Until Series: Box set (2 page)

Walking to the checkout, I notice there is a new desk clerk. I’m praying we don’t have to have another awkward conversation. That’s when I spot a key card drop box and make my way to it without a second look at the front desk.

Once I drop my key inside, the smell of coffee hits me. My feet move without my command to the source of my weakness. I love coffee. I drink so much coffee every day that my coffee consumption alone could support a small country. Coffee in hand and a bagel hanging out of my mouth, we make our way out to my car. Outside, the cold air hits my lungs and it feels amazing. I walk to my other baby, my light blue convertible VW bug. I pop the trunk and drop my bag inside, then dig out Beast’s food and water bowl and set them down on the ground. Leaning against my car, I watch Beast scarf down his food while I enjoy mine. Once he’s done, I put his bowls back in the car and take him to the grassy area near the parking lot to take care of his business. Looking up at the sky, and all I can think is that in just a few hours, my life is going to be so different.

*

Driving is not
fun. Okay, let’s be clear, driving in
my
car with a giant beast of a dog, going from New York to Tennessee, is not fun. My car is small and with all my stuff packed in the trunk and the back seat, there is no room for Beast. I feel bad for him being stuck up here with no place to lie down. But I have to say, he is pretty inventive. At one point, his butt was on the seat while the upper part of his body was lying on the floorboard. It didn’t look comfortable to me, but apparently he didn’t mind because within a few minutes of finding that position, he was snoring. Who knew dogs could snore so loud?

We’ve been stopping every couple hours to use the restroom and stretch our legs, so we still haven’t made it out of Virginia. To be honest, I’m just glad the roads are clear. You never know what kind of weather you’re going to run into during this time of year. October is one of those tricky months. Some days are beautiful and sunny with fall in the air, and other days are freezing and all you want to do is go hibernate for the winter.

I hate the cold. Maybe after I get settled with my dad, I’ll take a trip to a beach somewhere. The only good thing about winter is being able to wear cute sweaters and boots. But I do miss my dresses during the winter. I wear a dress every day during the summer. I’ve taken sewing classes just so I could make my own summer dresses. There’s nothing like getting up in the morning, taking a shower and slipping on a dress and a cute pair of sandals. There’s no work involved. You can add a cute jacket or extra jewelry but you don’t have to. A dress is simple. During the winter, not only do you have to wear pants and boots but you have to make sure that your shoes go with your top and jacket. Yep, I hate the cold.

My phone is blasting Breathe by Anna Nalick and it startles me out of my daydream about summer and dresses. Looking at the screen, I see its Dad calling.

“Hi, Daddy.”

“Hi, baby girl. Just checking to see how far you are.”

Looking at my GPS, I say, “We’re still in Virginia and have about six hours left. I’ve been stopping a lot for Beast.”

“Oh, yeah. Forgot you’re bringing that thing you call a dog with you.” He chuckles under his breath. “I hope you know the only reason I’m letting you bring him into my house is because he saved your life.”

I sent him a picture of Beast when I told him he was coming with me. Dad was shocked. He told me that girls were supposed to have little cute dogs for pets, not things that looked like they would eat you.

“I know, Dad, but he’s a really good dog.” As if he knows we’re talking about him, Beast lifts his head and barks. “I know, sweet boy,” I coo at him.

“Yeah, I guess it’s not such a bad thing that he can help me scare off all the guys who start sniffing around.”

“Ha ha, Dad!”

“Well, baby girl, I’ll call you in a few hours to check on you.”

“Okay, Dad. Talk to you then.”

Hanging up with my dad, I have a smile on my face. I wonder how different my life would be if my mom had left me with him rather than taking me with her. I also wonder why she took me to begin with.

My mom met my dad at a graduation party when she was eighteen. They had one night of drunken, unprotected sex and I was born nine months later. Two weeks after that, my mom took off with me to live with her cousin in New York. Growing up, my mom wasn’t involved at all. I had a nanny from as far back as I can remember. Her name was Miss B. She lived in the apartment next to us. She was the person I always counted on.

If something happened, I would go to her. She would bandage me up or tell me I shouldn’t cry over boys because they were all stupid. She is the only parental figure I’ve ever really known and when she passed away, I felt like my world crumbled around me. My dad found me not long after Miss B’s passing.

At first, I was angry and refused to reply to any of the letters he sent. Then one day, I received a huge box stuffed full of cards from every birthday, Christmas, and Halloween that he’d missed. Some looked old and some looked new, but they all said the same thing. “Dreaming of when we will spend this day together.” Since then, we talk every day and he has become one of my best friends.

“Okay, boy, were gonna go take a break. What do you say?”

Yes, talking to my dog is now becoming a habit. Most likely, a bad one. I need to make sure no one is around when I do it or I’m going to look like one of the crazy people who think their animal is sending them messages from the other side. That would not be a good thing. I have enough problems without adding insanity into the mix.

I pull off at the next rest stop and park close to the area designated for dogs. I let Beast out and he shakes his coat and stretches his legs in front of him. We walk over to the grass and I hear another vehicle pull in. I turn around to see if the person getting out has a dog as well because I don’t want to break up a dog fight and I have no idea how Beast will react to other dogs. I notice the car is still running and no one is getting out.

The car is a silver Ford Edge with New York plates. The windows are tinted so dark that you can’t see anything inside. Something buzzes across my skin. Beast must feel it too because he begins to growl. Trying to act casually, we start walking back toward my car. I see the back passenger-side door on the Edge open. That’s when I run, with Beast right along beside me. I get my door open and he jumps across my seat.

I’m just able to get the door closed when I see a guy walking in my direction. He’s wearing a black hoodie and black jeans. The hoodie is up so I can’t make out any details of his face, but I know he’s white because his hands are resting on his hips. Without a second look, I put my car in reverse and press the gas pedal. Boxes go sliding as I turn my car to get out of the rest area. I slam the car into drive and start speeding away, hoping I won’t see the Ford Edge in my rear view mirror. My heart is going a million miles a minute and I keep checking for any signs of the Edge. Fortunately, it’s nowhere in sight.

I start thinking about the whole situation and realize that my imagination is going a little crazy after being attacked. I mean, what are the chances that someone from New York would follow me just to try and hurt me again? A few hours later, there’s no sign of the Edge. When I check my GPS, I have less than two hours until we get to my dad’s. Looking down at my gas gauge, I see that I have to stop soon to fill up. With that thought, my calm heart starts to speed up again.

It’s after seven at night and the interstate is quiet with just a few cars traveling, but there are lots of semis on the road. The next exit offers every kind of fast food available, so I’m hoping there will be a lot of people there. No, not just people. I’m hoping for the scary trucker type of people. I exit the interstate and pull into the well-lit gas station. There are a few other cars getting gas so I hop out and go inside to pay. There is a Dunkin’ Donuts, and like a parched man in a desert, I find myself standing in front of their counter. After getting my coffee, paying for gas, and getting another bottle of water for Beast, I step out into the parking lot. Keeping an eye on the parking lot, I walk quickly to my car.

“That’s a beautiful dog you have there.”

Screaming and stepping back, I almost fall over the hose that is going from the pump into my car. “Sorry I scared you, honey. I just saw your dog and he’s a beauty.”

“Oh, thanks,” I say while holding my chest. Getting a look at the guy, he looks harmless. He’s dressed a lot like Santa Claus, including the suspenders with a red and black plaid shirt tucked into his jeans and black boots. I can’t help the smile that comes to my face. He smiles back.

“Russ,” he says, sticking out his hand.

“November,” I say, shaking it.

“What kind of dog is he?”

“Great Dane, I think. I’m not sure. I only looked up pictures online after I found him. His name is Beast.”

“You found him and named him Beast,” he laughs.

“Well, actually, it’s a long story but I guess he kind of found me.”

“That I believe!” he says with a sad look on his face. “You take care of him and he’ll take care of you, honey. I used to have a dog like that and he traveled everywhere with me. Even took my back a couple times when I got into a jam. They really are man’s best friend.” He looks so lost while talking about his dog that I want to say something but don’t know what. I reach my hand out and squeeze his. He squeezes mine back, and then I drop mine to my side and give him a small smile.

“Welp, gotta hit the road. Have a load to drop off in Nashville. You drive safe.”

“You too,” I say as he walks to the cab of a semi and climbs inside. Then, without thinking, I lift my fist up in the air and pull down. At that, he blows his horn and is on his way. I can’t help the smile that hits my face.

*

My GPS announces
that we have reached our destination as I’m driving up a long, private road. In the distance, I see a large blue house with a white wraparound porch. Sitting in the dark in a rocking chair is my dad. I slow down to take him in. He has his bare feet stretched out in front of him with a cup in his left hand. He’s wearing jeans with a blue V-neck T-shirt. His dark hair barely touches the collar of his shirt and is pushed back from his face. His skin looks tan, like he spends a lot of time out in the sun, but around his eyes is lighter. He probably wears sunglasses when he’s out enjoying the sun.

I pull up as he starts down the stairs. I try to open my door but he’s already there, pulling it open. Getting out of the car, my hands start to shake and all of the stress and worry from the last few days comes to the surface. Now that I’m here, my dad will take care of everything. He is my biggest supporter and the person I can always count on to have my back. He pulls me into a giant hug, shaking me around. When he finally sets me in front of him, he looks down at me and his hands go to my face.

“You look more beautiful than the last time I saw you, baby girl. Even with all the bruises,” he says, holding my face gently in his hands. His face changes and his jaw tightens. “If I ever see the fucking guy who did this to you, he’s going to wish he was never born. I hope they catch that fucking coward,” he says, letting go of my face and hugging me into his chest while kissing the top of my head. “Welcome home, baby girl.”

That was all I needed to hear for my whole body to relax into his. Welcome home. I actually had a home and it felt beautiful. “It feels good to be home,” I say with a smile. Just then, Beast pushes his way between us. Dad bends down to show him some love. He scratches his head, and in return, Beast licks his face.

“Hey, now. None of that,” he says while standing. “So, baby girl, are you ready to see your new place and get a lay of the land or do you want to just see your room and pass out?”

Laughing, I say, “I’ll just see the room and pass out. It was a long drive.”

“I know that you wanted to get here quickly but you should have stayed another night in a hotel.”

I didn’t tell my dad about the rest stop because I didn’t want him to worry. I was probably just being paranoid. But after that, all I wanted was to get to my dad’s house and put as many miles as I could between me and New York.