Run With Me by L. A. Shorter Read Free Book Online Page B

it?” I ask,
rubbing my head and letting my legs drop outside of the vehicle. I
catch my reflection in the wing-mirror. I look horrible. My face is
all blotchy, my eyes red and raw. It's obvious to anyone I've had a
bad night.
    “ It's around midday
sweetheart. Now what you doin' all the way out here off the road?
This track's private.”
    I arch my neck up and look into
the man's face. He's got a kindly expression hidden behind a thick
white moustache and tanned, grizzly skin. He looks to be in his 60's,
but his sun beaten and weathered skin makes it hard to tell.
    “ Oh...sorry,” I say glumly,
“I was just trying to find somewhere quiet off the main road for
the night.”
    I hang my head back down to the
ground to shield my eyes from the blistering sun. The man follows me
down, kneeling on his right knee and appearing at my level.
    “ You look like you've had a
rough night sweetheart. You could do with a strong cup of coffee and
a little rest out of this sun.”
    He speaks in a warm tone, his
words of comfort causing me to well up slightly. I hold my eyes down
to avoid his gaze, but can't help but sniff as my nose begins to run.
    “ Come on. My wife makes a mean
cup of joe. The house is just at the top of the field. See.”
    His final words force me to
raise my eyes to look up the dirt track. I can see a beautiful farm
house in the near distance. There's a woman walking from the field to
a large barn, a bucket in her hands.
    “ My wife,” says the man.
“She's just feeding the pigs. What's your name darlin'?”
    “ Kitty,” I say quickly.
    “ All right Kitty. Come on,
let's get you some water first. You look like you're a little
dehydrated there.”
    It's the suggestion of water
that finally clicks me into gear. My mouth is parched and my head is
throbbing. A cold glass of water would be perfect right now.
    I stand from the car and shut
the door. My legs feel heavy beneath me, wobbling slightly over my
first few steps towards the house.
    “ My name's Derrick, in case
you're wondering.”
    I look into the man's face and
he's now wearing a warm smile. There's something extremely fatherly
about him, or even grandfatherly. I've spent a life being told not to
trust anyone by my own father, yet I somehow trust this stranger
completely. Maybe it's an out of town thing. I don't think I'd
readily accept the Good Samaritan act from anyone in LA. Or maybe I'm
just desperate.
    “ Now you don't have to tell my
anything about what you're doing out here if you don't want. But, I'm
going to ask anyway, just to make conversation. So, you can tell me
or lie to me or say nothing at all. It's down to you.”
    The ambiguous nature of his
question – or is it a statement, I can't decide - is a bit
confusing to my dehydrated brain. I'm obviously not going to tell him
the truth. Maybe a simple lie would be easier.
    “ It's my boyfriend,” I say.
“Or, ex-boyfriend now.”
    Derrick says “ah” as if
that's what he expected.
    “ We were at a party nearby and
broke up. I got a bit drunk last night...I shouldn't have been
driving. I guess I must have gotten lost and ended up down your
track. Stupid of me.”
    “ Happens to the best of us
Kitty. Don't worry about it. Just try not to make drink driving a
habit....that sorta thing can ruin your life in an instant if
something goes wrong.”
    He seems to have bought my lie.
I didn't know I had it in me to come up with something like that on
the spot.
    “ Oh, it was totally stupid.
I've never done that before.”
    We're soon approaching the
house, and I can see the woman I saw before coming back out of the
barn. Her eyes drift towards us as we move up the track and she
starts ambling our way. Her hair is a shining silver, tied back into
a knot, and she's wearing a charming smile. She looks as friendly as
her husband.
    “ Now who's this Derrick?”
she asks loudly as we near each other. “Don't tell me you've
finally found a replacement for me.”
    She laughs at her own joke and