Wait in the Truck, page 1
Wait in the Truck
Inspired by the award-winning country song
Dallas Ryan
Whisky Eyes Publishing
Author's note
A few months ago, I was in the car with my teenage son being forced to listen to his playlist. I'm sure you parents out there can relate. I was trying to tune most of it out, but then some resonating guitar chords drew my attention. I was mesmerized. My heart stuttered and I found myself holding back tears when it was over. That song was Wait in the Truck by Hardy featuring Lainey Wilson. (If by some miracle, you haven't heard it, go to Google now. I mean it. Now!)
Immediately, I knew I was going to write this story. The challenge was that I write romance. By definition, there has to be an HEA (happily ever after) so our hero going to prison for the justice he doled out for our heroine wasn't going to work. So, I have to say this work was inspired by the song, but then it took on a life of its own and turned into an entire love story between the main characters. And never fear, Reece and Jericho do get their HEA!
Thank you from the bottom of my heart Hardy and Lainey! Without your artistry and huge musical talents, my story would never have existed. I hope someday you get a chance to read it and let me know what you think!
Hope you all love it!
Dallas
PS For those not aware, this story contains episodes of domestic violence and PTSD so if those are triggers, this is probably not the book for you. Peace.
Copyright © 2023 by Dallas Ryan
No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.
This book is work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
This book or e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book or e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people without express permission from the author. Please purchase an additional copy for another recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Please contact me at this email address if you have any further concerns. Thank you.
Dallas Ryan
dallasryanwrites@gmail.com
All rights reserved.
Contents
1. Jericho
2. Reece
3. Prison Break
4. Heart Like a Truck
5. Sleep
6. Lean on Me
7. Ranch Mansion
8. Clawfoot Tubs & BBQ Chicken
9. Secret Stories
10. Cheers
11. She Knows
12. Clocks & Horses
13. Smiles
14. Here Comes the Bride
15. Blessings
16. Away
17. Déjà Vu
18. Magical
19. Aggressively Helpful
20. Surprises
21. Dog
22. First Dates
23. Dressage
24. Pride
25. Poppy
26. Leaving
27. Love Me Tender
28. Oblivion
29. Ghosts
30. Cattle Drive
31. Covergirl
32. Gone Girl
33. Lessons Learned
34. Kicking Ass
35. Better or Worse
36. Fox in the Henhouse
37. Confessions
38. The Plan
39. Over
40. Freedom
41. Epilogue
42. Could't have done it without you!
43. Want More Sexy Cowboys & Sassy Ladies?
44. About the Author
1
Jericho
Jericho
Holy shit! My entire body jerked to attention as the sound of my tires hitting the rumble strips reverberated like gunfire through the cab of my truck. I needed a motel. Now! I rubbed the grit from my exhausted eyes as I took the next exit, desperately searching for somewhere to stop for the night before I succeeded in running off the road into a mesquite tree.
My wipers were barely keeping up with the rain lashing against my windshield, and now tendrils of fog were beginning to enclose my truck in a bank of white. My hands clenched tightly around the steering wheel as I squinted out through the glass, fervently searching for some sign of where I was and where I could stop for the night.
The drive from Montana was long and grueling. When I accepted the foreman job at the Triple ‘R’ Ranch outside of Sweetwater, Texas, the one thing I wasn’t looking forward to was the drive. It would be my first foreman job and I was equal parts excited and apprehensive. I knew I had the knowledge to run the ranch hands, but I'd have to prove myself to the men before they'd follow me. But the anxiety paled in comparison with my excitement at finally having a supervisory job and my own cabin to boot. No more bunkhouses.
The last thing I needed was to get myself banged up before starting my new job. I needed to be in top form when I got there. I was sure the owner would have me trying to break his worst delinquent horses to prove myself even though I was going to be the boss. And there was always a certain amount of hazing that went on for new hands, no matter their rank. I was used to it, but I was also old enough to plan for it.
I leaned forward and searched the outlines of the buildings as I drove through the first little town I'd come across in miles. The rain and fog made everything appear wavy through the windshield. Just my luck. Any no-tell motel would be amazing at this point. I'd find an alley and sleep in my truck if I had to, but it would make for a really long day tomorrow. I was about to give up and find a place to park when a bright white streak ran across my field of vision through my high beams.
"What the fuck?" I threw on the brakes and searched the darkness in the direction the thing had gone. No, not a thing. A woman in a short white nightgown. I watched as she tripped on the curb, then slowly pushed herself up to standing. Her head bowed and her arms wrapped tightly around her. She looked like she was completely defeated.
I rolled down my window. "Hey, are you okay?" I knew it was a stupid question but what else do you say to a woman in a nightgown running through town in the middle of the night?
The woman's eyes were as big as saucers when she looked up at the sound of my voice. She took two steps back. I was afraid she was going to take off on me and something was obviously wrong.
I opened my door slowly and held my hands out wide in as non-threatening gesture as I could. "There now, ma'am. I'm not going to hurt you." I walked to the front bumper of my truck and stood still. "Do you need some help?"
The woman simply stared at me. The wind started kicking up and it made her thin nightgown flutter and her dirty blonde hair fly around her face. She had to be freezing.
"It's mighty cold out here. Why don't you come sit in my truck and get warm for a while." I tried motioning her to my truck. "I can give you a ride to wherever you want to go. It's not safe for you to stay out here like this."
I could see the indecision and fear in her clear blue eyes that reflected the dim glow from the streetlight. I held out my callused, rough palm. "Please."
That single word seemed to break through her trepidation, and she made her way toward me, each barefoot step excruciatingly slow. When she only had a few steps left to cross the divide, I climbed back in my truck and shut the door. Though she slowly made her way around to the passenger door, she still looked like she could turn tail and run at any second.
Finally, she climbed into the passenger seat and huddled against the door once she closed it behind her. My breath caught in my throat when I got a glimpse of her under the light that had lit her briefly before she closed the door. I reached up and clicked on the overhead lights again to get a better look. Her pale, almost translucent skin was covered in bruises. I could tell some were older than others by the varied color palette. Greens, purples, blues, and blacks marred her arms. When I recognized bruises shaped like large fingers around her long, thin neck, I saw red.
"Who did this to you?" I demanded and immediately regretted my tone when I saw her flinch. Fuck! I'm scaring her. I blew out a heavy breath and tried again. "I'm not going to hurt you, Sugar. I only want to help."
When she finally turned her face to me, my heart nearly exploded in my chest. Her face was a wreck of bruises and swelling. Her nose was off kilter enough that I was pretty sure it was broken. Underneath it all, I could see the fragile beauty that she had been before some monster had gotten his hands on her.
I grabbed an extra blanket from the back seat of the cab and carefully draped it over her. She flinched again but then relaxed as the warm fleece settled around her. "Thank you," she whispered. A cut on her bottom lip pulled open with the simple words and a bead of blood balanced there until her tongue darted out to lick it away.
Now that I had her in the truck, I didn't quite know what to do with her. Did this podunk town have a hospital? Should I call 911 and see if I could get some type of law enforcement on the scene? The more I thought about what had happened to her, the more furious I got. How could someone lay hands on this slip of a woman? No real man would, that was for sure. I had to hold back a growl, not wanting to frighten her more.
"Tell me one thing." I stared out the windshield into the darkness, trying to keep my voice level. I saw my knuckles growing white from my granite grip on the steering
2
Reece
Reece
I ran as fast as I could. I fled down the porch steps and across the field from the trailer. I didn't even feel the damage I was inflicting on my bare feet as I ran across the dirt yard and the field beyond of recently cut wheat. It didn't matter. I'd endured much worse.
Dwayne had been so sweet and attentive when I first met him. Neither of us had much money, but he would do romantic things for me like take me out to stargaze from the bed of his truck or bring me wildflowers he had picked himself. He constantly complimented me. He told me I was beautiful, smart, the sweetest woman he had ever known. Three months after we'd met, he told me he loved me and asked me to move in with him. I'd agreed immediately, stars in my eyes about what our future held. Beatings, starvation and mental abuse hadn't been anywhere in my idealistic plans.
He'd only let me have one small meal a day for the last month, if I was lucky and didn't do anything that made him have to punish me. He locked me in the trailer while he was gone during the day. No food in the kitchen. No phone. Windows sealed shut. Our single door padlocked from the outside. No way to escape.
My transgression had been serious earlier tonight and I knew it was only a matter of time before Dwayne would get around to my 'punishment' and 'retraining'. I knew if I didn't get out of there, I was going to die. Dwayne had said as much earlier in the evening.
"Bitch! Have you been in my beer again? I only got four out of this case left!" He held up a can over his head and glared at me.
"No, Honey, of course not. You know I don't even like beer." I had tried to scoot back out of his reach while he was yelling at me, but I didn't make it quite far enough. He hurled the full can at my head. It hit me in the temple and popped open, spraying the contents across me and the kitchen floor.
His eyes burned as he loomed over me on the floor. "Now look what you've done. That's another one wasted. I've decided you like being punished since you're always doing stupid shit that makes me have to discipline you." He kicked my leg with his boot before getting another Coors from the fridge. "Seems you're almost too stupid to train. I may have to get rid of you entirely if you don't get with the program." He gave an evil chuckle before continuing. Ice skittered up my spine at the sound. "Now get this shit cleaned up!"
I nodded without looking up, hoping my dirty blonde hair covered my expression. I was sure he would be able to read the hatred in my eyes even in his intoxicated state. When he left the room, I pulled myself up using the kitchen counter, and gingerly felt the side of my head. No blood. That was good. But I already had a hell of a goose egg. It could have been much worse, though, I knew. Pain had become my constant companion since shortly after I had moved in with Dwayne a year ago.
After I had finished mopping up the beer, I heard a familiar sound. I'd heard it a million times, but this time, it meant so much more. Snoring. Dwayne had passed out on the couch. That was normal. But this time, he had passed out before locking the deadbolt and pocketing the key of the only door. I clapped a hand across my mouth before I cried out in relief. I could escape. I didn't bother to grab shoes or a coat. My only thought was getting past Dwayne and out the only door. Praying the hinges didn't squeak, I opened the front door just a crack. Just far enough to allow my very thin frame to slip out. When the door gave a small snick behind me, I ran.
When I stopped to catch my breath, I barely saw the dark outlines of the old buildings that lined Main Street through the rain several hundred feet away. If I could make it there, maybe I could hide in one of the old, abandoned buildings. My heart pounded like a bass drum in my chest and my legs wobbled but I knew my life depended on moving. I took a deep breath and gathered my resolve. A thick white fog began swirling around my legs as I picked up my pace and ran as fast as I possibly could toward town.
I almost cried out with joy as my bloody feet hit the bricks of the downtown street. My breath suddenly hitched, and I nearly fell when I heard the truck engine. Could Dwayne be after me already? I was limping badly and I was afraid I was leaving bloody footprints like a trail straight to me. I couldn't stop though. I had to keep going as long as I could. Before I could stop myself, I ran right through the high beams of a pick-up truck. I was so surprised I tripped and fell over the curb of the sidewalk catty corner from the idling truck. No, no, no! I was so close! I knew it was no use for me to run any farther. My legs were barely holding me up and I could feel the adrenaline leaching quickly from my body. I could do nothing but bow my head in defeat. He'd caught me. I wrapped my arms around me and said a quick prayer that tonight wouldn't be my last night on this earth.
A bone deep shiver ran through my body and I had to clench my jaw tightly to try to stop my teeth from chattering. I wouldn't give Dwayne the satisfaction of my suffering. If I was going to die, I would at least hold on to a shred of my dignity. Suddenly, I heard a deep, unfamiliar voice. Not Dwayne. I slowly looked up.
"Hey, are you okay?" the man called to me from the window of his truck. A dark truck, blue or black. Not the rusted out, puke yellow Chevy Dwayne drove.
Startled, I took a step back when he spoke again. "There now, ma'am. I'm not going to hurt you." I saw him walk to the front bumper of his truck and stand still. It was dark but in the pitiful yellow glow of the old streetlights, I could see that he was tall with wide, muscular shoulders in a t-shirt and denim jacket. Most of his hair was hidden by a ball cap that looked well-worn. I could just make out the black scruff across his face.
"Do you need some help? It's mighty cold out here," he continued. "Why don't you come sit in my truck and get warm for a while." The man motioned to me toward the truck. "I can give you a ride to wherever you want to go. It's not safe for you to stay out here like this."
I was rooted to the cold bricks under my feet, frozen with indecision. I couldn't stay here and wait for Dwayne to find me, but was it any safer going with a complete stranger? Then he said the one thing that made up my mind. "Please." That one word, uttered in almost desperation broke through my paralyzing fear. I hadn't heard it in almost a year.
My feet moved of their own accord, and I limped across the street toward the stranger's truck. He climbed back into the driver's seat and I watched him warily as I climbed up into the cab and closed the door behind me. The warmth in the cab almost made me groan in pleasure. I pulled my knees up and stretched my short nightshirt over them. I felt suddenly exposed. I could feel his eyes on me, and I let my greasy hair cover my battered face.
I heard the man suck in a harsh breath then blow out air like an angry bull. The overhead light in the cab clicked on. I had covered my face but couldn't hide my arms in the short sleeves of my gown. Embarrassment slivered through me and I huddled closer to the door. When I felt a warm blanket being tucked around me, tears of relief flooded my eyes.
"Thank you," I croaked.
I had no idea where the man was going but anywhere was better than here. I dared to glance at him when we didn't immediately take off. He met my eyes before staring back out the windshield.
The muscles in his jaw bunched before he spoke. "Tell me one thing. Where is he?"
And I told him.
3
Prison Break
Jericho
My black Silverado rumbled through the backroads in the direction the mystery woman had given me in whispers and hand gestures. As we pulled up to a ratty single-wide surrounded by weeds and car parts, I could see her visibly start to shake. Her face was beautiful even under her pallor and the bruising and dried blood on her face. She was obviously beaten down not only physically but soul deep. The sight of her vulnerability and fear made my vision go red. This piece of shit was never even going to think about raising his hand to another woman.
My heart was thumping so wildly in my chest, I was sure she could hear it. I struggled to keep my voice calm. "Is there anything you want me to bring you?"
