Page 22 of Impulsive Saint
Tyler couldn’t help but look out the window towards the girl in the parking lot. The kid was right of course. Tyler had been an idiot to think that the girl would go unnoticed anywhere he took her.
They needed to get out of Tennessee before they stopped again, he realized. Once they were out of state the odds of anyone recognizing her decreased dramatically. And while he’d only been trying to scare her with the idea of someone seeing her and calling her father to come get her, he knew that wouldn’t happen since her mother had given them the go-ahead for this outing. He didn’t think her mother would still be greenlighting the mission if he got her daughter’s image splashed all over the internet.
“She’s a pain in the ass.” He winked at the kid as he picked up the bag and pocketed his change. “Trust me. The pretty ones always are.”
The teenage boy in his horrible yellow and blue striped uniform grinned but he didn’t look like he believed Tyler. He took his bags and pushed back outside. When he caught sight of Ashtyn doing stretches, legs spread, arms over her head, twisting and turning her lean body, he gritted his teeth and told himself not to snap at her for simply trying to get comfortable after three hours on the back of a motorcycle. It wasn’t her fault that she was so gorgeous and flexible that the kid in the gas station was probably sporting a boner.
Hell, Tyler was a grown man and he’d gotten half a stiffy just from her breasts pressed against his back on the motorcycle.
“Here, eat this.” He shoved the hot dog at her and then held out the drinks, “Water or caffeine?”
“Water is good.” She took what he offered and only snarled her nose slightly at the mustard covered hot dog. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” He twisted off the top of his own water after he stored the sodas in the side pocket of the bike.
“So, what now?” Ashtyn spoke around a bite of her hot dog and Tyler couldn’t help but smile at the unladylike behavior that continued to surprise him.
“Now we eat, drink some water, fill the bike up and get back on the road.”
Ashtyn chewed and swallowed, “How much further are we going today?”
Tyler had checked his phone while he was in the store and done some math after comparing it to his maps app. They were on the highway and it was a pretty straight shot for a while longer. Still, he didn’t want to be riding after dark with a novice like Ashtyn even if she was a natural. He finished shoving his hot dog into his mouth and washed it down with a big swig from his bottle of water before he spoke.
“We’re going to head towards Little Rock. It’s about 3 more hours away. We can stop there for the night or, if you need to stop sooner all you have to do is tap my shoulder again. I’m sure there are more gas stations along the way.”
“When you say stop for the night, you don’t mean at a Four Seasons, do you?”
Tyler chuckled, “Nope. I told you yesterday, if you want to road trip then we do it my way. No fancy hotels. We’ll stop at whatever roadside motel we come across first when it starts to get dark.”
“You’re trying to punish me, aren’t you?” Ashtyn grinned at him. “Trying to make me want to go home?”
He shrugged at the same time his phone buzzed in his pocket. He tossed the empty water bottle and hot dog tray into the trashcan next to the pump and pulled it out of his jacket. He instantly frowned when he saw his oldest brother’s name on the screen along with a text message. He should have known it was coming, had honestly expected it long before now, but he still didn’t want to talk to Vaughn about everything that had led him to this point.
Dutifully, he opened the message and read through what he knew was going to be a rant, just to get it over with.
Senator Echols is pissed. His ex-wife might have given you permission for this stupid road-trip but you don’t work for her. You work for me and I work for the Senator. I swear to God, Ty. You better take care of that girl. If she ends up with so much as a scratch it’s on you.
Tyler rolledhis eyes but typed out a quick message that they were fine. He wasn’t going to get in a fight with his brother right now. He was heading out on a days-long road trip on his bike and instead of checking on him, making sure he was okay or asking if he needed anything his brother had only sent a threat that it was his head if something bad happened. Vaughn could be so damn predictable.
He shoved the phone back in his pocket and glanced up again. Ashtyn was watching him with a curious expression.
“Who was that?”
“My brother.”
“The newlywed or the workaholic?”
Tyler tilted his head, “You remember me telling you that?”
“Sure.” She shrugged, digging into a bag of chips and leaning against the pillar next to the pump. She crossed her ankles and popped another chip in her mouth. “So? Which one?”
“The workaholic.” He wondered if she’d recognize the name since his brother had worked with her father for years but she hadn’t mentioned his last name so maybe not. “Vaughn.” He told her hesitantly. “His name is Vaughn.”
“He’s the oldest?”
“Yeah. He’s a lot older than me and Hunter actually. He’s always been more like a father figure.”
“Mmm.” Ashtyn nodded knowingly, “If he’s anything like mine, that explains your expression when you saw his message.”
