Free Home by JW Phillips

nudged her nose
against his, and kissed him softly on the cheek.
    “Do you really want to go?” she asked.
    “With you?”
    “Not with just me, but with Tiffany and Tori
too?”
    “Do you want me to go?”
    “Yes,” she whispered.
    “Then it doesn’t matter what I want.”
    Julie giggled. He smiled. He had seen her
laugh a million times with her friends, but it was the first time
she’d laughed for him.
    “That’s a beautiful sound.”
    “What?” she asked
    “Your laughter.”
    Trucker glanced at Julie. His mouth twitched
slightly, showing a faint trace of a dimple. Julie reached over and
stroked around it. He flinched. Not anticipating her touch, the
jolt of pain was too much.
    “Are you okay?” she asked. She looked hurt
for a whole second before the redness crept back across her
cheeks.
    He shuddered and counted to ten to compose
himself. “Yeah, you just shocked me.”
    He hated putting that look on her face. But
what was he to say? The touch of a human stings especially
yours.
    Trucker heard a faint rumble come from
Julie’s stomach. “Looks like I need to feed you,” he said,
happily.
    Anything to get her mind on something other
than his reaction to her touch. By the way her eyes held that
quizzical look, Trucker was sure she was going through a list of
possibilities in her head at what would make a grown man jump in
pain at a simple swipe of her hand.
    `“I’m hungry, but I have to meet up with
Tori and Tiff.” Julie started chewing on her nails and stared out
the windshield.
    “Call them and I’ll take you all three out
to my favorite restaurant.”
     
    *******
     
    Julie let her teeth glide over her lip when
Trucker reached over and ran a finger down her cheek to her chin.
“Do you have any idea how much I want you. How much I think about
you. How much I dream of you.” He paused and flicked his thumb over
her lip. “Please, quit biting your lip. I can’t take it. I couldn’t
take you hurting me.”
    “Sorry,” she said, lowering her head and
hiding behind her hair.
    She had so many questions to ask. Why did he
hate her lip biting so much? How could she possibly hurt him? Then
again maybe she could, the feel of her hand on his face seemed like
it tortured him. No, it was impossible that a loving touch hurt
anyone. The only person who was capable of hurting the other was
him. Telling her he cared than dumping her would cut her to the
core.
    “Julie, daydreaming again?” he asked and
tried to laugh.
    Not knowing what to say, she started texting
Tori. Tori and Tiffany didn’t even know she was seeing Trucker much
less that he was joining them for the night.
     
    Hey girl?
    Can I bring a tag along?
     
    Sure, Who?
    It is not that nerd from science 
    who won’t leave me alone?
    I know you are friends with him
    Any who, anybody but him.
     
    No, not him, Julie thought to herself. Hold
your seat girl because you are going to freak. 
     
    No not him
    It’s Trucker Castleman:)
     
    OMG!!! OMG!!!! OMG!!!!
    You have to be kidding me:):):):)
     
    No, I’m with him right now.
    He wants to take us out to eat
    first. His treat.
     
    Eat your heart out, Tori Phillips. You
are not the only one of us who can get a catch. Julie glanced
over at Trucker. He was brooding and staring out the window. He
gradually slipped from the carefree Trucker into the dominant
Trucker. A shift he started once they hit the road leading outside
the city limits.
     
    “Are you sure?” Julie asked. He nodded.
Trucker seemed oblivious. “If you really don’t want to go, I
understand. I’ll just tell them I was joking. After all, it’s
pretty innocent and lame. I’m sure you are used to more stimulating
fun.” Julie whispered, fighting back tears. Why else would he have
become unglued, if not because he didn’t want to go? Maybe he
didn’t want to be seen in public with her? It made sense; up to
that point they had stayed on back roads and in cotton fields.
Trucker’s mouth dropped open in surprise. His