AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I don’t know what I did to deserve her, but I’m thanking my lucky stars right now.
It’s like I’ve woken her from a daydream, and she thinks for a moment before nodding in agreement.
“Unless you wanna stop for anything, we can probably make it in time for an early dinner,” I muse aloud, eyeballing her and noticing that worried look starting to take her over again.
A highway patrol car passes us from the opposite direction, and one following from behind suddenly speeds up, overtaking us and flashing its lights when it gets ahead of us.
I slow down, but he really takes off.
A lot of cops all of a sudden.
“You know Faith,” I start, motioning for her to slide on over closer. I like driving with her right next to me much better than having her all the way over there.
“I’m thinking, not to put you on the spot or anything… but how about, once I make my little delivery, we take off for good. You and me.”
Her eyes widen as she looks up at me, almost pleased at first, but then there’s that look again as her eyes turn to the front and look ahead down the highway.
“I don’t mean marriage,” I chuckle.
Not yet, anyway.
“I mean, well… how would you feel about moving in with me? We could just see how it goes at first. No pressure,” I finally manage to stammer, realizing how nervous I am, my hands starting to feel wet on top of the wheel.
“Move in?” Faith asks awkwardly, looking away.
I feel my chest start to hurt, the thrill I had when half-mentioning marriage got a better reaction.
“But I… I don’t even know where you live, Noah,” she says finally, giving me a silent question in her eyes.
Or your real name…
I’m starting to notice a pattern, every time I mention commitment of any kind, even if it; stopping somewhere or moving in, she freezes up.
Also, anytime she sees a cop she starts to look more than worried.
It’s like she’s terrified of them for some reason.
It could also have something to do with me being so secretive about the case, but I already covered that with her, I thought. Once we get to Shreveport, it’ll all make sense. I’ll be done and we’ll have the whole world to ourselves.
We’ll have each other all to ourselves if she’ll only let me.
“We can get a place,” I start to explain, reminding myself that for now my home is a truck and the apartment back in West Virginia isn’t much bigger.
Certainly not somewhere I’d think would be fitting for Faith.
Her brow creases. Its commitment again or is it something else. I need to know, so I just ask her point-blank.
“Is it commitment Faith? Is it being with me that bothers you, or is it something else?”
I only glance down at her, trying hard to keep my eyes on the road.
This isn’t a conversation I wanted to have while driving.
“You know that’s not it, Noah,” she says suddenly. “I love you… I just-”
“Then say you’ll move in with me, say we can start looking for a place as soon as I’ve done what I have to,” I tell her.
“You don’t want to live at home forever, do you? I don’t have the house just now, but I can afford it. I’ve lived pretty simply for a long time, banked all my money… you won’t want for anything, I promise,” I continue, feeling my own excitement rising again, feeling positive.
Her mouth’s open, like she wants to answer and I can see her eyes lighting up.
“Oh, just say you will tell me you’ll at least give it a try,” I tell her firmly, not wanting to even think of no as an answer.
“Of course I will,” she says finally, squeezing my arm with both of hers and hugging me tightly. Making me swerve as I drift into the oncoming lane for a second.
“Oops,” I laugh loudly, straightening the truck up.
“Why don’t you start looking for a place, on your phone, anywhere you want is fine with me,” I tell her, feeling her tense up under me.
“Anywhere?” she asks. “What about your work?”
I chuckle to myself again, figuring maybe Faith can know just a little more about me than she already does, the only secret that holds me, for now, is in that damned suitcase.
“I have my own business, Faith. A long time ago, I got my pilot’s license. Then, after the Air Force wouldn’t have me, I leased a little crop-duster and started doing my own thing,” I tell her, feeling my years as I recall just how long ago that was.
Probably before she was even born.
“Nowadays, I have my own fleet of planes I lease out, have arrangements with some pretty big companies too, and have plenty of guys and gals to do all the actual work. I just oversee it, something I can do from anywhere Faith. Anywhere in the world, really. We don’t have to limit ourselves to-”
