Page 16 of Longest Ride

“Lay back and let me clean you up and change the bandage, Eldon.”

“Don’t touch me, Tammy. It fuckin hurts.” He tried to push me away but was too weak to do it.

I teared up but didn’t give in. “I have to change the sheets and clean up this mess. You can’t lie in all this blood.”

“Get away from me, Tammy. Don’t fuckin touch me. I can’t stand the pain.”

“I have to touch you to change the bandages.”

“And I saiddon’t touch me. Just get me home to my house. I want to die in my house in Texas.”

“You’re not going to die, Eldon. I’m going to take care of you.”

“Grow up, Tammy. You’re a baby trying to pretend you’re a woman. Stop it and face the facts.”

“I don’t want you to die, Eldon.” I tried my best to keep from crying because Eldon didn’t like it.

“Want it or not, it’s going to happen. I should’ve stayed in the hospital. At least I had a chance there. I must have been out of my mind or high on morphine to let you take me out of the ICU. What a dumb fuckin move that was.”

“I wanted to take care of you myself.”

“Why? You can’t take care of me, the shape I’m in. You’re not a nurse and you don’t know a damned thing about what the hospital was doing for me.”

“I thought it was the right thing to do. I wanted to have you near me, and I couldn’t see you enough at the hospital. They wouldn’t let me stay with you.”

“For a reason, Tammy. Because I’m fuckin dying and I needed to be on strong drugs to help me heal.”

“I’m sorry, Eldon. I thought you’d be happy to be back in your truck.”

“I don’t want to fuckin die in my truck, Tammy. Use your head. I’m in huge pain and I’m fuckin starving. Have we got any food?”

“I’ll go into the restaurant and get some.”

“Get me a sandwich. Coffee would be good and buy more water. How the hell am I going to go to the bathroom, Tammy? Ever think of that?”

“Why are you being so mean to me, Eldon? I’m trying to help you.”

“I’m a bit pissed off because I’m gut shot and my life is circling the drain. I’m fuckin dying and I’m only thirty-two. To my way of thinking, that’s a goddamned piss-off. You making this crazy move is putting my death on fast-forward, for chrissakes. Go get the goddamned food.”

After I used the washroom in the truck stop and cleaned the blood off me, I lined up at the take-out counter and bought a couple of turkey sandwiches and two large coffees.

Passing the men’s room on my way out, I realized Eldon was right about me doing a stupid thing. I never thought about how I’d take care of him, only that I wanted him with me because I loved him. It was selfish and stupid. I could see that now.

I won’t be able to live with myself if he dies.

While Eldon ate his sandwich, I filled the truck with diesel fuel, started the big engine like Eldon taught me, put it into gear and headed south.

I had to get Eldon to his house in Texas. It was the only thing he was asking for. He didn’t seem to be afraid of getting caught by the cops anymore and I couldn’t figure out why. I couldn’t think straight like I used to. My brain seemed to be all cloudy. That’s what the inside of my head felt like—fog.

Weird feeling.

Fontana Residence. Sicamous. B.C.

Annie and Lucy had a long wait before the snowplow finally showed up to clear the mountain road leading to Bobby Prescott’s little piece of paradise.

While the girls waited, they took turns shoveling a path to the road so they could get the pickup unstuck and out to the main road.

With the snow problem solved, they packed up, warmed up the truck and headed out.

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