Read Hitchhiker for Free Online

glass of sweet tea, and do you mind me asking, what’s the soup today?”
    She pulled the pen from her hair and wrote on a notepad. “Yes, ma’am, you sure you can. And the soup is creamy tomato. My husband is the grumpy old man that greeted y’all. He makes everything from scratch. People come from all over these mountains to eat here. But don’t tell him that; we can’t let him get a big head.”
    I winked at her and said, “No worries; your secret’s safe with me.” My stomach growled, and my hand flew down to hold it. Embarrassed, I said, “Sorry. Any way I can get a grilled cheese with that if it’s not too much trouble?”
    “Of course, honey.” Her twang rolled off her tongue. “And how about you, sir? You ready to order?” She turned her attention to Dawson.
    He looked up at her, and I saw his features soften for the first time. “I’ll have what she’s having and a glass of water with lemon, please.”
    She wrote down his order and winked at him before walking away. When he shifted his gaze toward me, his eyes went hard again. Geez, it was starting to grate on my nerves that he was incapable of giving me even half of a smile. I’d been nothing but nice to him thus far. Peeling my eyes away from his, I picked up the napkin in front of me and started folding it over and over. I compulsively fidgeted when I didn’t know what to do with myself. I could feel his gaze burning into me, and I knew he was watching my hands. I didn’t know how long I’d be able to keep this up and remain in complete silence before I’d burst. He might be able to go without speaking, but I couldn’t. Being alone and not having anyone to talk to was one thing, but this was a whole other ballgame that I didn’t think I could play.
    “Sooo . . .” I cleared my throat. “Ever been to Big Sky?”
    “Nope.”
    “If you’ve never been, why do you want me to drop you off there?” I still restlessly folded my napkin. It was starting to shred.
    “I never said I wanted you to drop me off in Big Sky.”
    I pried my eyes from what I was doing. “Then where were you going?”
    His slightly parted lips sealed shut. Did that mean he wasn’t going to answer? Several beats passed before the woman came over to our table and set our drinks down.
    “Here y’all go. And your food will be out in a couple of minutes.” Before she walked away, she looked at the state of my napkin. “I’ll bring a few extra ones out with your food.”
    I felt a blush creep up my cheeks. “Thanks.”
    When she walked away, I went back to my last question. For whatever reason, I was curious and didn’t want to let it go. “What were you traveling to Big Sky for?”
    He leaned forward, and his nearness caused the scent of him to drift my way. I did everything I could to prevent myself from inhaling more of him than what I really wanted to. It should be a sin for a man to smell that good. Placing his forearms on the table, I noticed a tattoo on his left arm. The sleeve of his hoodie had ridden up, but not enough for me to see what it was or how far it went.
    “You like to ask a lot of questions.”
    I jerked my head back. “I believe I’ve only asked you four. I’d hardly call that a lot.”
    His dark brown eyes seared into me. “That’s one too many.”
    I tilted my head to the side. “Knowing a stranger’s name who is in my vehicle is kind of a necessity. Knowing where you’re going would seem to be the next natural progression of questions, seeing as how you didn’t tell me yesterday what your final destination was, either. And lastly, since you told me you’ve never been to Big Sky, I’m wondering what kind of business you could have there to keep you around.”
    One of his hands was resting on top of his arm and I saw it contract around the muscle. “I gave you my name. As far as the rest goes, it’s none of your business.”
    His tone was ruthless, leaving no room to push. Screw that, though. I’d find another way to asking him.