Page 39 of Dove
I scowled, grabbing for the items in her hands. When they were stacked on the counter so Dell could include them, I ordered more firmly, “Go wait in the car, Dove.”
She cast me an annoyed look, grumbling under her breath at me as she spun around and stomped toward the door. “Fine,Daddy.”
Why that littlebrat…
I wanted to snip back, like I normally would, but it was like all the wind was knocked out of my lungs by that simple two-word sentence, one word hitting me like a lightning bolt to the chest. Even though her voice had been mocking, it had me gripping the counter, knuckles white with the sheer effort it took to hold myself up. The strength left my knees, leaving me a shuddering mess, and I suddenly had the urge to pull Dove over my knee andspank her.
I’d never had that impulse with a woman before in mylife, but it seemed lots of things buried sprung to life around her.
I was more than thankful for slow, old Dell taking his time on the other side of the counter, unable to see how her bratty jab had affected me.
Her arms were crossed petulantly when I opened the door to the car and slid in.
I handed the bag of items to her, but she ignored me. She stubbornly let it dangle between us until she relented with a huff and grabbed for it, slipping it down into the footwell of her seat.
“You’re welcome,” I chirped, buckling my seatbelt with a click, and pressing the button to start the engine.
She didn’t deign to reply, returning to her watchful observation out the window, arms crossed.
I sighed. I guess it was too much to ask for a simplythank you.Not that I needed one, honestly. I was happy to provide her with anything I could give her. And even if it wasn’t in my power to give, I would damn well try. Her words from earlier echoed in my head, and I stubbornly ignored them, trying to forget how it had made me feel. I liked providing for Dove, so what? And maybe I was a tad protective, but I’d always been like that. It didn’t mean I was trying to be…thatfor her.
“Put your seat belt on,” I reminded her as I backed out of the parking space in front of the store. There were more businesses on this side of town, including Dell’s and an aging hair salon owned by a woman named Beatrice, who’d stopped cutting just before I left. Dove’s friend Reverie had worked there before moving to California. I knew Betty had been sad to see her go, hopeful she would take over the shop one day, but it had always been Rev’s dream to live a metropolitan life. Bright lights and a bustling city full of celebrities had always won out over dirt roads and a sky full of stars.
I often wondered if Dove had those same aspirations, to leave this small town behind for something bigger and better. Growing up, we’d talked some of our future, mostly about college and possible future jobs we might want. But never of leaving, never of any place other than here.Home. Like this place was a familiar shackle we had no idea how to free ourselves of. It was part of the reason why my leaving had side blinded her so much because I’d never indicated I wanted to leave before.
Because I never did,I thought. At least, not after she’d entered my life.
I looked over at her, picturing her living in a built-up city, becoming part of something hectic and thriving, too busy moving to stop and see the beauty in anything. Would anyonestop to appreciateherif she were walking down the street, or would she become just another face in a bustling sea of people?
With the sun shining across her face, highlighting her dark eyelashes, round cheeks, and straight nose, I couldn’t imagine anyone not being starstruck by Dove. She was stunning. Truly gorgeous.
She deserved someone to tell her that every day.
I scowled as my eyes roamed down to see she hadn’t put her seatbelt on. She clearly needed to be told other things, too.
“Seatbelt, Dove,” I repeated as I turned back to the road, even though my eyes longed to stay on her. Not very conductive to driving, though.
She let out an aggravated noise, raising her arms exasperatedly.
“There you go again,” she snapped, her voice thick with frustration. “I’m not some teenager following you around blindly anymore, Josh. I’m a twenty-one-year-old?—”
“Oh.” I couldn’t stop the roll of my eyes. “So worldly.”
Out of the corner of my eye, she scowled. “As if you’re any better. You’re only three years older than me!”
True, but the urge to be protective over Dove was ever present, despite our minimal age difference. I didn’t have tobeolder tofeelolder, like it was my duty, my responsibility, to watch over her and keep her safe. I would always feel that way, no matter how many miles separated us.
When I glanced back to her, the fire in her eyes was completely different than the kind that had burned in them last night. This time the intensity behind them was fueled by anger. Despite that, they still gave off the same heat. I forced my eyes back to the road, shifting in my seat. Now wasnotthe time for that.
A curse fell from my lips as I stomped on the break, narrowly missing the truck that had flown out in front of me.
I reacted on pure instinct, my only thought Dove. I flung my arm out to catch her across the chest before she could fly forward and hit her head off anything.
“Reckless idiots,” I hissed. “That fucking stop sign is there for a reason.”
I turned to Dove and said pointedly, “This is why I told you to put?—”
But I wasn’t greeted by Dove’s annoyed face, or the roll of her eyes. Instead, her eyes were wide and unseeing, and her breathing came shallow, quickening with each exhalation. The faraway, fearful look on her face scared the crap out of me.
