Red dropped Daniel and I back off at the little house, as he headed out to the Palamino Club. He got out, too, and the three of us
stood beside his truck. "I'll say my goodbyes now," he said.
He gave Daniel a pat on the back, and told him to have a safe trip home to California.
"Call me when you plan on bein' back," he told Daniel.
To me, he turned and then gave me a warm hug. "I'll be seeing you, my darlin'," he said.
"I hope so," I said, and I meant it. "I hope it's soon."
Daniel and I both went to bed after that, because he said we would be getting up really early the next morning. Before I climbed
into bed, I shoved everything that I'd brought back into Evan's duffel bag, ready to go. I didn't think I'd sleep, but I did.
7
The next morning, I must have been in a light sleep, because it only took a light tap on my door, and then Daniel opening it, and saying
'Hey', one time, for me to wake up.
"I'm awake," I said.
"I'm making coffee. We'll get some breakfast on the road."
"Okay," I said, stretching my arms.
"Get up and get moving," he told me, and disappeared back down the hallway.
I pulled on my clean jeans and t-shirt, and my sneakers without socks. One pair was dirty, and the pair I'd worn the night before
out to supper had gotten wet when I stepped in another puddle. Which meant, of course, that my tennis shoe was wet, but there was
nothing I could do about that now. I turned to look back over the room, wondering if I would ever visit Daniel at this house again.
After I'd gone to the bathroom, I went out to the kitchen, where Daniel had coffee ready to go in two tall travel mugs. I gathered up
my diabetes supplies and put them into the duffel bag.
I pulled on the jacket of Daniel's that I'd been borrowing while I was here, and picked up the bag and my cup, sipping at it,
and watching as Daniel gathered up his own Army green bag, packed with his stuff.
"Ready?" he asked me, quietly, so as not to wake Red up.
I nodded, and he ushered me out, pulling the door closed behind him.
We drove for a while, until we were out of Nashville. "I thought we'd stop at one of the small towns for breakfast," he told me.
"Okay."
After that he started talking about the last time he'd been at home, and we got into a mild disagreement over when it had been.
"It was Christmas," he said. "And then Scooter was born."
"You didn't leave until after January started, though."
He thought for a moment. "I guess that's right."
"Long time ago," I said, feeling sad.
"Not that long," he defended.
"It is for Hannah. And for me. I hate it when I don't get to see you," I said vehemently.
Daniel was quiet for a couple of minutes, and then he said, "I don't like it, either, squirt."
"You like living there, though, right?" I asked.
"Mostly, I do. I wish I was closer so I could get home more, though."
"I do, too," I said fervently.
We stopped for breakfast in a little town called Franklin. The café was small, and homey, and the waitress called us
both 'darlin', when she took our orders. I wasn't all that hungry, because I kept thinking about home, and all of that. I was mostly
sipping at my juice, and another cup of coffee.
"Eat your breakfast," Daniel said.
I said okay, but I'd only ate a little when Daniel got impatient. "Come on, squirt. I wanna get going."
"I'm just not hungry," I said.
He gave me that look. The one that suggested that I eat because he didn't want to deal with a diabetes dilemma on his
watch.
I ate the rest of my eggs, and he sighed. "Let's go," he said. Before we left, he had the waitress package up some biscuits and
fruit for us, since he said he wasn't planning on stopping for lunch.
After we'd driven for awhile again, he said, unexpectedly, "Tell me about Karissa."
I looked at him, a little surprised. "What do you want to know?"
"What's she like, I guess. All of that."
"Well, she's really attractive. You know those sort of older women? The ones who don't look their age, because they have enough money
to take really good care of themselves?" I said.
At his nod, I added, "Well, that's her. And she dresses really nice. Stylish." I thought for a minute. "She's tall. About as tall as you."
"Hmmm."
"Mama wasn't that tall, was she?" I asked.
"No. She was about 5'5", I'd say."
After a couple of moments, he said, "So what else about her?"
"She has a lot of money. And she's been married like three times. Or maybe four, I don't remember."
"Where'd she get her money?" Daniel asked.
"I don't know. Maybe she got it from selling real estate?" I suggested.
"Maybe. More than likely, one of those husbands was a wealthy man," Daniel predicted.
"She's sort of sad. Not all the time, but sometimes. She says she really wanted to be a part of our lives," I said.
"I remember when she came around a couple of times. It wasn't pleasant."
"What happened?" I asked curiously.
"Lots of hollering and yelling. She blew right thru the fence by the barn with her car."
"I know about that. She had Ford with her," I said.
"Yeah. Poor kid. He cried that whole evening," Daniel said.
"And then later you and Evan and Crane had to talk to social services, right?"
"Yeah." He looked pensive, as though he was remembering. "That was tough. I mean, I had a lot of problems, anyway, over losing
Mom and Dad. That just made things worse."
I turned to study him, trying to picture the nine year old that he'd been then. Probably with a mop of too-long dark hair, hanging in his eyes.
"What were you like then?" I asked him.
"I was an unholy mess," he said bluntly. "A walking disaster."
"You weren't that bad, were you?" I said loyally.
"Oh, I was. For sure. Adam or Brian were at the school at least once a week, pulling my fat from the fire, because I didn't behave
myself. I missed Mom so much. Dad, too, but Mom was the one that always understood me."
"You must have been really scared," I said.
"I made it thru. And that was because of Crane, mostly. He-" Daniel hesitated, "He tried to take over where they'd left off."
"I'm glad you had Crane," I said, feeling sad for the little boy he was.
"Me, too. Without him, I don't think I would have made it. Through school, and everything else. He was like the damn glue, holding
us all together." For a moment, Daniel seemed almost emotional. Then he gave me a half-way smile.
"Wow. That really brings a lot of stuff back," he said. "I don't think about it all that much."
"I think that's the difference between guys and girls," I said. "I mean, ever since I heard that she had filed the custody thing,
that's all I ever thought about. And everybody, I mean all of them at home, they said not to worry about it, that it would blow over. They
didn't act worried, even though I knew they were. Guys just push their emotions back. Girls overthink things to the point of obsession."
Daniel looked amused. "Well, listen to you, Miss Psychology," he said.
I shrugged in answer.
"I think that Adam, and Brian, and even everybody else, told you those things because they thought it would ease your worry. They're
do-ers, that's what they do. Fix things. They'd rather solve, than talk about something," Daniel said.
I knew he was right, and I nodded. "It was so-" I hesitated, trying to think of the right word to express myself, "consuming. When I
would try to think about other stuff, then something else would happen with it, and bring it back up. And then I tried to go talk to her to convince her to
drop everything."
"Not the best idea, huh?" Daniel said.
"No. It was the one thing that Adam told me not to do."
When Daniel was silent, I added, "I really disrespected him."
"Yeah. Well, you tell him that, that you understand now what you did, and he'll accept it."
After that we were quiet for a while, as I watched Tennessee disappear out of the truck window.
7
We stopped for a bathroom break near noon, and Daniel bought us both a drink at a gas station, after he filled the truck up.
As he pumped the gas, I stood beside him, doing some stretching to work the kinks out of my back and legs.
"We're makin' good time," Daniel said.
Once on the way again, I returned to the previous subject.
"Karissa drinks a lot," I volunteered, testing out the subject.
"She was for sure lit up when she ran thru the fence that time," Daniel agreed.
"No. I mean, she still drinks. Several glasses of wine with a meal. And sometimes you can smell it on her."
"Serious stuff," Daniel said. "That's something you should be tellin' the lawyer about."
A sense of hope rose up in me. "Would it help?"
"It might."
"Sometimes she acts weird, even when I don't think she's had anything to drink. Sort of-unhinged."
He gave me a narrow-eyed look. "And maybe that has something to do with the fact that Brian and Adam
didn't want you around her?"
"I was hoping she'd changed," I said.
"Some people don't."
"A leopard," I said, almost to myself.
"What?" Daniel asked me.
"Nothing," I said, and then Daniel told me to open up the foil-wrapped package from the café and give him
a couple of biscuits.
7
I ate a couple of biscuits and an apple, throwing the core out of the window, and then I fell asleep for awhile, stirring when
Daniel stopped the truck at another gas station.
"Hey," he said, shaking my shoulder. "Break time if you need it."
I got out and stretched again. "Where are we?" I asked.
"Forrest City, Arkansas."
I went around to the side of the station to use the restroom. When I came back out, Daniel was topping off the gas tank.
After a moment's thought, I rummaged in my bag, and brought out the twenty dollar bill that I had left.
"Here," I said, holding it out to him.
"What's this?" he asked.
"It's what I have left. I should help pay for the gas. It's only right."
Daniel looked thoughtful, then solemnly he nodded, and reached out to take the money from me.
Once we were on our way again, I was quiet for awhile, thinking.
"So what do you think of Crane's new girl?" Daniel asked, after awhile.
"She's nice. She's the teacher of the night class I'm taking. You knew that, right?" I asked.
"Yeah, he told me that. But he won't give up much more information than that about her."
"Wait until you see her," I said, and whistled.
"That good, huh?" he asked, with a crooked grin.
"Yep. Do you think he really likes her? I mean, in a serious way?"
"He's not turnin' that information loose, either," Daniel said. "I'll have to work on him once I get home."
I giggled a little at that.
"Any of those biscuits left?" Daniel asked.
I dug into the foil package. "Three."
"Give me two and you eat one."
"I'm not hungry yet," I protested.
"Well, put it back for later then, because I'm not stopping for supper until at least six or seven tonight."
I handed him the biscuits. "Mr. Mileage," I said, teasing him a little.
"Darn right."
After that we talked about other stuff, nothing major. What teachers were still at school that had been there when he'd attended. How he'd felt
when he'd gotten to meet and talk with Ernest Tubbs at the Grand Old Opry one night. Stuff like that.
We passed the time by playing a game I suggested, where I'd give three clues about a person in our home town, and Daniel had
to guess who it was. Then he would do the same for me.
After awhile I brought the subject around to something that I'd been curious about. "Have you dated much since you've been in
Nashville?" I asked him.
"Not a whole lot. I don't really have the time." he said.
"I bet you have lots of girls ask you out, though. And give you their numbers."
"A few," he said, with a grin.
"Of the girls you have dated there, there's nobody special, though?" I persisted.
"Nope. Nobody special."
"Well, that's good," I said, and he raised his eyebrow at me.
"Why is that good?" he asked.
"I just-well, if you do meet somebody there, and you end up getting married and all of that, well, then we'd never get to see you."
"Little dramatic there, aren't you, squirt?"
I shrugged, and then sighed a little. "I guess so. I just wish you weren't so far away sometimes."
Daniel gave me a look, but didn't really answer that.
What he did say was, "I could probably be persuaded to have you be my houseguest again this summer sometime. If Adam okayed it."
"For real?" I asked him.
"For real. Of course, it goes without saying that you'd be traveling with somebody else from home. Right?"
"Right," I said, and smiled at him.
By the time a couple more hours had gone by, I was ready to be done with riding in a truck for the day. I couldn't imagine how tired Daniel
must be, having to do all the driving. I ate my tucked-away biscuit, and when the radio said it was five-thirty, I looked hopefully at Daniel.
He made no signs of stopping, though, even though I knew he had to be hungry, and exhausted. I bit my lip to keep quiet. I figured it wouldn't
be so smart to complain about anything. Finally, a little after seven, according to the radio, Daniel pulled into the parking lot of a Motel 6.
I wasn't even sure what state, let alone what city, we were in, and frankly, I was too tired to give a hoot.
We carried our duffle bags into the lobby, and Daniel paid for a single room, with two double beds. Once in the room, he tossed his bag onto
one of the beds. "What do you say we order in some pizza? I'm too tired to go back out to a restaurant."
"I think it's a grand idea," I said. "I'll order it. What do you want?"
"A large. I don't care what."
"Pepperoni, then?" I suggested.
"Fine," he said, and flopped down on the bed on his back, and closed his eyes.
I went to the phone, and looked up the number of the nearest pizza delivery on the sheet on the table. I dialed the number, and ordered the
pizza, and when they asked for the address, I turned to Daniel.
"What's the address?"
"Off Route 50," Daniel said, sounding exhausted.
That sounded way too vague and general to me, but when I said, "The Motel 6 off Route 50," they seemed to know exactly what I was
talking about.
"It'll be here in about twenty minutes," I said.
"Okay. I'm gonna grab a shower real quick."
I said okay, but when he didn't move, but just kept lying there like he had been, I went closer to the bed.
"You alright?" I asked.
"Fine as frog's hair," he said, still not moving.
"Give me your foot," I told him.
"Huh?" he asked, opening his eyes.
"Give me your foot," I insisted. "I'll help you get your boots off."
Daniel lifted one leg from the bed just slightly, and I yanked the boot off, and let it drop to the floor.
"Next," I said, snapping my fingers, and Daniel obligingly held up his other leg. When I'd pulled that boot off, Daniel
sat up. "Thanks, squirt. Nice of you to help an old guy out."
"Tips are welcome," I said, and grinned at him, sitting down on the other bed.
"I'll get my shower so I'll be out when the pizza comes. Lock the door," he told me.
Personally, I thought that was a little too cautious, locking the door just while he was in the shower, but I didn't argue. I went
to fasten the latch, and dug my pajamas out of the duffel bag.
After that, I just sort of sat on the end of the bed, not moving.
When Daniel came out, he was in his sweats and t-shirt, rubbing his wet hair with a towel.
"Your turn," he said.
I went into the bathroom, but I didn't even feel like taking a shower. I just got into my pajamas, and refolded my jeans and shirt for the
next day. I did wash my face, though, and it was while I was doing that that I heard Daniel's voice talking to someone. Ah, pizza delivery.
I was suddenly ravenous. I waited until I heard the door close, and then came out.
"That was quick," he said.
"I'm too tired to mess with a shower."
We were each sitting on a bed, eating pizza, and watching television. It was an old episode of Bewitched.
When I reached for my fourth piece of pizza, Daniel yanked his hand back dramatically.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"Protecting my fingers," he said. "Have mercy, girl, I haven't seen you eat like this in forever."
I shrugged, and smiled at him, picking up the piece I'd been reaching for.
"I'm hungry now," I said. "But your fingers are safe, I promise."
"I don't know about that," he said, hamming it up. "I'm scared I'll reach out and draw back nothin' but a nub. I sort of need my
fingers for playing guitar, you know."
"Yeah, yeah, cry me a river," I said.
"Tough talk, little girl," he said. "If I wasn't bone-weary, I'd show you a thing or two."
I suddenly felt emotional, and serious. "I love you, Daniel."
"What's the matter?" he asked, obviously surprised by my quick switch from joking and teasing to being nearly tearful.
"Nothing. I-just love you, that's all."
"I love you, too. Now eat your pizza."
7
