Hotness of a man

it could be better

She moved past me and hiked herself

up into the truck. Careful to make sure

that her leg was clear, I slammed the

door shut. She jumped slightly and gave

me a quick glance.

“Sorry, you’ve got to slam it or it

won’t shut.”

She nodded and I headed around the

hood of the truck. A new image had

replaced the first one. It was the view of

how her chest had swayed and bounced

with me slamming the door causing the

truck to shake.

I had to get the heck away from this

woman! No doubt about it.

I got in my side and started the truck

up and without a word started driving.For the next 40 miles silence reigned in

the truck.

As we got to the outskirts of town I

brought myself to say, “If you want a

piece of friendly advice it would be to

collect the insurance money off that car

and get something like a Jeep to drive. A

couple months down the road and that

car will be completely useless to get

around here in.”

She didn’t say anything and I glanced

her way. She was staring at the town and

empathetically I took in what she must

be feeling. “Not what you were

expecting is it.”

“Not quite.” She responded softly

“Do you have a place to stay?”

Uncertainly, she rattled off an address.

My eyebrows rose, the girl had

money it would seem. I drove down

some side streets and then I hit Grover

Hill, which wasn’t paved and the evidence of that was clear as I began to

carve my way up it tires spinning.

Her eyes had widened and she was

gripping onto the seat as the tires spun.

Calling out over the revving of the

engine I said, “Ironically, this road isn’t

paved because the town can’t afford to

do so, rather, it’s because the tourists

think it’s cool to claw their off-road

vehicles up this miserable hill.”

I reached the top of the ridge and began driving along a line of picturesque

log rental cabins. The tourist season was in high swing, but one of the 10 cabins

remained empty. Shaking my head, I did

something I never usually did and that

was to be nosy in other people’s

business as I stated, “It must be every bit

of your salary to rent this thing.”

“Actually, it’s free.”

I looked at her and she returned my

gaze and said, “They had a hard time

finding someone and a local businesswoman offered the use of the

cabin in order to make the offer of

employment look better.”

“Mrs. Cashings.” I said, nodding my

head, before saying, “She’s a fine old lady. She owns all these cabins.”

Wealthy as the old woman may be

she was very free with what God had

given her and in this case she had made

a way for the children of poor people to

have a teacher. Coming to a reluctant

conclusion, I admitted that she didn’t

have to be the only generous one in

town.

I glanced over at my passenger and

said, “Do you have a key?” She dug one

out of her jean pocket. I took it from her

and glancing across at her I said, “Stay

in the truck.”

Her eyes were full of questions, but

she stayed quiet as I got out. Better yet,

she stayed in the truck.Quickly I made two trips and got her

bags put inside the log cabin. I got back

in the truck and fired the old girl up.

She rattled to life and I headed back

down off the ridge. It was a bumpy ride

to say the least as we coasted over all

the spin hole divots from previous

passages up the steep hill.

The girl had not questioned as to

what I was up to yet and she didn’t now

as she asked, “Do you think there’s

somewhere nearby that I could rent a

Jeep.”

“Nope.” I responded with, only to

continue with, “I do know of several in

not too bad a shape that are for sale. I

would say it would be an even trade for the money you’ll get out of your car

being totaled.”

Her words surprised me, “I don’t

have insurance.” I glanced at her and

read something else in the cast down

expression of her face before she looked

away out the side window.

She had no money. That was

surprising given how she was finely attired as if used to having money.

Why on earth had someone like her

come to a place at the end of the world

like this?

“She’s running from something.”

Came the whisper from within me.

I came to a stop about then at the little place I called home. I was about a

mile out of town and situated in the

forests that I made my living from.

The place wasn’t much to look at,

but it was mine. The Jeep parked in the

driveway was also mine.

“Get out.” I said and obediently she

did so.

I came around the hood and digging

into a pocket I pulled out my car keys. I

handed them out to her and she stared at them in shock for a moment before her

eyes alternately switched from me to the

Jeep beside her and then back again.

Finally, she closed her eyes and said,

“I can’t.”

Smiling wryly I jingled the keys and

said, “You can’t afford not to.”

Her eyes opened and seeing my

smile seemed to have some effect on her

and puzzled I watched her swallow

nervously. Slowly she reached out and

took the keys from my hand.

It was the first time we had touched.

Her skin was as soft as it looked.

“I’ll pay you back.” She said thickly.

“No, not needed, just do a good job teaching the kids is all I ask. No rush in

getting the Jeep back to me either. I

really don’t need it.