An uncomfortable silence clouded the air for the better part of an hour. The only time he’d move his hands from the wheel was to feed Esmerelda Snowflake pieces of hash brown patty dipped in cock sauce. Even the goat liked cock sauce.

At one point, he finally looked over at me. “I’m sorry I snapped at you.”

“It’s okay. I’m sorry that I made you uncomfortable.”

“I probably would have done the same thing if I were you. It’s just…all the stuff online, it’s all bullshit. That’s not the way to get to know me. If you want to know something, just ask me. Those people that post shit don’t really know me.”

“I do feel like I know the real you.”

“You probably know more than most people. I’ve been nothing but myself with you from the moment we met. Even though I give you shit, I feel comfortable around you, and that’s rare for me.”

There was that feeling in my chest again.

“I feel the same about you, and I don’t really understand it. I just know I’m really glad that we crossed paths.”

He tapped the bobblehead. “Just think…if you’d never picked up Mr. Obama here, who knows where we’d both be right now?” He pointed to the backseat. “Where would this beast be right now?”

“Probably passed out on the side of the road.”

Chance glanced back at the goat. “Instead, he’s eating our food and sleeping with both of us. No thanks to me. It was all you.” He flashed a sexy side glance and startled me when he put his hand on my knee, triggering a sudden rush of desire. “You’re sweet. You have a good heart. That prick, Harrison, is gonna be sorry someday.” When he took his hand away, I longed for its return. What he’d said also sent shivers throughout my body. An indescribable feeling overwhelmed me. I didn’t know how to respond, so I turned on the radio. Good Vibrations by the Beach Boys happened to be on.

Chance turned up the volume. “Look at that! They’re singing about you and your magic wand, Princess.”

I covered my mouth in laughter, and we both cracked up. We’d finally broken through the earlier tension, and that gave me a sense of relief.

After we stopped for lunch and had driven for several more hours, Chance turned to me. “Are you in a rush to get to Temecula by a certain time?”

“I don’t start my new position for another week, and the house I’m renting is fully furnished, so not really. Why?”

“Care to take a little detour before darkness falls?”

“Sure. I’d be up for that. What do you have in mind?”

“Somewhere rock hard and deep.” He winked.

Well, that piqued my curiosity.

Chapter Six

We parked the car near the perfect spot overlooking the steep rocky walls of the Grand Canyon. Its beauty was overwhelming.

“Oh my God, Chance. I can’t believe I hadn’t thought of stopping here myself. I’ve always wanted to see it in person. It hadn’t dawned on me that it was right on our way. It’s so breathtaking.”

I looked over at him and saw that he’d been staring at me instead of out toward the majestic peaks.

“Yeah. It’s very beautiful,” he said in a low voice.

“Let’s take a picture.”

With the Canyon as the backdrop, Chance snapped a selfie of us with his phone. He then texted it to me so I’d have it. The snapshot came out so good. The sun was shining into the blue of his eyes, and we both looked so happy and at peace. It made me wish this moment could go on forever, that we never had to leave this place.

As we sat looking out into a blaze of red colors while the sun set over the panoramic scenery, Chance suddenly said, “Tell me about your family.”

“My mother lives back in Chicago. She wasn’t happy about me moving at all. I’m her only child. But ever since she remarried, I’ve felt like she hasn’t needed me as much. My father died a year after I graduated from law school, so at least he got to see me live out his dream, which was that I become a lawyer like him.”

“It was his dream, but not yours…” he said in understanding.

“No. It’s really not what I wanted.”

“What is your dream?”

“I just want to be happy and fulfilled, but I have no clue what that even means anymore or how to get there. So much is up in the air right now for me. I feel like I’m at a crossroads in my life.”

“That’s not the worst thing in the world. Sounds like a good time to find yourself, especially since no one is tying you down.”