Page 64 of Wait in the Truck

Grandma Jo abruptly bangs her hands on the table. “Time for dessert, folks. Cole, cut that apple pie, will ya? And I’ll say one more quick prayer to keep us from killin’ each other over the last slice.” She shuts her eyes again, speaking in a mutter, “Lord, bless this pie, and keep Rhett from bustin’ a vein over some girl who was born to chase the wind. Amen.”

A while later, Sage nudges me, voice hushed so only I catch it. “If I do go… maybe you’d come too?” There’s a flicker of hope in her eyes. “Figure we could visit some tourist traps.”

I flash her a crooked grin. “Sure.” My mind stirs with twisted humor.Maybe while I’m there I can pass out Toby’s credit cards to the homeless.A silent laugh rattles my chest at the thought of a dead man footing random bills in LA. Fitting payback from beyond the grave.

Sage leans closer to me, voice a soft murmur. “Thank you,” she says. “For saving me. For… everything.”

I squeeze her knee under the table, letting a gentle smile slip. “Always,” I whisper back.

She rests her head on my shoulder briefly, and I let my eyes close a second, inhaling the sweet blend of her shampoo and the apple pie in the air. This is what we fought for—love, however messy and weird, and sharing a meal without the specter of suspicion looming overhead.

When I open my eyes, Grandma Jo is staring at me with that knowing glint, like she’s reading my mind. She winks, then nudges Cole to hurry up with the pie. I grin back.

For the first time in too long, I feel calm. Like we’ve earned this quiet night, a chance to breathe, to laugh at silly banter, to think about tomorrow without dreading a knock from law enforcement.

We dig into dessert, the conversation weaving around ranch chores, small jokes, and the faint hum of hope for the future. Outside, dusk settles into full dark, but for once, I’m not scanning every shadow for trouble. Because inside these walls, with these people, it feels like maybe we’ve outrun the worst of it. And if the worst tries to catch us again, well… I tighten my grip on Sage’s hand, letting a low chuckle escape my lips.

Let it come. I’m ready. We all are.

The End …