I laugh. “I’m twenty-eight, Luke. Ain’t really a boy anymore.”
He laughs with me. “You’ll always be my boy, Kane.”
I have to look away, then, until the hazy watering of my eyes subsides. “I know,” I whisper, my voice hoarse.
He clears his throat. “Leavin’ after lunch?”
I nod. “Yeah, figure we will.”
He nods. We sit in companionable silence until Lilly calls us in for lunch.
* * *
Goodbye was rough.
Lilly cried, and hugged me so long it was almost uncomfortable. When she finally moved back, she grabbed my face and kissed my cheeks, both of them. “Never had any kids,” she whispered to me. “I know I’m not your mother, and I know we just met, but…” she shook her head, letting her tears flow freely. “You’re loved, Kane. You ever, ever need a mother’s advice, you call me. Hear?”
I got all gruff, hugging her back, then. I’d brushed at her tears with my thumb. “Be honored as fuck to consider you my ma, even if we just met and some might call it crazy. Love you back, Lilly. I do.”
She sniffled, pushed me away. “Quit makin’ me blubber.”
Anjalee was unashamedly weeping, hugging Lilly and Luke in turn. “I am so very glad I was given this opportunity, to meet such amazing people as you.” She held both of their hands, smiling through her tears. “Thank you for sharing this wonderful place with me.” To Luke, then. “We will come back. I will make sure of it.”
Luke just cleared his throat and nodded, and then hugged her. “You’re a miracle worker, Anjalee. No matter what happens, ever, you’re always welcome here.”
Anjalee looked down at her feet, at the boots she was still wearing. “Thank you for these. For borrowing them to me. I will give them back, now.”
Luke rested a hand on her shoulder before she could move. “Don’t want ‘em back, honey. Want you to have ‘em. They’re a piece of my daughter, and it means the world to me, you wearing them.” He cleared his throat. “A piece of her, out there in the world, not just in a bin in my cellar. Is that weird?”
Anjalee leaned in and kissed his cheek. “No, it is beautiful. I am honored to wear a piece of her.”
More hugs, more tears. Even me.
Then we’d swung onto my bike and headed out.
The ride south and west is way more pleasant than the awful, angry, hell-bound ride up. I keep off the freeways again, sticking to local county roads and highways. We detour to Lava Hot Springs, Idaho and enjoy the hot springs.
We camp under the stars in Utah, outside a place called Logan. Wide valleys and rolling hills, short, serrated ridges and endless grasslands. We’re at the foot of a ridge, nestled in among the trees. It’s warm and dry, so I don’t bother with the tent. Just the fire flickering beneath the trees, the leaves dispersing the smoke. Our sleeping bags are joined.
I can tell she’s a little sore even though she won’t say anything, so we bed down and I just hold her, as much as my libido is demanding otherwise. I’m starting to drift off when she murmurs my name.
“Kane?”
“Mmm?” I know what’s coming.
“We will not make love again, tonight?”
“Mm-mm.”
“Why not? Do you not want to?”
“Sure I do.” I open an eye. “But I gotta take care of you, honey. And after this morning, and then a day on the bike, I know you’re feelin’ it. There’ll be plenty of time for more, I promise.”
She wiggles. “Iamfeeling somewhat sore.” She bites her lower lip. “I thought it was only from the riding of the horses and then the motorcycle.”
I shake my head. “No, honey. It’s from sex, too. Won’t always be sore after, I don’t think, just initially. Honestly, you probably shouldn’t be on a bike, yet.”
“It does not hurt so bad. I love riding the motorcycle with you. I would not want it to be different.”
