Free The Colonel's Daughter by Lili Tufel

waitress bringing a pitcher of freshly squeezed orange juice on a tray, handed Dallas a tall glass and he passed it to Abby then took a glass for himself.
    “Yum. Thank you.” Abby smiled.
    Taking a sip of his orange juice, “I gotta tell you…” his face flushing, “I tried to imagine what you looked like from your father’s description and then I tried to imagine your personality…”
    “And…” Abby cocked her head to one side then flipped her hair back.
    “And…you’re a bigger pain than I imagined.”
    “What?” She folded her arms pouting, “Really?”
    “No, not really,” his dimples appeared, “I was kidding,” he laughed as she tossed a wrinkled napkin at his chest. “You’re prettier than I imagined.”
    Taking a seat in the booth directly behind Abby was a family with a chubby five year old who leaned over to show his missing front tooth.
    “Today’s my dad’s birthday.” The pudgy kid announced.
    “Really?” Abby smiled. “I bet your dad must be very special.”
    The little boy agreed.
    Abby’s eyes welled up with tears. “My dad is very special too.”
    “We have to go.” Dallas said extending his hand to Abby then helped her slide out of the booth. When he held open the door, he noticed a tear in her eye. “Are you alright?”
    She gave her face a quick wipe, “I’m fine.”
    Inside the truck, Dallas shifted into second gear slowly releasing his steel-toe boot from the clutch. “Look Abby, your father told me you have access to the codes.”
    “What codes?”
    “You tell me .”
    “I don’t know about any codes. Why didn’t my father just give you instructions on getting whatever codes yourself? Why go through me?”
    “Because he said you would know how to get them.”
    “Well I don’t.” She changed the radio station, “Now this is a good song,” and started lip-synching.
    He took his eyes off the road and for a moment, his gaze lingered on her face then chest.
    She fidgeted through the glove compartment finding a pen with a missing top and a tattered notepad and inspired by the little boy’s chubby cheeks, she doodled.
    Without taking his eyes off the road this time he asked, “What are you doing?”
    “I’m drawing a picture of the little boy from the restaurant.” She wet her lips with her tongue. “Believe it or not, my father is a pretty good artist. That’s where I got my skills.”
    “The Colonel,” he laughed, “Painting with water colors,” he squinted, “Now there’s a sight.”
    “I think he would have probably been an architect if it hadn’t been for his military career…although the army was always his only choice.” Her eyes fixed on the sketch.
    Alligator Alley, a road that went straight for miles hadn’t a rest stop in sight. After driving for a couple of hours Dallas said, “I gotta stop for gas, do you need something?” as they exited on Snake Road.
    “I’ll go in the store with you.”
    Dallas parked alongside the pump then walked towards the passenger door. He took her hand into his and helped her out of the truck. She stopped before he could close the door so he pulled her body close to his. And while the wind tossed her hair she stared at his blue eyes. He placed a hand on her cheek and slowly leaned in for a kiss. He quickly released her but felt so drawn, he leaned in for more.
    Left in a daze as she walked, she bit her bottom lip in recollection. He held her hand across the parking lot and into the convenience store.
    Walking by a rack of cheap sunglasses, Abby said, “I could use a pair.” She tried some on, letting the price tag hang over her ear, “How about these?”
    Dallas chuckled. “You could put any on and you’ll still look like a movie star.”
    “Like these?” She slid on a pair of red star frames.
    “Especially those, yeah,” he said with a big smile.
    She put the red stars back and placed a chosen pair on the counter, by the cashier, then turned to Dallas, “I’m going to use the restroom.”