CHAPTER 3
It took nearly three days to reach Caliente. Ethan had been very careful by only using back roads and stopping only when necessary. He made only two exceptions. They'd taken a detour to Los Angeles and taken in a few hours of sightseeing.
"You have to see Hollywood, Pattyn," he'd said as they'd made the turn off.
She admitted when they were back on the road that she had had fun. They'd looked at the footprints and the stars on Hollywood Boulevard. Ethan had bought her a t-shirt and they'd gotten their picture taken at Universal Studios.
The second exception was Las Vegas. They'd arrived at just after eleven and had decided to stay the night. They had walked along the main strip completely blending in with the tourists. Hand in hand, they walked looking at the bright lights and all the people. When they came upon a little wedding chapel, Ethan drew Pattyn into his arms and said, "Let's get married."
She hugged him and wished she could. She'd be seventeen soon, but she was still too young in the eyes of most states to legally be married without parental consent. To her, her parents were gone. No matter what happened now, she didn't have any parents. "We can't, Ethan."
"Then we'll lie."
"It won't be legal."
"Who cares? It will only matter to us?"
She looked up into his green eyes that sparkled from both the love he had for her and the lights all around them. "Then what does it matter? It would be just a piece of paper, then. I want to marry you, Ethan, but I want it to be legal when we do."
Ethan leaned down and kissed her forehead and said, "Whatever you want."
They walked back to their motel and Pattyn wrapped an arm around Ethan. Snuggling close to him thinking about what she really wanted. She wanted to marry Ethan. She wanted to be a family. As far as she could see, they could be a family, but the marriage thing would have to wait.
When they finally pulled into Aunt J's ranch after three days on the road, Jeanette ran down the front steps not even waiting until Ethan's truck came to a full stop. Aunt J pulled Pattyn from the truck and hugged her so tight.
"Haven't heard from you in days," she said in a quivering voice.
"Sorry, Aunt J. We didn't think it would take so long."
"You're here," she said pulling away and wiping the tears from her eyes. "That's what matters."
In the truck, she and Ethan had devised a plan. They couldn't stay in Caliente for long. Her father would see to finding them if they showed there. It wouldn't be long before someone knew she was there. It was already dusk and there was a good chance they'd be safe at least until dawn. They'd already decided, but how to tell Aunt J and Ethan's dad?
"We need to talk," Pattyn said and they all went into the house.
Kevin was there and enveloped his son in a tight embrace. "Thought I lost you too," he said through tears of his own.
"Can't get me, Pop. You know that."
They sat at Aunt J's kitchen table and talked of their plans. Both Kevin and Aunt J were adamant that things could work out if they stayed. "I know people," Aunt J protested. "I can tell the Mayor. The Chief of Police."
"It won't matter, Aunt J," Pattyn said. "I'm underage. They'll side with the law. And my father. We can't stay."
Seeing the hurt in Ethan's father's eyes was almost too much. She almost told him to forget it. That she'd fend for herself. But then Ethan took her hand in his and said, "We're getting married."
Aunt J smiled happily, but with a little bit of a sad shadow behind her eyes. "Pattyn, you're not yet 18."
"Well, we'll get married when I'm of age. Until then, we just have to…," she looked at Ethan for the right words.
"Not be found," he said squeezing her hand.
"What about school," Ethan's father asked.
"It will have to wait," Ethan replied looking down at their joined hands.
This was the one thing they hadn't come to a consensus on in the truck. Pattyn refused to see Ethan give up his dreams. Not for her. Not even for their baby. She'd argued with him all the way telling him he had to finish school. And just like then, he looked at his father and said, "School will always be there."
"No," she said. "You have to finish school."
"We talked about this," he said feeling the weariness creep over him.
"And I still say you need to finish school."
"We need to make sure you're safe. That's the priority. School will be there in a year. I can wait. Maybe we can go together," he added kissing her hand that was still joined with his.
College. That was something she had never considered. Her father had never let her consider it. It had always been: high school, marriage, babies…no diversions in between. Now she felt like she had some choices. With Ethan, she felt like the whole world was opening up. Even if their current lives were rather scrambled.
"So what's the plan now," Aunt J asked.
"We'll stay the night and head out tomorrow before sun up."
"Where will you go," Ethan's father asked.
"I have a friend from school. I talked to him yesterday. He has some connections to a ranch in Canada. They need some hired help."
"Son," his father began.
"Dad, I've been doing this all my life. I love this work. It will be good to work with the animals."
"Will you be safe," Aunt J asked and Pattyn knew her question. Would anyone be able to find them?
"I think we'll be okay," Ethan said. "We're covering our tracks."
"You'll keep in touch," his father asked.
"Of course."
That night she and Ethan slept apart for the first time in three days. Pattyn slept in the little room she'd come to know as hers for those summer months. The best summer of her life. So far, she hoped.
