Found by You (20 page)

I wasn’t sad about the bag. It only felt fitting considering what was happening. What made my heart heavy was far worse and his genuine remorse for my luggage was part of that. I shrugged casually, hoping to get that horrible look of sadness off his handsome face. “It’s okay, it happens. And thanks. I’d like that.”

I didn’t wait for the look to go away as I was finding it increasingly harder to look at him. I gazed out the window at the brown peaks in the distances, the large hills with sun peaking over them. Where we were going was far out from the city and airport. There was nothing but landscape passing us by.

Shrugging behind my seatbelt, I maneuvered out of my hoodie. It was about twenty degrees warmer here than at home, but it was perfect. Not too hot at all and wonderfully breezy.

I tossed my hoodie on the floor and leaned back. That’s when I felt Griffin’s hand on my exposed shoulder due to the style of my dress.

I closed my eyes, shutting out the landscape through the window before me. His touch actually
hurt
now. Seared and burned.

“Did I do something, Roxie?” he asked.

My eyes were closed, but I knew they were forming tears. They had to be. I opened them and got confirmation. They were close to falling. I drew in a quiet breath, and then forced myself to hold a small smile when I looked at him.

He had his baseball cap on, the bill shadowing his eyes, but the sadness shown through. The worry. It just about killed me; it battered my already broken heart even more.

He lowered his hand from my shoulder. “Is it what happened the other night? With my friends? I know we never talked about it, but I thought we were okay.”

I managed to hold my smile. “We are okay. I’m passed that. You didn’t do anything.”

This
, what was going on, was all me.

His expression didn’t seem to change. Staring at me, his eyebrows drew in, tense and tight. “Prove it then. Prove nothing’s wrong.”

My mouth parted, but I didn’t know what he meant. Therefore I was unsure how I should respond. Turns out I didn’t have to.

He clicked off the seat belt stretched over his broad chest. Once he let it fall behind him, he opened his arms.

“Let me hold you,” he said. “Let me hold you until we get to my gram’s house.”

He cut me to the quick and he didn’t even know it. He couldn’t possibly know of the pain his request would cause me or he wouldn’t have made me do it. But he did…

So I had to.

I unbelted myself, then slid backwards across the seat, fighting myself from doing it reluctantly.

His long arms moved around me and my body naturally settled against his like he was home base. Like he was that beacon I was supposed to float toward.

I lifted my legs onto the seat and rested there against him. I didn’t care how dangerous it was to be in a moving car in this position and I had a feeling it was because I felt so protected. I could do this. I could
have
this if only for a little while. He was going to keep his distance once we got to his grandma’s. I could let myself have this now. Just this one time.

He brought me in even tighter against his warm chest, leaning into my ear. “You can talk to me if anything is ever bugging you. You know that, right?”

I did know that. I just wished I could make myself.

Chapter Twenty

Griffin

I didn’t necessarily believe her, but with Roxie I was quickly finding out how she operated. Roxie Peterson was a runner, and if you didn’t feel her out and give her space when she needed it, she’d fade away, leaving you nothing but confused in her wake. Something was bothering her. That I knew, but for the time being I chose to put the issue on hold. We were bound to have some time this weekend to talk. If not, it could wait until we got back to campus. Right now, I’d just have to make sure she had a good time with my family. A good time with me.

The way she lay in the backseat of the cab in my arms, her soft hair against my chest, she put on a strong illusion she was okay. This felt normal again, like us just chilling on the couch at her apartment. She had her eyes closed, though I knew she was just resting them. The tips of her fingers brushed the hairs of my arms wrapped around her. She couldn’t see the goose bumps on my skin, but they were there. I did the same to her; small beaded peaks lined her dark skin on the areas my fingers stroked. If I could sit like this with her forever I would, draw out the illusion that we were good, that we were okay, but the ride eventually had to end. My gram lived in the middle of nowhere, but every destination started always had its endpoint.

The driver drove under the wooden arch that marked the path to my gram’s house. He took us to the wooden gate that surrounded Gram’s property. The walk wasn’t long from there; it was just through the gate and up to the house my grandpop built from the ground up before he died. The place was all wood and white-walled. I used to love the smell of the oak as a kid.

The cab driver rattling off his total forced me out of the euphoria I had with Roxie. She leaned up out of my arms and she was gone. Hopefully not for long. I’d take her aside sometime today so we could talk. I paid the guy then led Roxie out to the gravel walk. My hoodie had sweat lining my back from the mild change in climate, so I stuffed it in my duffle bag after I retrieved it from the trunk. Roxie didn’t have much, just her purse, and she made her way alongside me to the door of my gram’s house, surveying the area with flickering eyes. Part of the reason she did that had to because of the rising sun. It killed when it was at its highest, and the other reason I was sure was because of my Gram’s beautiful property. Even after Grandpop died, she refused to downsize. My aunt Robin and her two kids moved in with her, making sure the hired hands took care of the horses, cattle, and other animals. Still, I knew the place to be too much for my gram. When Grandpop was around, it was too much for him. No one in my family was by any means well off, and the small ranch had always been the subject of arguments by the adults around the table. But this was Grandpop’s dream. Didn’t matter if he only broke even. That’s what he wanted, so in the end, they all supported him. That was what family did. Support each other.

I came out of my thoughts when Roxie wobbled alongside me, and I noticed she had to stop a moment after we’d only taken a few steps. I put my hand on her back. “What’s wrong?”

Leaning down, she removed her flip-flop. A rock was embedded in the rubber where her toes were.

I cringed. “Ouch. You okay?”

She pulled the rock out with her nail and put her sandal back on. “I guess these weren’t a good idea. It’s hard to walk and the rocks are stabbing me. My sneakers were in my bag.”

Damn. My gram’s entire property was pretty much covered in this gravel. “We’ll get you something else to wear soon, okay? Don’t worry.”

She simply nodded, tight-lipped as she stared at my arm, making me aware my hand was still on her back.

I really didn’t get what this was, and I was about to ask her, demand why I suddenly wasn’t allowed to touch her freely, when the door of my Gram’s house opened. Both our heads shot up and a large woman who aided in taking care of me when I was a kid grinned at the two of us.

Roxie

The woman just about startled me out of my flip-flops, but I was happy she opened the door. Griffin removed his hand from my back when she did.

In teal-colored capris and a flowery blouse, the middle age woman came out to the porch, waving and calling Griffin’s name with a wide smile.

He called her Aunt Robin, his face lighting up as he led the way up to her. He dwarfed her in height, his large arms going around her width in a huge hug. She clearly hadn’t seen him in a while. She looked so happy to see him.

He pulled me to him by the arm and presented me to her. He looked just as happy as she did. “Aunt Robin, this is Roxie.”

The delight on her face couldn’t be more genuine. She shook my hand, holding me there. “Sweetie pie, you are a sight for sore eyes.” She cupped her mouth. “We were afraid he’d bring that skinny bitch.”

I blinked. Holy crap, she was talking about Tanya.

Griffin sucked in a breath. “Er, uh, my aunt is kind of blunt. You’ll find that out pretty quickly.”

She put her hands on her hips. “You’re the one who brought her, Griffin,” she drawled, that Texan twang to her voice in full volume. She looked at me. “The girl wouldn’t eat nothing. Simply nothing. Like she was too good. You eat, don’t you, darlin’?”

I gazed down my front. Either she wasn’t looking at me or she really was asking. Genuinely. I smiled. “I think so.”

This made her grin. “Good. Good. Then you’ll fit right in. We
eat
around here. Let me tell you. You want anything while you’re here just let me know and I’ll whip it up for you.” She gazed around me at all angles. “Griff, where’s this child’s bag?”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “Mistake at the airport. They lost it. It’s coming in the morning. I’m gonna run her out to Walmart later for the stuff she needs until then.”

The fact Griffin was at home was already settling in. His voice was definitely dragging a bit, and he’d only spoken to his aunt for a few minutes. He wasn’t lying about his accent peaking when back at home. It really was cute.

His aunt groaned, pushing her hand through her frizzy, strawberry blonde curls. “Those fuckers. Can’t do anything right.”

I bit my lip. This woman was so crass, but I had to say I liked it. She seemed real. Like a person who let you know about yourself and I had nothing but respect for that. I didn’t want anyone walking on eggshells if they didn’t approve of me and something told me this woman wouldn’t hold back.

His aunt led us inside and she took Griffin’s bag, saying she’d set it in the barn where the boys would be staying. I thought she was joking, but it turns out she wasn’t. The boys were in the barn, girls were in the basement, and the married people had the spare rooms of the house. It killed me that I was happy Griffin and I would be separated for the night. He apologized for that and I had to pretend I was disappointed.

Griffin’s grandma’s house was fabulous. Hardwood floors, huge brick fireplace, marble counters, and hand carved furniture. I expected the house to be filled with folks, but his aunt said everyone was outside socializing and eating potluck. She led us as far as the backdoor before taking off. Griffin placed his hands on my shoulders before we went out.

“Hey, if you feel uncomfortable or awkward at all, just let me know, okay? We can take a walk or whatever. Get away. I’m sure this will be overwhelming for you since you don’t know anyone and my family can be kind of,” he paused, searching for the word. “They’re just laidback. Kinda like my aunt. Though, I think she’s the worst, so you should be good.” He gave a short laugh.

I smiled. He shouldn’t be embarrassed about them. They reflected who he turned out to be. They had to be good people. We didn’t all have that. Great people who affected our lives. He was quite fortunate. “It’s fine. She’s actually pretty cool. I’m sure I’ll be okay. Don’t worry about me.”

I reached to open the door, but he didn’t let me go. Instead, he pulled my forearm, dragging me out of the view of the glass door that led to the back. My body covered in chills when he placed his hands on my cheeks. He leaned his forehead gently against mine, his breath moving over my mouth.

“It’s been so hard not being able to touch you,” he said. “Not seeing you for days.”

I closed my eyes as he brushed his lips along my temple to my hairline. He breathed me in, his breath so warm and husky, and my blood fired, bubbling awareness all over my body. I missed him so much. God, how could I do this…

Swallowing hard, I forced myself to back away from his hands. “Let’s go meet your family.”

The hurt twisting his face did the same to my insides. Thankfully, he didn’t push me about how closed off I was being, and in the back of my mind I wondered if he was scared to.

He crossed his arm in front of me and opened the door that led to his life, his family. I didn’t know what I expected to see in that backyard. I supposed a bit of intimidation. I had always known Griffin’s beauty. He had it inside and out. I guess I expected the world of Stepford back there. Perfect, pretty people, and I’d be the eye sore. What was out there were real folks, though. All sizes, all shapes, all ages, and all heights. I’d say a few dozen or so covered the area. A line of kids stood up on a wooden fence, pointing to the horses inside, and babies wearing nothing but diapers and a smile ran after wild kittens. And the majority of them wore Stetson hats and cowboy boots. This Midwestern girl was really seeing Big Texas pride.

A small group of folks sat in lawn chairs near the fence that caged the horses, and those were the people Griffin guided me toward. I tried not to look goofy as I walked the chunky gravel, stiffing my ankles during my strides. I could kick myself for not wearing sneakers and suddenly felt very overdressed in my sundress. Griffin’s family sat very casually in jeans and cut offs.

I made it to the group without wincing from the rocks cutting into my feet and gave a silent prayer of thanks.

This group consisted of many faces, but Griffin immediately bent to hug the oldest in the bunch. She also donned a pair of Stetson boots under her long dress.

“Hey, Gram,” he said to her.

The woman brought the sunshine I loved out on his face, and he did the same to her. She kissed his cheek. “Griffin, you got here quicker than I thought.”

He kissed her back, rising up to his full height. “We took a nonstop flight.”

A grinned creased his face when he gazed my way. He did this despite what I put him through this morning. He was still proud to have me. The group noticed, and I became the center of attention under multiple sets of eyes. Staring at the varying faces, a sudden realization dawned. I had no idea why it took this long, but the fact I was the only person of color here flashed before me. Back on campus, I was quite used to being only one or two in a group of many, but I was in a familiar environment. One where I felt comfortable. But I’d never been to Texas before…