Page 18 of Longest Ride

“Hey, Dad, are you okay?” I headed for the coffee maker to fill a mug and Virge was right behind me—like I was his protection from Dad.

“Far from it, son. Annie told me you put a BOLO out on the Freightliner?”

“I did that, and I’ve been checking every couple of hours for an update. There’s nothing on it yet.”

“Annie called from Kamloops airport when she and Lucy were heading home to Texas last night. No idea which way Tammy went and there’s nothing we can do but wait.”

“Sorry about not telling you, Dad. Annie didn’t want me to tell you right away. She hoped we’d get something on the truck and at least have a direction before you found out what Tammy did.”

“Annie-girl was protecting me like she always does, son. I hope you find a woman like her someday. Annie is an amazing person, and she continues to love me no matter how many fuck-ups I cause.”

“I’m happy she’s my step-mom,” I said. “She’s the smartest, hottest woman a person could have for a mom.”

Virge nodded in agreement.

“All I can figure,” said Travis, “is Tammy ain’t right. She’s been off-center since she shot the kidnappers and got away from them. At that moment in time, she didn’t come home when she had the means and opportunity, and the way I see it, that’s the moment we lost her.”

“I think you’re right, Dad,” said Virge. “I called her out on why she didn’t take the Ram and come home, and she didn’t give me an answer that made any sense. Not to me, anyway.”

“Something went wrong with her head in that trailer, and I blame it on Franko Garrison. Having him show up in her life after she figured she was free from Tibor was too much for her to deal with.”

“Yeah, I can see that, Dad. Tammy was a prisoner for five years before you captured Tibor Garrison and rescued her. Then the brother shows up at the Run, kidnaps her, and for Tammy, the horror story starts all over again.”

Travis nodded his head. “She snaps and runs for it. She thinks she can’t go home, so she runs for the highway and jumps in the first semi that stops for her.”

“You’re right, Dad. I don’t think she ran away from us on purpose. She was too messed up to think.”

“If we get her back, will she have to go to a shrink, Dad?” asked Virge.

“Might be something we have to consider, son. I’m not much on shrinks myself, but the one I had at the Vet hospital helped straighten out my head a helluva lot.”

Billy nodded his head and I figured I’d ask him a few questions about Dad’s PTSD when Travis wasn’t around.

Boise. Idaho.

Outside of Boise, I stopped for gas and more food for Eldon. Drifting in and out of consciousness, I had no idea what to do to help him.

His pain pills were all gone. Every time he came around, he hollered in pain, and asked for more of the little white pills. He begged me to do something to stop the pain but I had no more pills to give him. The Advil wasn’t cutting it, and I had nothing else.

Seeing the pain on Eldon’s face and the look in his eyes made me cry every time. I should’ve left him in the hospital. I was wrong and so stupid and my whole family would be pissed at me forever.

I filled the truck with gas first and put it on Eldon’s credit card. He kept one separate for the truck. Fuel and all the rest of it, and that was the one I used. He got mad if I didn’t keep things straight like he wanted them.

I checked on him before I went into the convenience store next to the restaurant to buy another package of Depends, more sandwiches and coffee.

When I got back to the truck and moved through the cab into the sleeper, he was staring right at me, his cloudy brown eyes wide open.

“I want to take you to a hospital in Boise, Eldon. You were right about me not knowing how to take care of you, and I’m sorry I moved you from the ICU.”

“Too late for that sad story, Tammy. I’ve only got a few hours left. Get out and find a truck driver selling fent and get me some. I can’t stand the fuckin pain.”

“Okay, I’ll try.”

“How much cash have you got?”

“Forty bucks.”

“Go inside to the machine and get five hundred bucks on my card. Not the truck card, the other one.”

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