Trucker (The Good Guys #1)(27)

There was something so sexy about seeing her in those little white  panties. They were innocent-looking and completely unpretentious. They  made me so hard it hurt.

The day passed slowly as we all pitched in cleaning around the  apartment. After that was done, we watched some baseball on TV. Angel  admitted she didn't know anything about sports, but she took interest in  the game, asking questions about rules and certain players.

Sometime during the afternoon, I got the idea that I might take Angel  for another country drive, only this time, we'd stay inside the truck.  We had the perfect opportunity to leave because dinner at my mom's had  gotten pushed back a day due to the festival. And since it was raining,  we'd have to drive anyway.

Much to my dismay, Colt slid into the passenger side of my Chevy before  we could take off and Angel scooted to the middle of the bench seat to  make room for him.

On the short ride, he was completely oblivious to my seething as he  rubbed his hands together and talked about how much he was looking  forward to lasagna night.

Angel gave me a knowing look as she squeezed my thigh with her hand. Just that one touch made my cock twitch.

Colton bolted from the truck as soon as we got into the driveway, finally leaving me alone with Angel.

"Give the guy a break." She rubbed her hand up and down my leg, which  did nothing to help the uncontrollable need I felt. "You've been  spending a lot of time with me and he probably just misses you."

I sighed, suddenly feeling bad. "Ah, you're right. I'm being a dick."

I'd never been one to think with the wrong head before, but it was  definitely the one in control today. Hell, I even tried to push Colton  off on Tara. That was a whole new low for me.

Angel giggled. "I never said you were a dick."

"Mmm, baby. Say dick again." I nuzzled the side of her neck.

"Dick," she whispered.

"Fuck." I laughed as I not-so-discreetly adjusted the front of my pants.  "You're driving me crazy, you know that? Like, I'm losing my shit  here."

The smirk on her face said she knew exactly what she was doing to me.

"You're not the only one. I've never hated mosquitoes more than I do right now." She huffed.

"Maybe I'll see if Colt wants to go to the gym with me tonight," I  suggested, thinking a workout would help me blow off some steam.

"I'm sure he would like that." She placed a loud smooching kiss on my  cheek and smiled. "Let's go eat before we steam up the windows."

A sense of déjà vu washed over me as I walked into my mom's house  holding Angel's hand, only this time she didn't seem so skittish. In  fact, she abandoned me as soon as we got inside, heading straight to the  kitchen to hang out with my mom.

Colton was sitting down on the couch and I took a seat on the opposite end.

"Hey, you wanna head to the gym tonight?" I asked. I wasn't sure if he'd  been aware of my shitty attitude today, but I wanted to make it up to  him.

"Hell, yeah." He extended his arm out to me and we fist-bumped, then his  face turned serious. "So, what was up with Kendra yesterday at the  shop? She been giving Angel a hard time?" he asked, keeping his voice  low.

"I don't know." I frowned at the reminder. "It didn't look like they were having a very friendly conversation."

I didn't know what transpired between them, but I didn't need to. It was  obvious Kendra was trying to intimidate Angel, and that didn't sit well  with me.

"Chick is bat-shit crazy, man," Colton said. "Even Tara's starting to  feel weird about hanging out with her. I guess all she ever does is talk  about you."

"I've sent the message loud and clear," I said, frustration evident in  my tone. "I've flat-out told her I don't want to date her. I don't know  what else I can do to show her I'm not interested."
                       
       
           



       
"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I never should've asked you to take her out. That's on me."

I was about to tell him he was forgiven, but feminine laughter floated  out into the living room followed by the dinner announcement. It made me  smile and all thoughts of Kendra were forgotten.





ANGEL

After Travis headed over to the shop Monday morning, I went to mow for  Beverly and Ernie earlier than usual. I wanted to get done before lunch  so I would have some time to hang out with them afterwards.

Mowing the second time around went much better than the first. Beverly's mower and I seemed to have come to an understanding.

Meaning, I finally understood how to start the dang thing.

Ernie's yard came next and I was done before noon. As usual, Beverly had  a lemonade and a plate full of zingers waiting for me. The woman seemed  to have an endless supply of snack cakes.

Ernie said he didn't have any balloon animals, but he tipped me an extra  five dollars to make up for it. I had no complaints about that.

I said my goodbyes sometime after two o'clock so I could go back to the apartment and shower.

That happiness I'd wished for a week ago? I was starting to feel it.  There was an extra hop in my step as I walked the streets of Tolson.

I even found myself singing in the shower. As I scrubbed my body, I  belted out ‘Wouldn't It Be Nice' by the Beach Boys. I wasn't going to  win any awards, but if Travis could do it I could, too.

I continued to hum the happy tune as I got dressed and threw a load of laundry into the washing machine.

My hair was still wet when I heard a knock at the door.

That was odd. People never stopped by here during the day. If they  wanted to talk to Travis or Colton, they just found them at the shop.

A second knock echoed through the apartment and I rubbed a towel over my  hair one more time before I opened the door to a smug-faced Kendra.

"Travis and Colton aren't here," I informed her, before shutting the  door in her face. Her hand slapped the surface before I could close it  all the way.

"Well, that's just fine, because I came here to talk to you," she said.

"What do you want, Kendra?" I sighed tiredly. I wasn't in the mood for her antics.

She looked like she always did-impeccably put together in a green halter  top paired with a short jean skirt, and her long legs were perfectly  balanced on four-inch heels.

"Do you have a Facebook account?" Her random question threw me off a bit.

"Not an active one." I narrowed my eyes at her suspiciously, wondering what she was getting at. "Why? You want to be friends?"

I couldn't help the snide remark. I was pretty sure there was no chance  of a friendship in our future. That ship had already sailed.

Kendra turned her phone towards me so I could see her profile. Was it  petty of me for wanting to scoff at her picture? She was doing one of  those ridiculous duck faces while her boobs spilled out of her shirt.

How cliché.

I was still confused as to why she was here when she turned her phone  back around, pressed the touch screen a few times with her manicured  fingertips, then turned it back to me.

Shock caused my stomach to drop and I felt the blood leave my face. A  picture of myself was staring back at me. Not just any picture-it was a  missing person poster.

My mouth was gaping as I rudely snatched the phone from her hand to get a  closer look. It was my senior yearbook photo. The information stated  that I was a runaway-or that I had possibly been abducted-and to contact  the authorities immediately if anyone had information on my  whereabouts.

"Where did you get this?" I whispered harshly as I tried to regulate my  breathing. Hyperventilating would be extremely inconvenient right now.

"Looks like you've gone viral, honey," she announced in a congratulatory  voice. "Saw it in my newsfeed this morning. Must be that pretty face of  yours."

"You're not going to say anything, are you?" I practically begged as I  clutched her phone against my chest. I hated how desperate I sounded.  "Travis could get into trouble. You wouldn't want that."

It was a bluff. I wasn't sure if there would be any consequences for  Travis, and I didn't like appealing to her feelings for him, but it was  the only card I had to play.

"Oh, gosh." Kendra feigned concern. "You're right. He could get into big  trouble. He might even lose his license. I think it's sort of illegal  to pick up a hitchhiker, especially with you being a minor and all."

"And that's why you shouldn't tell anyone," I confirmed. "Besides, my  birthday is the day after tomorrow. After I turn eighteen, they won't  care about where I am."                       
       
           



       

I silently begged her with my eyes as she pried her phone out of my  hands. She shrugged, completely nonchalant. "Too bad I already called  the cops."