Good Directions Part One

Crying out in annoyance, Kaly Noelle McKnight bangs her hand against her steering wheel. I should not have taken that exit, she thought. Her GPS wouldn't turn on. Her phone was dead. She was lost and had no idea what to do.


Driving through the small town of Macon, GA, she finally saw a young man on the side of the road. He was sitting on the back of a Ford flatbed truck with a sign reading “Turnips for sale”. Pulling over near his truck, she turned off her ignition and got out.


-----


Rhys Williams raised his eyebrows at the pretty little blonde driving a brand new Maserati. She walked towards him, clad in high light colored heels, a peach sweater and tight dark jeans. He smiled up at her as she reached him. “Hey there, ma'am. How can I help you?”


“Yeah, um, I'm just looking for the interstate. I'm trying to get to Atlanta. My GPS won't work and my phone died.” Her face contorted into a frown.


“Sure, darlin’! I can help you out.” He stood and pointed up the road. “If you go all the way up yonder, you'll pass a caution light. Right next to the caution light is a little country store. You won't miss it. There's an old Coke sign in the window. You gotta stop by and get some sweet tea from Miss Bell. It's the best. After you leave there, keep going up the road. When you get to the stop sign, a left will take you to the interstate. A right will bring you right back here to me.” He grinned at her.


Smiling a bit, she nodded. “Thank you! I'll be sure to stop and get some tea. Do you think they have a charger for my phone?” She asked, flashing her iPhone at him.


He jumped down from the truck bed and walked over to the cab. Reaching in, he grabbed his own charger from the truck. He walked back over and handed it to her. “You can use mine. Just leave it with Miss Bell when you're done.”


She flashed him a bright, beautiful smile and quickly hugged him. “You're a lifesaver! Thank you so much.”


Startled, he hugged her back. “No problem, darlin’. Have a nice day.”


She got back in her car and sped off down the road, leaving only a cloud of dust in her path.

-----

Picking up his own phone, Rhys quickly dialed his mom.


“Hello?” She answered.


“Hey, mama. So a real pretty girl just stopped by asking for directions to the interstate. I sent her your way so she’ll be stopping by.”


“Oh? Alright then, sweetheart. I'll be sure to give her a treat.”


“Thanks, Mom.” He said, sounding a bit down.


“What's the matter, son?” His mother asked, concerned.


“I don't know, Mom. There was something different about her. I know it sounds crazy. But I just feel like I need to get to know her.”


“Well, ya never know. She might just like our little town.”


“Yeah, right, Ma. She's from Hollywood. She's not gonna like little ole Macon.”


His mama sighed. “Alright, Mr. Negative. Come on up to the store when you're done for something to eat. I'll be sure to make your girl feel welcome.”


He smiled. “Alright. Love you, bye.” She returned his goodbye and hung up. He sighed, taking off his hat and kicking a rock as he realized he hadn't even asked her name. You fool, he thought.


-----


Kaly pulled into the small country store the handsome cowboy told her about and smiled. So cute and quaint, she thought to herself. Grabbing her purse and the cowboy’s charger, she got out of the car, locking the door behind her. She walked up the steps to the store and walked inside.


The aroma of chocolate immediately filled her nostrils. She looked around and saw several small booths on one side of the store and a small convenience area on the other side.


“Well, hey there, darlin’! Come on in, have a seat!” A loud, friendly voice suddenly brought her out of her own thoughts.


She looked up to see a short, middle aged woman with curly blonde hair walking towards her. She immediately grinned. “Hi! Thank you.” She laughed softly. “Everyone is so nice here..”


The woman laughed. “It's called southern hospitality, dear. You must be the young woman Rhys met. I already have you a big ole glass of sweet tea and a piece of my famous chocolate pie!” She lead her over to a booth, covered with a red plaid tablecloth. On the table was a large slice of chocolate pie and a mason jar full of tea.


“Oh, wow. Thank you so much.” She looked up at the woman. “Miss Bell, right?” She held her hand out for a handshake.


Miss Bell pulled her in for a hug instead. “Oh, please. Just call me Bell.”


Kaly laughed. “Alright! I'm Kaly McKnight!” Kaly took a seat at the table and Bell sat across from her.


“So, Kaly. Tell me about yourself.”


Kaly smiled and plugged her phone in nearby the booth. “Well, I'm originally from New York, but I moved to Hollywood with my dad, sister and brother a few years ago for my career. I'm a model for a local company. That's where I was trying to go when I got lost. I have a gig in Atlanta tomorrow.”


“Oh, my! A model in little ole Macon!” Bell laughed. “Well honey, we’ll do our best to make you feel welcome while you're here!”


Kaly smiled, kindly. “Thank you very much. Now, is there wifi here..?”


Bell looked confused. “Why what?”


“Nevermind.” Kaly smiled.


Another customer entered, so Bell hopped up to take care of them. Kaly then dug into the pie. Wow, this is amazing!, she thought. Her phone finally turned on and she called her manager explaining that she had gotten lost. Her manager told her it was fine, so long as she got to Atlanta in time.


After talking to Bell for a little more, Kaly said her goodbyes and thanked Bell for everything. She went out to her car and tried to crank it up. But to no avail.


Kaly kept trying until Bell heard the racket and came outside. “Will it not crank?” Bell asked her.


Kaly shook her head, frowning.


“Let me just call my son and see if he can come help you.”


Kaly sat on the steps, waiting for Bell’s son to arrive. Not even five minutes later, Rhys pulled into the small parking lot. Kaly stood up, smiling to herself. Rhys got out of the truck and walked over to her. “Hey, darlin’. Heard you got yourself some car trouble?”


“You're Bell’s son.. I should've figured that.” Kaly said, grinning up at him. “Rhys, was it?”


He nodded, a wide grin spreading across his face. “Yes ma'am. And you're Kaly?”


She smiled and nodded. They walked over to her car and he popped the hood to take a look. After a few minutes of looking, he closed the hood with a solemn look. “Well, the good news is I know what's wrong with it. The bad news is, I'll have to order the part and it might be 2-3 days before it gets here.”


Kaly looked down. “Oh no. What am I going to do?” She cried, sitting back on the steps.


Frowning, Rhys sat on the steps next to her. “Well, you could stay with us until your car is fixed?”


Kaly looked up at him. “But I have a gig in Atlanta tomorrow!”


“Well, I could take you to Atlanta! It's only an hour or so up the road!”


Kaly's eyes widened. “You'd do that??”


He nodded. “Of course, darlin’! It's settled. You'll stay with us tonight and I'll take you to Atlanta in the morning!”


She threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. “Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, Rhys!!”


He chuckled, hugging her back.


-----


Hours later, after eating dinner at Miss Bell’s and ordering the parts for Kaly's car, Rhys and Kaly arrived at the Williams’ Bed and Breakfast.


Hoisting her bag up on her shoulder, Kaly walked into the large home. “Wow, it's so beautiful.”


Rhys smiled, grabbing the bag from her. “Thanks, darlin’. Come on, I'll show you your room.” He lead her up the stairs and into a large, beautifully decorated bedroom.


Kaly grinned, plopping down on the bed and laying back. “It's like laying on a cloud!”


Chuckling, Rhys put her bag down on the bed next to her. “Get some rest. I'm sure you're exhausted.” He smiled.


“Oh wait, could I borrow something to sleep in?”


Rhys disappeared for a second before bringing back a tshirt and a pair of sweatpants. “The shirt will probably go to your knees. I brought sweatpants too, in case you were uncomfortable in just the shirt.”


“Thanks, Rhys, for everything. So we need to leave by 9 in the morning, if that's alright.”


Rhys agreed and Kaly gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before putting on his shirt and getting into the warm bed.


-----


The next morning, Kaly got ready and went downstairs. The smell of bacon filled the air. Walking into the kitchen, she saw Rhys at the stove, cooking bacon and eggs. He can cook, too? Wow.., she thought to herself. The two of them ate and then got into Rhys’ truck for their drive.


Once they reached Atlanta, Kaly gave him directions to the studio. He parked in the designated area and they both got out. “You can watch the shoot, if you want.” She smiled up at him. He nodded and followed her inside. She met up with her manager and Rhys hung out with the crew.


When he looked at the set up, he realized the girls are very scantily clad. Looking at the guy next to him, he asked, “Why are they dressed like that?”


The guy looked at him, incredulously. “It's a Victoria’s Secret shoot. Don't you know what your girlfriend does?”


“Oh no, she's not my..” But the guy had already stopped listening. Sitting in the chair, Rhys avoided looking at any of the girls. Finally, Kaly went for her pictures. Unable to look away, Rhys smiled at how beautiful she is. Of all of the outfits, she wore the more modest ones.


After the first set, Kaly came bounding over to Rhys wearing a pink, silky robe. “What do you think?” She smiled, brightly.


Rhys smiled at her excitement. “You were amazing! I didn't know you were a model for this company.”


She smiled. “It's a great company. They're great people.”


Hours later, they finished up the shoot. Kaly and Rhys headed back out to his truck and got in. Rhys looked over at her. "Where to now?"


She smiled. "Well, I'm starving." She laughed softly.


"I've got the perfect place." He smiled, driving off.


Kaly leaned her head back against the seat, sneaking a glance at him. He was everything she'd ever wanted in a guy. Who was she kidding? She had to go back to California and he had to stay in Macon. It could never work out.