Page 12 of Home on the Road

“I would, but you know there’s nothing else around here for a girl like me. And Tony has already banned her from coming into the diner. And he’s already hired a second cook, and two dishwashers. We’re doing great, though she stands outside at shift change and tries to get me to tell her where you are. Since I don’t know who you left with, I tell her every day that I don’tknow and haven’t talked to you. And I’ll keep telling her that until she stops asking.”

“Thanks, Sally Jo. Call or text if you have any other questions. I promise it won’t take three days to answer from now on.”

After hanging up, he looked around the kitchen and then at Harry who was watching him without trying to be too nosy.

“Would it be all right if I made some cookies?”

****

The question took Harry totally by surprise. “You want to cook? After all the cooking you’ve done over the past six months, you want to make cookies?”

“Making cookies isn’t work. Cookies are fun. And much yummier than the store-bought cookies in the pantry.”

Harry looked at the man he was falling in love with and grinned. “Z-man, if you really want to make cookies, go ahead. I will never say no to homemade anything. But just so you know, my favorite cookies are chocolate chip, and Sam’s is a spice cookie our mom used to make. I think the recipe is in the cookbook in the pantry.”

“What about Brogan?”

Harry thought a moment. “Oatmeal raisin. I’m not sure about Shepherd, but that’s okay. They won’t be back here for a couple weeks so you don’t have to worry about making any for them.”

Ziggy’s laughter had him joining in.

“Let me look in the pantry and see what you have ingredients for,” the smaller man stood.

“We can go to the grocery store for whatever you need. We need to get you some more clothes, too. And maybe have lunch in town.” Harry offered, not wanting Ziggy to think he was a hermit when he was not on the road, even though he was for the most part.

Ziggy gave him a smile that said he was cute for pushing, but Harry did not care. Fresh homemade cookies were something he missed most, and the so-called fresh baked ones at fast food restaurants just were not the same.

“Let me look in the pantry and make a shopping list,” Ziggy said as he grabbed his phone and headed to the pantry.

“Okay. And I’ll see if Sam needs anything from town,” Harry said, for the moment feeling at loose ends and not sure what to do with himself. Usually by this point in his layoff week, he would be shopping for new books to read on his tablet in the evenings, and finding new podcasts, videos, and audiobooks to listen to as he drove.

Harry loved his brothers, and having the house to hang out at during his breaks, but felt more at home on the road. He could not wait to see how he and Ziggy did as a team as they delivered truckloads of goods around the country. He really could not wait until their next break when he could finally do more to Ziggy than watch him, talk to him, and dream filthy dreams about him.

He could not wait to take their relationship to the next level.

Chapter Eight

Ziggy pulled out his wallet, then sighed and slid it back into his pocket when Harry gave him a dark look. “It’s my clothes, I should pay for them,” he said softly.

“They’re work clothes, so the company will buy them. We’ve learned to run just about everything through the company and let Sam figure out what is and is not a business expense. Gives him something to do after he’s got all our trips lined up. We’ll have to talk to him about getting you a company card when we get home. Maybe over a plate of cookies so he’ll be more agreeable.”

Ziggy giggled at the thought, then shook his head. “I don’t need a company card. In fact, I’d rather not have one, if that’s all right. I’ll just let you pay for everything when we’re on the road.”

Harry shrugged. “If that’s what you want. Now, how about we stop for lunch before we attack the grocery store. I’m hungry.”

Ziggy shook his head. “You’re always hungry.”

Harry grinned and grabbed the two bags of clothes they had just purchased to fill out Ziggy’s meager wardrobe. “Yes, I am.”

Ziggy followed the man out of the box store and out to the pickup truck that was one of several vehicles in the truck yard, besides Harry’s big rig. He climbed into the passenger’s seat while Harry tossed the bags into the back seat of the cab. Once Harry was seated, he looked at the man and once again started the game they had been playing off and on for the past four days.

“Who’s your favorite singer?”

“Garth Brooks. Who’s your favorite actor?” Harry responded automatically.

“Henry Cavill. Peanut butter and jelly or grilled cheese?”

“Grilled cheese. Apple pie or cherry?”

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