Again with the Fun and Games

So you guys got a couple of extra treats in the Fun and Games department.

Karla was on deck yesterday with another snip, so just in case you missed it check it out here.

Okay when we last left off Truman had come to the rescue...lets see what happens next.

Owen held the door open so Grace could climb in, which was no easy feat since the truck seemed to loom two stories above her head.  Once settled, he hurried around and hopped into the cab, starting the truck with a quick twist.  Forcing the gears, he squealed out of the driveway backwards at breakneck speeds even Grace wouldn’t have attempted.

Fastening her seat belt, Grace said, “Owen.  Slow down.”

Chastened, Owen slowed the truck.

After a few minutes, Grace said, “By the way, I don’t think you’re a pussy.”

“What?” Owen’s head swung in her direction.  “What?” he repeated.

“Lucky.  He said you were for letting Truman wail on you,” she said before looking down at her hands, which were worrying the strap of her bag.  “He’s a pretty physical guy, and it didn’t look good.  I mean, I knew you weren’t hurting her.  But, Tru…” she ended on a shrug.  “Anyway, I think with everything that’s happened it was a pretty shitty thing for him to say.  What if it was his sister?”

“Yeah, well if it were my sister…“he trailed off as his voice hitched.  Starting again, “If that had been Rachel, I would have done the same thing.”

  “O, you missed my turn,” Grace said looking over her shoulder as they passed her street.

“Shit,” Owen clipped out, wondering how the conversation with Harper and her big brother was going.  He didn’t want Truman to do anything to upset her.  Harper talked quite a bit about her older sibling, and always with affection, but Truman had never been faced with anything quite like this.  He just wanted to make sure she was okay.

Coming to a stop at the next light, Owen pulled over the side of the road.  Noticing they were closer to Harper’s, house he said, “You think she’s going to tell him the truth?”

Grace snorted before meeting Owen’s eyes across the expanse of the cab.  The green of the dashboard lights gave her an almost comical look as she rolled her eyes and replied, “Hell no, she isn’t gonna tell him.  In fact, when it’s all said and done, he’ll be offering to go and get her some take-out. Probably Chinese, cuz that’s how they work.  Truman tries to play the big brother card, but then she goes and does her Jedi mind trick bullshit, and before he knows it, she’s convinced him nothing was wrong in the first place.” 

Owen’s head bobbed.  “Yeah, Jedi mind trick.  That’s a good way of saying it.  She does that shit to me, too.  I just never knew what to call it before.”

On a sad smile, Grace joked, “The force is strong with that one.”

“Will you tell him what happened?  I mean, you two are dating now, right?”

Grace’s head shot up at the question, and she found herself surprised when no ready denial sprang to her lips.  From the very beginning, the two girls had been tight, not letting anyone or anything come between them.  In the space of a week, all that had changed.  Okay, so she and Truman weren’t a couple, and she didn’t owe him anything.  But if he asked, would she tell him?  She just didn’t know.

Going for casualness she had never felt when it came to the idea of her and Truman as a couple, Grace confided, “Actually, tonight was the first time we had ever gone out.  So no, we are not dating”-dating was marked with air quotes-“we were just getting started when you called anyway.”

“I’m sorry I ruined your date.”

“S’okay.  Harper comes first.  No question.   If Tru and I are supposed to be, we will.”

“Well I know someone who doesn’t want you and Tru to be.” Owen said pointedly, raising his eyebrows.

Leaning back against the neck rest, Grace shook her head and asked, “When did it all get so complicated?”

Pointing a finger Owen’s way and added, “Two weeks ago, I didn’t even know your brother, or you, for that matter.  And now, here I am, finally getting a chance to go out with the one guy I have been crazy about for…  Ever, and there is this other guy that is suddenly in the picture. “

Owen chuckled, “I think Lucky is just as confused as you are.  He has to beat them off with a stick sometimes, so the fact that you didn’t jump at the chance to go out with him, kind of threw him for a loop.”

“Poor Lucky,” Grace sniped sarcastically. 

 

Leaning his own head back against the neck rest Owen agreed, “Yeah.  Poor  Lucky.”

The silence that descended upon the cab was suddenly shattered when Owen’s attention was snagged by the car that came to a stop beside them.  Owen rolled down the window, and Grace stiffened when she recognized Truman’s voice and the implication of his words.

Owen quickly answered the other young man and turned to Grace apologetically.  “Sorry, Grace.  Can you get yourself home?  I will swing by and pick up the truck after.”  Not waiting for an answer, he joined Truman in his car before the other boy sped off.

Biting her lip, Grace sat immobilized for what seemed like minutes, but was probably closer to seconds.  If asked, she would have compared it to the idea of eight seconds.  The amount a time a bull rider had to stay on the back of a bull.  In the grand scheme, eight seconds really wasn’t all that long.  But when you strapped yourself to a two ton bull and had to stay up there, it probably seemed like an eternity.

After weighing everything, she quickly came to a decision and pulled out her cell phone.  Hitting the speed dial, she waited until the connection was made.  “Meet me out front of your house in two minutes.”

Harper’s voice responded, “Can’t Grace.  Tru is on his way to­-” 

 

But Grace didn’t let her finish as she maneuvered herself across the gear shift to the driver’s side.  “Mr. Haas’ house.  With Owen.”

A heartbeat later, Harper’s voice cracked and froze all at once.  “What?  Um, what are you?  I don’t… What are you talking about Grace?”

“Owen was taking me home.  Truman caught up.  I don’t know what you told Truman happened, but he is hell bent, and now, so is Owen.”  Grace rushed to get out.  “So get ready, and get your ass outside.  I will be there in two minutes.”

Harper’s voice lost the frost and emotion completely as she replied, “Hurry, Grace.”

“I will,” she promised.  Tossing the phone back into her bag, Grace ground the truck’s gears and winced.

 

On the U-turn, she whispered, “I will Harper, cause right now, you’re the only who can stop this.” 

Okay tell me what you think and check back on Thursday when we find out what happens next.