Her eyes were glued to him as he covered up his beautiful chest.
“Wish I had time for a quick shower but we’re so far behind schedule that I can’t waste another minute right now. I’ve got to make it to the truck stop before dark since I have a headlight out. No, don’t touch that,” he told the baby as little Maggie grabbed for his soiled shirt. He snatched it up and shoved it inside another compartment, slamming closed the door. “You thirsty?” he asked Tuesday, opening the small fridge and pulling out an energy drink. “All I have is this or water.”
“Those drinks are no good for you.”
“Really.” He handed her a cold bottle of water and slammed the fridge. “They sure help me stay awake, so I guess I don’t care. We’re so far behind schedule that I’ll need several of them, since it doesn’t look like I’ll be doing much sleeping in the next few days.” He popped open the top and took a deep draw. She watched like a deer in the headlights as his throat moved back and forth and he drank down the whole thing before smashing the can and burping out loud. “Oh, sorry about that,” he said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “I keep forgetting I have company.” He reached into the fridge and pulled out a second bottle of water and cracked it open.
“You’re going to drink that now, too?” she asked in shock.
“Don’t be silly. This is for Burrito.” He held an empty dog bowl up and tilted the bottle and Burrito licked at the water before it ever hit the bowl. “You ready to go?” he asked, pouring a little more water in the dog’s bowl, capping the top and sticking the bottle back in the fridge. She’d have to remember not to put her mouth on that one now.
“Well?” he asked, looking directly at her.
“Oh, you’re talking to me,” she said, pulling Maggie onto her lap. “I thought you were talking to the dog. Sure, I’m ready, but let me strap Maggie into her seat first. Then I think I’ll make another bathroom visit to the tree, since it doesn’t sound as if you’ll be stopping much.”
“The tree?” He made a face. “Why don’t you just use the toilet? I’ll start driving while you take care of things back here.” He turned to go.
“Wait. What toilet? You’re joking, right?”
He looked at her like she had two heads. Then he reached over to a door that she hadn’t been able to open and yanked on it hard. “It tends to get stuck so you have to really pull,” he told her, opening the door and holding out his hand.
She got up and peered inside. To her surprise, there wasn’t only a toilet in the small compartment, but also a showerhead right over the commode. “You weren’t kidding about the shower. Or the toilet,” she said in shock. “This place has everything, doesn’t it?”
“It should since it’s my home away from home.” He chuckled. “I paid more than a house for it, and it is my pride and joy.”
“Oh. I’ll bet that deer wrecking your new truck is very upsetting to you.”
“I’ll get it fixed. Don’t worry. I’ve got all the comforts of home here, Twiggy. And when it’s time to sleep, I’ve got a queen size bed that pulls out from the wall. Of course, I’ll have to fold up the table first in order to open it.”
“Queen size bed?” She wondered why it wasn’t a single, then decided she didn’t want to know. “Wait a minute. If you had a toilet on the truck, why did you tell me to use a tree earlier?”
“I was only joking about it, and thought you knew about the toilet,” he laughed. “Since Burrito was using a tree, I said the same thing to you, but never thought you’d actually do it. Didn’t you see the bathroom earlier when you rearranged all my belongings?”
“Obviously not,” she answered, now feeling like a fool. Once again, Cal Reeves had played a prank on her, and she had fallen for it.
“Oh, and by the way, you can continue to play with the baby as I drive. It’s safe back here, and she really can’t sit in the car seat for the next eight hours.”
“Eight hours? We’re traveling all that way today? Without stopping?”
“I’ll have to stop when it gets dark, since one of my headlights is broken. I figure we’ll have just enough sunlight to make it to the truck stop. I’ll be able to replace the bulb there.”
“What about food?”
“You got all those jars of baby food, so it should keep Maggie happy. Use the microwave to warm it up for her, or put it in a pot on the stove.”
“But . . . aren’t you hungry? We need to eat, too.”
“I don’t normally eat until I stop driving to take a rest. But if you’re hungry, I have a few leftovers in the fridge so help yourself.” He reached back into the fridge, unwrapping a burrito. She thought he was going to give it to her but, instead, he put it in another bowl on the floor and the dog gobbled it down. “Just be sure to never eat the burritos. Those are for the dog.”
“What kind of food do you have?” she asked, opening the fridge and peering inside.
“I think there is some leftover spicy chili with onions and half a bean burger in there.”
“Beans and onions?” she groaned. “I was hoping for a salad.”
“Nope. Don’t eat greens. I do have some canned goods so help yourself to whatever you find. I was planning on making a trip to the grocery store, but there’s no time now. Twiggy, I’ve really got to get back on the road.”
He pulled back out on the highway before Tuesday had a chance to even grab Maggie. She looked back to the small table with a bench on each side. That is where Cal had jury-rigged a seat belt for her car seat. He was right in saying they couldn’t keep the baby sitting there without moving for the next eight hours, so she decided to just hold on to her and try to feed her instead.
It was actually a pretty smooth ride, and Maggie didn’t crawl yet, so she stayed put.
“I think I’ll stay back here for a while with the baby,” she called out, but he couldn’t hear her over the loud music he played. Burrito licked the food off his lips and looked up at her with big, curious eyes.
“Oh, go on and sit up front. He’ll pay more attention to you than he will to me anyway.”
The dog jumped up and shot up to the front seat – the seat that was his that Tuesday had recently stolen.
“Oh, there you are, Buddy,” she heard Cal say to the dog. She saw him reach out and scratch Burrito’s ears as he drove. With his head turned, Tuesday could see he wore a pair of dark sunglasses, and it made him look sexy. “Too many girls back there for you?” Cal asked the dog. “You can stay up here with me and look out the window. I know how much you like to watch for cows.”
Tuesday giggled softly, thinking that Cal had a soft heart under his gruffness after all. She had a feeling that he’d be a good dad to Maggie. Ever since they hit the deer, it had seemed to jolt him. He’d somehow embraced the idea of being the baby’s protector instead of constantly pushing her away.
“Well, Maggie, it’s just you and me for now,” she said, pulling out a jar of baby food and opening the lid. She popped it into the microwave for a few seconds, just to warm it. After feeding the baby, she decided to try to find something to eat. All Cal had was junk food and canned pasta with meat. None of it was edible in her opinion. She picked up a jar of the baby’s fruit, shrugged her shoulders and sighed. “I know he’ll stop if you need more food, although I’m not sure he’d do it for me. Oh, well,” she said, using the baby spoon to scoop out the fruit and have her lunch.
Chapter 7
It had been hours and, still, Tuesday did nothing to try to sit up front with Cal again. He had been keeping an eye on her in the rearview mirror. She played with Maggie, then fed her and changed her. She even read her a story from a kid’s book that they must have bought at the store since it wasn’t his. He swore now he even heard her singing!
Wanting to hear her voice, he reached out and turned off the radio. Sure enough, the sound of soft, angelic singing came floating on the air from behind him. Burrito whimpered a little, before putting his nose between his paws.
“I think it
sounds nice. Don’t give me that attitude,” he told the dog.
“Did you say something?” Twiggy called out.
“No. Just talking to the dog,” he answered, first realizing that he was so relaxed because the baby hadn’t cried once since they got back on the road.
“Oh, ok,” she told him, and he saw in the mirror that she stifled a yawn.
“What’s the baby doing?” he asked her.
“She fell asleep so I put her back in the car seat and strapped her in.”
“Are you tired?” he called back to her.
“No, I’m fine.”
“Why don’t you come up front and we can talk?”
Silence. Then she finally answered. “I don’t think Burrito would approve of that.”
“Burrito, go on in back and keep an eye on the baby,” he said in a low voice. The dog’s ears perked up and he shot off the seat and headed to the sleeper compartment of the truck. “The seat’s all yours, Twiggy,” he shouted, surprised when he realized she was standing right behind him.
“Don’t shout. You’ll wake up the baby.”
“Sorry.”
She took her seat and fastened the seat belt.
“Did you find something to eat?” he asked.
“Sure,” she answered. “And by the way, we’ll need to make another stop for baby food soon because we are running low.”
“Running low? Already? We had at least a good two dozen jars of baby food.”
“Not anymore.” She looked out the side window with no expression at all on her face.
“Oh, hell. Don’t tell me –”
“Well, there was nothing else to eat and you didn’t seem to want to stop.”
“If you need food, just tell me and I’ll pull through a drive-thru.”
“I don’t eat that kind of food. Besides, I’m no longer hungry, thank you.”
This wasn’t going well at all. Cal decided that he was going to have to make a stop soon or she was going to give him the cold shoulder for the rest of the day.
“I know of a diner just up ahead with a big salad bar. Would you like me to stop there?”
“I wouldn’t want to inconvenience you by putting you behind schedule.”
He was already so late that it was ridiculous. He supposed pulling off the main road to grab a salad wasn’t going to be the end of the world. “I’ll tell you what. Since I need to get to the truck stop before dark to fix the headlight, all I have time for is to run in and get some food. We’ll have to eat it in the truck.”
“That’s fine.”
“Then that is what we’ll do.”
Ten minutes later, he pulled off the road and into the parking lot of the diner he’d told her about. “Let’s make it fast,” he told her, already opening the door.
“Wait, I’m not going to leave the baby alone,” she protested.
“Maggie’s sleeping and the doors will be locked. Besides, Burrito will watch her.”
“No. I just don’t feel good about it.”
“All right then.” He got back in the truck, digging into his pocket and handing her his credit card. “Get me one of those hero sandwiches and a cola while you’re in there, will you? The largest drink cup size they have.”
“Are you sure you don’t want a salad? It is much healthier, you know.”
“Twiggy, you’re not going to change me, no matter how hard you try, so stop it.”
“I’m doing no such thing.”
“Really? After all, ever since we started this trip, you’ve been telling me what to do and what not to do.”
“No, I haven’t.”
He lifted a brow. “Just make it fast. I’ll let the dog pee while you’re in there, and then we need to get back on the road. Do you need help getting out of the truck?”
“No, of course not,” she said. She got out of the truck and looked back up at him. “Don’t go far from the truck if you’re leaving the baby inside while the dog does his dirt.”
“What did you say?” He raised his brow again and, by the look on her face, she must have realized he was right in what he had accused her of doing. After all, she was giving him orders again.
“I’m only looking out for Maggie.”
“I know that, but I’m her guardian and her father now,” he explained. “Do you really think I’d do anything that would put her in danger?”
“No. Of course not,” she said and flashed a smile. “I’ll be right back.”
Twenty minutes later, Cal drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, watching the sun starting to set. It was going to take at least another hour to get to the truck stop, and it wasn’t safe driving with just one headlight in the dark. Not to mention, he’d most likely get fined if he didn’t replace the bulb.
“Damn it, Twiggy, where are you?” he growled, looking out the window again. Then the baby started crying and the dog joined in howling and all the peace he’d experienced these past few hours went out the window in a flash. Cal was back to being stressed out again. “What the hell?” he spat, finally seeing Twiggy coming back to the truck. She carried a bag filled to the top in her arm, and two large drinks on a tray clasped in her other hand. His credit card dangled in between her fingers.
Cal jumped out of the truck and hurried around to the passenger side to open the door for her. “This looks like a lot more than just a salad and sandwich,” he told her.
“I ordered a few extra meals to have in the fridge so you won’t have to make a stop for food tomorrow.”
“Oh. I guess that’s a good idea.” He took his card and shoved it in his pocket, then grabbed the bag and drinks from her. She clutched the bar on the side of the truck and pulled herself up onto the seat.
“Here, give me the drinks,” she said, reaching for them. He gave them to her and then closed her door and walked around to his side.
“Something smells good in here,” he said, peeking into the bag and feeling his stomach growling. “Did you get two hero sandwiches? I’ll share them with Burrito.”
“Doesn’t that dog ever eat chow?” She gripped the bag and took it to the back of the truck and started to talk to Maggie to calm her down.
“Burrito doesn’t think he’s a dog, and doesn’t like chow. He likes whatever I happen to be eating.” Cal didn’t wait for her to get settled. He pulled out of the parking space, hearing her stumbling a little trying to keep balance as he moved.
“Can’t we take a minute to eat before you get back on the road?” she asked.
“No. I’ve already lost too much time. Just bring my sandwich and cola up here and I will eat as I’m driving.”
“Just a minute.”
He heard a lot of rustling paper and then she finally made her way to the front and handed him a wrapped sandwich and a drink.
“Thanks,” he said, taking a sip and making a face. “Twiggy, I think you gave me the wrong drink. This tastes like tea.”
“It is,” she answered, going back to take care of the baby and get her food. “It’s healthier for you than that sugary soda.”
“This doesn’t even taste like it’s sweetened.” He made tasting motions with his mouth and look at the cup blankly.
“It’s not. That wouldn’t be healthy.”
“I don’t want to be healthy,” he mumbled, using one hand to pull back the paper on his sandwich. At least he had this. He took a big bite and groaned. “I don’t suppose I got the wrong sandwich?”
“Nope.” She brought a Styrofoam container and a drink cup to the front, stopping behind the chair where the dog sat. “It’s an avocado and tuna salad wrap.”
“Don’t tell me. Much healthier.”
“That’s right. Can I sit down?”
“Burrito, in the back,” he commanded, causing the dog to get up and leave. “Take this,” he told the dog holding out the damned healthy wrap. The dog sniffed it curiously, not sure what to think about it, but finally took it in the back to eat it.
“What are you doing?” Twiggy sat down
with her food on her lap and put on her seat belt.
“I don’t like fish. I told you to get a hero sandwich. Lunchmeat. Didn’t you understand?”
“Sorry,” she said, her bottom lip pouting as she opened her container and stared down at her salad. “I was just trying to be helpful.”
“You were hired to take care of the baby, not me. I don’t need taking care of.”
“Mmmph,” she mumbled, using her plastic fork and taking a dainty bite of her salad.
“What else do you have in back? Any real food?”
“I got another salad like this one, and a veggie wrap.”
His eyes roamed over to her salad. “Does the salad have meat on it?”
“Just grilled chicken,” she told him. “Do you want me to go back and get the other one out of the fridge for you?”
“No.” He shook his head and kept his eyes on the road. “I can’t eat a salad while I’m driving. That’s why I like sandwiches. I can hold them in one hand.”
“Well, you can share mine then.”
“Don’t bother.”
“You’ve got to eat. Here, open up.”
When he turned his head, he was surprised to see her holding out a forkful of salad with a piece of chicken on top. He opened his mouth to talk and she slipped the food inside. He closed his mouth and she slid the fork out – a seductive action whether she realized it or not.
“Good?” she asked, scooping up food and taking a bite as well.
“Not bad. I guess” He licked his lips.
“Oh, you have dressing on your chin. Let me get it.” She blotted his face with a napkin and held out more food for him. If he wasn’t starved out of his mind, he never would have eaten salad. She was feeding him much the same way she fed the baby and he didn’t like it. He wasn’t a child. He wasn’t helpless.
“Drink?” she asked, holding up his iced tea with the straw by his lips.
“I got it,” he said, snatching it from her and sucking down the tasteless, vile drink, trying to wash the thought from his mind that maybe part of him liked her waiting on him in this manner. He’d been alone for so long that he wasn’t used to being pampered. Even when he was in between runs and back at the ranch with Shelby, she never gave him half the amount of attention that Twiggy was giving him right now. Hell, Shelby didn’t care what he ate and he was the one who had to plan the meals and cook since she was too damned lazy to do it.
Trucker Daddy (Working Man Series Book 3) Page 10