Shadow of Doubt (8 page)

“Ready to pack up again?” Jordan cheerfully greeted as Dolly walked into the kitchen and caught him fixing breakfast for the two of them.

“Kicking me out all ready?” she asked teasingly, trying to forget the incident that took place last night.  She was afraid he would be angry at her for bothering him during the night.

“Not yet...we're leaving for North Carolina today remember?  My race is in two days.  Or did you forget that too?” he joked in return as he flipped a perfectly golden pancake.

Dolly smiled widely now.  “He does want me around,” she thought.  “You're gonna take me with you?  Really?” she asked with surprise.

Jordan thought she looked like a young child when she smiled like that, but could tell she was actually much older now he just wasn't sure how old.  Twenty-two?  Twenty-three maybe?  He just couldn't make up his mind.  Sometimes he just wanted to grab her up and kiss her, but the doubt kept him from it.

“Yes really.  You'll finally get to see me race,” he answered rather proudly of the fact.  He removed the pancake from the pan and placed it on a plate with the rest of the stack he had already prepared for them.

He didn't much care what his friends thought anymore about his becoming such a softy.  He liked this curious little lady and she made him feel good.  He liked the conversations they shared together and she seemed more interested in his career than anyone else he had ever known.  This pleased him very much.

Jordan looked at her strangely as they sat together now at the small kitchen table.  Dolly felt suddenly uncomfortable about it.

“What's wrong?” she asked with near fret.

“About last night...did anything else come back to you after I left?” he asked, trying to change the subject.

“Oh...uh-uh.  I just remembered I was in the water and I couldn't breathe.  It seemed so real though.  I really thought I was gonna die.”

“Probably was real.  It's a good sign though, I guess, maybe it won't be so long until it
all
comes back to you after all.”

Dolly wasn't as hopeful as he seemed to be.  She passed the syrup over to him and took a bite of her food.  She was enjoying being here and was beginning to dread whatever it may be that she didn't remember.  No one else seemed to be concerned about her whereabouts either or they would be looking for her and now she feared her real life may turn out to be lonelier than this one.  Only with Jordan she didn't feel alone anymore.  But sometimes it was hard to figure out if he was happy about her presence here or not.

“Is Martin gonna be there too?” she finally asked remembering he was supposed to be Jordan's alleged racing manager.  He seemed more of a pain to her yet she hoped he would be there.  Then she would at least have someone else to talk too when Jordan was in his car racing around the track.

“Yes, he'll be there...why?  You finally getting used to him?” Jordan asked rather suspiciously, almost with a spark of jealousy in his tone.

“Not really...just wanted an advance warning,” she teased without being able to produce so much as a false grin this time.  She sipped at her orange juice.

“Oh c'mon...he's not that bad.”

“Huh...he gives me the creeps.”

“Didn't look that way on the beach the other day,” he implied rather sarcastically.

Jordan must have been watching through the window Dolly thought to herself.  It was the only way she could think of that he even knew she had talked to Martin that day.

“He was pestering me.  I finally got rid of him though,” she answered trying to make it quite clear that she had no romantic interests in Martin Slater what so ever.

“If you say so,” he mumbled back as he continued his breakfast.  Dolly didn't rebel anymore.  She didn't want him to think she was only making excuses.

She rose to clear the table after they had finished their breakfast.  Jordan let her do it herself this time and disappeared into his bedroom to pack for their journey.

Dolly was excited about going away with this man.  He was so kind hearted and courageous.  It almost felt as if they were taking a honeymoon or something.  She looked forward to seeing him behind the wheel of his car speeding around the North Carolina Speedway.

She finally ran to her room to pack her things as well.  It didn't take her long.  Her excitement sped her along.  She ran to living room to wait for him.

Jordan re-emerged with bags in hand.  He sat them near the door.  I guess I'd better put Myron downstairs in his kennel.    I don't wanna come home to my house torn apart.”

He disappeared below to lock the little pooch in his 6' x 12' pen he had built just for him under the house.  He made sure he had plenty of food and water to last for days.

Dolly sat quietly for a while as they drove, still feeling a little depressed.  Still no one had reported her missing and no one had recognized her in the photo that had run in the local newspaper.

“Did you call Lydia and tell her we were leaving?  You promised her you would,” she suddenly remembered as she turned to face Jordan.

“Hell no...I can't stand that...woman,” he muttered with an evil little grin.  “It's none of her damn business where we go or what we do.  You're not some kind of criminal on parole or anything like that.  You just don't know who you are!”  he laughed out.

Dolly couldn't help it.  She burst into laughter as well.  She loved Jordan's smile and felt she was going to enjoy this trip very much after all.

Then Jordan flipped open a cooler on the floor between them, reached in and handed her a cold can of beer.

“Here…if you travel with Jordan Scott you gotta get drunk on occasion.  It's the rules,” he told her grinning widely.

Dolly smiled curiously at him but took the can and watched Jordan reach in and grab himself a can of soda.

“Why aren’t you gonna have a beer?”

“Cause I'm driving,” he stated.

“Oh...this is good,” she then replied after bravely popping open her beverage and tasted it.

“Drink up, there's plenty,” he told her as he placed his own can between his muscular legs so he could reach over and flip the lid of the cooler shut again.

They drove and talked and laughed for what seemed like hours.  Dolly was glad now to see Jordan actually enjoying her companionship for once.  The thought of returning to that dreadful shelter sent chills of horror through her body.  She no longer felt like she was in Jordan's way, they were actually having too much fun together.

“I'm gonna tell Lydia you got me drunk,” she then stuttered out as they teased with each other.

“Better not I'm still not too sure you're old enough to be drinking that stuff,” he remarked looking at her wondering again about her age.  He just couldn't make up his mind.  Was she or wasn't she old enough to be out on her own.  “Of course she was, or she wouldn't have been out in the water alone that night to begin with,” he convinced himself.

“Well...I'm drinking it anyway,” Dolly said as she raised her pilsner can in the air as if to toast him and took another drink.

Jordan laughed at her.  He thought she was cute indeed and was rather glad she was here to brighten up what would have been an otherwise long and boring trip.  The trip he has made so many times alone...but never had he enjoyed it quite the way he was enjoying it this time.

They arrived in North Carolina much into the darkness.  Jordan backed his trailer into the spot he had reserved for them, unhooked it from his truck and began hooking up all the electrical and plumbing connections.

Dolly watched with amazement.  “He must do this a lot,” she thought as he expertly finished up, and rather quickly.

“Madam,” Jordan playfully stated as he opened the door to the trailer and swung his arm to motion her to enter ahead of him.

“You're such a gentleman,” she stuttered back then stumbled up the two steep steps, Jordan breaking her backward fall with a firm powerful hand and a gentle push to the mid section of her back.  He shoved her inside.

“Don't let that get around,” he teased.  “I'm not supposed to be helping damsels in distress.”

“This is cute,” Dolly admitted as she fell to the couch just inside the door and looked around the small room.

The kitchen and living room ran together with a small fold down table on the opposite wall.  Behind the kitchen was a small bedroom with a regular size bed and small bathroom off the bedroom complete with shower and sink.

Jordan playfully shoved her feet to the floor so he could sit next to her and handed her another beer.  “No...I think I've had enough,” she said trying to refuse the drink.

“Nonsense!” he replied as he opened it for her and forced her to take it from him anyway.  “You're still conscious aren't you?” he teased as he now helped himself to a brew of his own.

“I...think so.  I'm really not too sure though,” she giggled in reply, then drank up anyway.  “I...also have to...go to the bathroom,” she finally stuttered out, then rose and stumbled to the back of the small trailer and found her way into the bathroom.

Jordan sighed as he kicked off his boots and turned on his small television, then stretched out comfortably on the couch, his arm reclined across the back of it.

Dolly returned and slumped down next to him again.  “I don't feel so great,” she stated as she looked into Jordan's smiling face.

“What?  Can't handle it?” he joked as he unconsciously pulled her to him.  She propped her feet on the couch...her back against his chest and her head laid back on his shoulder as he wrapped his arm around her stomach.  It felt so comforting to have this good looking and caring man to cuddle to at last.

“Ummm, you feel good and warm,” she said as she tried to keep her eyes open but yawned instead.

Jordan suddenly remembered there was only one bed in this small trailer of his.  He didn't much care though as he watched Dolly comfortably doze off to sleep against his chest.  He carefully scooted out from under her and lifted her into his arms.

Carefully, he carried her into the small bedroom, laid her on the bed, pulled off her shoes and covered her smugly with a blanket.

“Where ya going?” he then heard her soft sweet voice call out when he started back toward the couch.  Jordan turned but could barely make out her glowing face in the light that streaked through the window above the bed from the moon lit sky outside.

“I'd hate to kick a man out of his own bed,” Dolly drunkenly stated, wanting to again feel this man's warmth against her own body.

Jordan grinned back almost curiously...tempted.  “Uh-uh Jordan, that gal's too young...or is she?”  he wondered to himself.  “But I'm not but twenty-five myself.  May as well...how much younger than that could she be?”

Jordan crawled slowly next to her still not too sure of what he was in for.  “Sure this is a good idea?” he asked as he turned to his side and propped his head on his hand so he could look into her sparkling blue eyes.

“Why not?  It might get awfully cold on that old couch,” she replied as she snuggled next to the warmth of his body, also turning to her side to face him, now sliding her arm around him.

Jordan couldn't fight it any longer.  He had been drawn to this mysterious little lady ever since the day he had found her.  He slid his hand over her soft side, to her back pulling her against him and stared into her eyes until their mouths joined roughly.  A chill filled his body as her tender arms slid tightly around his neck and her fingers trickled into the back of his thick wavy hair.  He could feel her petal soft lips beneath his own as his breath grew heavy and nearly uncontrollable.

Dolly felt as if her craving for this handsome man was at last going to be fulfilled when she felt his heavy body roll to cover hers.  They kissed wildly, breathing so heavily, but her craving only seemed to increase drastically, wanting him even more now as her hands caressed down his back.  She didn't want him to stop...only for him to ravish her more.  Her craving increased rapidly as their tongues met and fought intensely.  She took his hands in hers and slid them down to her breasts almost begging him to have her.

Jordan didn't resist.  His lips brushed their way down her neck as he massaged her firm bosom through her clothing, but he just couldn’t go on.  As much as he wanted too...he just couldn't do this.

Dolly felt a sudden chill as the warmth of his sturdy body left hers.  Jordan rolled off of her and sighed deeply, covered his face for a moment with his hands.  He turned to stare seriously into her confused baby blue eyes.

“What's wrong?” she gasped as her thirst for his affection had now invaded her entire body.

“I just can't,” he whispered as he closed his eyes in pain and caught his breath.  “I know nothing about you Dolly.  You might be married for all I know.  You might even have kids at home waiting for you to return to them.  It just wouldn't be fair to
you
if we did this.  If only I knew, without a shadow of doubt, I'd take you now.”

“That's impossible,” she answered nearly giggling as she propped herself on her elbow again to look at him.

“Is it?” he asked when their eyes met again.  “How do we know that?  How can we be sure about anything?”

Dolly flipped back to her back, now totally frustrated, the whole while her body tingled immensely with so much desire for him.  “I don't care,” she blurted out nearly begging.  “I want you Jordan.  As much as I want you, there couldn't possibly be another man in my life.  I just know it.”