True’s eyes popped opened. For a moment she had no idea where she was and she was about to leap to her feet when she saw Clay on the couch next to her, snoring softly. She relaxed. If she was where Clay was then she knew she was some place safe. She trusted him implicitly.
Poor man was exhausted working the truck in the day and spending the evenings with her. Ugh, she was so selfish. She liked being with Clay and hadn’t considered that he needed time to himself. Well she would give him a day or two to himself, but she refused to give up all of her time with him.
She watched him for a while. She ached to take care of this hard working man. He took care of her, but who took care of him? Who made sure that he had a proper breakfast before he hit the road, and clothes that were fresh and clean? Plus who made sure he was loved? No one unless she did.
Yep, she thought as she moved to place her head on his chest. She would just have to be the one to do that. He stirred and unconsciously placed his arm around her shoulder before falling back to sleep. True smiled as she listened to his heartbeat and inhaled his masculine aroma. His arm around her made her feel safer than she ever had and it was easy for her to fall back asleep snuggled against him.
When Clay opened his eyes he was surprised that his arms were around True. She looked up at him, wide awake. He blinked.
“Well hi there,” he whispered.
She leaned close to his lips. “Hi,” she whispered and then placed her lips on his.
Clay’s head felt like it would explode—along with other body parts. He kissed her, relishing the feel of her full lips and just like he had dreamed of doing for weeks she parted her lips and he drew one of those lips into his mouth and stroked it with his tongue.
He felt her hands pulling him closer. Jesus…thank you…
Pt 2
“Who—or what have you been running from?” Clay asked nervously that night as they lay together in his big bed. There was work for the both of them the next morning, but sleep was the last thing on either of their minds.
True bit her lip. She was ready to answer that question, but only for him. She ran her hand down his hairy chest, relishing his warmth and strength. And then she told him about her mother dying which had left her to the foster care system. And when she ran away it was to a string of bad relationships that eventually ended with Carlos. He had groomed her into believing that she was his property and not her own person. And when she continued to reject his treatment of her he kicked her out with nothing but the clothes on her back. She had some money in the bank but not much, so she closed her account and left town—and never once looked back.
He pulled her close, holding her in his arms. “Been a long time since you really belonged anywhere, hasn’t it?” He asked.
Her throat felt tight so all she could do was nod her head.
“Cobb Hill is a nice place to settle down, True.”
She leaned over and kissed his neck before snuggling in close. He soon heard her soft regular breaths and then he kissed the top of her head.
Sometimes even a strong woman wants someone to take care of them, but a good strong woman wants to take care of someone in turn and that is what True was. Even though she never returned to that motel longer than it took her to collect her things, staying with Clay was an exchange. She placed her lovely scent in his bed and each night he had someone’s arms to fall into. And in turn True finally found a home in a place of her own choosing and a love that continued to blossom and renew itself.
“True, honey, we gotta go!” Clay called as he stood at the front door waiting to lock the door. The mountains might be the safest place to live but that’s because everyone owned a rifle, and when a meth head knew your work schedule the safety quotient went down tremendously.
“Coming!” True called. She pinned her long dredlocks into a bun at the top of her head. She always made sure that she looked picture perfect when she went to work. For a lot of people on Cobb Hill they never interacted with any other black people but her. She wanted to make sure that everyone knew that not only was black beautiful, but it was strong, courageous, smart and full of love.
She grabbed her purse and sweater and hurried out the door. Clay watched her with a smile even though he was about to be late hitting the road yet again. It wasn’t the biggest deal getting stuck in rush hour traffic.
He helped her climb into the truck, loving the way her figure looked in worn jeans and her work shirt.
“Hey baby, you got your coffee and iced tea?” she said while looking around.
Clay grinned. “I sure do. Thanks again for baking me cookies. I’m going to have some as soon as I drop you off.”
She leaned over and placed a kiss on his cheek until he turned his head and she deposited a long smooch to his lips.
“My pleasure,” she said. She loved taking care of her man. Every little thing she did was met with such gratitude that she wondered if none of his women had ever done anything for him.
When she rubbed his shoulders at the end of the day he sighed and thanked her. He smiled happily when he reached into the closet for a shirt and found it washed and ironed neatly. Each day at lunch when he pulled up at the restaurant, True would have his plate ready for him, piled with the daily special—and her own loving touches such as sliced tomato and onions or cornbread instead of a dinner roll. His face would light up like a kid at Christmas. When he had to get back on the road she would lean over the counter and give him his dessert, a big fat kiss that had every man in the restaurant staring with secret desire.
Clay pulled the truck in front of the restaurant. True wouldn’t let him get out to open the door for her. She said it was crazy for him to have her wait although he argued that it was his pleasure to do so. But it was also his pleasure to make her happy so on this he conceded.
After being on her feet all day he filled a pan with warm water and after she soaked for a while he would rub them with shea butter, marveling at the beauty of her toes. He helped her dread her locks, learning to pin and twist them so that they were always neat. He loved being taken care of but he realized that he enjoyed taken care of someone else even more.
He leaned over and gave her another kiss, this one longer. After nearly five months of living together Clay never got tired of this routine, kissing good morning, kissing hello, kissing goodbye or just kissing because they hadn’t seen each other for four or five hours.
“I love you,” he murmured against her lips.
She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I love you too.” After a full minute of kissing she pulled away slowly. “See you at lunch.”
His eyes were glazed when he nodded in agreement.
Anyone watching could see that Clay was completely and totally in love.
She darted into the diner to help Jeb with the morning prep.
Jeb scowled when he saw her diamond engagement ring.
“Why’d you let Clay buy you that big rock? Women who have diamonds like that don’t need to be cutting onions in the back of a run down diner!”
“I agree.” She said. “I should just quit now.”
Jeb swallowed. “Now don’t you go doing that, gal. I was just-“
True grinned. “I’m just joking. No way I can be some stay at home mother-“
Jeb’s eyes blinked. “Mother?!”
True’s face grew flush. She hadn’t meant to say that. She wasn’t even sure if she was pregnant and she certainly hadn’t told Clay—not until after she had taken a test and gone to see a doctor. Clay wanted to get married immediately and he had hinted at filling up his house with tanned skin babies. It put a smile on her face because that’s exactly what she wanted as well.
“Jeb…” She said carefully. “Don’t you go saying anything-“
His face seemed to brighten. He actually looked ten years younger. He grinned and swooped in and lifted her in a big bear hug and swung her around. True laughed and one of the new waitresses came in to see what was going on.
Jeb scowled at her.
“Nothing to see here. Check on the salt and pepper shakers, will you!”
When the girl scurried away, True gave him a nudge with her elbow. “Stop being so ornery.”
“Hmph. Waitresses these days don’t have any gumption. We need more like you, True. Don’t you go having babies and leaving me here to break in new waitresses!”
She gave him a kiss on the cheek.
“I’m not going anywhere. This is my home for good.”
~Epilogue~
The good people of Cobb Hill Mountain were becoming accustomed to new people and most judged each other by their content and not their skin color. Sue and True even became friends.
Sully Pranger still reared his ugly head every so often. But once Lt. Christopher Jameson found out about the swear words that he’d spray-painted on businesses Christopher whupped his ass right in the middle of the street. He said that if his kids ever saw that word written anywhere in town he’d find Sully and whup his ass again whether he was the perpetrator or not, because it was his fault people used words like that in the first place.
Sully was so scared of Chris, even though his face was no longer messed up like it had been when he was younger—the man was a Special Ops Marine and still as big as a tank, that Sully went around making sure that there wasn’t graffiti written on any visible surfaces.
It didn’t pay to be a racist in Estill County. The men that had married black women were much bigger then Sully and his friends.
There was no longer just one black family in town. Between Clay and True’s little ones, Bodie and Shaun’s brood and Christopher and Ashleigh’s children there were enough blacks on Cobb Hill Mountain to make up a little league team, and there was more to come…
The End
If you liked True’s Love and the people of Cobb Hill Mountain then you can read more about them in A Wrong Turn Towards Love and Beast; A Twisted Fairytale. Estill County Kentucky is a real place with special people who welcome you with open arms. If there really is a Sully Pranger I never met him and most people I met there wouldn’t tolerate him.