Ride of Desire

The following weeks were a whirlwind of long days and even longer nights.

Tommy was a regular at the bar, but he never spoke to Mercy. He just drank with his friends and left without so much as a glance in her direction. She took it as a positive sign, even though it stung.

Her days off were Wednesday and Sunday. Those should have been her days to recharge, but sleep was elusive and it was starting to mess with her mind.

She thought she was doing a good job of hiding her exhaustion behind makeup and forced smiles, but Mack wasn’t fooled.

He just didn’t know how to approach the situation.

If his wife was still around, she’d know what to do. She’d know how to talk to Mercy and where to draw the line.

Women, the most perplexing creatures ever designed to baffle men.

On a good day, she was already on edge, so lack of sleep only heightened her anxiety. Maybe coming back here had been a mistake.

What if her past caught up with her? What if she hadn’t covered her tracks well enough? Constantly looking over her shoulder became her new normal.

After two weeks of peace, she started to think she was overreacting. She was safe here. She had a home and a job in this small town.

It might not be much, but it was all she needed during this challenging time in her life. It was a haven compared to what she was used to.

Yet, she was so consumed with worry that she didn’t even notice Tommy watching her throughout her entire shift.

The drive home had her hands trembling. Dark thoughts were intertwined with what ifs.

What if she had made a mistake? What if she came face to face with him again?

What if she got home and he was there, lurking in the shadows?

What if...

***

She was just getting out of her truck, parked next to a single-story house on an acre and a half of land off a back road, when the weight of the world seemed to crash down on her again.

She let out a breath, trying to calm the nerves that were flaring up inside her. She relaxed before checking over her shoulder one last time, a potentially fatal mistake.

Headlights turned off as a massive black truck, twice the size of her own, pulled in behind her.

The gravel driveway was barely long enough, but the stranger made themselves comfortable anyway.

She felt an overwhelming urge to run to the house and lock the door behind her, but if she was too slow, the newcomer could force their way in.

Into the home she was determined to protect with her last breath.

She took a step back as the driver’s door opened, a large figure stepping out to claim the ground beneath his feet.

Broad shoulders were illuminated by the light in the truck, but darkness swallowed everything as he closed the door.

She took another step back, her hands shaking as she thought of heavy boots and muscular hands.

She needed to run, but her feet felt too weak to move. She was paralyzed and it was going to be her downfall. God, what had she gotten herself into?

The large figure closed in on her like vultures to a carcass, but the fear in her eyes quickly turned to relief. His deep brown eyes glinted in the moonlight.

A trembling hand moved to cover her heart, the reality so much better than her imagination.

“Tommy.”

He frowned, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Were you expecting someone else?”

She tried to calm her racing heart. Someone else? Maybe the devil himself.

She couldn’t speak, couldn’t move as he waited for an answer she was too dazed to give.

“Hey, are you okay?”

His concern brought her back to reality, and suddenly the present was more important than the past. She shook her head slowly, then caught herself and dismissed his concern.

This wasn’t something he needed to be involved in. The last thing he needed was more trouble, she knew that.

“I’m fine.”

He didn’t look convinced. He had watched her all night as she moved around the bar like a zombie, and he noticed how closely Mack was watching her too.

Something was going on with her, and he wanted to know what.

When he pulled up, she had frozen like a deer caught in headlights. He moved closer without a second thought and she stumbled back a few steps as if she had seen a ghost.

He knew he wasn’t wrong. She was scared of something...or someone.

He might have thought that someone was him, except for the fact that she looked so damned relieved when he got close.

It made him happy to know she felt safe with him, but it also triggered his protective instincts.

Something was going on with her. Was she in danger? Was being back in town dredging up bad memories?

He wanted to comfort her, but he couldn’t do that without opening up a can of worms she refused to acknowledge.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair as she wrapped her slender arms around herself.

She was wearing jeans that fit like a glove, boots that looked almost brand-new, a black tank top, and a light leather jacket.

She looked good.

“Are you cold?”

She shrugged. Her jacket wasn’t very thick and she hadn’t planned on standing outside in the wind for more than a minute or two.

“I’m fine.”

His brows furrowed. That damned word again. Fine. Did she really expect him to believe that?

How many times had she used that line when they were teenagers?

It was absurd to think she’d try to pull that with him.

“Right, and I’m a moron.”

She raised an eyebrow, one corner of her mouth curling up into a faint smile. It seemed out of place against the dark circles under her eyes and the cold fear in her gaze.

“Well, I didn’t say it.”

He growled, a playful sound that made her smile widen as he took off his leather jacket and draped it over her shoulders.

He was still the same caring guy he had been ten years ago, always looking out for her and making sure she had everything she needed.

The smile on her lips faded as she looked up at him with a love she had never forgotten.

He cared for her like no other man, and it had broken her heart when they had gone their separate ways all those years ago.

“Darling, you can tell me you’re fine but those tears tell a different story.”

She frowned, reaching up to touch her cheeks as salty tears wet her fingertips.

Surprise widened her eyes. God, she had lost her touch if this was how she was letting people see her now.

Vulnerable, her pain on display like a painting in a museum.

“I’m really sorry. I...I haven’t been sleeping well. It’s messing with my head. I didn’t mean to…”

Her voice trailed off as she looked up at him. This was madness. What was she doing?

Why not just pull the man she loved into this nightmare with her? What did she think he would do when he knew the truth?

She couldn’t have lost all her sanity. Not yet.

“I should...go inside.”

She started to remove his jacket from her shoulders, longing for just a moment longer with him. But his hands on hers stopped her.

“We need to talk, sweetheart. We can go inside and sit, or hell, I can wait until tomorrow if you’re that tired, but we have to talk.”

She frowned. Inside? She was backing away before he could understand why his hands were suddenly empty, her own fingers shaking.

Damn it. She wanted him so badly, but every time she thought about it, fear took over. She couldn’t let him in.

“Hey, what’s…”

“I can’t.”

She yanked the jacket off her shoulders and tossed it at him. Then she turned and ran up the front steps that led to an old, creaky porch. It was probably ten years older than her dad had been.

“Hey!”

He chased after her, holding the jacket as he quickly closed the gap between them.

She had the key in the door when he grabbed her shoulder, spinning her around to face him. Her heart pounded in her chest.

“What the hell, Mercy? You can’t just send me away like we’re strangers. Damn it, we need to talk.”

She pushed him back, her hands leaving his chest as she backed up to the door.

“I have nothing to say to you. I want you out of my life!”

He stiffened. She couldn’t be serious. She just couldn’t be.

That first night, when they bumped into each other in the bar parking lot, he knew she still felt the same way about him as she had ten years ago.

He had loved her like crazy back then, their passion a rush of adrenaline that never seemed to end.

Now, his feelings for her hadn’t faded at all. In fact, his love for her had only grown with each day they spent apart.

He wanted her more than he had ever wanted anything.

Every day he tried to give her space, to let her figure things out. Every night it hurt a little more when she didn’t come to him.

Now, he was on her doorstep, and he wasn’t going anywhere.

He could forget all the bad stuff from the past if she would just give them another chance. Hell, he'd get down on his knees and beg if it meant having her back.

“Look, I just want to talk. I promise. Please, baby…”

She looked scared, unsure of what to do. Her heart was pounding, her nerves frayed. Or so she thought.

The door opened then, surprising them both. A young boy with dark brown hair and tired eyes looked out at them. That was it. She was gone.

“Momma? Why are you home so late?”