couldn’t find a place to park and had to drive forever down these damn one-way streets, and I thought I knew my way back to the hotel, but I get here and it’s clothes and I don’t know where I went wrong.”
“Layla,” Travis interrupted, “breathe.”
Layla obeyed, squeezing her eyes shut as she took a deep breath.
“So you’re somewhere near your hotel?” Travis asked.
Layla opened her eyes and looked around. “I think so.”
“That means ya made it,” Travis praised.
Layla rolled her eyes. “Yes. Now I’m lost in the rain.”
“Ya like the rain.”
“I do,” she whispered, “but it’s cold. Can you help me?”
“I’m a man of many talents,” he boasted. “Is there a coffee shop nearby?”
Layla furrowed her eyebrows as she looked down the block, finding a café across the street. “Yes!” she exclaimed, wondering how he’d found her so quickly.
“Good,” he approved. “Go get a cup of coffee while I wait for my laptop to boot up.”
Layla slouched. “I’m a mess, Travis.”
“Without coffee,” he countered, “yes ya are.”
Layla sighed and trudged to the café, answering Travis’ stream of questions about her trip.
“Then it’s as pretty as they say?” he asked.
“Prettier,” she confirmed. “Hold on. I’m going to order.”
Layla tucked her phone in her pocket as she ordered and paid, averting her teary gaze from the clerk. Then she returned the phone to her ear as she walked outside, sipping the hot brew. “You there, Trav?”
“Yep, and I got my computer goin’. What’s your cup say?”
Layla read him the name of the café then waited as he searched her out.
“You’re only a block away,” he said.
Layla’s held breath burst from her lungs. “Really? Which way?”
“South. Take a left outta the coffee shop.”
Layla turned and headed south. “You’re a lifesaver, Travis. You have no idea.”
“I’ll stick with ya in case I’m wrong,” he offered.
“Thank you,” she returned. “What would I do without you?”
“You’d look that café clerk in the eye and ask for directions.”
“Smartass,” Layla smirked, rounding another corner. “There it is! You found it!”
“Glad I could help.”
“You did, enormously. I was ready to jump in the car and backtrack to Oklahoma.”
“Don’t ya dare,” Travis objected. “Ya gotta give yourself more than one day. You’re gonna be great, Layla, once ya start figurin’ things out. Ya got more to offer than Gander Creek can hold. Give the coast a chance to bring out the best in ya.”
“ You bring the best out in me,” Layla countered. “I’d literally be lost without you.”
“Then I’ll be your personal GPS. Just promise me you’ll give Oregon a fair chance. I’ll need a place to stay when I get there.”
“Right,” Layla laughed, knowing his encouragement had nothing to do with a place to stay and everything to do with his big heart.
She entered the lobby of her hotel and walked to a couch, peeling off her wet hoody as she finished her conversation. “I really do appreciate this, Travis. I’m warm and dry because of you.”
“Anytime. Now go stretch out in your comfy bed, ’cause I know your legs are cramped.”
“A little,” she confessed. “Keep your phone handy tomorrow. I’ll probably get lost again.”
“I’ll be sure to do that. Sleep tight, sugar.”
“You, too, Trav. Goodnight.”
“Night.”
Layla hung up and stared at the phone, wishing she could show Travis how much he meant to her, but she’d missed her chance to be the friend he deserved. Now all she had was long-distance words.
Exhausted, she followed Travis’ advice and stretched out in bed as soon as she got to her room, lazily wiggling out of her damp jeans. After throwing them in a corner, she reached over the side of the bed and pulled two photographs from her backpack.
For a long moment she stared at the one of her and Katherine, wishing she was there. Then she stared at the
“Layla,” Travis interrupted, “breathe.”
Layla obeyed, squeezing her eyes shut as she took a deep breath.
“So you’re somewhere near your hotel?” Travis asked.
Layla opened her eyes and looked around. “I think so.”
“That means ya made it,” Travis praised.
Layla rolled her eyes. “Yes. Now I’m lost in the rain.”
“Ya like the rain.”
“I do,” she whispered, “but it’s cold. Can you help me?”
“I’m a man of many talents,” he boasted. “Is there a coffee shop nearby?”
Layla furrowed her eyebrows as she looked down the block, finding a café across the street. “Yes!” she exclaimed, wondering how he’d found her so quickly.
“Good,” he approved. “Go get a cup of coffee while I wait for my laptop to boot up.”
Layla slouched. “I’m a mess, Travis.”
“Without coffee,” he countered, “yes ya are.”
Layla sighed and trudged to the café, answering Travis’ stream of questions about her trip.
“Then it’s as pretty as they say?” he asked.
“Prettier,” she confirmed. “Hold on. I’m going to order.”
Layla tucked her phone in her pocket as she ordered and paid, averting her teary gaze from the clerk. Then she returned the phone to her ear as she walked outside, sipping the hot brew. “You there, Trav?”
“Yep, and I got my computer goin’. What’s your cup say?”
Layla read him the name of the café then waited as he searched her out.
“You’re only a block away,” he said.
Layla’s held breath burst from her lungs. “Really? Which way?”
“South. Take a left outta the coffee shop.”
Layla turned and headed south. “You’re a lifesaver, Travis. You have no idea.”
“I’ll stick with ya in case I’m wrong,” he offered.
“Thank you,” she returned. “What would I do without you?”
“You’d look that café clerk in the eye and ask for directions.”
“Smartass,” Layla smirked, rounding another corner. “There it is! You found it!”
“Glad I could help.”
“You did, enormously. I was ready to jump in the car and backtrack to Oklahoma.”
“Don’t ya dare,” Travis objected. “Ya gotta give yourself more than one day. You’re gonna be great, Layla, once ya start figurin’ things out. Ya got more to offer than Gander Creek can hold. Give the coast a chance to bring out the best in ya.”
“ You bring the best out in me,” Layla countered. “I’d literally be lost without you.”
“Then I’ll be your personal GPS. Just promise me you’ll give Oregon a fair chance. I’ll need a place to stay when I get there.”
“Right,” Layla laughed, knowing his encouragement had nothing to do with a place to stay and everything to do with his big heart.
She entered the lobby of her hotel and walked to a couch, peeling off her wet hoody as she finished her conversation. “I really do appreciate this, Travis. I’m warm and dry because of you.”
“Anytime. Now go stretch out in your comfy bed, ’cause I know your legs are cramped.”
“A little,” she confessed. “Keep your phone handy tomorrow. I’ll probably get lost again.”
“I’ll be sure to do that. Sleep tight, sugar.”
“You, too, Trav. Goodnight.”
“Night.”
Layla hung up and stared at the phone, wishing she could show Travis how much he meant to her, but she’d missed her chance to be the friend he deserved. Now all she had was long-distance words.
Exhausted, she followed Travis’ advice and stretched out in bed as soon as she got to her room, lazily wiggling out of her damp jeans. After throwing them in a corner, she reached over the side of the bed and pulled two photographs from her backpack.
For a long moment she stared at the one of her and Katherine, wishing she was there. Then she stared at the
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