Save Me (Elk Creek) (20 page)

             
“It’s not funny,” she giggled, and then we were both laughing, snuggled together, almost naked, and we only laughed.

“Dammit woman, I itch everywhere,” I growled at Taryn.

             
“Everywhere?” she snickered.

             
“Yes, everywhere! It’s been four hours, and I feel like I have the worst case of jock itch known to man.” 

She giggled
. If I didn’t love the sound of her giggle, I would be really pissed. Really, I was impressed with her forethought, and her delivery was commendable. Who would have thought she had a conniving bone in her luscious body? Now, if I could just stop fucking itching from the flour, I could think out my own retribution.

             
“Ah, you poor baby. We could get you some Tinactin, or maybe some Gold Bond?” she crooned with mock sympathy.

             
I turned to her and gave my best glare, but it was hard to maintain with driving. Yeah, not because of her perfect lips curved into a perfect smile, or her big, jade-colored eyes sparkling with amusement. Driving, I needed to concentrate on driving. Even driving, I couldn’t seem to stop picturing her naked in the shower, or how soft her skin was, or how good it felt with her under me in only a towel. Blue ball syndrome was real, and I had the worst case in the history of mankind.

             
After we laughed our stupid heads off about her names for a particular stiff part of my anatomy, I convinced her to take a walk. We walked up the street to a small park that had a man-made pond, where we sat in the grass watching the herons and egrets looking for fish. Now we were on our way to my Dad’s house for dinner.

             
“Have you ever heard the saying, ‘mess with the bull, you get the horns’? Because you certainly got horned, buddy,” she said. She was way too full of her sweet self.

             
“You just better watch your back,” I blustered. Honestly, I had to come up with something to top her. She giggled again. I loved that sound.

             
“So, are you going to tell me why we are going to California?” she changed topic.

             
“Nope, it’s a surprise.” A surprise I was anxious to see.

She groaned.
“I hate surprises,” she grumbled.

             
I smiled. “You will love this one.”

             
The rest of the drive was mostly quiet with music playing softly. I took her hand, and placed it on my thigh. I was worried that she would be embarrassed or go back to being timid with me after the shower. She blushed every time she looked at me at the park, and it had me thinking we went too far, too fast. I was relieved when she turned her palm in my hand and intertwined her fingers with mine, giving my hand a squeeze. I looked to her, and saw a small smile while she watched out the window.

             
We made it to my dad’s and I helped her out of the car. Her limp was a little more pronounced, and I was kicking myself for chasing her through the house. I really needed to start those stretches with her, although the thought of her stretching, with my hands on her, had my pants stretching painfully.

             
At the door, I put in my key and we walked into the foyer. The house was large and in an upscale neighborhood. My dad had plenty of money, but wasn’t overly flashy about it.

             
“Dad?” I hollered.

             
“Kitchen!” he hollered back.

             
I led Taryn into the kitchen. I could tell she was nervous, her body was tense, but when she saw my dad, she smiled boldly, dropped my hand and hugged him. I was stunned, and the look on my dad’s face told me he was as well.

             
“Mr. Belmont, thank you for your help last night, and I’m sorry I didn’t get the chance to say goodbye,” she said softly as she released him and backed into me. I could feel her trembling as I pulled her closer into my body, hoping to reassure her. Damn, I was proud of her.

             
“Um, you’re welcome?”  He was obviously perplexed, but then he smiled back at her, and I could feel her body relax. “Call me Cedric, and why don’t you guys go on out to the patio, the grill is on. I’ll bring out the rest of this stuff,” he said while pointing to the steaks and salad.

             
After dinner, we lounged on the patio, watching the sunset’s orange and pink glow, and sharing stories. I was surprised to hear that Taryn loved old cars—she actually bought Ethan’s Camaro for him. She and my dad kept most of the conversation going, while I watched Taryn.  She had so many expressions, and I could see everything she was feeling on her face. It was refreshing how honest and clean she was. A person didn’t have to wade through bullshit with her.

             
When it was time to leave, Taryn had become much more relaxed with Dad, and hugged him without the same tension or nervousness as before. Dad hugged her back, while giving me a nod of approval. He loved her, which wasn’t surprising. Taryn had the personality and beauty of a siren, she could lure anyone in, but it was only a precious few whom she actually allowed to pass her barriers. Thank fuck I was one of them.

             
Once we were nestled in my bed with her cuddled into my chest, I breathed in her scent.  She almost had a sweet citrus smell, it was clean and fresh. It reminded me of key lime pie. I was sure she tasted just as sweet, too. I needed to not think about that right now. I had decided I was going to wait for her to initiate anything more intimate. There were too many things that I could accidentally do to push her into a panic. Frankly, after the shower, and her nervousness about my size, I didn’t want to push her. She needed to know for herself if she was ready.

             
“Carter, what is something you’re afraid of?” she asked through a yawn.

             
“What makes you think I’m afraid of anything?” I teased, while running my fingers through her silky hair.

             
She snorted. “Everyone is afraid of something.”

             
“Well, if I tell you, you have to swear not to tell anyone else. It’s top-secret stuff knowing what big Neanderthals are afraid of,” I quipped.

             
“Cross my heart,” she quipped playfully. Then in a more serious tone, “I seem to be afraid of everything. Knowing that you fear something makes me feel less inadequate.”

             
I kissed the top of her head. “Taryn, I’m afraid of a lot of things, but the biggest fear I have is losing you, of doing something to make you leave. I don’t know if I could take it. And knowing that I couldn’t cope with losing you scares the hell out of me. I haven’t ever been a dependent person, I was an only child, shipped back and forth from one parent to another. I just learned to depend on myself rather than anyone else. So, it scares me to depend on you, that you won’t stay, or that you will stop loving me.”

             
She lifted her head, piercing me with her eyes. “I have the same fear as you. I try to rationalize why you love me, or what I could possibly offer you, or if you have some kind of irrational hero complex and are compelled to save me. You’re, like, perfect. And I am hung up in too many ways to count. Unfortunately, I have come to depend on you, too. I am afraid of getting so lost in my mind that I can’t ever find my way back, that you won’t be there to pull me out.  The love I feel for you is immeasurable, it scares me to have such a connection to you. You make me feel things I have never felt before, and they baffle me,” she said softly.

             
I pressed her closer, feeling pole axed. Her honesty and candor were refreshing. I wasn’t alone in what I felt, we were in it together. “You don’t see yourself the way I do,” I whispered. “Don’t ever cut yourself short to me. You are the most beautiful woman I have ever met, you radiate with love and kindness. I love your wit, your honesty, the list goes on.” I squeezed her.  “Your
hang ups
do not define who you are. I see you, through all the layers of fear that surround you, and I love what hides under them.” I could feel her tears soaking into my shirt. I pressed my lips to her head, and held on to her.

             
“I love you, Carter,” she whispered, and soon fell asleep.

Chapter 16- Taryn

“Taryn, are you ready?  My dad is here, we gotta go!” Carter hollered from the living room.

             
“I’m coming!”  I hollered back, throwing my toothbrush and hairbrush into my bag. I picked up my bag, taking one last look around the bedroom, making sure I didn’t leave anything.  Seeing I hadn’t, I made my way out and to the entry.

             
“Morning, sweetheart,” Cedric said, leaning down to kiss my cheek. It was getting easier to be near him every time I saw him, and over the past two days I had seen a lot of him.  Yesterday morning he showed up with fresh donuts from Donut Kingdom. Cedric poured me a mug of orange juice, then coffee for himself and Carter. I was stunned for a moment. Carter smiled at me and handed me a chocolate cream-filled donut. He had obviously been paying even more attention than I had realized.

             
“Let me get that,” Cedric said, and took my bag. Carter placed his hand at my back, urging me toward the door, then outside to Cedric’s truck, so we could get to the airport on time.  Again, it was a tall truck, and I knew from yesterday that I would need help getting in. 

             
After breakfast yesterday, the three of us piled into Cedric’s truck—well, Carter lifted me into it—then climbed in. He had to meet with an attorney, and a Realtor, so after dropping him off, and taking a full ten minutes to convince him I would be fine with his Dad, Cedric took me to the Tallahassee Museum. We spent four hours walking the elevated walkways over animal habitats, and strolling the nature trails. 

             
We ate, talked, and laughed at some of Carter’s exploits. He was a total science nerd when he was young, Cedric told me. He once covered the entire kitchen in foam when one of his experiments went awry; he also set the garage on fire when he wanted real flames to come out of his oozing volcano. I could tell with every story or comment Cedric told of Carter, there was real pride and love. 

             
By the time we were leaving the museum, my hip was on fire. I was trying not to show my pain, but Cedric, being as astute as his son, noticed. When we got to the truck, I opened my door only to have Cedric lift me onto the seat. I blushed fiercely, and tried to ignore his laugh. I now knew where Carter got his propensity to chuckle.

             
We met Carter at a small restaurant, and the relief at seeing him was staggering. I was comfortable with Cedric, which was amazing on its own, but seeing Carter waiting for me, and the smile that lit his face when he saw me, had me quickening my pace and beaming from the inside out with pure happiness.

             
He engulfed me in his arms and lifted me up off my feet, kissing my lips for a long moment before pulling back to study me. Being near him, and seeing him so happy to see me, obliterated any concerns about being in a restaurant full of strangers.

             
“I missed you today,” he said gruffly.

             
“I missed you, too,” I whispered. He set me down, and led me to a table, where Cedric was already seated with a big grin on his face.

             
After we were all seated, the waitress approached our table.

             
“Can I get you guys something to drink?” she asked, not looking up from her tablet.

             
Cedric ordered first, then Carter ordered a Pepsi, and at his voice she looked from her tablet to Carter. She smiled at him, then glanced at me and her smile vanished.

             
“Root beer, please,” I said, watching her as she left. 

             
“So, did you get everything taken care of?” Cedric asked Carter.

             
“Yep, the apartment is listed, and all the paperwork was received from Felicia’s attorney yesterday. Gavin says there is nothing more she can try.” He looked down at me and smiled while he squeezed my hand. 

             
“You sure you want to sell the apartment?” Cedric asked.

             
“Yeah, I don’t plan on making Tallahassee my home, and when we visit, we can stay with you.” He smiled at me again. The fact that he used “we” in that statement wasn’t lost on me.  Actually, it made me a little giddy. 

             
“Well, that suits me just fine,” Cedric smiled at me too, and I couldn’t help but smile back.

             
The waitress returned with our drinks, and took our orders, always with a lingering gaze at Carter. It was starting to piss me off, and again those feelings of propriety came over me. If I weren’t such a coward, I would have kissed him in front of her or said something like, “Hey he’s with me!” As I watched her quiet flirting, the idea seemed more and more appealing. 

             
After she turned and strolled away to put in our orders, I told Carter about what Cedric and I had done all day. I think he was impressed, if the surprised smile was anything to go by.  The waitress came back with our food on a round plastic tray, and I noticed when she slid a piece of paper under Carter’s plate. I was inexperienced, but not an idiot. I knew darn well that was her phone number. I pulled the paper out from under his plate, and looked at the phone number with
I’m
off at eight
printed under it. I held the paper out to her indignantly. “Unless you are offering cleaning services, including laundry and toilet scrubbing, he doesn’t need your number,” I said, making direct eye contact and holding it there. “And I will warn you, he has a terrible case of irritable bowel syndrome, his shorts and the toilet require extra scrubbing.” I let out a huge sigh. “To be honest, it would be nice for someone else to do it. The biohazard suit and mask are uncomfortable, and all the scrubbing is really taxing on my back,” I stated and grinned broadly at her. My insides were shaking, but I felt invincible. 

             
The look on her face was of disgust and outrage. I glanced at Carter, who was rendered speechless and whose face had turned so scarlet it looked like a beet. Without saying a word, the waitress turned and walked away with a huff, leaving the paper in my hand. At that moment, I lost the hold on my laughter and obviously so did Cedric. We both laughed hysterically and so loudly that every patron craned their necks to stare at us. 

             
I squealed at the sudden grasp around my waist as Carter pulled me into his side. He bent down to my ear. “You’re going to pay for that, imp,” he growled. I looked up at him, saw the approving smile on his face, and giggled.

             
“Taryn!” I was startled out of my musings by Carter’s booming voice. I looked at him. He was standing outside the truck with the door open, obviously waiting for me to get out.

             
“Sweetheart, I said your name three times. You okay?” The creases in his forehead and around his eyes showed his concern.

             
I smiled. “Yeah, I am,” I replied. “Just remembering your horrible case of IBS,” I said as I scooted to the door. He hoisted me up, and ran his nose up my cheek.

             
“You’re going to be sorry when I get you, baby. Just keep it up,” he said playfully before letting me down. I smirked at him, not caring about his threat.  I was still on cloud nine over standing up to that encroaching cow.

             
After saying our goodbyes and promising to visit soon, Carter and I made our way through security and to our gate where they were loading the first-class passengers. We were soon seated in first class, waiting for the other passengers to board. I leaned my head against Carter’s shoulder, and was soon asleep.

“Taryn, come on sweetie, time to get up,” I heard Carter say as I opened my eyes. We were still on the plane, and it had landed. Good Lord, I slept the whole way? Carter kissed my forehead before standing and pulling our bags from the overhead bin. I was fully awake by the time we made it to the baggage claim, and felt myself getting excited to finally find out what this surprise was.

             
It was hot once we walked out of the airport and toward the rental car. The sun was blaring down on us, but it was a welcome heat from the stifling humidity of Florida. Here, the sun seemed to wick the sweat right off of us. Carter had rented an Escalade. It was roomy with leather seats, and an elaborate stereo system. Plus, the air conditioning was a dream when we cranked it up full blast. Once we were on our way, and I was cooled off, I felt my stomach rumble. 

             
“Um, do you think we can get something to eat?” I asked as my stomach growled at the mere mention of food. I looked at my watch and saw it was already 12:30, and I hadn’t eaten anything since the restaurant yesterday. 

             
“Yep, we’re going to stop on our way,” he said.

             
“On our way to where?” I asked.

             
“You’ll see when we get there,” he said smugly.

             
“Is this some kind of payback from yesterday?”

             
“Oh no, my little imp, you will definitely not have to ask when I decide to pay you back for that, you will know,” he said, and I turned my head to watch the scenery before I punched his arm. 

             
He pulled into an In-N-Out drive thru, and once the smell of fries and beef assailed my nose, my mouth began to water. I didn’t even wait for him to pull away from the window before I was digging into the bags. He chuckled, then fished his burger out of the paper bag and bit into it, licking ketchup and pickle juice from his lips as he drove.

             
Forty-five minutes later, he slowed his speed as we entered the town of Ramona. He drove through and turned off onto a road that led to more rural housing. I was battling with nervousness and anticipation. I was curious to know what the heck we were doing all the way out here, and why all the secrecy.

             
Finally he turned down a gravel driveway leading to a large white house with palm trees surrounding a circular drive in the front. He parked the car, and smiled a huge smile as he turned off the ignition.

             
“Ready?” he asked.

             
“Ready for what, exactly?” I answered with uncertainty.

             
“Ready for your surprise. Don’t look so worried, this is going to be life altering.” His smile never wavered.

             
“Um, how life altering?” What in heaven’s name could be life altering out here? 

             
“Well, I guess that depends on you, but I’m hoping for a happy extreme, now come on,”  he said as he opened the door and stepped out. By the time I had my seatbelt undone, he was opening my door. Sheesh, in a hurry much? My nerves were starting to get the better of me, I could feel my insides starting to quake. I didn’t do the unknown, I didn’t do surprises, and too much could happen. The more I thought, the more devious this whole thing sounded.

             
“C-Carter, I-I don’t know a-about this,” I stammered, my nerves having made their way to my mouth. He leaned into me where his face was only inches from mine.

             
“I’m here with you, can you trust me enough to keep you safe?” he asked.

I felt like such a coward, obviously he had gone t
hrough a great deal for whatever this was, and here I was about to break down over a house. Granted it was a house I didn’t know, and there could have been anything or anyone inside said house, and we were out of town, how long would it take the cops to get here? Weren’t earthquakes common here? What if….

             
“Taryn!” Carter’s abrupt voice stopped the tumultuous thoughts screaming through my head.

             
I took a deep breath and exhaled it through my nose. “I got it,” I said.

             
He kissed my forehead. “Good, now get that cute bottom out of the car.” He smirked.

             
Slowly I slid from the seat, and I was comforted when he took my hand. I counted my breaths, picturing the water flushing out my worrisome thoughts—never mind that it was as dry and hot as the Sahara out here. We walked up to the door, and Carter rang the bell, squeezing my hand in reassurance.

             
The door opened and a woman not much taller than me stood there. She had bobbed blonde hair and lovely blue eyes, and her waistline and full bosom bulged over the top of her jeans. She was wearing a white tank top, and had what looked like a leash draped around her neck.

             
“Mr. Belmont?” she asked.

             
“Yes, are you Grace?” Carter answered, holding out his hand.

             
“Yes, it’s great to finally meet you,” she accepted his hand and shook before turning to me. “This must be Taryn.” Okay, so what exactly had Carter told her? Who was she? God, she was staring at me. Oh, right. Shake, answer. Good grief.

             
I reached for her hand. “Yes, Taryn Dalton,” I said, hoping she didn’t feel my hand shaking. If I could go through an airport, fly on a plane, meet Cedric, survive a crazy woman, and see Carter naked without dying, I could do this. I shored up all my bravery, stiffened my spine, and smiled my best smile. “It’s great to meet you, Grace.” That sounded good, strong, and confident, like I wasn’t some wimpy, crazy person.