Page 81 of Escape

But aside from the emotional and physical progress I’d made and Huck’s never-ending support of me in those endeavors, there was something else lighting me up inside.

Lately, I’d been seeing this new side to Huck that I hadn’t seen much from him other than when we were in high school.

He was fun.

The serious and concentrated focus I’d been seeing over the last few weeks had diminished substantially, and something else was taking its place. Huck seemed more laidback than ever. He was at ease and eager for fun.

Maybe, indirectly, I was responsible for the change in him. It was entirely possible, based on what I knew about the kind of man Huck was, that seeing the improvement in my physical and emotional well-being was lifting his spirits. Knowing I was going to bounce back, regardless of how slow the process, was enough to shift Huck’s mindset to something that resulted in him being less worried and more celebratory. Perhaps he could now look on the bright side of this whole situation. Or even if he couldn’t quite bring himself to do that, at least he could find the silver lining.

This morning, I’d had another appointment for my shoulder rehab. As usual, Huck had taken me to the appointment. Since he hadn’t indicated otherwise, I assumed we were going to go back to his place afterward.

But that wasn’t what happened at all.

Huck drove us to Grant’s Deli, where he not only treated the both of us to lunch, but he also introduced me to Mallory, the wife of his coworker, Nixon. After having heard about their story from Huck while I was still in the hospital, it was nice to be able to put a face to a name. Not only that, but I loved being able to see that Huck hadn’t been kidding about just how good things were for her now, because she was in the middle of her pregnancy and positively glowing. Maybe, just maybe, I’d be able to have that someday, too.

After ordering some sandwiches, Huck and I grabbed a seat at one of the few tables Mallory had inside the deli. And it was while we were eating when Huck shared that he had come up with a plan for something to do this afternoon. Despite my best efforts, he refused to tell me during lunch, but now that I’d finished, I wanted answers.

Ignoring my question, he asked, “How was your lunch?”

“It was great. Wonderful. I’d love to come back and get sandwiches here again one day,” I quickly replied. “But that doesn’t tell me what you’ve got up your sleeve for us this afternoon.”

“Maybe I want it to be a surprise,” he reasoned.

I rolled my eyes at him. “It already is. I had no clue you planned something fun for us to do today. I was surprised when you brought me here, and I was surprised when you told me you intended to take me somewhere else after this. How is it not a surprise if you tell me the specifics of it now?”

He shrugged and sat back in his seat. “I don’t know. I guess you’d still be surprised, but I’m more interested in seeing the look on your face when we get there.”

“Ugh, you’re no fun,” I grumbled, wishing I had another way to convince him. Then, an idea popped into my head. “What if, what if I don’t want to do whatever you have planned? What if I have the wrong reaction?”

Shaking his head, Huck insisted, “There is no wrong reaction, Josie. You react however you react. To that end, I’ve got to ask you a question.”

“What?”

He stared at me for several long seconds, his eyes attempting to communicate something I couldn’t quite figure out. Eventually, he asked, “Do you trust me?”

I wanted to respond and ask him why he’d ever ask such a ridiculous question, but I thought better of it. Because it was him asking me that question that put everything into perspective for me.

Huck would never take me anywhere that he wasn’t absolutely certain I would enjoy. Then again, even if the place was somewhere I might not have normally liked, if I was there with him, the likelihood was that the happiness I felt being with him would overshadow any distaste I had for wherever we were.

Offering him a slight nod, I replied quietly. “I trust you, Huck.”

He smiled, reached across the table for my hand, and gave me a squeeze. “Good. Let’s get this garbage tossed and say goodbye to Mallory. Then I’ll take you somewhere I think you’re bound to have loads of fun with me.”

Trusting he wasn’t wrong about that, I returned the smile. “Okay.”

A few minutes later, Huck and I were back in his truck and on our way to some special place. I tried my best to figure out where we were heading as he drove through the streets of Steel Ridge, but nothing came to mind.

Finally, he made a turn off the main road into a shopping center. That’s when it hit me. That’s when I knew. A lump immediately formed in my throat as unshed tears filled my eyes.

Once Huck pulled into a parking space and turned off the truck, I stopped gazing out the windshield and looked at him.

“Well, that’s not the reaction I was hoping for,” he said, reaching out to brush away a tear that had managed to escape. “Why are you crying?”

My mind instantly flashed back to our senior year, the year that, until now, had been the best year of my life. The year that gave me the best memories that I held near and dear to my heart, because they were made with him. And now he was bringing me here, so I could do it all over again.

“You were right,” I whispered.

“About what?”