Lonely Road to You (Class of '85)

by Jannine Gallant

  “I don’t have to.”

  “You want to rent one in Butte instead?” Her voice rose slightly. “We’ll be there in less than an hour.”

  “I was thinking I don’t really need to rent a car at all. We’re both headed to Summerville; why not travel together?”

  Her hands tightened on the steering wheel. “The reunion is a week away. I was planning to make a lot of stops between here and New York.”

  “Me, too. I actually have a campground reservation in Yellowstone for tonight. I got lucky and scooped up a cancellation. We could be there before dark.”

  When Kate bit her lip, he wondered why he was pushing her. He didn’t know this woman, but he liked her. A lot. She sparked his curiosity and made him want to learn more about her. He wanted to find out why her marriage had failed. He wanted to know why she hadn’t remarried. He was even tempted to tell her a little about his past. About Sophie.

  “Why in the world would you want to spend a week with me? If you think because I like your music I’ll jump into bed with you, you’re mistaken.”

  “I swear the thought never crossed my mind.”

  Sure, he’d speculated, wondering if her very proper exterior hid a secret fire. But he hadn’t for a moment believed she would assuage his curiosity.

  “I just thought it would be more fun to see the countryside together than alone. We’ve been getting along just fine, and I didn’t see even one country western CD in your collection.” He smiled. “That would have definitely been a deal breaker.”

  Kate laughed. “I have enjoyed your company. Let me think about it.”

  “Sure. We have nothing but time.”

  ****

  As Bozeman loomed closer, Kate still hadn’t made a decision. She glanced over at Tyler who hummed along with Bono singing about one love while his long fingers stroked Lucy’s unruly fur. The dog decided to take up residence on his lap about fifty miles back, and he still hadn’t kicked her off. The fact that he liked dogs in general, Lucy in particular, was a point in his favor. He earned more points for not complaining when she needed to stop for a restroom break. Then there was his soft crooning to whatever music he slipped into the CD player. His voice melted her insides into a gooey puddle. Big points for the voice—not the effect on her internal organs.

  Her tendency to quake with a bad case of lust every time he smiled at her was the real reason she held back. As much as she wanted to spend more time with him, she was petrified that after a week of his company her heart would be torn to shreds when they parted ways. There was also the lurking fear she would make a complete fool of herself and give in to the temptation to jump his bones. Not that he was interested. He’d made it pretty clear she was resistible. The knowledge irritated her more than it should have.

  “If that Suburban is annoying you so much, pass it.”

  Kate glanced at him blankly. “What?”

  He nodded at the big SUV in front of them. “You were scowling at it something fierce.”

  She felt her cheeks heat. “I was thinking about something else.”

  He shifted, settling Lucy more comfortably across his lap. “We’re about ten minutes from Bozeman.”

  She bit her lip. “You’re planning to camp in Yellowstone tonight?”

  “Yep, I’ve got a super light tent packed in my duffel.” His hands stilled on Lucy’s fur. “Oh, damn!”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “My sleeping bag. I forgot all about it. It must have flown off my bike when I crashed into you.”

  “I didn’t see it anywhere on the road.”

  He shrugged. “I can replace it in Bozeman, and we can get a bag for you, too. I wasn’t planning to cook, but we could buy a camp stove and a few groceries. It’ll be fun.”

  His enthusiasm was contagious. It had been years since Kate had been camping, but she’d always enjoyed sitting around a campfire watching the stars. Ben and Josh had made a game of picking out the constellations.

  “It does sound fun.”

  “Come on, Kate. You’re not going to toss me out at the first Hertz agency we see, are you?”

  She was nearly forty-three years old and had never taken a real risk. Maybe it was time.

  She glanced over at him and smiled. “I guess car pooling to New York would be the green thing to do.”

  “That’s the spirit. We’re going to have a blast. I promise.” He sat up straighter, and the dog moaned in protest. “Take the next exit. There’s a shopping mall just off the freeway. It's bound to have a sporting goods store.”

  Kate checked traffic and pulled into the right hand lane in front of an old pickup with a camper as the exit approached. They found the shopping mall without difficulty and an hour later were back on the road, the proud owners of two sleeping bags, a Coleman stove and small cooler, a set of camp dishes and two bags of groceries.

  Tyler rubbed his hands together. “I can’t wait to roast marshmallows tonight.”

  She shook her head. “You’re worse than Josh.”

  “Josh is your son?”

  “Yep, he just turned eighteen.” She pushed a stray wisp of hair behind her ear and swallowed. “He’ll be off to college in the fall.”

  “Does your ex live near you?”

  “About a half hour away depending on traffic. Ben is remarried and has a four-year-old daughter.”

  “Why haven’t you remarried?”

  She lifted one shoulder. “I needed time to learn to rely on myself. Ben and I got married right out of college, so I never had an opportunity to live on my own and be the responsible adult in the household. I’ve enjoyed my independence, but it’ll be different with Josh gone. What about you?”

  “I have a ranch in northern Montana. It isn’t huge, but it keeps me busy.”

  “Does your daughter live with you?”

  He hesitated for a long moment before answering. “Sophie lives in Arizona with her mother. She visits me on a few holidays and for the month of July.”

  Kate glanced over, saw his grip on the water bottle in his hand tighten. “That must be tough.”

  “It isn’t enough, but at least it’s something.”

  “Your daughter is ten?”

  He nodded. “I suppose you’re wondering why the press wasn’t all over it when she was born.”

  “The thought crossed my mind. That was around the time you quit touring, wasn’t it?”

  “Yeah. Felicia and I planned to get married after the baby was born. Sophie wasn’t exactly planned, and we kept Felicia’s pregnancy pretty quiet. Of course a few people knew, one too many as it turned out.”

  The empty water bottle crumpled in his grip. This was not the smiling man she’d come to know over the last twenty-four hours. The look in his blue eyes made her shiver. “What happened?”

  “A roady, strung out on drugs and desperate for cash, kidnapped the baby while Felicia sat with her in the park.”

  “Oh my God.”

  “It was the worst few hours of my life. The man was a complete moron with a half-assed plan to hold the baby for ransom. Of course the whole thing fell apart, and we got Sophie back before she was harmed in any way. Still, it changed my life completely.”

  “I can’t even begin to imagine the terror you must have felt.” Her throat closed up and she blinked hard. “If anything ever happened to Josh—”

  “That ended it for me and Felicia. Our relationship wasn’t exactly rock solid to begin with. She took the baby and moved back home to live near her parents. She said she’d never feel safe if Sophie was within a hundred miles of me.”

  “It wasn’t your fault she was kidnapped.”

  “I felt like it was. I knew if I ever wanted to see my daughter and be a part of her life, I had to get out of the spotlight. I wasn’t willing to risk the possibility that something tragic might happen again. I wasn’t willing to risk Sophie.”

  “So you gave up your music.”

  He shrugged, and Kate saw a hint of a smile curve his lips. “I sti
ll play my guitar; I just sing to cows instead of fans.”

  “And in exchange you get to spend time with your daughter.”

  “Every minute I have with her is worth it. She was four before Felicia let me take her for even a weekend. I suppose I could have fought her in court, but I didn’t. The truth is, it took years before I felt safe having Sophie with me.”

  “How absolutely awful, but I can’t believe the story of her abduction didn’t come out when you disappeared from the public eye.”

  “I paid a lot of good money to make sure it didn’t. There’s our exit.”

  She left the interstate, following Highway 89 south toward Yellowstone. “We should reach the park in about an hour.”

  He nodded. “My reservation is at Canyon Campground, which is a ways farther. We should still be there by six.”

  “Perfect. Just in time to make dinner.”

  By unspoken consent they left personal revelations behind. Kate drove easily, enjoying the breeze in her face and the beautiful, open countryside. At the northern entrance to the park, Tyler paid the fee and they drove through the tall, brick Roosevelt Arch. He studied the map the ranger had given him.

  “It looks like we turn left at Mammoth Hot Springs. Do you want to stop there and check it out?”

  “Sure. I wouldn’t mind stretching my legs, but what about Lucy?” The dog stood with her front paws propped on the center counsel. Every now and then she shook her head as fur blew into her eyes.

  “She’s fine as long as we stay on the paved paths close to the road.” He reached out and rubbed her ears. “What the heck sort of mix is she?”

  “She was a stray Josh rescued, so I’m not one hundred percent sure. The vet thinks she’s a cross between an Irish setter, some sort of spaniel, and maybe a poodle.”

  “That would explain the red fur and the curls.”

  Kate smiled. “She’s unique. Oh, those must be the hot springs up ahead.”

  They drove past the visitor’s center and village area and pulled into a parking lot near the Main Terrace. Kate snapped Lucy’s leash to her collar and got out of the car, stretching to work the kinks out of her back. He came around to her side, using his crutch.

  “Spectacular, isn’t it?”

  She nodded, staring at the steam rising from the layers of multicolored ledges. Side by side they headed down the pathway. Tyler touched her bare arm, and a zing of awareness shot through her.

  “That squirrel looks like the one you drew,” he said, pointing at a rodent eating a piece of cracker.

  Lucy lunged against her leash, nearly pulling it from her grasp. “Leave the squirrel alone, Lucy. People should know better than to feed the wildlife,” she said in disgust.

  As usual, the dog ignored her. Tyler covered her hand with his and took the leash. They’d walked nearly a hundred yards before she had her breathing back under control. Having Tyler at her side added a new dimension to sightseeing. It wasn’t the old, comfortable feeling she’d shared with Ben. She felt sharper, edgier, more in tune with her surroundings. The colors were brighter, the smells more intense.

  “Should we go back?” he asked after they’d stopped at an overlook.

  She stuffed her camera into her purse and nodded. “I took some great shots, and I don’t think we want to tackle putting up a tent after dark.”

  “It’ll only take a few minutes. The tent isn’t very big.”

  Kate was wondering exactly how small it was when she turned to leave, nearly running into an older man. He stepped back, mumbling an apology, but his attention was focused on Tyler. He had his back to them, dragging Lucy away from a pile of rocks that had caught her interest.

  “I think that man recognized you,” she said, as they headed back down the trail.

  “What man?”

  “The older one with the long, gray ponytail. He could barely take his eyes off you.”

  “I didn’t see him.” He kicked at a loose stone. “I got used to fans screaming my name and asking for autographs when I was still on tour. Now I don’t even notice when someone stares.”

  “Do people still ask for your autograph?”

  “Sometimes, but I usually stick pretty close to home. Everyone knows me there.”

  “Do you miss it, Tyler, the crowds and the concerts?”

  “It’s strange, but I miss playing in bars and clubs more than the big venues. That was how I started, hanging out in clubs, playing for peanuts. It was a great feeling when people quit talking to listen to my music.”

  They reached the parking lot, and he loaded Lucy into the car before climbing inside and stowing the crutch. Kate backed out slowly, trying to avoid a pickup with a camper parked at an odd angle. “I swear I saw that same camper earlier today,” she said as she maneuvered around it.

  “This is Yellowstone. There are thousands of campers in the park.”

  “I suppose so.” She flipped on the blinker and turned out onto the road. “I can’t wait to set up camp. I’m starving.”

  He grinned. “We can snack on the bag of artery clogging chips you didn’t want me to buy.”

  “Break them out. A little junk food probably won’t kill me.” She was pretty sure that in the long run his smile would do a lot more damage to her heart than a few potato chips.

  Chapter Five

  Kate eased the toasted marshmallow off her stick and popped in into her mouth. She licked sticky sugar from her lips and leaned back against the picnic table. “Marshmallows and potato chips both in one day; you’re a bad influence, Tyler North.”

  “Believe it or not, I’ve been told that more than once.”

  “Oh, I believe it.”

  They’d set up camp in a grove of pole pines and fixed a simple dinner of stir fry veggies and chicken on the new Coleman stove. Sitting beside him with a campfire blazing at their feet and a sky full of stars overhead, Kate was too nervous to enjoy the beauty of the night. Her gaze strayed to the tiny tent staked out just beyond the fire pit. It was barely big enough to hold the two sleeping bags.

  She jumped to her feet. “I think I’ll go brush my teeth. I’ve definitely had enough sugar for one evening.”

  Lucy raised her head and thumped her tail before settling back down across Tyler’s old Birkenstocks.

  Flashlight in hand, Kate grabbed her overnight bag out of the car and followed the road through the campground to the bathrooms. She nodded to a couple of other women standing at the sinks, washed her face with cold water, brushed her teeth, and stared at her wavering reflection in the polished aluminum mirror. She had to get over this crazy nervousness around Tyler. Nothing was going to happen between them, and it was ridiculous to torture herself with what ifs. Taking a deep breath, she headed back outside.

  She heard the soft strumming of his guitar from several campsites away. The music carried through the still night air, each note crystal clear. It was the same melody he’d been working on earlier. She stopped and closed her eyes, absorbing the beauty of the sound. The last note faded, and she let out her breath in a shaky sigh.

  He looked up when she entered the campsite. “Ready for bed?”

  She nodded. “It’s been a long day.”

  “Go ahead and get settled. I’ll be along after I stow our food in the bear box.”

  “I can help,” she said, pausing beside him.

  “It’ll only take me a few minutes.” He held out his hand. “Let me have the keys, and I’ll lock up the car after I put away my guitar.”

  She fished the keys out of her jacket pocket and dropped them into his hand. While she changed into pajamas in the cramped tent, she listened to him securing the campsite. She heard the metal clang of the bear box and the whir of the convertible top as he raised it. Finally all was silent. She crawled into her sleeping bag and lay still, watching the glow from the dying campfire reflected on the tent walls. It was several long minutes before he unzipped the tent door.

  She pulled her legs back while he crept inside. Lucy followed. The dog tu
rned in a circle and settled down on the foot of her sleeping bag. She closed her eyes, heard him lower the zipper on his jeans and push the denim down his legs. She heard the rustle of his sweatshirt as he pulled it over his head. Nylon slid against bare skin in a whisper of sound as he settled into his sleeping bag.

  “This ground is as hard as a rock. Thank God you had a quilt in the car to put under us.”

  Kate smiled in the dark. “Camping is about roughing it.”

  He groaned. “I’m too old to rough it. I’m not going to be able to move in the morning. We should have invested in an air mattress.”

  She was glad they hadn’t. Sleeping on the same mattress seemed far more intimate than sleeping on the ground, even if there was less than a foot of space between them.

  “You’ll survive.”

  “Kate,” he said, his voice soft and low. “Why were you so jumpy this evening?”

  She tensed. “Was I jumpy?”

  He turned on his side to face her. “You know you were. Don’t you trust me?”

  She didn’t hesitate. “If I didn’t trust you, I wouldn’t be here right now.”

  “Then what’s the problem?”

  She stared at the shadows playing across the tent walls and tucked her knees up a little higher as Lucy stretched, taking up more space. “Maybe I don’t trust myself.”

  He was so quiet she could hear her heart pounding. Finally he reached out and touched the side of her face. His calloused finger ran down her cheek in a soft stroke that made her shudder.

  “Do you want something to happen between us?”

  “Part of me does.”

  She could hear the smile in his voice. “What part is that?”

  “The part that hasn’t had sex since before my divorce.”

  “How long ago was that?”

  “About six years.”

  He let out a breath. “Jesus.”

  “The same part that thought you were the sexiest boy who ever walked the halls of Summerville High. I had a huge crush on you twenty-five years ago.”

  “Why are you telling me this?” He sounded like he was strangling.

  “Because you asked, and I can’t spend the next week dancing around the subject.”