Expectations (Book Two)

Chapter 36

Shawn

I load the final bag into my car and slam the trunk closed. I glance through the back windshield into my backseat or at least what I can still see of it. My car is crammed full of boxes and bags, but I managed to keep a bit of a opening for myself to see out the back window still. I'm still quite impressed with myself that all my belongings fit into the backseat and trunk of my small beat-up Honda.

Lyla is already sitting in the front passenger seat and I can hear the muffled noise of the stereo playing whatever music she's chosen. I walk back up the house for the final time today, checking to make sure the door is locked before I drop my keys into the mailbox at the front door. Our landlord is stopping by this afternoon to pickup the keys and just told Danielle and I to leave them in the mailbox for them.

I slide into the drivers seat of my car and crank the air conditioning on to full blast noticing I worked up a bit of a sweat packing the car up. I smile over at Lyla who has made herself comfortable in her seat with her bare feet resting up on the dash while she has her seat back reclined to about forty five degrees.

She is bobbing her head along to whatever country song she has playing on the radio as her hands tap on her knees to the beat. She turns to look over at me and raises a questioning brow, adding in a small smile on her lips.

"What you waiting for?"

"Just getting a good look at my sexy girlfriend before I have to focus all my attention on the road and the shitty highway drivers," I remark with a wink her way.

I see the small bit of pink appearing on her cheeks as she looks away from me and out the front window. I love that I still have that effect on her.

"Just drive mister," she tells me. "Safely please," she adds as her hand reaches forward to the stereo and she turns the volume up louder. I chuckle softly before I do as I'm told and set out on our three hour speed limit abiding drive.

Lyla keeps a steady playlist of country draining out of the speakers while I do my best to avoid construction zones and traffic jams that will tack onto our time in the car. I stop at a coffee shop about an hour into the drive and order an extra large coffee to give myself a much needed caffeine fix. Lyla orders some sort of fruit smoothie. We are back on the highway within a few minutes and still sticking to Lyla's time schedule apparently.

"We should still be making it to the house by three," she says matter of factly and I glance over to see her staring intently down at her phone in her lap. I focus back on the road as we pass a sign that tells us we are one hundred and eighty nine kilometers from Telford.

I listen to Lyla sing or hum along to most of the songs until she falls silent. I look over to find her passed out in her seat. Her mouth is hanging open slightly and I can see a bit of drool starting to dribble out of it and down her chin.

I never thought I would find drool adorable but here I am, wishing I could snap a picture of her without getting distracted from the road. I just accept the fact that my mental image will have to suffice as I focus back on the highway.

I am so grateful that she agreed to come along on this drive with me and that she is going to stay the week. I only have the rest of today and tomorrow free until I have to start work Monday morning, but all my extra minutes will be devoted to making the most of my time with her.

Her flight leaves Sunday afternoon to head off to Sutton which from what she tells me is about an hour drive from her cottage on some lake. Her cottage is about a four hour drive from her parents place in Harrington.

The way she talks about the log cabin situated on the lake view lot has got me pretty envious she gets to spend the summer there. I would give anything to spend the hot days under the un with her, swimming, boating, hiking, and cuddling by the bonfire at night. If it had been closer then a nine hour drive I would really consider road tripping down on a few Sundays I will have off, but it just wouldn't be doable.