It’s going on eight when I make it back. The house is quiet, with the two of them cuddled up on the couch. Drake asks if I want to join them to watch TV, but I turn them down, opting to take a shower so I can get out of the house for a little while. As long as I’m staying here, I’m going to try to be as scarce as possible. I don’t want to cramp their style. The less they see of me, the better.
I shower quickly, then pull on a pair of jeans, my boots, and an old fitted T-shirt before climbing behind the wheel of the beat-up truck. The engine turns over with the first try, the roar cutting through the silence of the evening. I pray that the loud motor doesn’t wake the baby, so I back out of the drive as fast as possible.
I roll the windows down and let the country air blow through the cab of the truck. With every bump of the gravel road, the body squeaks and squeals. The scent of honeysuckle fills my nose, mixing with the smell of the dry earth and sunbaked asphalt.
I drive through town and find nowhere to go other than a bar. With it being a Friday night, there are already several cars in the parking lot. I pull up to the side of the building and climb out, heading inside. The sound of loud country music fills my ears as I walk in. The smell of stale beer washes over me. I take in the place, noticing a few guys playing pool in the back, a couple of people sitting at the tables around the room, and a few older men sitting at the bar.
I take a seat by myself and order a beer to kill some time. I was hoping to run into some old friends, but it doesn’t seem like many are left. Most of them went away to college and I can only assume that once they finished, they moved on to bigger cities for their dream career or to start a family of their own. Sitting alone makes me wish that I’d asked Brad to join me, but I’m sure he probably has to work tonight.
I sit and drink beer after beer, randomly talking to the men at the bar and, sometimes, the bartender when she throws in her two cents. There’s no serious talk. It’s all just random shit about the town or the shape of the economy and the state of our county. The place never fills up, but I keep an eye on the door, watching as people go in and out.
I can’t help but notice when a woman walks in. I’ve never seen her before, but when my eyes meet hers, something familiar I can’t place washes over me. She’s tall and thin. She has dark hair that’s stick straight and hangs down to her round ass. Her dark eyes are almond-shaped, and her plump lips turn up into a grin as she takes me in.
My eyes travel from her tanned legs to her big tits, which she’s managed to trap under her tight white tank top. She comes to a stop beside me, setting her purse on the bar as she digs out some money while ordering a drink. When the bartender comes back with a pink drink, I slide a twenty over to her.
“It’s on me.”
The woman at my side smiles. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure.” I nod in her direction. I turn my attention back to the beer in my hand and tip it back, taking a long drink.
She scoots over, taking the empty barstool between us. “I’m Danielle,” she says, holding out her hand.
“I’m Hudson.” I shake her hand and the moment we touch, every hair on my body stands on end. “You from around here?”
She shakes her head. “Nah, I live in Denver. I just graduated college. I’m just here spending the summer with some family before real life kicks in.” She offers up a smile of her perfectly straight, white teeth. Her lips are painted a deep red, making her teeth sparkle that much more. “What about you?”
“I was born and raised here. I managed to get out for a few years. I was in the military. But I’ve been discharged and just got back today.”
“Mmm, I’ve always loved a man in a uniform,” she says, running the tips of her fingers around the rim of her glass.