Page 51 of Tinder Embrace
The rest of the hike down was much easier than the scramble up, but my knees and ankles still ached by the time we made it back to Davis's truck. I ran pretty regularly, but the flat land around Campfire was no match for the elevation changes at Quartzite Mountain.
It was a relief to slide into his truck and get off my feet for a while. I’d ridden with Davis around town multiple times. His defensive driving helped me relax, because he stayed vigilant. That didn’t stop me from clenching when Davis pulled onto the freeway for the final approach to Spokane.
He cast a quick glance my way, a frown wrinkling his brow when he noticed my fisted hands and white knuckles. “You okay, Sophie?”
“I’ll be fine,” I said, laser-focused on the traffic in front of us.
Davis eased off the gas, leaving more room between us and the next car, and I worked to relax my jaw. Without a word, he signaled for the exit and drew to a stop in a convenience store parking lot.
“Want to tell me what that’s about?” he asked gently, nudging the hands I still held clenched in my lap.
“I get anxious on the freeway.” I shrugged. “Just not used to it anymore, I guess.”
“Hmm,” he rumbled, watching me with that too-perceptive gaze. Waiting.
I squirmed, picking at a thread on my shirt.
Davis sat, an immovable force next to me. Sure. Strong. He’d probably never had an anxious moment in his life. With a deep sigh, I relaxed against the seatback, bringing my gaze to meet his.
There was no censure there, only concern.
“Bee?” The soft note of worry in his voice sealed my fate.
“I was in an accident a few years back,” I said.
“Bad one?”
“Yeah,” I said, worrying the thread, working it back and forth, watching it unravel further.
Davis stretched across the space between us, gathering my hands in his, stilling my fingers.
“I walked away, but watching someone flip their car and die in front of me left its mark,” I finally said. He squeezed my hands, and I continued. “My fear of driving on the freeway made living in Spokane complicated.”
Understatement. There were a fair number of alternatives, but I-90 was the backbone through town. Constantly explaining my detours got old, and I hated seeing the pity in my friends’ faces, the impatience from boyfriends.
“Understandable,” Davis rumbled, the soft burr in his voice comforting. “Don’t worry, Bee. I’ve got a different route.”
With a final squeeze, he released me, turning south, away from the freeway.
Slowly, I relaxed. Not surprised, but touched by his easy acceptance. I’d had enough sideways glances and pointed questions to last a lifetime. Davis just rolled with it, not seeing anything weird about adapting his route for me.
We picked up Bee-gonia's burner and turned back to Campfire before one, and I settled in for the return trip, at ease now that the specter of the freeway was behind me.
I’d confessed one of my deepest secrets to Davis, and he’d shown I was wise to trust him with that piece of myself. Letting go of my lingering fear that he’d scoff at me for being too soft left me relieved and free for the first time in what felt like forever.
Free to accept the broken parts of myself and quit feeling like I had to make excuses. People like Davis, who truly cared, wouldn’t think less of me.
His support burrowed into my heart in a way that made me feel whole.
Chapter 20
Davis
I scrubbed my sweaty palms along my jeans one last time before hoisting Frick and Frack's carrier and heading toward Bluff Elementary's doors. Sophie was expecting me, and I wouldn't let her down. I didn't want to disappoint Taylor either, but I was having second and third thoughts about speaking to Sophie's class. Twenty-plus Taylors sounded frightening. I could barely handle the one little boy, with his big eyes and questions. I shuddered at the prospect of a class-full peppering me with comments. Thankfully, Sophie would be there to keep me safe, and I couldn't wait to see her with her students.
Frick and Frack meowed their discontent as I signed in with the office administrator and waited for my escort to the classroom.
Sophie looked up from a stool at the front of her class, a picture book in hand, and smiled when the aide opened the door for me. "Mr. Pruitt. Welcome."
