Rusty leaned against the passenger door, next to me. “No. It’s not like this. It’s real pretty. All red rocks and blue sky. You’ll like it.”
“And your mom won’t mind us staying?” Rusty shook his head. “And you can fix the car? Because I don’t think I have enough money—”
“We’ll get it fixed.”
“And then we’ll keep going? To California?”
“Wherever you want.”
“Rusty?”
“Yeah?” He looked at me this time, with hazel eyes that were familiar—and not—at the same time.
“Thank you,” I said. “I’m glad you’re here.” I pushed a stray strand of hair behind my ear, feeling like I was teetering on the edge of some kind of moment I wasn’t sure about, so I stood up straight and steered us away from it with a grin. “Even if you do stink and your underwear needed to be replaced about two years ago.” I looked down at them pointedly this time, motioning at the hole in the seam at his hip.
A slow smile spread out across his face, into a laugh. “You’re probably right,” he said, turning to face me. He reeled his laugh back into a smile, then leaned in close and almost whispered. “But that shirt you’re sweatin’ through?” He glanced down casually, and I felt every inch his eyes passed over. “It’s pretty bad too.” He raised his eyebrows, then grabbed the sodas off the roof and headed to the hood of the car.
I looked at the sun hanging low in the sky but didn’t feel the slightest hint of coolness. Thought of getting back into the blast of the Pala’s heater. And then decided: What the hell? I did it quick so I wouldn’t chicken out again—grabbed the bottom of my tank top and pulled it over my head, surprised at the immediate relief of having it off my skin. Then I shimmied out of my shorts and threw them in the back like Rusty had done with his jeans. And I stood there in my bra and underwear, feeling on my skin the softness of the breeze, which made me happier than anything so far that day.
Rusty finished pouring out the last bit of soda into the radiator, capped it, and shut the hood. When he turned to come back, he stopped short and did a double take. Then he smiled slow, nodded once, and got in without saying anything. What did that mean? Was I being ridiculous? Oh, god, what was I thinking? I stood there, trying to collect myself and work up the nerve to get in the car, just as cool as he had. It was just underwear, just like a bathing suit. And it was only Rusty. Except that my underwear was black and lacy. And Rusty was good looking as all get-out.
He leaned over to the passenger side. “You comin’? Or you get all undressed to try and hitch your own ride?”
I took a deep breath and mustered every bit of confidence I could. Then I slid into the seat, shut the door, and looked over at Rusty like this was something I did all the time. “Nah. I think I’ll stick with you, at least for a little while.” Oh, god. Ridiculous.
He didn’t move. Just sat there looking at me, quite amused, and I knew I was in for some joke at my expense. Instead, he just shook his head, still smiling. “Shit. You.”
“What? You said it wouldn’t bother you.” No response. “It’s still hotter than hell.” Now I was getting defensive. He turned the key, and the Pala sputtered to life. “Why are you acting all weird about it?”
Rusty glanced in the side mirror, then put the car in gear and pulled us back on the highway. “I’m not. You’re . . .” He smiled like he was gonna laugh. I reached for my clothes, feeling every kind of embarrassed I possibly could.
“Oh, c’mon. Leave ’em. You’re fine.” His eyes flicked over in my general direction.
“Well, then,” I said, confidence bolstered. “Try not to stare too hard, all right?” My voice, and what it said, surprised the heck out of me.
Even Rusty seemed surprised. He laughed the kind of laugh you do when you don’t know what to say, then reached for the radio knob. “Duly noted.”
Before any kind of awkward silence could settle over us, the static gave way to one of my all-time favorites. I leaned forward and turned the volume up, got the tuning just right so it came in clear. Then I sat back, feeling the hot wind on my bare skin, and right along with Tom Petty belted out the chorus of “Free Fallin’.” And it was the perfect song for what I felt that moment.
Because in a lot of ways, I was.
15
The last of the heavy sun dipped behind red-rock mountains, splashing brilliant pink light over the clouds that streaked the sky, and I wished I could capture that moment right there, remember how perfectly peaceful it felt. We’d chugged along slowly since we put the soda in the radiator, and I’d lost my senses enough to take off my clothes. The giggly nervousness (mine) and sneaky glances (both of us), I thought, had given way to a silence between Rusty and me that was comfortable as the day finally began to cool. The twilight spread out and deepened as we drove, enough for Rusty to flick on the headlights. The beams swung around a wide curve in the road, and on the other side of it he let out a long sigh. “That’s it, right down the hill. Almost there.”
In front of us, nestled down between the silhouettes of towering cliffs, were the first twinkling lights of Sedona. A wave of relief and happiness hit me so strong I nearly started crying. “Oh my god. We really made it.” I sat up and looked out the windshield, wondering where his mom’s house was. The prospect of a home with food and a shower was just about the best thing I could imagine at the moment.