CHAPTER TWELVE Van #2
And then he did something unexpected. He reached out and grabbed my hand. “I’m glad you showed up, Van.”
We locked eyes, and I felt a key in my chest turning. The lock I had secured around my heart had been jiggled loose, and my resulting emotions played with my common sense.
“Do you ever wonder about chance meetings?” I blurted out, regretting the question almost immediately.
“All the time,” he whispered, surprising me, and still holding my hand. We both looked down at our interlocked fingers.
“My ex used to say I had a weird sorta sixth sense about situations and people,” I continued. “I don’t think he truly believed I was anything but crazy.”
“My ex also told me I was nuts when I spoke like this,” Chip agreed. “That guy in the picture in your rig, is he your ex?” he asked, jacking his thumb over his shoulder. I nodded. “He’s handsome,” he added. “But he must be a fool.”
Our eyes lifted from our hands and locked on each other’s again. “Why do you say that?” I whispered.
“Because if someone like you were ever mine, I’d never let you go.”
He’d lit a fire under my skin. I felt the embarrassing flames spread across my pale skin, and then I felt his thumb running along the top of my hand. I doubted he realized he was doing it.
“I bet you say that to all the guys.”
His eyes narrowed, and his lower lip trembled. “Not true,” he mumbled, finally disconnecting his eyes. After a moment, he continued. “If you knew me, you’d understand who I really am. I don’t normally say shit like I just said.”
“Do you believe in fate?” I asked, daring him to open up.
“I’ve dreamed about fate,” he stated. “But truthfully, no one like you has ever shown up in this town. I was just speaking to someone about that yesterday.”
“That is odd,” I agreed. “And I’ve been dreaming about Missile for two days.”
Chip tilted his head. I’d obviously piqued his curiosity. “Nobody dreams about this town.”
“I’m not lying to you,” I argued. “I didn’t know about Missile until two days ago.”
“No way,” he insisted. “Isn’t that odd? I mean…” He shook his head like he had to clear it. “I was just wishing an attractive guy would stop by the mercantile because a friend was pushing me to open my heart again.”
“A wise friend?” I asked.
“A person who’s known me my entire life said it. And his wisdom haunted my mind all night. And when I woke up this morning…” he began, hesitating. He looked away and took a deep breath before continuing. “You’re gonna think this is weird, but screw it.”
“I like weird,” I stated. “I relate to what people often refer to as strange.”
“I woke up and made a choice to open my heart to living again,” he declared. “I was destroyed by love last Christmas, and the pain consumed me.”
“I believe you,” I said. “And guess what? I’m on a journey of discovery. Perhaps we can help each other heal? I know it’s just a night, but I’m willing.”
“We might just have more time than that. This storm is gonna to get worse,” he warned. “You could be stuck here for at least a week, maybe until Christmas.”
I was overcome with emotion at the possibility. He’d said the magic word. Christmas. Stuck in a winter wonderland until Christmas? This had to be a sign from the universe.
“I used to love Christmas,” I whispered, losing control of pent-up hurt. “It was my favorite day. And… it’s also my birthday.”
His face lit up. “You’re not gonna believe this,” he stated, a surge of energy bursting from him. “I’ll tell you while we warm up my truck.” He tugged me toward the door, grabbing a jacket covered in grease and oil from the coat rack. “Put this on. I know it ain’t your style, but it’s warm.”
“What about you?” I asked, looking for another jacket.
“That’s the only one here, but I’m used to the cold. I’m more concerned about you.”
And with that, we ran across the parking lot, him still holding my hand until he opened the passenger door of an old, beat-up truck. He leaned in and did my seatbelt for me.
He ran around the front of the truck and hopped in. Turning to me, he smiled. “Oh, shit! I forgot Pooch.”
Chip hopped out and ran back to the store, unlocking the door and disappearing inside.
My teeth clattered as I held my hands to the heat vent.
What on earth was I doing? Getting into a stranger’s truck, with the actual stranger, and going with him to his house?
These were the types of impulsive behaviors Evan always chastised me about.
Suddenly, the driver’s door opened, and a whirlwind of snow, warm breath, and a dangerously wagging tail invaded my space.
“Holy smokes,” I yelped, holding the dog at bay while also attempting to cuddle with him. “Okay, boy,” I soothed. “You have my attention, so how about we calm down just a little?”
With his head back, Chip’s laughter filled the inside of the truck. I liked his laugh. I was struck by how he didn’t seem to care how he looked while laughing. I’d been told I laughed ugly. Looked ugly, or something to that effect.
“He likes you, stranger. And I trust his opinion. Pooch can be a harsh judge of character.”
I pulled his head to my face and kissed his nose. “Would he sleep with me if I wanted him to?” I asked.
“You’d allow a dog to sleep with you?”
“Why?” I asked. “You don’t think I look like a dog person?”
He gave me the once over before he answered. “I’m not going to prejudge you, Van. Besides, you’ve already shattered every single idea of who I thought you were.”
“Ditto,” I said.
The parking lot lights illuminated his chiseled face. I inhaled sharply and stifled a sigh over how wholesome he appeared. A boy, his beat-up pickup truck, and his dog. It was all so Hallmark movie.
Chip hand-cranked his window down and reached out to clear snow from the side-view mirror. After rolling it up, he looked at me thoughtfully before speaking. “I think we have more in common than one would think,” he insisted.
“Like what?” I asked.
“Well, for starters. Remember I told you there was something you weren’t gonna believe?” I nodded. “Believe it or not, my birthday is Christmas Day as well.”
I wondered what the odds of that were. “No way.”
“Way.”
The unmistakable feeling I get when a message from the universe enters my mind overcame me, landing squarely in my heart.
There had to be a reason I’d listened to that feeling and stopped in Missile.
The snowstorm, the odd coincidences of our lives?
Easy, Van. Remember what Evan always told you about your weird thinking.
“I’m happy you came to town,” he announced, placing the truck in gear. “The timing seems uncanny or something like that.”
“Sounds like something that might happen at Christmas,” I added.
“To two men born on Christmas?” he asked.
“There has to be a reason,” I agreed, letting Pooch rest his head on my lap.
Chip noticed Pooch nudging my hand for more love. A look of recognition crossed his face. I had the feeling I was sitting in a seat once occupied by his lost love.
With that, we pulled onto the snow-covered road, and he took a left at the only stop sign in town. What was at the end of the road ahead? What would I discover when we got there?