NINE: James

NINE

JAMES

Continuing I-84 East, entering Utah

Maybe I should’ve continued driving.

Taryn drives like a bat out of hell.

Then again, that’s an insult to the species. I’m certain that any bat would eventually recognize that the white signs with numbers are speed limits and not suggestions.

“All I want for Christmas is youuuuu!” Taryn sings along to Mariah Carey’s song for the tenth time in a row, completely ignoring the speed warnings on the screen.

We’re going ninety-five in the seventy-mile zone, and I now know that I will never shut my eyes when she’s in the driver’s seat.

“I need some stronger coffee for the rest of my stretch.” She slows down as we approach a set of eighteen-wheelers. “Do you mind if I stop at the exit ahead?”

“I’m fine with you stopping forever , actually.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“We can stop for as long as you like, Taryn.” I don’t need to distract her with an argument; it might make her drive even worse.

As we approach the next ramp, she turns so wide that we nearly hit the yield sign.

Jesus Christ.

She slams her foot against the brakes, just in time for us to avoid rear-ending a postal van.

“Ugh!” she says. “People can’t drive to save their lives these days.”

Don’t say a word. Don’t say one fucking word…

When she pulls into the gas station, I immediately get out, grateful to feel my feet on solid ground.

“Do you want a coffee from inside?” she asks.

“Sure.” I hand her my credit card. “Take your time.”

I wait until she’s inside before checking my phone.

There are seven missed calls, all from my mother.

Relenting, I call her back.

“Hey there, James!” My brother Tucker’s voice greets me instead. “I was beginning to think you weren’t alive anymore.”

“Feel free to keep thinking that,” I say. “Put our mother on the phone.”

“She told everyone you were coming to Colorado this Christmas. Is that true?”

“I told her I would consider it,” I say. “She’s the only person I want to see.”

“ Ouch .” He laughs. “So, you’re still not over that little thing that happened between us?”

“You’re calling it a little thing?”

“In the grand scheme of life, it’s not something that matters all that much.”

“You slept with my fiancée, Tucker.”

“You weren’t emotionally into her.”

“So why did I propose?”

“Because you felt like you had to,” he says. “You were just dragging her along as a rebound girlfriend.”

“So, that makes you dating her and proposing in front of the entire family during the following Christmas okay?”

“Ugh…” He groans. You always get hung up on the wrong part of the story.”

“What parts am I missing?”

“Look.” He sighs. “It was several years ago, and I don’t know what it’s going to take for you to see the light and let it go, but I do know that I don’t want our son to be born in a world where his Uncle James hates him.”

I hang up and see Taryn standing right outside the car, armed with a full cupholder and more snacks.

The pained look on her face lets me know she heard everything, but I don’t feel like addressing it at all.

Leaning over, I push the door open.

As she climbs inside, one of the coffees tumbles from the holder and spills into my lap.

I wince as the hot liquid seeps through my pants.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry!” She leans over my lap and blots my crotch with a napkin. “Sorry!”

She starts blowing against me, as if that’ll help this at all, but I don’t make her stop.

I swallow at the sight of her head bobbing up and down against me, and my cock starts to stiffen.

Shit. “I’ll get the rest.” I grab her hand.

“I really didn’t mean to spill this on you.” She jerks away from me, continuing. “I swear, I was?—”

“If you don’t stop touching me there, I’ll be tempted to show you the effect you’re having on me,” I say, grabbing her wrist again. “I’ll handle it...”

“Oh…” She sucks in a breath and sits up. “Okay, I’ll um, I’ll just um, focus on--”

“Driving.”

“Yeah, do that…”