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I've had a few requests for Les's POV in chapter one. I love Les so very much. He's a good old country boy with a heart of gold. But sometimes that can get us in trouble. Here's Les's first impression of Piper. I hope you enjoy.
Chapter 1 – Les’s POV
I guess a little honesty is too much to ask for these days. Like I’m one
to talk. Luke Bryan’s on the radio, singing about country girls and
shaking things. As much as I love this song, I flip the station to a classical
one. Heck, I have no idea who composes what or the difference between a
concerto and a waltz, but it all helps me think. I need a lot of time to think
about the mess I’ve gotten myself into this past year.
The blacktop twists in a S, just
off the second curb is a very angry girl holding her cell phone in the air and
screaming to the skies. I slow down, because her legs in that skirt are enough
to stop traffic in a city. Ain’t no way I’m not gonna stop, but as I pass her
to get a better angle on the rear bumper of her tiny car, her big brown eyes
widen and I realize she thinks I’m not stopping. What kind of asshole wouldn’t?
I throw the truck in park, cut
the engine, and jump down. The car’s got a flat and she’s managed to get it in
the shallow ditch. I stroll up to her, taking in every inch of her thin frame.
She’s definitely not from around here. Nobody in this town would be caught dead
in a skirt that short or a tshirt with Marilyn Monroe in some weird ass colors
splattered across their chest. Well, nobody that wasn’t look for trouble. Her
chocolate hair matches those big uses hidden under black framed glasses. I’d
swear on my life I’d seen her in a magazine before.
“Seems like you’re in a bit of a
pickle.” Probably not the
brightest way to start a conversation, but one that
seems to strike her funny judging by the way her eyes twinkle. I circle the
car, noting the Missouri plates and it dawns on me who this girl is. “Looks
like you’re gonna need a new tire. I can pull you out and take you into town.”
I stop beside her, curiousity overwhelming me. “Hey, you’re that new girl.
Pippa, right?”
“Piper.” She grimaces then adds
with some boost of confidence as she holds out her hand. “Piper Marks.”
She’s a strange one. I slide my
fingers along her palm, savoring the touch of a girl. I could have any girl in
the school if I wanted, and I’m not saying that to be cocky. They all think I’m
some noble guy. If they knew the truth,… I shake the thought from my head.
“Nice to meet you, Piper. I’m Les Williams.”
“Dorothea blew a tire.”
“Dorothea?” I lift an eyebrow and
grin. “You named your car Dorothea?”
“Well, yeah. After Dorothea
Lange? Photographer from the Great Depression? You know the photo with a mom
staring off and her two kids hanging over her shoulders?” She launches into a
history lesson, then blushes a light pink when she’s done.
I don’t know what’s more
fascinating, how she knows all that or how she’s embarrassed by it. “Now, let’s
see what we can do to get Dorothea outta here.”
She holds out her cell. “No
service.”
Of course, being from St. Louis,
her network probably doesn’t boost the signal it claims. “Yeah, there’s a lot
of dead spaces around here. County’s trying to get another cell tower up, but
some of the old fogeys don’t want it.” I lean in like I’m sharing a secret.
“Hell, half of them think that their cordless phones are cells anyway.”
She laughs, but it’s almost outta
absurdity. What does she think of us anyway? That we’re all a bunch of country
hicks with no desire to be more. I want to be more. If I can get away from the
farm, from my dad, I want to be a helluva lot more. But maybe I’m just taking
it all wrong. Especially after the shouting match I’d just had with my father. “That’s better.” I stroll to the
back of the truck and pull out a tow cable. “Now, I’m gonna hook this to your
car and pull ya over to that gravel patch to change the tire.” She’s not
listening or not comprehending. Either way, I could’ve said a cow would change
her tire and then turn into new leather seats and she probably wouldn’t have
stopped me. I hook up her bumper, blabbering like an idiot just to keep talking
and giving instructions as I go. “Okay, ready?”
She turns into a doe in headlights.
It’s hard not to laugh, but I
manage it. “Go ahead and get in. Don’t start the engine, just put her in
neutral. I’ll tow you over there.” I point to the gravel patch Mr. Hennessy
uses to drive into his field. “I’ll be able to see if you’ve got more damage
than that dent.”
I get her out and inspect the
damage. Nothing but a flat, but a mechanic should check it out. And I know one
who owes me a favor after I busted him doing something his mama didn’t want to
ever know about her son. Besides, he didn’t want the sheriff to know either.
“Well, let’s change the tire, and then I’ll follow you into town to Ricky’s. I
bet he’ll look at Dorothea for you tonight.” I saunter over to the truck and
drop the tailgate. “Here, have a seat while I take care of this.”
I pop the trunk for the spare.
She’s got a manual jack. She’d been here all night trying to get this tire
changed if I hadn’t happened along. I head toward the truck and catch her eye.
Keeping the smile off my face is damn near impossible. She’s pretty and she’s
kinda sweet. But I can’t do nothing but check her out and curse myself.
“You might wanna buy a jack for
your car.” I spin the crowbar over the back of my hand, grabbing it before it
falls to the ground. Yeah, I’m showing off a little. Just because I can’t act
on this little flirtation doesn’t mean I can’t flirt. “This can’t be the first
time you’ve had a flat.”
She leans back on her hands,
crossing my ankles and letting her legs swing naturally. Those legs could kill
a man. “Nope, not the first time, but I usually have cell service.”
“And a bunch of guys rushing out
to change your tire?” I can’t help it. I want to know if she’s got a boyfriend
back in St. Louis. And I can’t stop myself from staring. It’s stupid. It’s not
right. It’s dangerous. Yet I do it anyway.
“If by guys, you mean the ones
paid by AAA or roadside assistance, yeah, I do.”
I smirk. It couldn’t be helped.
She’s single. Not that it matters, but it does make me smile. Well, she’s
single for now. I can name a dozen guys who will be all over her after the
first day of school. I make quick work of the tire and toss the flat in the
back of my truck.
“All right, I’ll follow you back.
Do you know—”
She shakes her head vehemently
before I finishes. “I know how to get to town, the school, and the paper. That’s it.”
“Yeah, I guess I should’ve
figured.” Damn my stupidity for not thinking straight. “When you get to the
stoplight, hang a left. Go about five blocks to Lincoln and hang a right.
Ricky’s garage is on the left. I’ll call ahead to get him to look at your car.”
“Thanks, Les.” She smiles the
first genuine smile I’ve seen from her. It lights up her face, brightens her
eyes, and makes her downright kissable. That thought I shake from my head
immediately. It’s been too long since I kissed a girl I wanted to actually
kiss. “I really appreciate the help.”
“No worries. Now start her up.” I
get into the truck without looking back at her. I text Ricky that I’m cashing
in that favor and I need it taken care of tonight. All I get back is “K”.
She stays behind me on the way
into town. My mind drifts to Ava. I’ve made some shitty decisions in my life,
most of them concerning her. This lie I’m living now is downright painful. Just
another reason I need to leave Clarkton the minute I can. Go to Chicago, maybe.
Or Kansas City. Both cities have decent culinary schools. If I could get to New
York, even better. But I know I ain’t going nowhere. Not as long as Trey
Williams has his way. My father almost always gets his way.
I pull up and park outside of
Ricky’s shop, hopping down and leaning against the truck as Ricky guides Piper
into the bay before strolling out to greet me.
“Hey cuz, you’re cashing in a
huge favor to help a girl?” He grins and I want to slap it off him, But I don’t
I just smile. “Although she’s pretty hot. You doing whatever you can to keep up
the Knight in Shining Armor image?”
“Something like that.”
He start laughing like a hyena
and I follow him back toward the garage. Piper glares at both of us. I have no
clue what I did to earn the death glare.
“Piper, this is my cousin Ricky,”
I say as we get closer.
Her eyebrows crease but she doesn’t say a word.
“How’d she drive?” Ricky asks as
he takes his turn circling the car.
“Fine, but she pulled to the right a little more than usual.” She shrugs and
refuses to look at either one of us.
What’s she thinking? And what did
I do to piss her off so fast? I don’t wait to find out. I head back to the
truck, knowing Ricky will take care of it. I lean against the truck while I
wait with my arms crossed over my chest. The Luke Bryan song earworms into my
head. The heel of my boot taps against the rear tire.
“Can I take you anywhere?” I asks
as she stops in front of me. I’m just being polite. She doesn’t know any place
in town. “Know any place with free Wi-Fi around
here?”
“Yeah, the pool hall does.” I
glance at the camera bag and computer. What’s she up to? Doesn’t matter. I
smile and see if she’s as girly as a certain person I know. “Plus they’ve got
the best chili cheese fries in town.” She doesn’t bat an eye or even squirm.
Impressive.
Unfortunately, she says something
I can’t stop. “If you aren’t doing anything . . .”
I drop my gaze and stares at the
scuff marks on my boots, rubbing the back of my neck. “Well, I’d like to, but—”
“No problem,” she says before I
can finish. “It’s not a biggie.”
I don’t like how her face fell, or how it pisses me off I can’t say yes. “It’s
not—”
“Like I said, no biggie. If you
could just tell me which way . . .”
Has she lost her mind? I can at least take her there. “I can drop you off—”
“No, that’s okay. Really.” She
avoids my eyes as she glances around the neighborhood. “I don’t mind walking.”
I catch her gaze and hold it for
a whole ten seconds. I’m trying to convey with my eyes what I can’t say with my
mouth. Like I would love to hang out with you and talk about whatever you want.
Like I would love to see what’s on that camera. Like tell me about yourself.
But I can’t do it. Damn it. It’s not like I’m interested in anything other than
hanging out with this fascinating girl, but I’m not free to do anything. So I
cave and give her directions before hopping in my truck.
“I guess I’ll see you at school
tomorrow,” I say, revving the engine. I gotta get out of here.
She nods once and fakes a smile.
“Sure, yeah, tomorrow.”
I peel out, heading toward the
one person who makes my life hell. And the one person I cannot hurt no matter
how much I can’t be with her.
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