Page 9 of River Ride

“It ain’t that funny, Virge. Hope it happens to you and you get fucked right up the arny or Vicki shoves your head in a fuckin dryer and turns it on high.”

“Nope. Won’t let it happen. I’ll manage my love life way better than you manage yours. Count on it. I’m writing down all the fuckin mistakes you’re making, Harlan. I consider you my learning tool. What not to fuckin do.”

Virge was laughing his head off at me when Maryanne brought the lunch containers for the prisoners.

“Here you go, boys. Have a great day.”

Santa Fe. New Mexico.

“The kids are getting grumpy, Mick. We’d better stop for lunch and gas.” Annie pointed at the Golden Arches coming into view on the right side of the highway.

Mick flicked the blinker on. “I could eat.”

They all went inside the restaurant and the lines were long at each of the cashiers on duty. During the ordering process and waiting at the side counter for pickup when their numbers were called, nobody noticed Tammy wander off.

It was only when they were all back together at their table thatAnnie glanced around to make sure she had everybody and there was no Tammy.

“Did anybody notice if Tammy went to the ladies’ room?”

Lucy set her McChicken down on the wrapper. “I’ll run and check, Mommy.” Lucy took off to the back of the crowded restaurant while Annie tore outside with Rowdy right behind her.

“Where would she go?” asked Rowdy. “Maybe she went back to the truck.”

“Don’t know.” Annie was checking the cars in the parking lot one by one when she spotted Tammy at the far side of the parking lot smoking with a big rig trucker.

“There she is, Rowdy.” Annie ran across the parking lot and took Tammy’s arm. “Come on, sweetheart. Your lunch is on the table inside.”

“I needed a smoke, Mama. I’ll be there in a minute.”

“You’d better come now, Tammy,” said Rowdy. “We have to eat and get going. We can’t stay here long.”

“Where y’all off to?” asked the big burly driver.

“Montana,” said Rowdy. “The kids are competing in a few rodeo events up there.”

“You look familiar,” the trucker said to Rowdy. “I should know you.”

Rowdy laughed. “Nope. Just a cowboy. Come on Tammy. Don’t make your Mama worry.”

After lunch everyone scrambled into the trucks for the next leg of the trip. Tammy hung back and she was last to get in.

“I don’t want to go back to Montana, Mama. It’s not my home anymore. Travis ain’t gonna want me back.”

“He does, and his ranch is your home until you’re twenty-one, honey. You’ve been paroled into your father’s custody, mainly because he’s a sheriff. Get into the truck and don’t put up a fuss. We have to get going. It’s a long, long way.”

For the afternoon, they switched around. The boys were with Mick and the girls were with Annie, Rowdy and bullet.

Annie put a memo in her phone to call Doctor Fielding as soon as she had a private moment.

Groveman Residence. Black Eagle Pass.

“Sheriff’s office, Mister Groveman.” Travis held up his badge. “Can we come in and talk to you for a minute about Wayne Treadway?”

“Haven’t seen Wayne in a while. He don’t live around here. Lives in Missoula.”

“True enough,” said Travis. “Wayne was shot not two miles from here yesterday and his wife told us you were one of his hunting buddies in this part of the country.”

“This ain’t hunting season, Sheriff, so why would Wayne be up here? He only drives up for the elk hunt in the fall.”

---