Page 19 of Nomad

She had a wide smile and a sunny disposition that seemed to fit her auburn hair and light freckles. He thought she was as beautiful as a goddess fallen to Earth.

“Johns?”

“Hmmm?”

“Where’d you go?”

“Right here.” He replayed the question in his head and was shocked to realize that teasing was exactly what he’d been doing. Since when did he tease? “Why do you keep calling me Johns?”

“Same reason you call me sugar. You don’t like Bud. I don’t like Cannon.”

His response was a grunt, but it was agreeable.

By midnight Cann had drunk half a thermos of coffee and was ready for a roadside spray. Apparently he wasn’t the only one thinking that.

“I have to go to the bathroom,” Bud said.

“Okay. Side of the road is the best I can do.”

“What?”

“Any place that has bathrooms has cameras and TVs. People have seen your face. You’re a kidnapped child. I’m an outlaw. This is how it is.”

“I’m not a child.”

“I’m not an outlaw. Still. Here we are.”

“I can’t see snakes in the dark.”

He sighed. “All right. I’ll run the snakes off for you first.”

“You can do that?”

He grinned at her. “How long did you say you’ve been in Texas?”

“All my life.”

“If you say so.”

They were well past Uvalde and, at that time of night, it was really unlikely that another car would come by. Cann eased off to the side of the road and parked. He walked around to her side of the truck, stomped around, yelled a little, then opened her door.

“There ya go. Snakes all gone. I’ll go back around the other side so you can have some privacy.”

She didn’t like it, but couldn’t argue that it was the only choice. She worked up the courage to walk a few feet away. Luckily there were a couple of tissues in the bottom of her bag. She squatted and was relieved to realize that pee doesn’t make any sound when it hits the dirt. Feeling a lot less embarrassed, she walked back to the truck.

Cann had taken the opportunity to relieve himself on the other side of the road and was back at the truck by the time she got there.

“You good?” he said.

“Yeah. It was an adventure.”

He snickered and started the engine. “That’s really the first time you’ve ever peed in the great outdoors?”

“Yes. Men are made differently, you know.”

“No,” he said seriously, “I hadn’t noticed that.”

“So. Are you in a lot of trouble with your, ah, gang?”