Page 44 of River Ride

Not sure what had happened or who was talking to her, Tammy was in a brain fog. “Yeah, Eldon. Which way did he go?”

“Only one way he could go when he left here and that would be south.”

“South,” Tammy mumbled.

“You a cop or something, girl?” The trucker standing over Tammy was a big guy with a bushy beard and long hair.

“Used to be a deputy sheriff,” she mumbled. “Not anymore. That got old.”

The trucker reached down and gave her a hand to help her to her feet. “Can I drop you off at a bus station or in town so you can call a friend to come pick you up?”

“That would be nice. Thanks for the offer.”

“I’m Darryl James.” He winced when he saw the taser mark on her neck. “You’ve got a nasty mark on your neck where your boyfriend tasered you.”

Tammy rubbed her neck. “It’ll go away soon.”

“Want to tell me your name?” asked Darryl.

“Tammy.”

“Come on, Tammy, my truck is right over here.”

A little wobbly on her legs, Tammy followed Darryl to his truck. She stared at the bright blue truck and her eyes widened. “It’s a Freightliner.”

Darryl smiled. “Smart girl. Do you know trucks?”

“I know how to drive a truck like this. Me and Eldon used to take turns driving the Trans-Canada to Winnipeg.”

“You were a driving team and now he tasers you,” said Darryl. “Guess that was the final breakup. He could’ve texted you and it wouldn’t have been so rough on you.” He chuckled at his own joke.

“Guess so,” said Tammy. “You married, Darryl?”

“Not anymore. Long hauling is hard on a marriage.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard that,” said Tammy.

Darryl opened the passenger door and gave Tammy a hand up onto the sidestep. She jumped in and as soon as Darryl was behind the wheel Tammy asked, “You got a smoke, Darryl? All my stuff is in the Bronco.”

“That looked like a cop car, Tammy. Your boyfriend a cop?"

"No. The squad belongs to my father. He’s a sheriff in Montana and I stole his truck. I’m not a good daughter. The worst.”

Darryl laughed and passed her a smoke he’d already lit for her. “You can make things right with your father, Tammy.”

“Don’t think so, Darryl.”

Ponthill. Idaho.

6:30 p.m.

Travis drove the Jeep through the border crossing at the British Columbia/Idaho line. “You boys getting tired?”

“We’re not tired, Dad,” I said. “Me and Virge want to make it back to the ranch so we can get back on the rodeo schedule tomorrow.”

“Yeah, you said that, but if y’all get too tired, we can stop and get a hotel room,” said Travis. “I’m good either way, but if y’all want to keep going, I’m going to pull over and we’ll take two-hour shifts. That’s the safest way to get us home when we’re all a little beat.”

“Copy that, Dad,” said Virge. “My eyes are wide open. I’ll take the next two hours.”

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