Page 85 of Longest Ride

“Looked like it,” said Billy. “She was turning into the parking lot and the feed truck was heading north.”

“Aw, shit. Dad is going to be freaked if she was coming to see him.”

Billy changed the subject. “Travis wants us to eat on the way home. I don’t think he’s had time to get any groceries in the past week.”

“I can eat a Mcburger,” said Virge. “I ain’t fussy.”

Sensing how upset we were that Travis didn’t pick us up, Billy changed the subject. “Tell me all about Texas.”

“We weren’t there long,” I said. “We can tell you more about Louisiana, Billy. We seen a helluva lot of it in the past two days.”

Nashville. Tennessee.

Ray parked the rig at a truck stop on the edge of Nashville. Thinking they couldn’t take the rig downtown to shop Ray’s songs, they took a cab from the truck stop and got out in the music district.

Bobby sat in one of the taverns and listened to the bands while he knocked back a pitcher of beer.

Ray had called ahead and made appointment with people he thought might be interested in his songs. He never would have done it without Bobby urging him on.

While Ray was gone, Bobby had a lot of time to think. He was doing a lot better and realized he might live after all. Tammy had tried her best to kill him and he was going to live in spite of everything she’d done to him. Depriving him twice of the medical care and the drugs he needed, she almost succeeded in finishing him off.

He wondered about dyeing his hair and selling his truck and getting a new ID.

Do I have the energy to start over?

He decided he’d talk to Ray about the future when he came back from talking to the song guys. Ray was such a good guy, he wanted him to have a chance. Bobby didn’t give a flying fuck about himself anymore. No point.

Wild Stallion Ranch.

Totally pissed off, Travis left the hospital knowing nothing about Olivia’s condition. The doctor wouldn’t tell him a damned thing about Olivia because he wasn’t family. All he knew for sure was Olivia wasn’t dead.

When he got to the ranch, he parked his truck behind the house and ran in the back door. Virge, Harlan and Billy were sitting at the kitchen table drinking beer and eating fish and chips.

“Come and eat, Dad. We brought you food.”

“How’s Olivia?” asked Virgil.

“Don’t know.” Travis popped the top on a can of Miller and chugged it down. “The fuckin doctor wouldn’t tell me a damned thing because I wasn’t related to her. She won’t be awake until tomorrow.”

Virge got another beer from the fridge and handed it to Travis. “We’re back now, Dad. Everything is gonna be okay.”

Travis slouched down in his chair at the end of the table. “Wish that were true.”

Chapter Seventeen

Saturday, October 5th.

Wild Stallion Ranch.

My alarm went off and I could hardly drag my tired ass out of bed. I wasn’t a good flyer. Found that out. Didn’t seem to bother Virge none. Next to him I felt like an old man.

Doing the barn chores, we gave the horses extra attention because we’d been missing them a lot. While we were at Mom’s ranch, she gave Virge a horse and he was pretty excited he’d soon be riding with me and Dad.

His horse was an Appaloosa gelding named Desert Sun. Annie said the boys running her horse operation called himSunnyand Virge liked that name.

My brother loved Annie in a big way. He’d never had a mother before and grew pretty attached to Annie in a big hurry.

Tammy’s horse, Bonnie Grace, stood in her stall and it was easy to tell she was missing Tammy. Me and Virge both gave her extra love and extra carrots to cheer her up some.

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