Page 19 of Dusty and Dented
“My head hurts from where they knocked me out, and from the way I ache, I’ll probably be bruised from being thrown around as they went off the road, but nothing serious and nothing that will last.”
They rode in silence for a few minutes
“Do you want to stop for any reason?”Dagger asked as he slowed down at the outskirts of West Yellowstone.“Maybe to use the restroom or even get food or something to drink?”he asked.He had been planning to make dinner tonight but having to chase down her kidnappers to get her back changed things.He glanced across the car and found her staring out the windshield, watching as they reached town.
“We can sit down somewhere, or we can pick something up to eat in the car, it’s up to you.”He wanted her to be comfortable.“I know you weren’t planning to go out, but we can make it work,” he said when he realized she was wearing leggings and an oversize t-shirt and that she might not want to be seen in them.
He didn’t care.She was beautiful to him just the way she was, but he knew most women were particular about how they were seen and how they looked when in public.
“I could eat, but nothing jumps out as something I have to have right now, so whatever you want is fine.”
“Do you want to go sit down somewhere or would you rather pick up something to go so we can get back to Craven’s Creek faster?”
“To go sounds good.But I need to use the restroom, so not drive through, if you don’t mind.”
“Not at all.”
He reached into his pocket and handed her phone to her.
“Here, look up what they’ve got here.”
“How?”She looked at him, her brow creased as she glanced down at her phone then back up at him.
“They must have found it on you and tossed it.I had Hawkeye track it while I was trying to find you.”
“Thank you.”She hugged it to her chest.“I hadn’t even realized it was gone but it’s got all my pictures of Travis on it.I would have been devastated if it was lost.”She pulled it away from her chest and turned it on, doing as he’d asked and finding them somewhere to stop, he hoped.“It’s a little out of our way but there’s a McDonalds.”
“Are you okay with that?”
She lifted one shoulder and let it fall.“It’s not my favorite but it will do in a pinch.And their fries are good.”
“That will work then, give me directions.”
She instructed him where to turn and in just a few minutes he pulled into the lot at the restaurant.She went with him to the counter to order, then while he waited for their food, she went to the restroom.When she returned, she stepped up beside him.He looked down and saw she’d washed her face, and several tiny locks of hair on the edges of her face were wet and clinging to her cheeks.He hooked a finger and dragged it gently down her cheek, smoothing the stray strands away from her face.
“Thank you.It’s not ready yet?”
“Not yet.”He handed her one of the paper cups that had come with their meals.“I didn’t know what you want to drink.”
He watched as she went to the bank of machines and chose her drink, wondering how much she hated him for what had happened to her brother and if she could ever get past that to see him as a person, as a man, instead of just someone who was part of the group that got what was left of her family killed.
His number was called.He went to the counter and picked up the bag before turning to find Andy already beside him.
“Come on.Sparky, let’s hit the road,” he said as he threw one arm around her shoulder.It wasn’t until the words slipped out that he realized what he’d called her.He held his breath waiting to see how she would react.He hoped she wouldn’t hate it.
“Sparky?”She sounded more intrigued than annoyed by his slip.
“Yeah, when you start to get riled up, you get a spark of defiance in your eyes.It’s hot as hell.”He had no clue how she’d take it, but he wasn’t the kind of guy to hide shit.If he was feeling it, he would say it.Just like he always did.He would leave it up to her to tell him if she wasn’t interested, or if it was just too soon.He would honor whatever she told him.He wouldn’t harass her or any woman with attention they didn’t want, but how could they know what he was thinking if he didn’t lay it out there?
He felt her eyes on him as they made their way out to the car, but she didn’t say anything more about it.In the car, he started the engine and got them back on the road.
“You want your food now or you want me to eat then drive while you eat?”Andy asked.
“I can eat and drive.”
She started digging through the bag, pulling things out one by one and deciding who they went to.
“Here’s your burger,” she said, handing him the wrapped sandwich.“And these are your fries.”She indicated the carton she’d stuck down in the cup holder between the two seats.
