Hi all! I'm baacckk!! Anyway, here is my attempt at the second set of challenges in Ars Amatoria's Ranger Romance Themes challenge. All of these are in chronological order, set between 'Time' and 'Home' of my other story, 'Street Rat Recollections'. Please enjoy!
Theme: Impression
Summary: It just went to show how dedicated he was to their future.
She sang along with the radio as they rumbled through town in his newly used truck, her eyes dutifully closed. Behind her lids, the darkness made pretty swirls, and she laughed with abandon as they turned, her hands thrown into the air as if she rode a roller coaster. She trusted Jack, and if he said that she'd like the surprise, then she was sure that she would.
She felt the truck grumble as they shifted gears, picking up speed, so she knew that they were leaving the city behind, heading for more open roadways. The radio station went to static, then cleared again as Jack fiddled with it while driving.
The scent of pine trees made her frown, and she turned her face towards the sky, inhaling deeply. It reminded her of the old neglected house they used to hide in when they were little, before SPD got them. Warmth surged through her as she remembered the easy friendship they had then.
The truck shuddering to a halt drew her from her musings, and she turned to Jack, questioning. She heard his door open and shut, and tracked him as he came around the front of the truck to her door. She started to question him, but he laughed and told her to wait, helping her down from the pickup and covering her eyes with his slightly calloused hands as he guided her.
As he drew his hands away, she froze, trapped in time. It was their hideout, their old secure den, but different. As she studied the difference, she realized it was because it had been cleaned…the weeds and ivy pulled, the glass removed and replaced, the porch swept clean.
He was explaining something about paychecks and setting aside money, and tracking owners, but she launched herself into his arms when he said, quietly 'Z, it's ours. Bought and paid for, the land and everything. We have a home now.'
As she wiped the joyful tears from her eyes, she smiled at him, impressed with the legal implications of everything that he had done. It just went to show how dedicated he was to their future. He had thought of everything, and sealed all loopholes, and was building their dream home.
And if her first impressions were right, it was going to be beautiful.