Ride Home Ch. 03

"Why?"

The light finally changed and the Buick rumbled forward, John calm as other drivers laid on their horns when a red grocery truck didn't drive through the intersection. It speed forward with a screech of tires, the car behind it right up against the bumper. John sighed.

"She says it's a boy's name. My uncle calls me 'Charlotte', too. But I think it's just a habit more than anything else," I said.

"Do you like 'Charley'?"

"Yeah. Like you said, it suits me. Plus, I like that it's different, but not too weird."

He grinned. "You're weird enough as it is. A weird name would've been too much."

I wrapped my arms around him, resting my head on his shoulder as he drove. He leaned forward and clicked on the radio, music filling the cab while the cars around us raged on in their impatience.

Later, when he parked his car in front of my house, John cupped my chin and turned me toward him for a deep kiss. When I kissed him back, his hand fell to my breast, giving it a tight squeeze. Muffled yelling made me break away from him, glancing out the windows to see what the commotion could be. Something slammed into the passenger door, making me yelp.

A mop of dark hair appeared in my window, followed by a pair of wide dark eyes.

I grabbed the door handle, pushing it open. "Michael, what are you doing outside without a coat? It's freezing."

He helped me open the door and scrambled inside, crawling into my lap to cup my cheeks. I pulled the door closed and unbuttoned my coat, wrapping him up tight against my chest.

He smiled before turning to John. "Drive."

"Get out of my car. Boys with no coat don't get to go for a drive," said John.

My grandmother hovered at the front storm door, hands on her hips as she scowled.

"Grandma wouldn't like it either," I said.

Michael squirmed out of my grasp, throwing a leg over the back of the seat. "This is a nice, big car Mr. John. Is it yours or my father's? Did he buy it for you?"

John grabbed his leg before he could climb back there. "It's my car. I bought it with my very own money. Now, let's go inside."

It was no use arguing. John already been spotted. I prayed my grandma hadn't seen us kissing as we approached the front door, Michael wiggling in my arms.

My grandmother's home was a beautiful redbrick townhouse with dark shutters and white-trimmed windows, two modest colonnades supporting a small awning over the front door. Her lone shrub was pathetic, all brown and patchy in the cold.

Michael threw his hands up. "It's gonna snow tonight! We can go sled riding tomorrow because tomorrow's Friday and you don't have school on Friday!"

Grandma's eyes never left John as he got my school bag from the back seat. She stepped aside as I lugged Michael into the house, my little cousin launching himself out of my grasp to tear off into the house.

"It's good of Edward to send you to pick up our Charlotte, Mr. Corrigan."

John pulled his cap off, handing me my bag as he shut the door behind him. "I had a light day, so I figured I'd pick Charley up so she didn't have to ride a cold bus through the city."

Her eyes narrowed. "How thoughtful."

"It is, isn't it?" I beamed at John, protective feelings swirling through me, Michael bursting back into the foyer with shiny metal toy revolvers.

"Let's play guns! I'll be Wyatt Eurp and Mr. John can be Doc Holiday."

John smiled back, the corners of his eyes crinkling as Grandma's gaze shifted between the two of us while Michael bounced around our feet.

Suddenly, her steel expression softened and she almost smiled. "Would you like something to eat or drink, Mr. Corrigan? It's too late for me to have coffee, but I'm happy to make you a cup."

"That would be wonderful," said John.

She moved toward the kitchen. "Come sit down. What do you have planned for Thanksgiving?"

"Oh, nothing much. I'll probably make myself a turkey sandwich," he said.

Her face wrinkled with disgust. "Nonsense. You'll come eat with us a six o'clock. What kind of pie do you like?"

Relief crashed over me as I hurried upstairs to drop off my bag, Michael hot on my heels.

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This chapter focused on John and Charley's developing relationship, but I promise there will be more hot action very soon!