Would Jenny or some other member of his family be in danger?
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Hugh had forgotten to pull the window shades before bed. The dawning sun bored straight through his windshield, insisting he wake up. At the same time, Charlie stirred above him. Hugh would bet she hadn’t slept well, unaccustomed as she would be to such a different environment.
He got out of his bed first, and told Charlie to hop on down. They’d go to the truck plaza for the restrooms and coffees.
“I’ve got hard-boiled eggs here for us for breakfast. Would that be OK with you?”
“Sure. I like eggs.”
The mood in the truck was considerably less tension-filled than it had been yesterday evening. Hugh hadn’t worked out exactly what he would do about this strange situation thrust upon him by Charlie and her co-conspirators. But he was confident they had arrived at an unspoken, but mutual, agreement during their conversation last night.
They walked together to the plaza. Hugh and Charlie both keeping an eye out for any sign of William or Kent stalking them.
“We need time to talk, but I need to get on the road. So, I guess you are staying with me for a while,” Hugh said. “As long as we can agree you are no longer working undercover for the client, or as an investigative reporter for the newspaper either for that matter.”
“Hugh, believe me. That’s over. Both of those things.”
“Good to hear.”
“And besides, I’m finding out you really are a decent guy.”
“Yeah, that’s what all my female hitchhikers say.”
“No. Really. You didn’t have to stop to help me during the fake-kidnap thing. You didn’t have to take on two guys like that. So, thank you. And if I can do anything to make this better, please let me know.”
They were having this conversation as they walked back to the truck from the plaza.
They sipped their coffees and ate hard-boiled eggs. As soon as they were finished, Hugh performed his pre-trip, cranked up the engine, and pulled out of the truck parking area.
Neither of them had noticed the two men in a van watching them drive away. If Hugh or Charlie had spotted them, they would have seen the driver make a thumb’s up gesture to the other guy.
Hugh got on the I-15 freeway going south, then immediately took the Bruce Woodbury Beltway exit to cut across North Las Vegas to hook up with Highway 95 North.
“A Walmart is down the road here a little way,” Hugh told Charlie. We could stop there if you like, if you need to pick up anything. I know you don’t have anything, especially a change of clothes, toiletries and such.”
“I’ve got my new toothbrush,” she said, as she held up the toothbrush she had bought at the truck plaza.
“If you can hold off on stopping before we park tonight, we’ll be staying at the Walmart in Susanville. It’s exactly halfway to Portland, which is our destination. There isn’t an actual truck stop in the area, but the Susanville Walmart has a huge parking area, and the manager allows trucks to park overnight if they arrive late and leave early.
“I’m good,” Charlie said. “I can wait.”
“We’ll hit Portland the night after, and our deliveries are first thing the following morning.”
In answer to the questioning look Charlie gave him, Hugh told her he’ll take her all the way to Portland, where it would be easier for her to catch a flight back to Boise.
“We need to talk some more. I’ve been thinking we could come up with something that could help both of our tricky situations.”
Hugh was still not used to the idea he was holding a conversation with the hated reporter Charlie, who was now sitting in Jenny’s seat in place of Jenny. He had to admit, though, he appreciated the Charlie he was talking to right now compared to the Charlie he and Jenny had known before.
“Speaking of Jenny,” Hugh said. He caught Charlie’s look, and shrugged his shoulders. “I need to call her and let her know what’s going on.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea? I mean, telling her I am riding in your truck?”
“I don’t know what kind of relationships you’ve had, but Jenny and I don’t play games with each other. We’ve been through a lot more in the past couple of months than most people ever have, and we have a strong bond because of it.”
Hugh put on his Bluetooth headset. At least Jenny’s side of the conversation would be private.
“Call Jenny,” he told the headset.
“Hey, honey.” Jenny answered sweetly on the first ring. “I was hoping to hear from you today. How is it going? Miss me yet?”
Boy did he. More than she could know.
Hugh looked at Charlie. She couldn’t hear Jenny’s part of the conversation, but he wasn’t comfortable with her hearing his part either. He decided to get right to it. Break the bad news.
“Honey, I’ve got to tell you something.”
“Uh, oh.”
“Honey, listen, I need to tell you …”
“Hugh. Spit it out.” Jenny was using her impatient voice.
“Honey. Charlie is in the truck with me right now.”
Silence.
“Hi, Jenny,” Charlie spoke loudly so Jenny could hear her through Hugh’s microphone. “It’s me.”
“Did I hear what I thought I heard,” Jenny said, with more than a little anger in her voice.
“Yes, honey. It’s true. And I can explain.”
“Don’t honey me, buster. And you’d better have a damn good explanation. Like she fell out of the sky from an airplane and accidentally landed in your truck. That kind of explanation.” Jenny was
