Good Directions Part Three

The next day, she comes downstairs and no one is home. Walking out onto the porch, she sees Rhys working on her car. What? No. The part is already here? She quickly walks over to him. “Hey!”


He looks up at her. “Morning darlin’.”


“The part came already?” She questions, unable to hide the sad look on her face.


He nods, looking back down at the car. “Yeah, it did. You should be good to go in a few hours.” His voice is somewhat short and distant.


She nods, slowly. “Okay then…” She turns and walks back into the house. Grabbing the phone, she dials her manager. “Hey, Chrissy, it's me.”


“Kaly, hi! How's the cowboy?” She laughs.


“I don't really know. These past few days have been amazing. Chrissy, last night we slow danced. Then, he kissed me!”


“Whoa!”


“I know. But today, my car part arrived. He's out there fixing it right now.”


“What's wrong with that?” Chrissy asks, confused.


“I went out there to talk to him, and it was just different. He didn't seem like himself.”


“Maybe he's just upset that you're leaving?”


“But, why? Why would he be?”


Chrissy sighs, exasperated with Kaly. “It's obvious that he likes you, Kaly. No guy does any of those things unless he cares for a girl.”


“You really think so?”


“Yes, Kaly!”


“But, it could never work. I live in Cali and he lives in Macon.”


“Love always finds a way, hon. Just let it happen.”


“Okay, thanks Chrissy. I'll see you in a few days. Love you.”


Chrissy smiles to herself. “Love you, too, Kaly. Bye.”


Kaly hangs up the phone.


If I leave today, will he try to stop me? She questions. He wouldn't let me leave if he loved me, right?


Going back upstairs, she packs her clothes and things back into her suitcase. An hour or so later, Rhys comes upstairs. “Everything is good to go.” He looks down and sees her suitcase. “You're leaving already?”


She looks up at him, unable to decipher the look on his face. “Should I?”


“Well, I just thought you'd wait for my mother. So you could tell her goodbye.”


Ouch. “Right. Of course.” She nods, looking away from him so he doesn't see the tears in her eyes. “Yeah, I'll just go to the diner to say goodbye.”


He sighs. “Alright, just follow my truck then.”


Grabbing her suitcase and quickly wiping her eyes, she follows him out to their cars. She packs up her car and follows him back to the place they first met. Confused, she gets back out.


Rhys climbs out of his truck, and opens the tailgate. It's filled with turnip greens again. “I figured you'd remember the way from here.”


“Past the caution light is the store.”


“Once you leave there and get to the stop sign, a left will take you to the interstate. A right will bring you right back here to me.” He says, looking down at her.


She nods, reaching up to hug him tightly. “Thank you. For everything.”


“Of course.” He says, letting go of her. “Goodbye, Kaly. Goodbye, Rhys.”


Getting back in her car, Kaly heads back to the store to talk to Bell.


-----


Sitting back on the tailgate of the truck next to his turnip greens, Rhys sighs. He had let the girl of his dreams get away from him. That could've been love. But, now he would never know. Kally was on her way back to Hollywood. Who was he kidding? She'd never want to be with a small town hick like him. Now she could move on with her life.


-----


Heading back into the store, Bell smiles when she sees her. “Mornin’, Kaly!”


“Hey, Bell. I just wanted to come say goodbye. Rhys finished up with my car this morning.”


“Oh.. He did?” Bell asks, sadly.


She nods. “I've already said goodbye to him.”


Bell frowns. “Are you sure you want to leave, Kaly? I've seen the way you two look at each other.”


Kaly sighs, plopping into the booth. “He didn't ask me to stay, Bell.”


Bell sits across from her. “Oh, he's stubborn, Kaly. You can't base your decision on that. My son is just like his father was. He's afraid of getting hurt, so he'd rather just not say how he feels. But sweetheart, he is in love with you. A mother knows.” She takes Kaly’s hand, smiling at her.


“You really think so?” Kaly asks, tears filling her eyes again.


Bell nods. “Go get him, Kaly.”


Wiping her eyes, Kaly runs back to get in her car. Once at the stop sign, she takes a right.


-----


Still beating himself up over the whole thing, Rhys doesn't notice when a familiar car pulls onto the shoulder of the road near him.


“Hey, cowboy.” He hears a familiar voice say.


Looking up, he gasps when he sees her standing there. The woman of his dreams. “Kaly...”


She grins, walking closer to him. She immediately wraps her arms around his neck and presses her lips to his. Pulling away, she says softly, “I took a right.”


Thank God for good directions and turnip greens.