Page 23 of Mac
"That will make things easier for you."
"It will.I'm just ready to be able to put them on the schedule and not have to worry about making sure there's someone there to give them their assignments for the day and keep them on task.That takes a few weeks longer than the usual training, but once new hires get there, I can usually tell if they're going to stick around a while, or if I'm going to have to replace them as soon as they find something better."
"Finding something better is always a worry.Especially if you hire teenagers.I don't hire a lot of teens anymore, but once in a while I find someone who has a real affinity for the work and I'll bring them on, the ones who really love it are worth the work to train them.I have to admit, there's something satisfying about watching them go from little to no knowledge to knowing a bit more and becoming more confident in their work.Eventually they leave, or nearly all of them.But I don't mind losing those so much."
"That's sweet.I only have one person who's been with the shop even half as long as I have.I get it.It's just a little bookstore, not a career for most people.But I love my job and I love my customers."
"You don't have to justify yourself to me.I get it."
A warm, comforting feeling spread through her and she relaxed a little more against Mac's back as she watched the landscape speed by.They rode in silence for a while, climbing up then going back down.Elyse couldn't help but notice how pretty the trip was, even if there wasn't anything special but a few cactuses and scattered trees.She lived in the desert not because she had to, or just because she'd grown up here, but she'd stayed because she really loved the desert.She liked the mountains too, but not as much as the lower elevations.
Some people talked about the beach as the ultimate place to live, how much they love the ocean and often went on and on about it.She'd taken a trip to San Diego once, spent a day at the beach, swam in the ocean and all the things that people swore was the ultimate living and while it was nice for a vacation, it wasn't how she wanted to live.She didn't like water that pulled at her while she swam, she hated the salt that had coated everything, and sand?She'd thought it was bad here where it mostly stayed on the ground, or flew when there was a haboob, but at the beach it stuck to everything and got in creases and crevices she didn't even know she had until she had been done after a single afternoon.
The motorcycle slowing down brought her attention back to the road, which seemed to be coming to an end, well, kind of.The one they were on ended in a T with another highway.Mac pulled to a stop, waited for traffic to clear then took a right.
"How you doing?You need a rest, or to walk around a little?"
Elyse thought about it a moment, then spoke."I wouldn't say no to getting off here for a few minutes, but I don't need to."
A few minutes later, he slowed and pulled into another gas station convenience store."It's an hour and a half or so until our next stop, if you need to use the restroom or anything," he said after he'd pulled into a parking space and killed the engine.
"Thanks for the warning."She left him with her helmet and headed inside.
After visiting the restroom, she stopped in the snack aisle, scanning the options, wondering ifshe should grab something or wait.
"Get something if you're hungry, but I planned to stop in the next town for lunch," Mac said as he walked by.
With one more glance at the sweets arranged in front of her, Elyse decided she could wait and followed him back outside.By the time she made it to where he'd parked, Mac sat on his heels beside the motorcycle, rummaging through one of the saddlebags.
"Want this?"He held out her bottle of water.
"Thanks."She accepted it, twisted off the top and took a long pull."You said lunch is the next stop?"
"That was my plan.You okay with it?"He stood, his own water in hand."There is a cluster of towns in a little over an hour, there are several places to eat there, if that sounds good to you."
"Sounds great.I'll be more than ready for a longer break by then."Elyse shifted from one foot to the other, lifting her legs in turn to stretch her stiffened muscles.
Mac chuckled."I should have warned you.It's a long ride and you'll probably be sore tomorrow."
Elyse bit back a groan then drained her water and glanced around for a trash can.Spotting one, she took her bottle over and dropped it in before turning back to watch Mac.His head tilted back and his Adam’s apple bobbing as he drained his own bottle.Heat pooled low in her body, making her more than a little happy that she was getting ready to climb back on behind him and wrap her arms around him for several hours yet.For that, she was willing to take a little soreness tomorrow.And if she got her way, maybe in more way than one.
CHAPTER13
They hit the road after stopping at the gas station in front of the casino so Elyse could walk around a little and use the bathroom, and Mac took a quick glance at his watch.They were making surprisingly good time for how often he stopped for her.Not that he begrudged her the time.It was nice having someone on the back of his bike, someone who wasn't one of the club whores who would expect something, even if it was only a few drinks or a little cash, along with her lay at the end of the day.
Not that he expected Elyse to put out once they got home.Mac sure wouldn't turn her down if she offered but it wasn't the price of the ride.
"Where are we now?"Her sultry voice caressed across his senses.
"San Carlos Indian Reservation."
"I got that much from the highway signs.Give me more of a reference.Towns, landmarks, something so I can place us on my mental map of the state."
"You know where Globe is?"
She was quiet a moment, then answered, "Vaguely, isn't it east of Phoenix?"
"It is, almost fifty miles due east of Phoenix, as the crow flies."
