Page 14 of Home on the Road (Trucker Love #2)

Instead of sitting and waiting for the sheriff with what would probably be too many questions that he might not have answers to, Ziggy went into the pantry and pulled out the recipe cards and ingredients for the cookies he had planned to make before the day went to shit. Now seemed like a really good time to get to work. It would keep him busy as he waited.

Studying the recipes, he decided to mix the dough for Sam’s favorite spice cookie first since it needed to be formed into rolls and refrigerated before being baked. Then he would make a double batch of Harry’s chocolate chip cookies. His idea was to pack away half of them so they could munch on them once they were back out on the road.

He had just finished separating dough into four parts when the sheriff and Sam entered the kitchen. He had no idea where Harry had gone off to, but had a feeling he was close.

When the two men settled at the kitchen table, Ziggy poured the fresh brewed coffee into two mugs and passed them out. He then poured himself a glass of water and drank it.

“I’m sure you have questions,” Ziggy said as he began to shape the dough into the loaves and wrap it in aluminum foil.

“Yes, I do,” the sheriff said, pulling a notebook out of his pocket.

Thus began the longest hour of Ziggy’s life. He answered all the questions to the best of his ability, including the fact that his stepmother had abused him. Pulling up his shirt, he showed the sheriff the bruises that had lightened, but were still visible on his body. The sheriff pulled out his phone and took pictures, though he assured Ziggy it was just a formality.

Sam remained silent, and Harry was still missing when the sheriff finally rose and left.

Only then did Sam speak, staring at the four silver logs on a platter in front of Ziggy. “Are those my cookies?”

“Yes, but they won’t be ready to bake for at least two hours, so you might as well go away until then.”

“But, Ziggy,” Sam whined, trying to look pitiful.

Ziggy giggled as he picked up the platter and slid it into the bottom of the refrigerator.

“No.”

“You’re mean. I don’t know why Harry loves you,” the man grumped as he pushed out of his chair and headed toward his office.

“Because I’m cute and give good head,” Ziggy called after him, still giggling.

“TMI, man. Way too much TMI,” Sam returned before disappearing into his office.

After quickly washing the utensils he had just used, Ziggy dried them and then began mixing Harry’s cookies.

He was pulling the first tray of hot, fresh cookies out of the oven and sliding the second one in when Harry stepped in the back door.

“Oh. My. God. What is that smell?” the man moaned as he hurried across the kitchen to where Ziggy stood.

“Cookies,” Ziggy said. He slapped at Harry’s hand when the man tried to pick a cookie off the cookie sheet. “Stop. They’re too hot.”

“But, Ziggy,” Harry whined, sounding so much like his twin that Ziggy could not help but laugh.

“No. Why don’t you go ask Sam if he’d like to join us for cookies and milk,” Ziggy suggested, hoping to keep the man busy until the cookies cooled enough they would not cause serious burns when eaten.

Harry huffed, but turned toward the office. “All right, but he’d better share his cookies, too.”

“He will, don’t worry,” Ziggy said as he moved the cookies from the cookie sheet to a plate then filled it again with balls of uncooked dough.

The brothers had not returned by the time the second batch of cookies were finished baking, so he swapped them out for the uncooked tray and started the process all over again. Having a few minutes before the next batch was finished, he washed the dishes and cleaned up the counters and table where he’d been working.

When the brothers still did not return, he packed the first three dozen cookies in a container to take with them on the road. He was pulling the last tray out of the oven when the brothers finally returned, looking unusually grim.

“What’s wrong?” Ziggy asked without hesitation.

“Your stepmother told us some things while you were in the house and we just confirmed that she was telling the truth. She doesn’t own the truck stop.”

“She doesn’t? Who does?” Ziggy frowned in confusion.

She claimed his father left everything to her and nothing to Ziggy. Had she been lying for the last six months?

“You do. Your father never updated his will after he married her. He left everything to you. The diner, the truck stop, the house. Everything. She lied to you, Z-man,” Harry said as he moved within hugging distance.

“But…” Harry started, but did not know what he was going to stay. “Does that mean I have to go back there?”

****

Harry’s heart clenched as Ziggy’s eyes filled with tears at the thought of returning to the hell he had lived in the last six months.

“Not unless you want to. And even if you do go back, I’ll be going with you,” Harry said, pulling him in for a hug. “You can’t get rid of me that easily.”

“I don’t want to go back. I never want to go back,” Ziggy said, sounding more confident than Harry had ever heard before.

“Then you don’t have to. If you want to maintain ownership, we can find a manager to take over the day-to-day operations. Or you might think about selling it,” Sam said.

“I wonder if Sally Jo and her brother-in-law would be interested in buying it?”

“We can call them. Later. Right now, you and I are going to eat some cookies before we go upstairs and take a nap. We didn’t sleep well last night, and you’re yawning,” Harry said as he led his man to the table and helped him sit down.

“Yeah, right, a nap.” Sam snarked as he grabbed three cookies from the plate in the center of the table. “Just remember, you have to bake my cookies before you hit the road day after tomorrow.”

“If he has time,” Harry said, picking up the plate. “He might be too busy to bake them.”

Without hesitating, Harry checked that Ziggy had turned off the oven as he crossed to the man. Bending forward, he lifted Ziggy over his shoulder while keeping the plate level so he did not spill any cookies.

“What are you doing?” Ziggy squealed as he turned and headed for the stairs.

“We’re having our cookies in bed,” Harry said as he climbed the stairs, grinning as Ziggy began to giggle at this craziness.