Read Online Without You Here by Carter Ashby - Free Book Online
Authors: Carter Ashby
Tags: Humor, Romance, Literature & Fiction, Contemporary, Romantic Comedy, Contemporary Fiction, Contemporary Women, Women's Fiction
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tidied up our mess in the cabin and I'd put his old t-shirt back on. The drive was quiet. He held my hand. When we arrived at the covered bridge to find my car still there and looking undamaged, we both sighed relief and smiled at each other.
Wyatt leaned against his truck and watched as I dug around in the overnight bag in my back seat. I pulled out a yellow sundress and changed into it, not looking at him. He had every right to watch. As far as I was concerned, I was all his. He could do anything he wanted with me.
"You sure are pretty, Ettie," he said.
I wadded up his t-shirt and held it to my chest. "Can I keep this?"
He smiled sadly. "Sure."
I lifted it to my face and inhaled. Then I tossed it in the passenger seat of my car. "So...meet you at the diner?"
He nodded and then climbed in his truck. He waited for me to go first. There was a greasy, little diner in Hadley. One of those where the Formica on the tables was all chipped and the chairs were wobbly. The waitresses were about sixty years old and so were their uniforms. And the breakfast food was amazing. I had pancakes. Wyatt had the biggest Western omelet I'd ever seen. And we were both so freaking hungry that we didn't talk until we were almost finished.
He didn't look up at me when he spoke. He was sopping up hollandaise sauce with a biscuit. "We should do this again, Ettie. Next weekend. How about it?"
My heart was suddenly thundering in my ears. I watched him as he pointedly focused on cleaning his plate. "Are you asking me to be your girlfriend?" I asked.
He finally looked up. Those blue eyes were hypnotic. And heartbreaking. "I'm asking you to have another fun weekend with me. That's what I'm asking."
My eyes fluttered as they started to sting. "Do you need to get to know me better before asking me to be your girlfriend?"
His jaw muscles tensed. "Ettie, I—“
"Look, Wyatt. I have had just the absolute best time of my life with you this weekend. I have all the information I need to know I want to be in a relationship with you."
He snorted and leaned back in his chair. "You don't know shit about me, Ettie. This was fun. But it was superficial and you know it."
My chest constricted. I had to take a moment to swallow back the pain. "It wasn't superficial. I'm sorry it didn't mean as much to you as it did to me—“
"It meant plenty and that's why I want to see you again. So let's do it, Ettie. Next weekend. We'll meet at the bar Friday and maybe we could road trip down to Gulf Shores or something. Or we could go zip-lining up at Cave City. All kinds of fun shit we could do together. That's what I want."
"I want to go home with you."
He looked away and shook his head in frustration.
"I graduate in six weeks. I want to spend time with you this summer. In your home."
"Well that ain't gonna happen, is it?"
I forced down the ache in my chest. There would be time enough to deal with it. "I guess not."
"So, what? You just don't want to see me again? Because I won't take you home? Is that it?"
It was obviously more complicated than that, but his brain was in that obtuse zone so characteristic of males. "Yep. That's it."
He leaned forward and squeezed my hands in his. "I love my wife, Ettie."
I nodded. I wanted to understand. I'd never lost a spouse. It must take a very long time to get over. "I wouldn't rush you. We could take our time."
He sighed and leaned back. He watched me for a long moment. I silently begged him to come around to my way of thinking. "It was a really good weekend," he said.
My face screwed up in pain and I caught my breath and looked down at my lap.
He stood and went to pay the bill. I collected myself and strolled past him out to my car. When he came up behind me, I turned and hugged his waist. He held me and squeezed me with his hands. We kissed long and hard. I needed him. The thought of the long drive back home and knowing I wouldn't see him again seemed beyond my capabilities. It was too much. He'd asked to see me
Wyatt leaned against his truck and watched as I dug around in the overnight bag in my back seat. I pulled out a yellow sundress and changed into it, not looking at him. He had every right to watch. As far as I was concerned, I was all his. He could do anything he wanted with me.
"You sure are pretty, Ettie," he said.
I wadded up his t-shirt and held it to my chest. "Can I keep this?"
He smiled sadly. "Sure."
I lifted it to my face and inhaled. Then I tossed it in the passenger seat of my car. "So...meet you at the diner?"
He nodded and then climbed in his truck. He waited for me to go first. There was a greasy, little diner in Hadley. One of those where the Formica on the tables was all chipped and the chairs were wobbly. The waitresses were about sixty years old and so were their uniforms. And the breakfast food was amazing. I had pancakes. Wyatt had the biggest Western omelet I'd ever seen. And we were both so freaking hungry that we didn't talk until we were almost finished.
He didn't look up at me when he spoke. He was sopping up hollandaise sauce with a biscuit. "We should do this again, Ettie. Next weekend. How about it?"
My heart was suddenly thundering in my ears. I watched him as he pointedly focused on cleaning his plate. "Are you asking me to be your girlfriend?" I asked.
He finally looked up. Those blue eyes were hypnotic. And heartbreaking. "I'm asking you to have another fun weekend with me. That's what I'm asking."
My eyes fluttered as they started to sting. "Do you need to get to know me better before asking me to be your girlfriend?"
His jaw muscles tensed. "Ettie, I—“
"Look, Wyatt. I have had just the absolute best time of my life with you this weekend. I have all the information I need to know I want to be in a relationship with you."
He snorted and leaned back in his chair. "You don't know shit about me, Ettie. This was fun. But it was superficial and you know it."
My chest constricted. I had to take a moment to swallow back the pain. "It wasn't superficial. I'm sorry it didn't mean as much to you as it did to me—“
"It meant plenty and that's why I want to see you again. So let's do it, Ettie. Next weekend. We'll meet at the bar Friday and maybe we could road trip down to Gulf Shores or something. Or we could go zip-lining up at Cave City. All kinds of fun shit we could do together. That's what I want."
"I want to go home with you."
He looked away and shook his head in frustration.
"I graduate in six weeks. I want to spend time with you this summer. In your home."
"Well that ain't gonna happen, is it?"
I forced down the ache in my chest. There would be time enough to deal with it. "I guess not."
"So, what? You just don't want to see me again? Because I won't take you home? Is that it?"
It was obviously more complicated than that, but his brain was in that obtuse zone so characteristic of males. "Yep. That's it."
He leaned forward and squeezed my hands in his. "I love my wife, Ettie."
I nodded. I wanted to understand. I'd never lost a spouse. It must take a very long time to get over. "I wouldn't rush you. We could take our time."
He sighed and leaned back. He watched me for a long moment. I silently begged him to come around to my way of thinking. "It was a really good weekend," he said.
My face screwed up in pain and I caught my breath and looked down at my lap.
He stood and went to pay the bill. I collected myself and strolled past him out to my car. When he came up behind me, I turned and hugged his waist. He held me and squeezed me with his hands. We kissed long and hard. I needed him. The thought of the long drive back home and knowing I wouldn't see him again seemed beyond my capabilities. It was too much. He'd asked to see me
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