Page 11 of Cookie

I tossed my phone on the bed and double-checked that I’d packed everything I’d need, which wasn’t much. It was only one night, and I still had most of my things at my apartment. After getting my toothbrush from the bathroom, I threw it and a few condoms and packets of lube into my shaving bag. Better to have them and not need them than need them and not have them. My mind wandered to the time we’d spent together so far. “Definitely better to be safe than sorry.”

After checking one more time, I hurried down the stairs to find Charlie standing at the counter talking to Avery. “Hey, I didn’t know you were here,” I said before kissing his cheek.

“You two are both a little anxious to get out of here,” Avery said and looked between the two of us. “Just go, I can’t take it anymore.” She pressed the back of her hand to her forehead and fake swooned before tossing a pen at me. “Go.”

Charlie’s eyes met mine and for a moment we were in our own little bubble where I could stare into his eyes for the rest of my life and never get tired of it. He smiled and my lips pulled up in a grin. Avery sighed, and I watched as she walked over to the mystery section. “Are you ready?”

“So ready,” he said and held out his hand. I took it and we both said goodbye to Avery from the door. “I borrowed Mom’s car. It’s parked right out front.”

He unlocked the door and after throwing my bag in the back, I climbed into the passenger seat just as he was buckling his seat belt. “How long do you think it’ll take to get there?” I asked.

“This time of day, traffic shouldn’t be too heavy until we get closer to Sacramento. I bet we’ll be there within ninety minutes,” Charlie said as we drove through town.

“I still can’t wrap my mind around that this will be my home.” The town of Grace was beautiful, and so different to Sacramento, but I was coming to realize how much I needed that change. Things were good here, and everyone was so friendly and nice.Now all I needed to do was confirm it with Aunt Millie and start the paperwork.

“Do you think there’s any chance Millie would change her mind?” Charlie asked as we drove past the city limits.

“No, she’s ready to move on with her life.” Saying those words settled it a little more in my mind and I liked how that felt. Charlie reached across the seat for my hand and squeezed it. “I talked to Mom to make sure she’d be there tonight, but I asked her not to tell Millie. I really want to see her genuine reaction.”

He was right about the traffic. It was light and when we dropped down from the foothills into the valley, we decided to find a place to eat. We were near Rocklin when Charlie pulled off the freeway near a shopping center that had a lot of different restaurants. “What sounds good?” he asked.

“You choose, I’m too excited.” He glanced over at me before once again reaching across the seat for my hand. Charlie was so sweet, and even though it had only been a little over an hour’s drive, we had plenty to talk about, and it went by fast. He pulled up to a Mexican restaurant and the two of us got out of the car.

“There are no good Mexican places to eat in Grace, this is a treat.”

“Oh, we’re going to have to come back again. I know a few places that are really good in Sacramento,” I said as we walked into one of the smaller restaurants. It was clean and busy, as we walked up to the counter to order before finding a seat.

“I wouldn’t mind coming back down here again,” he said and glanced out the window. “There’s a lot around here.”

“This area has really exploded the past few years. Just a few years ago, this was all open fields.”

“I remember coming here to check out Sierra College with Clarence,” Charlie said.

“Did he attend school there?”

“Yes, he got his degree in automotive technology there. It’s one of the best programs in the area.”

“Did you go to school too?” I asked.

“No, I have always worked with Dad at the shop. Anything I couldn’t figure out on my own, he taught me. By the time I graduated high school, I knew more than my brothers and since I hated school, it didn’t make a lot of sense to me to go just for a piece of paper.”

“I loved school and didn’t want it to end, but now that I’m out, I never want to go back,” I said, making him laugh just as they called our order out.

“I’ll get it,” he said and hurried to the counter before I could even think about helping. I watched as he picked up the tray with our order and wondered what our future held. Then I reminded myself to thank Aunt Millie for giving me the chance, not just ather business, but also for making it possible for me to meet such a great guy.

Eleven

Charlie

It felt so strange and chaotic to be out of my little town and in the city. Cars rushed all over the place and while we ate, a steady stream of people walked in or continued on to the next restaurant. “Do you miss the city?” I finally asked Ryan. It had been on my lips many times, but I was afraid to hear his answer.

“Not really. I did at first, but mostly because I have a different routine here than I had there. But now I love living in Grace.” After taking the last bite of his food, he crumpled up his napkin and set it on the tray. “Are you ready?” he asked.

“Yep.” I took the tray and dumped it as we walked out the door and right to the car. “Your turn to drive. How far is it from here?”

“Probably around an hour, maybe a little less depending on traffic,” Ryan said, and I noticed he was quieter now than he had been. I walked around to the driver’s side of the car, where he stood unmoving.

“Are you okay?” I asked and reached my hand out to his arm. His eyes met mine then, and he drew in a deep breath.

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