Page 60 of The Best Thing He Never Wanted

“I know. That doesn’t make it look any less wrong from where I’m sitting.”

He smiled through pursed lips. “You’re gonna have a rough time here, darlin’.”

She let out a short laugh. “I’ll get used to it at some point, I’m sure.”

She was quiet after that, and he focused on the road, letting her take it all in. This wasn’t just a trip for her; she was arriving in her new life.

They headed east on the highway, passing through towns, some of them looking like tourist resorts, with tavernas dotted along the roadside. When they eventually turned south, the terrain opened up. The road was surprisingly good. Only one lane each way, but wide enough that slower vehicles edged onto the shoulder to let faster traffic pass.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” Bea murmured.

He nodded, not sure she was really asking him. It was beautiful. Greener than he’d expected, too. Olive groves stretched away on either side of the road, and they passed through one village after another. Eventually, the road narrowed so much between the buildings that, for the first time, Blane was grateful for the small SUV. There was no way Cash’s damn Suburban would have fit through here.

“We’re nearly there,” she told him as he raised a hand in thanks to the driver of an old pickup who’d waited to let him through.

The old guy raised one finger from the steering wheel in acknowledgment. That, as much as anything he’d seen so far, made Blane feel comfortable here.

“About ten minutes now, I reckon.”

She turned to look at him. “How on earth do you know that?”

“Studied the map, like I said.”

She turned in her seat and pointed through the windshield. “It’s just up there, Blane. I can’t wait for you to see it.”

“I’m looking forward to it.” He meant it.

He turned off the main road onto one even narrower. The landscape here was rough, there was nothing manicured about it, but it was lush and green. Olive trees everywhere, pink flowers on bushes he didn’t recognize growing wild along the roadside.

The road began to climb, twisting back and forth between houses. In places it seemed to curve around nothing more than a tree or a rock. He rounded one blind corner and slammed on the brakes when a goat stepped into the road.

Bea grabbed the door handle with one hand and the dashboard with the other. “Blane?”

“It’s okay. It’ll move.”

When it didn’t, he started to steer around it. The damn thing stepped forward and blocked the road completely.

Bea laughed softly.

“It’ll move,” he said again.

The goat stared at him.

Blane stared back.

“Move.”

The goat didn’t move.

“I don’t think it speaks American,” said Bea.

He kept staring at the goat.

After another couple of seconds, it gave a long, baleful bleat and finally sauntered off the road.

Bea laughed out loud. “You just tried to intimidate a goat.”

He lifted one shoulder. “Worked.”