Page 8 of Loving Hard on the Highway (Love Along Route 14)

Sean

What a morning. Slowly waking to the feel of Gabbie’s soft skin against mine as she snuggled up into my arms was amazing. She smelled incredible, like lavender and coconut.

Wait a minute.

I eased out of my dreamy haze as I realized Gabbie and I were sleeping in each other’s arms. Last night she had been on the right, and I was on the left. Hopefully, I could pull my arm from beneath her before she felt my morning wood.

I gently pulled my arm, only to have her snuggle closer to me. It felt fucking amazing until I felt her suddenly tense and jolt back.

“Good morning, beautiful.” I gave her a groggy smile as I shook my arm, which was completely numb.

She rubbed her face. “Sorry.”

Fortunately, my watch alarm went off, ending the very awkward moment. It was time to get Ollie.

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The clinic was abuzz this morning, unlike last night, with just one vet and an assistant. A half dozen pet owners waited for their early morning appointments, and the smell of antiseptic and fur filled the air. Light filtered through frosted windows, painting soft stripes on the checker tile floor.

Gabbie glanced at me, my hand brushing hers as the assistant approached us with Ollie in her arms. She didn’t take my hand, not yet, but the nearness felt deliberate and pleasantly familiar.

Gabbie stepped forward, and the woman transferred the now clean and fluffy puppy gently into her arms. Ollie gave a faint bark, much improved from the soft whine he had yesterday. His tiny head and ears perked at the sight of her.

“He was dehydrated and a little underweight, but he’s going to be fine,” the vet said. “We gave him his rabies shot and started him on his vaccines. You’ll need to continue when you get home.”

Gabbie’s eyes brimmed. “How much do I owe you?”

“It’s all taken care of,” the vet said. “We get some pretty generous donations for these things.”

I was relieved that the vet hadn’t said it was me. I didn’t want Gabbie to feel any obligation.

“That’s amazing,” she murmured, as though that meant everything. Maybe it did. “Faith in humanity restored.”

I reached out then, one hand steadily rubbing Ollie’s head, the other inadvertently brushing against Gabbie’s arm. She didn’t move away but moved in closer.

“You’ve got yourself a labradoodle,” the assistant chimed in.

“I can’t believe someone abandoned him.” Gabbie shook her head.

“Their loss,” I said as Ollie licked my finger. “He’s got us now.”

Gabbie looked at me and smiled. It was a soft, surprised smile that made her cheeks flush.

And just like that, in a clinic surrounded by pets, their owners, and quiet worry, something small and specific settled between us.

We left the vet clinic with a small carrying kennel, a stash of puppy food, a couple of chew toys, and a puppy collar with a tag that read “Ollie” on the front and my phone number on the back.

We went to Kathy’s Diner for some much needed breakfast before hitting the road. Gabbie had Ollie tucked in her bag, with his little head poking out, as if this were the most natural thing for the two of them.

“Now this is something,” I said as we stepped into the 50s style diner, with its red retro seats and checkerboard floor, complete with old vinyl hanging on the wall.

“How’s life treating you, sugar?” a waitress with Kathy on the tag asked shortly after we found our seats. The pink 50s style outfit was perfectly on brand.

“I hope it’s okay to have him in here,” Gabbie said.

“Oh, he’s fine,” Kathy smiled. “If anyone complains, just tell them the owner said to come see her. Now what’s good?”

Gabbie was relieved. “I’ll have anything with blueberries—muffins or pancakes. I need my fix.”

“I can fix you up a short stack of blueberry pancakes, sugar. Anything else?” Kathy asked.

“Bacon and a side of hash browns.”

“And I’ll take the Hearty Breakfast,” I added. “And an unseasoned chicken breast for Ollie.”

“Don’t you all make the perfect little family?” She grinned at Ollie before heading off to the counter.

I wasn’t about to dispute what she said, because I low-key liked the idea. A crazy thought since I’d only known Gabbie for one weekend. But she really was enchanting.

We were halfway through our breakfast when I brought something up that I had found fascinating.

“I found something last night after you fell asleep,” I said, handing her my phone.

Her jaw dropped, and she smiled when she saw the InView video of Water’s Edge playing live at the Rosetta Valley WIFE Festival last summer. She hit play, and there was the song Holding On , being sung by her brother-in-law, Mateo. It wasn’t the best recording, but it was the entire song.

“Oh, my gosh!” Gabbie lit up. “I hadn’t realized the band uploaded to social media. My sister never mentioned it.”

She listened to the entire song, humming and partially singing along, with the most peaceful smile on her face. “I can’t wait to get back home. They have festivals like this in Rosetta all the time.”

“I know. My brother is always trying to get me to go with him and his daughter. I would have if I’d known the music was this good.”

Gabbie handed me back the phone when the song ended. I scrolled, then hit play, handing it back to her.

“I also found this after going down a rabbit hole.” I gave her a sly smile.

She returned a curious glance, then went wide-eyed when she saw an even rougher video from five years ago. She was singing with none other than a rising star named Faye Quinn.

“No, you did not!” Gabbie’s dark copper cheeks lit with a hint of red.

“You can sing, sing,” I gushed. “I could tell from karaoke night. Your vocals were too good.”

It was priceless to see the brightness in her face and eyes as the song played.

?

The ride to our next destination was different.

Gabbie and I talked, like really talked.

She told me about how difficult things were for her with her ‘borderline abusive’ ex after they broke up.

To me, grabbing, shaking, and pushing was full-on abuse.

Not to mention the toxic shit he would say to her.

I was glad she got the courage to break things off before it escalated even further.

“That must have been hard with him being a cop.”

“It was. And I honestly should have gone back to California then, but I was so embarrassed. Thankfully, I had Laurel and Evie. They let me move in with them. When I was ready to date again, he chased everyone away, randomly pulling them over and handing out bogus tickets. One guy I dated who didn’t back down was almost run off the road in the Everglades by an unmarked car.

We broke up after that. I realized I would never have a life with Rick showing up wherever I was and chasing off anyone I wanted to date. ”

“He sounds like a nut job,” I said, wanting to say more, but I didn’t want her to feel some kind of way, since she chose him. I chose my words carefully, kind of. “So, how’d an ass wipe like that get someone as awesome as you?”

“Evie calls him that, too. I like that energy.” She chuckled a little.

“Well, he joined my dad’s department a couple of weeks before my parents died.

My dad came home from a night shift, and my mom was still asleep, or so he thought.

He took a shower and felt lightheaded. That’s when I guess he realized something was wrong.

He pulled my mom out of the house before he passed out from Carbon Monoxide poisoning, but she didn’t make it.

When my dad woke up in the hospital and found out about my mom, he had a heart attack. ”

“Oh god, Gabbie. I am so sorry,” was all I could think to say.

“My sisters and I were in shock, and beyond devastated,” she continued.

“And that’s when Rick weaseled his way into my life.

He saw 19-year-old me and knew I was ripe for the picking.

My sisters hated him, and it put a great strain on my relationship with them.

Rick applied to a department in Florida two weeks after we started seeing each other and convinced me that everything in Rosetta was sad and depressing, and I could have a fun, fresh start in La Vida Beach. I was such a gullible idiot.”

“No, you weren’t,” I insisted. “He was a predator, and you were grieving.”

“That’s the same thing my sisters and my besties tell me,” she sighed. “I can’t imagine what you must think of me.”

That physically made my heart hurt to hear her say that. I pulled into the rest stop that was just ahead of me. “Let’s take a walk.”

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The early afternoon Colorado sun peeked from behind a spattering of soft white clouds. We started down one of the walking trails, and the echoes of cars and people had quieted to a gentle hush. Only the rhythmic crunch of their footsteps on the gravel path broke the silence.

We walked slowly, side by side, close but not touching each other.

Gabbie’s words still hung in the air between us, fragile and triggering.

She kept her eyes ahead, hands tucked deep into her sweater pockets.

I held tight to Ollie’s leash as he pranced around us, exploring.

My heart thudded loud enough that I was sure she could hear it.

“You know,” I said, breaking the silence.

“The last time I heard those words was from my mom. My dad was so verbally abusive to her. He cheated and then would gaslight her. And it would piss me off so bad. One day, I came home and found her drinking and crying. I knew it was about dad, and I yelled at her for putting up with him.”

Gabbie slowed, and I could feel her tense beside me without us even touching.

“My mom looked up at me and said, ‘I can’t imagine what you must think of me’.

And it broke my heart. She’d never looked at me like that before.

” I sighed. “So, at twelve years old, I learned I can’t judge what someone else is going through.

I hugged her and told her I thought she was an amazing person who loved me. ”

Gabbie stopped and looked at me.

I paused, too, one foot half-raised off the ground, before I turned to face her fully. Her eyes searched mine, not startled, not upset, just wide open as if she was seeing me, really seeing me.

“You were twelve?” she asked.

I nodded, throat tight. “Yup.”

She didn’t move for a moment, didn’t speak. She just watched me, as if she were processing something delicate and important. I resisted the urge to talk again, to fill the space. I wanted her to feel and know that there would be no judgment from me about her past choices.

“So, what do you think of me?” she asked frankly.

“I think you, Gabrielle Jones, are kind, brave, stubborn, and all around the most beautiful person I’ve ever met. Inside and out.”

Then she smiled, a small and unsure smile, yet soft. Something in me eased.

I took a step closer. “I didn’t say it expecting anything,” I added quietly. “It’s just honestly what I think about you.”

Her gaze dropped to the ground for a second, then back up to mine as she stepped closer. There was no space between us.

Her hand found mine, the one not being tugged by the rambunctious labradoodle puppy. Her fingers were warm, with a slight trembling, too.

“I knew there was something special about you, Sean.”

My breath caught. The world narrowed to the cool summer breeze, the warmth of her hand in mine, and the look on her face that made me feel like maybe love could happen between two strangers.

I leaned in slowly, tentatively, almost reverently. She didn’t pull away. Her lips met mine like an answer.

The kiss was quiet and steady. Fireworks burst within my core. It was the kind that makes me feel like this girl could ask me to swim in lava for her, and I would do it without question.