Page 5 of Wild Highway (Runaway 2)

“I was thinking about how we met.”

“You mean how you saved me from food poisoning and ultimate starvation?”

I laughed. “Yep.”

“Ah, good times.” She giggled. “How’s the trip?”

In the background, I heard her husband, Brooks. “Ask her if the car is running okay.”

“Did you hear him?” she asked.

“Yeah. Tell him it’s running fine.”

“She says there’s a strange knocking sound every few minutes. And if she gives it too much gas at once, the whole car lurches.”

“What?” His voice echoed to my ear. “I just tuned it up. Give me that phone.”

I laughed at the sound of her swatting him away.

“I’m kidding,” she told him. “The car is fine. Now go away so we can talk. Ellie needs her diaper changed. I saved it just for you.”

“Gee, thanks,” he muttered. Through the phone, I recognized the sound of a soft kiss.

Jealousy would be easy if I wasn’t so happy for her.

“Where are you?” she asked.

“I crossed into Colorado about twenty miles ago. I’m hoping to get to Denver tonight. Then maybe tomorrow, I’ll put in a long stretch and see if I can get to Las Vegas.”

Londyn sighed. “There’s no hurry, Gem. Why don’t you stay in Colorado for a week? Explore and relax.”

“Maybe.” Did I even know how to relax?

“When was the last time you took a weekend off?”

“Um . . .” It hadn’t been in recent years. “Montana, I guess.”

“That was—what?—eleven years ago? I’d say you’re overdue,” she said. “So you were thinking about the junkyard days, huh? Why?”

“I don’t know. Reminiscing, I guess. Wondering where do I go after this trip. Things were hard, but life seemed easier back at Lou’s.”

Lou Miley had owned the junkyard where the six of us kids had lived. He’d been a loner and a gruff old man. Unfriendly and irritable. But he’d let us stay without question.

“Are you okay?” Londyn asked. “Should I be worried?”

“No,” I promised. “I was just thinking about how we all scattered. Everyone but Karson. I wonder how everyone is doing.”

“You’re still upset about the Katherine thing, aren’t you?”

“I screwed up.”

Londyn sighed. “You were nineteen years old and jumped at an opportunity to make some money. I highly doubt she holds it against you. Considering where we all came from, Katherine, above all people, couldn’t fault you for wanting to better your life.”

“I don’t know,” I mumbled.

I’d broken a promise to a close friend. I’d ditched her, choosing money over that promise and the decision had haunted me since.

This was a fresh start for me. There was nothing holding me back. Londyn wanted me to take an overdue vacation. Maybe what I really needed before I could concentrate on the future, was to make an overdue apology for a past mistake.