Page 5 of Soldier Cowboy
“Not be in California, which is the point.”
“I’m not going to drop you off at some motel room and leave you there.”
“Why not? You’re not a babysitter or a bodyguard and you don’t really want to do this.”
“Who said I don’t want to do this?”
“Um, your eyes, your body posture. Oh, and also yourwords. And I quote ‘this isn’t a good idea.’ Sound familiar?”
“It wasn’t a good plan because I’m starting a helluva long drive, and I figured you wouldn’t appreciate that. I can’t fit into your schedule, so you have to fit into mine. But your father thinks this is important and now so do I.”
“Because he said ‘please’? I admit, I’ve heard him say please exactly once before today. I understand how it must have affected you. But that doesn’t mean you have to go through with this. Drop me off. Really, I won’t tell him.”
“I’m notdroppingyou off.”
“Wouldn’t that be called kidnapping?”
“You got in this truck willingly.”
“And I’d like to get out willingly, too.”
“I’d pull over if we had another day. We just don’t have the time for Utah. Another time, okay?”
He made it sound like she wanted to do some sightseeing instead of unburdening him of this obligation.
“And anyway, if I drop you off at a motel in Utah, I’ll have to call your father and advise him of the development.”
“You wouldn’t!”
“Yes, I would. You would leave me no choice.”
“Arrgh!” Jennifer growled and turned her body to face the passenger side door.
He growled back.
Was he actually being funny? She honestly couldn’t tell.
For the next few hours, he didn’t initiate any conversation on his own. You would think he’d want to find out more about her life, or maybe how she’d wound up with a stalker. If it were her, she’d certainly be curious enough to ask.
“Can we stop in an hour so I can stretch my legs?”
“Two hours.”
“Okay. Unless I have to use the ladies’ room.”
“Let me know. I’ll pull over on the highway if you do.”
“Pullover?”
“Yes.”
Now, he seemed to be speaking through a tight jaw. He expected her to hike out on the side of the freeway, pull down her panties, and find a tree. No different than trips with her father, who’d practically held her and her brother hostage on “road trips.” Joe had peed into a bottle, just because he could.
“How far is it to Stone Ridge?”
“Here.” He handed her his phone. “Look it up on GPS.”
“But I wanted to hear it from your perspective.”
