Give Into Me

Chapter One

Ashton arrived in Broken Bow, Nebraska with only a duffle bag and his name. He had hitched a ride with a trucker out of Dickinson, North Dakota. The close proximity to all of his relatives had become too much, and he was looking for a change in scenery. He had read an article about Broken Bow in the paper. The article said it was one of the easiest towns to find a job to settle down in. When the trucker dropped him off, he didn't know where to go. He walked to the small library in town and walked up to the woman at the desk. "Do you know any place I can stay for the night? And, also, somewhere I can find a job?" Ashton asked the older woman.

"There's an inn down the road 2 blocks. As for a job, we have a bulletin board at the town hall with job listings." She explained, not very interested in the conversation.

"Where might I find the town hall?" Ashton asked, trying to stay polite.

"Go west 2 blocks, turn right, continue down Chester Avenue, and it's on the left side of the street." She explained, finally making eye contact.

"Thank you for your help." Ashton flashed her a smile and made his way out of the library. The April weather was playing tricks on him. It had been cold when he walked in, but his skin felt sticky as he stepped out. He shrugged off his sweater and held it in his arms as he followed the woman's instructions on how to get to the town hall. He looked up at the raggedy building. The white paint on the siding was chipping and from the looks of it, he knew the building wasn't used much anymore. He walked inside and stopped at a large bulletin board. He skimmed over the flyers. They were mostly looking for farmhands or machine operators. He pulled a flyer off the board.

"Looking for someone with a truck and two strong arms. Not scared of dirt, ready to work until the sun goes down." Ashton read the flyer. He shrugged and tucked it into his bag. He left the building and began walking back to the library, where he knew he'd be able to find his way to the inn. He walked down the street the library was on and came to a small motel. The place looked like it didn't have many guests, so he walked into the main office.

"Well, hello there. How long are you looking to stay?" A woman maybe a few years older than him asked, her eyes taking in his stature.

"Just one night, please." Ashton chuckled, setting his bag down so he could pull out his wallet.

"Honey, the room is on me. You're the first guest we've had in almost 2 years that isn't a local just getting a room to use for their affair." The woman laughed, handing him a key to room 224. "Where are you in from?"

"I'm from New Salem, North Dakota." Ashton smiled at her.

"Ah, you're used to small town life then, eh?"

"You could say that." He nodded, picking up his bag again.

"Alright, well, I'll let you get settled in. I'm Gina, by the way. You can find me up here, if you need me." She winked at him. Ashton chuckled softly and grabbed the room key.

"Do you know where I can buy a truck?" He asked, looking at her.

"You can get one from the dealership on the edge of town, or you can find Rex Hall. He's been trying to sell his truck for years. He might give you a good deal on it, since you're looking." Gina wrote down the man's address and handed it to Ashton.

"Thanks so much." He grinned, taking the paper. He walked out of the office and headed down the strip to room 224. He unlocked the door and walked in, setting his bag down on the bed. He tucked the room key into his pocket and walked out. He walked through the town, taking it all in. They had a hospital, a nursing home, one large school building, a couple small diners, some insurance offices, and a few home stores. He found Rex Hall's house and walked up the rocky path to the door. Before he could even knock, Rex was pulling the door open.