Chapter 5 - Charlotte
“This is insane,” I say for the sixth time since I left home.
I didn’t even video call Grant before running to him. I sent him a picture of me, meaning he’s seen two photos, and I have one. One I hope is recent and real because that’s the photo I’ve started to fall for. His deep, wonderful voice always makes me feel safe and warm, like any secret I have is welcome and won’t spread past his ears.
As much as I’ve wanted to be in his arms, tasting his laugh these last few weeks, it’s the kind of thing that’s easy to dream about but terrifying to face in reality. I consider staying on the bus as we near Aspenbrook, but I just ... can’t stop my feet when they edge me towards the aisle. I grab my bag from the overhead area, then walk to the door. I keep one hand on my backpack strap and my other hand on my duffle as I edge out of the bus and into the chilly April air.
The bus stop is in the middle of nowhere, which I guess lives up to the name, but ... there’s no one else here. Once the bus takes off, I glance at the forest, see a cardinal, red and beautiful perched on a branch and take a slow breath.
“Charlotte,” the same voice from my hours of phone calls says.
Turning around, I see Grant, exactly as he was in the photo, but so, so much bigger waiting on the other side of the road. I walk to him slowly, playing with my braid until he effortlessly takes my bags from me and puts them in the back of his truck.
He’s nearly a foot taller than me and so much broader, bigger, more muscular in person. Just ... gorgeous.
“You’re real,” I breathe as I stare up at him. He towers over me, his green eyes sure and steady, plus that deep voice and subtle smile. I take a step closer, nearly touching him, only to stop as my face burns. “Grant you’re ...”
He gently touches my braids, stroking over it and nods as his gaze softens. “I thought you were going to pounce.”
“I didn’t realize you were this big!” I laugh once and put my hand over my mouth. “There’s no way I’d be able to get my arms around you.”
“I can take care of that,” he promises, before his free hand presses against the small of my back and pulls me into a one-armed embrace.
He is warm, shockingly warm and despite all his dense muscle, he feels better than dropping into bed after a long day. I press my face to his shirt after hesitating a second and feel myself spiraling. I started the fall the second he called me and talked with me all night, but this is a free fall. He’s real, he’s right here, he’s holding me and is so much more than I ever anticipated.
“Grant,” I breathe.
He presses his cheek against the top of my head. “Now you’ll learn all my secrets.”
“I know you’re not a cat fish which is a pretty good start,” I tease as I look up at him.
But those warm eyes, the intensity rolling off him in waves that feeds my growing desire nearly chokes me. He strokes my cheek and walks me around his truck. “Lying is too much work with very little reward. I’m glad to see you’re real too.”
“Honesty is an important value for me, you know…” I murmur.
He nods, opens the door for me, and keeps my hand until I’m safely in the passenger seat. I’m pretty sure that if I gave him the chance, he’d buckle me up too. The thought makes me blush. The idea of his hands coasting over my breasts, along my hip, maybe dragging up the inside of my thigh to the hem of my shorts has my lower belly pulsing. I’ve never been so aware of someone else in my life.
When Grant gets in the driver seat, he puts the truck in gear, then takes my hand in his. It feels natural, effortless, like we’ve been doing this for weeks. I take a slow breath and try to keep my feet planted firmly on the ground instead of letting my mind run away with ideas.
“I bought bird feeders, set them up outside the back porch so you can watch them. I think I’ve been getting more squirrels than birds, so I might have to oil the poles. They’re clever assholes,” Grant says.
I glance over at him and grin. “I don’t think that’s very nice.”
“You clearly haven’t met these squirrels. They’re asking for war, sweetheart. They want to eat everything they know isn’t for them. Soon enough, they’ll be taking over the rabbits and the raccoons too,” he says with that ever so slight smile and that softness in his green eyes.
“Well then clearly there’s only one answer,” I say dramatically. “Bees.”
He laughs, actually laughs and nods. “Have you looked more into that? Allergies and all?”
Which gets me talking about everything I’ve learned about bee keeping, while Grant listens and occasionally gives me an idea just so I can keep going.
I’m determined to make this my first step into the world on my own. Grant’s been that big choice, my inspiration, not my reason, and I like that he’s so eager to help me find what I want to do with my life. I like how safe he is, how protective and charming in that quiet, strong way.
How could any woman resist him?
“How are you single?” I ask.
He turns and blinks at me after turning onto a dirt road. Then he thinks about it, doesn’t just answer the way he thinks I want to hear. He clears his throat. “I’ve never found another person better than solitude ... or at least mostly solitude. A few good friends, coworkers I don’t bother with outside of work, flings that didn’t last long.”
I blink at him and nod. I’ll take up as little space as possible and give him as much as I can. It’ll be easy since I want to figure out my own things. He has a porch, the whole forest, so much to explore either together or on my own.
“I wouldn’t have invited you here if I thought sharing space together wouldn’t work,” he states evenly, like reading my mind. “I’m not interested in wasting either of our time.”
Something heavy that had been rolling around my chest suddenly evaporates. There might be problems, but I’m here for a month ... which I should probably mention since I only mentioned two weeks of P.T.O. even though I told him I gave my notice ... will it change anything?
I’ll find out when I can catch my breath.