY Giants trounce his home team, the Carolina Panthers, Jack was forced to admit the game held little interest to him.  Relaxing back in his recliner after getting himself a beer and the bag of chips he had purchased earlier when he finally forced himself to the store, he thought back to the ride home with Cori last night.
    The only other person who ever cared about his happiness was Tracy.  He’d always thought he was happy in life.  He enjoyed being alone. He didn’t understand why everyone was so intent on pushing him to talk more, or smile. 
    Just because he didn’t talk or smile didn’t mean he wasn’t happy, or didn’t enjoy life. He loved his career. He’d worked hard to be where he was. It was exactly what he wanted out of his life. So he was happy. 
    He really didn’t mind being lonely. He