She glanced over at her before grabbing her bag.“Why don’t you go in with me?It’s too hot to wait in the van.”
Cindy glanced over her shoulder at Walker.“What about him?Are you just going to leave him in the van?
Maggie bit the inside of her cheek.She was going to leave the van running while she grabbed some groceries, but she was uneasy about leaving Cindy.She could very easily drive off with a van that didn’t belong to her and Walker.
“I’ll stay here with Walker.”Cindy said quietly.
Maggie didn’t move.
Realization flashed through Cindy’s eyes.“You’re scared I’m going to steal your van.”
Maggie quickly shook her head.“It’s not that ….”
It was exactly that.
Cindy gave her a small smile.“I don’t blame you.I mean, you don’t know me from Adam’s housecat.”
Maggie slumped toward the steering wheel.“I’m sorry.I don’t mean to insult you.”
Cindy chortled lightly.“Believe me, I’ve experienced worse.”
That made Maggie feel even worse.“So, what should we do?”
Cindy leaned over, fished something out of her back jeans pocket and held it out to Maggie.“What if I give you my driver’s license as insurance I won’t take off in your van?”
Maggie glanced at the photo.
Cindy Miller.Age twenty.Younger than Maggie.
The woman in the photo looked a lot different.Her face was fuller, and she was smiling.Gone were the dark circles under her eyes.
“Take it.”Cindy nudged gently.“Tony takes it sometimes to make sure I won’t run off.”
Maggie’s eyes grew wide.
Cindy realized she’d said too much and dropped her driver’s license into Maggie’s bag.
Her cell phone dinged with a text.She looked at the message and rolled her eyes.
It was Mason asking her to call him back.
“Are you avoiding someone?”Cindy asked carefully.
Maggie snorted.“Something like that.”She grabbed her bag.“I won’t be long.”
Leaving the van running, she closed the door behind her and headed inside the grocery store.
It took her less than ten minutes before she was checking out.After paying with her debit card, she headed outside to see Walker sitting in the driver’s seat and Cindy gently petting him.
She opened the side door to the van and stepped inside.“Looks like you two are getting along just fine.”
Cindy shot her an anxious look.“I tried to stop him from sitting in the driver’s seat, but he was insistent.”
Maggie laughed and put the cold food items into the small refrigerator.“It’s okay.He loves the air conditioner blowing in his face.”She finished putting the groceries away.
She patted her leg and smiled at Walker.“Come on, boy.I don’t think you can drive to Colorado.”
Walker crawled out of the seat and headed to the bed where he promptly curled up.
