Heartless Hunk - Ann Omasta Page 0,26

lesson.”

“Oh, fun! I could come along if you like. I’m an excellent driver.”

From that last statement, I had little doubt that my mother was completely delusional. She was the worst driver I had ever ridden with. In fact, I had learned to drive a car at the tender age of thirteen, so I wouldn’t have to risk riding with her anymore.

“Thanks for the offer, but I think we can handle it.” I tried to shoot her idea down gently.

“Okay, then. Goodbye, darling.” She walked us out before pulling me into a warm embrace.

“Bye, Mother,” I answered the wild woman who had given birth to me.

She turned to give Oliver a hug, and I tried not to notice how her short dressing gown rode up over her butt cheeks as she stood on her tiptoes to squeeze him tight. Oliver gave me an amused look over her shoulder, which made me wonder what he was thinking.

Finally, my mother let go of her hold on him and turned to walk back up the steps of her trailer. As she did so, the wind caught the hem of her silky cover-up. The light fabric flew up over her hips, giving us a full view of her backside as she slowly climbed the steps to her front door.

The woman didn’t even attempt to clamp her clothing down. Instead, she just let it float up around her.

Once we were safely closed in the rental car with Oliver behind the wheel, he turned to me and said, “I always thought living in a small town would be boring, but I’m starting to realize that it’s anything but dull.”

Staring at my mother’s tan behind, I shook my head and muttered, “Ain’t that the truth.”

22

Oliver

Violet was a patient and thorough driving instructor. I’d honestly never really given driving a car much thought, but now that I was motoring along the winding, hilly roads outside of her hometown, I realized how fun and freeing it was.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this!” I was unable to keep the excited tone out of my voice.

“You’re doing great.” Vi graced me with a proud smile.

My gaze was magnetized to her gorgeous face, until she gave me a stern warning. “Keep your eyes on the road, please.”

I forced myself to look away from her. We were travelling on a narrow country road. I’d thought the population in town was sparse, but out here, we went for what seemed like miles between houses.

Curious, I pointed at one of the tall orange flags we passed alongside the road. “What are those flags for?”

“They mark where the mailboxes are, so they can be found after the snow plow comes through and buries them.”

“Whoa,” I said with a significant amount of awe in my tone.

Violet nodded. “Yep, the snow doesn’t usually melt here until the big spring thaw, so each time we have snow, it just gets deeper and deeper. We’ve had so much before that people had to shovel off their roofs to keep them from caving in.”

She seemed to be enjoying sharing as she added, “I remember one year, we had a really bad nor’easter come through that buried our little trailer. I opened the curtains and the window pane was completely obscured by white. Dylan had to come over and dig us out, so we could open the front door.”

She stopped suddenly and the car remained quiet for a few long seconds before she said, “I’m sorry to keep mentioning him. I know it’s a big no-no to bring up one man while with another.”

“He was an enormous, vital part of your life, and he always will be,” I responded, trying not to let my irrational jealousy of her dead husband show. I wanted her to feel like she could talk openly with me and be confident that I would never blame her for having a past. I had one, too, and it wasn’t nearly as respectable as hers.

When I moved my right hand to place it gently over hers, she said, “Both hands on the steering wheel, please––at 10 and 2 o’clock.”

I followed her instruction, but still yearned for a physical connection with her. She seemed so vulnerable whenever Dylan’s name came up. I wanted nothing more than to make it better for her, but I didn’t have any idea how to accomplish that.

Obviously not sensing the depths of my feelings, she said, “I guess it’s a good thing I’m getting some practice with you because I’d hate to make the mistake of