Chapter Four
Grace
The silence in the cab of the truck is heavy, punctuated only by the steady thrum of the engine beneath us.
A couple of hours have passed since we left the rest stop, and the sun is climbing higher in the sky.
I’m wearing one of Brennan’s oversized plaid shirts over my dress, the fabric smelling like him, and it’s a scent that is quickly becoming my favorite thing in the world.
The shirt is big enough to hide the damp stains on my dress, which is a small mercy that I’m deeply grateful for.
Brennan had been a whirlwind of quiet efficiency before we left.
He called a tow truck to pick up my car and have it delivered to my house.
He called in sick with the trucking company he works for, telling them something about a family emergency so he could spend the day making sure I got home safely.
He’d even made me breakfast - scrambled eggs and toast cooked on a little hot plate in the cab of the truck - before he’d helped me into the passenger seat and settled me in with a bottle of water and a blanket.
He takes care of me, and the thought creates a warm, fuzzy feeling in my chest. No one’s ever taken care of me like this before. I’ve always been the one taking care of everyone else.
I’m lost in my thoughts, watching the familiar scenery of my small town start to flash by, when a knot of anxiety begins to tighten in my stomach.
My father. I’m going to have to introduce Brennan to my father.
I’ve always been the good little pastor’s daughter, the one who never dated, the one who never caused a single moment of trouble.
I might be an adult now, but I have absolutely no idea how he’s going to react to the news that I’ve met someone.
A someone who is older, covered in tattoos, and a stranger he’s never met.
But then a colder, more terrifying thought settles in my stomach. Brennan and I... we haven’t actually talked about what happens next. For all I know, he’s just being a kind person, doing a good deed. He might just be dropping me off, and then he’ll be on his way, and I’ll never see him again.
The thought hits me like a punch to the gut. My heart drops, and the air gets stuck in my throat. I can’t... I can’t let that happen. I want a future with him. I want more mornings with him. I want more... everything with him.
I open my mouth to ask him what is happening between us, to ask if he feels the same way about me as I do about him.
But before the words can form, he reaches over and places his big, warm hand on my thigh.
The weight of it, the heat of it seeping through my skirt, feels so good that the words die in my throat.
I don’t want to ruin this. I don’t want to hear him say it was all just a mistake.
I’m so scared of his rejection that I’d rather live with this uncertainty than risk him saying goodbye.
I place my hand over his, my fingers tracing the rough skin of his knuckles. He squeezes my thigh gently, a silent reassurance that eases some of the anxiety in my chest. We don’t speak, but we don’t need to. This is enough. For now.
Before I know it, we’re turning onto my street.
My little two-bedroom house sits at the end of the cul-de-sac, a small white picket fence surrounding the neatly manicured lawn that my father is so proud of.
It’s just been Dad and me living here ever since my mom passed away shortly after my birth.
My whole life is in that little house, and as Brennan pulls the big truck to a stop in front of it, a new wave of nerves washes over me.
This is it. The moment when I find out if Brennan really is just dropping me off, or if he wants more than just this one night.
The engine shuts off, and the sudden silence feels heavy. Brennan climbs out of the truck, and I follow, my legs feeling a little unsteady as my feet hit the pavement. I’m smoothing down the front of the plaid shirt when the front door of the house flies open.
My father rushes out, a look of pure panic on his face. His hair is disheveled, and he’s still in his pajamas, even though it’s almost noon. “Grace! Oh, thank God! I was so worried. I’ve been trying to call you all morning, but your phone went straight to voicemail. I was about to call the police.”
He rushes to my side, his hands grabbing my arms as he looks me over for any signs of injury. “I’m okay, Dad,” I say, my voice soft. “I’m fine. My phone died.”
“Where have you been?” he asks, his eyes wide with worry.
Then he seems to notice Brennan for the first time, and the relief on his face vanishes, replaced by a look of cold disdain.
He gives Brennan a quick, dismissive once-over, taking in the tattoos, the muscular frame, the tired, rugged look about him. His eyes narrow. “Who is this?”
“Dad, this is Brennan,” I say quickly, trying to smooth things over. “My car broke down last night, and he... he helped me.”
I explain everything as quickly as I can, my words tumbling out in a rush.
“I was on my way home from Mrs. Henderson’s, and the engine of my car just died.
My phone was dead, so I couldn’t call anyone, and I was stranded.
Some... some men tried to corner me at the rest stop, but Brennan saw what was happening and he.
.. he stopped them. He let me sleep in his truck so I would be safe. ”
My father listens, his expression unreadable, but I can see the tension in his jaw.
When I’m finished, he turns to Brennan and gives him a stiff, formal nod.
“Thank you for your... assistance,” he says, the words sounding like they’re being forced out of him.
“I will take care of Grace now. You are free to go.”
The finality in his voice makes my heart drop. He’s dismissing Brennan. Like he’s just a delivery person who’s finished a job.
I see a flicker of hurt in Brennan’s dark eyes.
It’s there and gone so quickly I might have imagined it, but it’s enough to send a jolt of panic through me.
He takes a small step back, his hands slipping into his pockets, and in that moment, I know he’s going to leave.
He’s going to get in his truck and drive away, and I’ll probably never see him again.
No, I can’t let that happen.
I move before I even think, my feet carrying me across the small distance between us. I grab his arm, my fingers wrapping around the hard muscle. “No,” I say, my voice shaking. “Please don’t go.”
Brennan looks down at me, surprise warring with the hurt in his eyes. “Grace, it’s okay. Your dad’s right. You’re home safe now.”
“I don’t care,” I say, my grip tightening on his arm.
“I... I want you to stay. Please.” I swallow past the lump in my throat, forcing myself to meet his gaze.
“I know this sounds crazy, and we’ve only known each other for less than a day, but.
.. you mean something to me already.” The words spill out of me in a rush, a desperate plea from a place deep inside me I didn’t even know existed. “Please don’t go yet.”
A slow smile spreads across Brennan’s face, and he opens his mouth to speak, but my father’s voice cuts him off before he can say a word.
“Grace, that’s enough,” Dad says, his tone sharp and condescending. “You’ve been through a traumatic experience. It’s just a crush, a case of misplaced gratitude. This man obviously has other places to be. Let him go.”
I’m about to argue, to tell my father he’s wrong, that this is more than a crush, when Brennan moves.
He wraps a strong arm around my shoulders, pulling me flush against his side.
The move is both possessive and protective, and it sends a thrill through me.
He turns to face my father, and I’ve never seen him look so imposing.
He’s not angry, but there’s a steely resolve in his dark eyes that makes even me hold my breath.
“Actually, sir,” Brennan says, his voice low and calm despite the situation. “There’s no other place in the world I’d rather be.”
My jaw drops. I stare up at him, my heart pounding so hard I can feel it in my throat. Did he really just say that?
Brennan’s gaze softens as he looks down at me, and a small smile touches his lips.
He then turns back to my father, who looks utterly shocked.
“The moment I saw your daughter, I knew,” Brennan continues, his voice full of conviction.
“I’m already crazy about her. I want a future with her.
And I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life protecting her, caring for her, and loving her. ”
A gasp escapes my lips, and I throw myself into his arms. I’m so full of happiness I feel like I might burst. He likes me too!
He wants a future with me! All the anxiety that has been churning in my stomach since we left the rest stop vanishes, replaced by a feeling of joy.
I bury my face in his chest, breathing in his scent, and I can feel the steady, strong beat of his heart against my cheek. I never want to let him go.
He wraps his arms around me, holding me tight against him. One of his hands comes up to cup the back of my head, his fingers tangling in my hair. “I’ve got you, babygirl,” he murmurs into my hair. “I’m not going anywhere.”
I can hear my father clear his throat, and I reluctantly pull back to look at him. He’s still standing there, looking completely dumbfounded. He looks from Brennan to me and back again, as if he can’t quite process what’s happening.
“Dad?” I say, my voice soft.
He shakes his head, as if to clear it. “I... I see,” he says, though he sounds far from convinced.
“Well, Grace is a grown woman. She can make her own choices.” He pauses, then seems to collect himself, slipping back into his role as the pastor and host. “It’s.
.. almost lunchtime. Why don’t you both come inside? You must be hungry.”
Brennan doesn’t even hesitate. “I’d like that, sir. Thank you.”
My father gives another stiff nod, then turns and walks back into the house, leaving the front door open behind him.
Brennan takes my hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze. “You okay, babygirl?”
I look up at him, my heart swelling with so much happiness it feels like it might burst right out of my chest. “Better than okay,” I whisper, a wide grin spreading across my face.
He smiles back, and the warmth in his dark eyes takes my breath away. “Good.”
He keeps my hand in his as we follow my father into the house, and I can’t help but wonder how my life could change so much for the better in just twenty-four hours.