Page 63 of Lone Star Longing
“Great,” he sighed, craning his head to look at the screen. “Well, we’ll just wait here a while.
The rain was quieter without the added force of the truck moving through it. He wished the console wasn't so big, so he could slide out from beneath the steering wheel, sit closer to Lacey. Her nerves seemed to ease once he put the truck into park, but her gaze was focused on the screen of the phone. She realized she was holding his phone and handed it over. He tapped through the app to any alerts listed.
“Flash flood warning, but no tornado warning or anything like that.” He hoped that would reassure her. “We should have packed snacks for the ride back.”
She twisted suddenly in the seat. “I put my groceries in here.”
“Yeah, but those aren’t snacks. Those are for you and your dad.”
“He doesn't even know about them. I only wish we had some water or something to drink. You want ranch, barbecue or pickle chips?”
“Let’s try the cheddar.”
She pulled it free of the reusable bag and sat back in her seat with a bounce, placing the bag on the console between them.
“I didn't even think I was hungry, until you said something.”
“Well, we did eat a lot today.”
“Ha! The last two days. It’s almost like we don't get food like that at home. And it’s a good thing, or I would be as big as a house by Halloween.” Their hands bumped as they both reached into the chip bag at the same time. “I mean, I guess that’s an argument against moving into San Angelo. I’d be eating all the time.”
“Well, that, and you’d have to find a place to live, and another job.”
“Speaking of jobs, have you looked into what you want to do? I mean, if you’re going to stay. Which I don't know if you’ve decided.”
“I’m going to stay for a while, and I’ve been looking into jobs in the basin, which isn’t exactly close, but close enough that I could check in on my mom more often. Some of that work is probably more physical than I want to do, but if that’s what’s available, that’s what I’ll do.”
“It’s good money. I know Jess Nazareth has gone out there and he paid cash for his truck, and he throws money around like nobody’s business.”
“Yeah, there’s that.”
“You don't sound particularly convinced.”
“Yeah, I’m not. I mean, I got paid a lot for doing next to nothing, for traveling and seeing the world.”
“And you walked away for family.”
“Yeah, well, it’s not urgent for me to get to work right now, so I’ll just keep looking and see what comes available.”
“Must be nice.”
“Yeah, I wish more people had that flexibility.” Especially single mothers. Newly single mothers. He had to remind himself that she hadn’t broken up with Jesse more than a day ago. Until that moment, she’d thought she had a future with the man. Now she was casting about for a new future, and it was ridiculous to try to make her think of what might be coming. But he cast about to think of something to talk about, because when they weren’t talking, he could see her getting more anxious with the storm.
“What if the roads are flooded and we can’t see? It’s so dark.”
“I do think we should hold on here a bit longer until the intensity dies down. There will still be water on the road, but the low water crossings will be marked. We’ve been going pretty slow. I’m not too worried.”
“Are we okay on gas?” She craned her neck to look at the gauges.
“Yeah, we’re good. Don't worry. I’m not going to put us in any danger.”
“I’m sorry to be such a drama queen. I honestly don't think about that all that much. But this storm seems a lot stronger than we usually get.”
“I don't think there’s anything wrong about worrying. But have some faith in me, okay? I’ll take care of us.”
She sat back with a sigh. “Jesse would have pressed on no matter what, because the plan was to be home this evening, and he was going to follow the plan.”
“How did the two of you meet?”
