Page 7 of Loving Hard on the Highway (Love Along Route 14)
Gabbie
The late-afternoon sun draped the park in a golden haze, a light that made even the cracked pavement look warm and soft. The puppy sat curled up in my lap as we arrived at a little town called Heartstone, Missouri.
Earlier, we pulled into a rest area and gave the little guy a quick wash, and Sean called a vet in an upcoming town who agreed to stay open on a Sunday afternoon and see Ollie.
Sean had also been kind enough to spray a bit of his cologne in the car to offset the slight, dirty dog smell that had taken over after I found the poor little guy.
I avoided discussing dropping him off at a shelter by immediately calling Laurel and telling her what had happened.
Leaving him at the vet was hard, but he was dehydrated and needed to stay overnight.
“Thank you for doing all this,” I said to Sean as we left the veterinary clinic. “I feel like I’m just throwing all kinds of wrenches into your plans.”
“It’s fine, really,” Sean said, but it wasn’t totally convincing.
“I hate leaving him.” I hesitated as we approached the car. “He’s already been abandoned.”
“You literally saved him from the side of the road. I think Ollie knows he can trust you.”
“You don’t like dogs?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” he shrugged. “My brother and I wanted one when we were kids, but my dad was against it. He convinced us that dogs were dirty, they shed everywhere, and that they bite and tear up things.”
“Oh, he really didn’t want you guys to want a dog,” I grumbled. I really didn’t like Sean’s dad, even though I never met the guy. “Those things are true sometimes. But dogs are sweet and loving. A dog will be your best friend. I miss having a dog.”
“Well, now you have Ollie.” Sean gave me a half smile. “Don’t worry. He’ll be fine. I called the Nighty Night B&B, and they had one room available for tonight, if you don’t mind sharing again.”
“That’s fine with me,” I said, looking back at the clinic. “But I know I’m going to be stressing out about Ollie all night.
Sean raised a brow, then gestured for me to get in the car. “I think I have a way to distract you for a little while.”
?
The sky still wore the dusky hues of sunset when we arrived, with soft purples bleeding into navy above the blinking lights of Dream Adventures Amusement Park. The sweet scent of funnel cake and kettle corn hit us the moment we stepped through the gate, and for a second, I almost smiled.
Almost.
Sean noticed. He always seemed to notice when something was on my mind.
“How did you know about this place?” I asked.
“I saw it as we were driving into town,” he shrugged. “Looked like it could be fun.”
“I totally missed it.”
“You were a little preoccupied with taking care of Ollie and being a phenomenal human being.”
“Thanks for saying that. I really was worried you were annoyed.”
“With Ollie? Nah. With you? Impossible.”
He gazed at me with those soft light brown eyes, and I swear a warmth rushed over me.
“Now, let’s win you a stuffed animal,” he said, nudging me with his shoulder, his voice deep and upbeat.
I glanced at him sideways but nodded.
We wandered through the amusement park, with neon lights and noise all around us. Bells ringing, kids screaming on a roller coaster, a mascot performing beside a popcorn stand. He kept me close, guiding us away from the crowd’s sharp edges, until we reached a bag tossing game.
Sean threw bean bags at moving mascot bobbleheads with excessive intensity, either trying to impress me or perhaps to distract me from worrying about Ollie. His spectacular miss made me laugh, and the carnie raised an unimpressed eyebrow.
“I thought you said you were going to win me a stuffed animal.”
“I lied,” he admitted. “I’ll lie about anything if it gets you to laugh like that again.”
I looked at him then, really looked at him, and for a heartbeat, I felt something more than wow, this guy is hot. I felt something more than maybe a crush.
We found ourselves on the Ferris wheel just before closing time. The air felt cooler, and I snuggled into his side without saying a word. From the top, the park looked like a dazzling little world, distant from everything else. I rested my head on his shoulder, exhaling slowly.
“Thank you,” I sighed softly, wondering if he heard me over the creaking of the wheel.
He didn’t say “for what?” He just wrapped his arm around me and held me close.
?
The door clicked shut behind us with a soft finality. I dropped my bag by the dresser and glanced around the room, feeling my stomach tighten. One bed. Queen-sized. Crisp white sheets and two identical pillows. An awkward silence formed like fog around us.
Sean scratched the back of his neck. “I didn’t realize they meant only one bed in the one available room.”
“We can make do,” I said, trying to sound casual. I turned toward the window and gazed out at the night sky—anything to keep my face from betraying the naughty thoughts that briefly ran through my head.
The problem was that I was really starting to like Sean way too much. It was hard to hide the blossoming feelings while on the Ferris wheel. Much harder now, in a room where the only bed had a decorative towel swan and chocolates on the pillows.
“I can sleep on the reclining chair,” he offered, voice too casual.
“And risk waking up with your neck all jacked up? No way. I like having you do most of the driving.” I laughed too quickly, then waved my hand. “It’s fine. We’re adults. It’s just a bed. I won’t kick you.”
Sean looked at me for a beat too long. “You sure?”
I met his eyes. They were darker in the low light. “Left side or right?”