My mouth popped open and I sat up straighter. “I am an Aquarius, actually.”
“Of course, you are,” he laughed the words. “I promise you, there’s nothing my sign can tell you about me, nothing that’s actually substantial, anyway. Horoscopes and all that? It’s bullshit. Say something vague enough and you can apply it to anyone’s life.”
“That’s not true!” I argued. “I am a textbook Aquarius. Like, it’s scary how much my sign is accurate for who I am.”
“That so?” he asked, and he pulled his phone from his pocket.
“Don’t text and drive.”
He frowned. “I’ve got it, Mom. Okay,” he said, eyes on the road again, but they kept flicking down to his phone. “So, you’d say you’re loyal and kind, and hardworking, but that your weakness is that you tend to worry and you’re overcritical of yourself? And you’d also say that you love books and nature, but you dislike being the center of attention.”
I nodded. “Yep, that’s me to a T.”
“Congratulations. You’re a Virgo.”
He tossed his phone to me as I scoffed, rolling my eyes. But when I looked down at the screen, it was the same astrology site I referenced all the time, and the traits he’d been reading were for a Virgo, not an Aquarius.
My mouth popped open again.
Emery eyed me from the driver seat, a shit-eating grin on his face as my eyes scanned the screen. Even Kalo seemed in on the joke, licking my shoulder, and I just tossed the phone back to him and crossed my arms. “You’re an asshole.”
“Is that a Gemini thing, too?”
I tried to fight it, biting my lip so hard I left an indent, but in the end I gave into a loud laugh, one that rolled through me in a mixture of embarrassment and amusement. “Jerk.”
Emery laughed, too, before tapping my chin gently with his knuckle. “Hey, you say you’re an Aquarius, I believe you. No judgement. To each their own.”
“Mmm-hmm.”
“I’m serious,” he said, and his eyes were more sincere then. “And for the record, you’re not stupid for having dreams and taking crazy risks just to see if you can make them happen.” He swallowed. “You’re brave. And you’re living. That’s more than most people can say.”
There was an honesty so real it hurt under that last sentence, his amber eyes searching mine, his hands tightening on the steering wheel. I wanted to ask him if he was living, if he had dreams, too.
But I didn’t get the chance.
Suddenly, Emery’s eyes narrowed, like something felt off, and as soon as he looked back to the road, there was a loud pop. I screamed like I’d just been set on fire. Kalo jumped from her spot, ducking behind Emery’s seat, and my heart raced in my ears as the car thumped along with the smell of burnt rubber assaulting my nose.
“Shit,” Emery mumbled, pulling off onto the shoulder. I was still trying to calm down when we finally stopped and he jumped out, jogging over to my side of the car and cursing again. “We blew a tire.”
Cars and trucks were still whizzing by us, each one rocking the car with force. I grabbed Kalo’s leash and we both got out, too, surveying the damage. The rubber on the back passenger tire was completely shredded, the car resting most of its weight on the bum leg. I sighed, peering up at Emery, who was already typing out a number on his phone from a card he held in his hand.
“Who are you calling?” I asked.
“Roadside assistance.”
I nodded, Kalo plopping down in the long, overgrown grass next to me. “What are we going to do now?”
Emery went to answer me but then paused, his call being connected to a human being. Once he was finished telling the person where we were located, he tucked his phone back in his pocket.
“They’ll be here in about thirty minutes or so, closest shop is right off that next exit, so we shouldn’t be too far behind.”
“And then what?”
Emery looked at me like the answer was obvious, shrugging his shoulders. “We grab dinner at a weird diner while they fix the tire.”
“But we have to pay them,” I pointed out.
“That’s usually how that works.”
“Okay, so…” I waited for him to connect the dots, but he didn’t. “We have to earn some money. We’ve got to do something crazy and weird to get back on the road, like how the girls in Crossroads did the karaoke contest.”
Emery watched me with a blank stare, blinking twice before he threw his head back in a laugh.
“I’m serious!” I defended, smacking his arm.
“I have my parents’ credit card, Little Penny. We’re fine.”
I scoffed. “But we can’t just charge it. That’s no fun, it goes against all the road trip rules.”
“Rules?”
“Yes, rules!” I started counting on the fingers on my right hand, tapping each one with my left. “Survive on potato chips and beef jerky, never pick up hitchhikers, and if you break down, figure out some crazy way to make the cash and get back on the road.”
“None of those are real.”
“They’re unwritten.”
Emery laughed, crossing one arm over his chest and balancing his elbow on it, hand finding his smooth chin. “It’s just a tire. It’ll take maybe two hours to fix, and that’s only if they have to go somewhere to pick up a part. And it’ll be like three-hundred dollars max.”
“Your point?”
He couldn’t stop smiling at me. “You’re not going to let this go, are you? You really just want to make this difficult.”
“The rules, Emery.”
I didn’t say his name often, and the sound of it, the way it felt rolling off my tongue made me pause, my eyes flashing to his, cheeks warming when I saw the same pause in him.
He tucked his hands in his pockets, looking down at Kalo before his eyes surveyed the car and the highway again. After a moment, he turned back to me, shaking his head with his signature smirk creeping out. “Fine. What’s our next move, game maker?”
I squeaked, clapping my hands together in excitement as Kalo popped her head up to look at me. My heart deflated a little when I realized I didn’t actually have any idea of what our next move was, but then the universe sent a sign, as it so often does.
My eyes locked on the billboard behind Emery’s head and I grinned. “Let’s get the car to the shop, and then I have a plan.”
“This is insane,” Emery said again as he opened the door for us, guiding us under the large neon sign that read Big Earl’s Wing House.
“Scared?” I teased.
He rolled his eyes, letting me lead as we made our way to the hostess. She was a middle-aged woman who reminded me of Tammy, except this girl was a little more round, and a lot more smiley.
“Hey, y’all! Booth or table?”
“Actually, I have a question about your wing eating challenge,” I said, and Emery shook his head beside me. I narrowed my eyes at him before continuing. “Can you tell us a little more about it?”
“Sure!” She balanced the menus in her arms, opening one up to the wing challenge page and showing us what it entailed. “There are twenty-five wings total, each one dipped in one of our twenty-five famous sauces. You have to eat all of them — including the one rolled in our hottest sauce, Big Earl’s Inferno. And if you can do it, your meal is free. Plus, you get this t-shirt to brag to all your friends.” She pointed at a framed t-shirt behind her that said I survived Big Earl’s Wing Challenge and flashed us a wide smile. “So, booth or table?”
“Wait,” I said, trying to piece it all together. “So you eat all the wings and they’re free, if not you pay for the meal… is there any…” I looked to Emery, who was just grinning, and I knew he would be of absolutely zero help. “Is there a cash prize or anything?”
The hostess looked a little appalled by my question, her brows pulling inward. “No, sweetie. Just the t-shirt.”
I chewed my lip. “Just give us a minute.” When I turned back to Emery, he looked smug, and I glared at him before p
ulling him to the side.
“See? They don’t even pay if you can do it,” he said. “Let’s just grab dinner and put the charge on my card.”
“There’s got to be a way…” I tapped my chin with my finger, looking around us like I would find the answer from one of the other patrons in the restaurant, or from the hostess who was watching us closely now, one eyebrow hooked up high on her forehead.
“There is a way. We eat, go back to the shop, pay for the fix with my card, and go back to the hotel room — where we left your dog, might I add.”
“She’s fine. Watered, fed, walked, and probably sprawled out on my bed by now.”
“Still, they don’t have a cash prize. Might have to break the rules just this once,” he teased.
I sighed, pushing the breath through flat lips. It was all too easy, and not at all fun, but if they didn’t pay the winner of the contest, my idea was pretty much shot.
I was just about to give in when it hit me.
Maybe they won’t pay us if we win, but what if…
“Can I borrow this?” I asked the hostess, pointing to a white bucket filled with paper menus and crayons for kids.
She definitely thought I was insane.
“Uh, sure?” she said, her accent thick as she peered over her shoulder at the other hostess who had joined her, both of them shrugging.
“Thanks.” I grabbed the bucket and pulled the menus and crayons out, making sure they were neat and tidy on the side of the hostess stand before making my way toward an empty table right in the middle of the restaurant. Emery called out my name but I didn’t stop, so he followed, and my heart beat thick and fast in my throat as I climbed on top of an empty chair. I made sure I was balanced and sturdy on both legs and then I stood, booth after booth turning their attention to me.
“What are you doing?” Emery whisper-yelled at me through the corner of his mouth, but I ignored him, shaking slightly as I forced a smile.
“Ladies and gentlemen of Big Earl’s Wing House, may I have your attention for just a moment?”
Those who weren’t already staring at me paused, some of them mid-bite, some of them drinking beer from glasses shaped like cowboy boots, and all of them looking at me with curious eyes, including the hostess we’d left behind us.
I cleared my throat, wringing my already damp hands together. “My name is Cooper and this is my friend, Emery. Say hi, Emery.”
He waved, his smile tight as he watched me.
“Emery and I are on our way up to Washington, but our car broke down, and now we’re in a predicament trying to get back on the road.”
“No, we’re not,” Emery argued under his breath.
Again, I ignored him.
“Now I know you all have places to be, and I know the last thing you expected was some…” I laughed, gesturing to myself. “Some little girl from Alabama standing on a chair, asking for your help, but here I am.” A few people chuckled, and I used those laughs as fuel for hope. “Some of you may have heard of Big Earl’s Wing Challenge.”
Whistles and hollers rang out from various booths, others looking around confused. I could tell just from that who the locals were and who was passing through.
“Well, my friend Emery here is ready to take the challenge. But,” I added, holding up one finger. “That all depends on y’all. You see, right now you’re just getting dinner — which is great, I can tell just from the way it smells — but for a small donation to get us back on the road, you could have dinner and a show.” I glanced down at Emery before holding up my hand to hide my mouth from him, pretending to whisper, but loud enough that everyone could hear. “And between you and me, Emery here’s a wuss, so it would definitely be a good show.”
More laughs surrounded us as Emery crossed his arms over his chest, shaking his head at me, though I saw the smile he hid.
“So, what do you say, folks?” I hollered, standing straighter and holding the empty bucket into the air. “Are we going to have to hitchhike our way across the great US of A, or are y’all ready for a show?”
I expected a roaring round of applause and cheers, but instead I was met with silence, someone coughing near the front door as everyone else looked around, most of them avoiding my eyes. My cheeks flushed red with heat and I glanced at Emery, who was still shaking his head.
He was right. This was insane.
Emery reached a hand up, ready to help me down from the chair as I offered an embarrassed smile to the ones still looking at me. But just as I stepped down, a loud whistle came from the back of the restaurant.
Emery and I both turned, along with the rest of the joint, to find an older man seated in the far back booth holding up a twenty-dollar bill in his hands. He wore a Navy Veteran hat and a grin.
“Let’s get him a bib, boys.”
His buddies cheered, all of them digging into their wallets for cash, too.
And that’s all it took.
Every booth joined in on the cheers as the hostesses cleared off a table in the center, seating Emery down and prepping the table with wet naps. I took the bucket through the crowd, gathering the cash as Emery watched me. I gave him a thumbs up sign with smile too big for my face as I held up the bucket for him to see. He just laughed, tucking the bib they handed him into his shirt with a promise for paybacks on his lips.
Twenty wings in, Emery hated me.
The entire restaurant was gathered around him, chanting his name and promising him beers to celebrate the win. His beautiful lips were slathered in different colored sauces, his hands covered in the same, and his eyes were murderous on me, though he was still smiling.
“Come on, guys. Keep up the energy!” I encouraged, and more people chanted his name as he picked up the twenty-first wing, getting hotter with each bite as he neared the Inferno.
“This is impossible,” he said when he finished that one, staring at the four left in the basket in front of him. “My mouth is on fire.”
His eyes were red and watery, his shoulders slumped until the guy with the Navy hat clapped him on the back and rubbed some life back into those shoulders.
“Come on, kid! You can do it!”
The crowd cheered with him, and I just laughed as Emery shot more daggers straight at my forehead.
He cursed.
He screamed.
He nearly cried.
But by God, he did it.
When he opened his mouth and showed the last of the twenty-fifth wing was gone, the restaurant erupted into a battle cry of sorts as two waitresses rushed in, one with a tall glass of milk to ease the burn and the other with his victory t-shirt. They snapped a picture of him with us all standing around, and even though I knew he was hurting, he smiled through it all.
When the pictures were taken and the chaos died down, I stood on the chair again, thanking the crowd. They all wished us well, and when Emery helped me down from the chair, he didn’t say a word, but he watched me with a mixture of awe and hatred.
“You did great,” I tried, nudging him with my elbow. “Wear that t-shirt with pride.”
A short, almost silent laugh came from his lips, but his eyes were still on mine, something there that wasn’t before. “You’re something else, you know that?”
I blushed, hands reaching back to pull my hair over one shoulder. Before I could answer, the man in the Navy hat who’d started it all came up beside us.
“Thanks for a fun evening,” he said, his voice low and gravelly. “I’m John, by the way. I frequent this place, so if you ever come back through town again, make sure you stop in to say hi.”
Emery nodded, reaching out to shake John’s hand. “Will do, sir. Thanks again for supporting our crazy idea.”
He laughed. “You kids remind me of my younger days. This is the stuff life is made of. Don’t blink, or you’ll miss it, and wake up seventy-two and grumpy.”
Emery and I exchanged glances, sharing a smile between us before turning back to John. His eyes were old and kind, eyes that had seen more th
an we could even imagine.
“Thank you for your service, too, by the way,” I added, nodding to his hat.
“It was my honor. I actually wondered… did you serve, too?” His eyes fell to my prosthetic leg, the one hidden under my jeans, one obviously not hidden to him.
“Uh, no sir,” I stammered, face red again as I braided my hair with shaky fingers.
John’s brows furrowed. “Well, losing a limb isn’t something you should be ashamed of, my dear. You’re beautiful and you’ve got a good spirit about you. I don’t know what happened, but you should show that scar off with pride. Most people wouldn’t be such a ray of light after something like that.”
Emery was watching me now, and I felt his understanding click into place as John patted my shoulder with a strong hand.
“Take care, you two. Be safe.”
“We will,” Emery murmured, his eyes still on me. “Thank you again, John. Have a great night.”
I waved to John with my embarrassment still on full display as Emery guided us back out into the parking lot. The hotel we booked was connected, and we walked in silence most of the way. I was waiting for it, for the question, the pity, the new way he would look at me now that he knew. But when we were almost to the hotel, the teal doors connecting the rooms to the outside coming into view, he nudged me.
“I can’t believe you actually pulled that off.”
A small sigh left my lips, relief washing over me. Maybe he hadn’t picked up on it. “Me? You’re the one covered in wing sauce.”
He glanced down at his shirt, various stains still showing regardless of the bib he’d worn. He grinned. “Worth it. But I’ve decided that you owe me.”
“That’s fair,” I conceded with a laugh. “How much did the shop say it would cost to fix the tire?”
“After labor, we’re looking at just under four hundred dollars.”
It was my turn to smile. “Well, we raised a little over five, so it looks like we got the tire covered and breakfast.”
“You going to eat a hundred dollars of pancakes?” Emery challenged, one brow rising as we dipped around the back of the hotel toward our room.
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