Truck Stop Tango

by Daniels, Krissy

  “Good. She got a call around nine, two nights ago. Find out who it came from.”

  “Sure thing,” he mumbled.

  In a momentary fit of insanity, I considered asking how Aida was getting along. Instead, I mumbled, “Thanks, Tito.”

  “How soon you need it?”

  “Yesterday.”

  “Give me an hour.”

  “That’s why I love you.”

  Only after I ended the call did I realize my palms were sweaty, despite the arctic breeze blasting from the vent. Slade would be pissed when I showed up. Probably cause a scene. But I wasn’t ready to give up. Sure as hell wasn’t going to run again.

  When I rolled into the Truck Stop’s gravel lot, my ticker dropped like a lead weight to my gut. Slade stood outside, next to a man in blue, who stood next to a police car. The back door of the diner hung crooked on its hinges. Charlie sat on a crate holding a towel to his head.

  I parked around front and made my way into the diner, surprised to find it was open and full of customers. I’d intended to head through the kitchen to find out what the fuck had happened, but another officer blocked the way, scribbling notes while Kim rambled about being the last one to arrive at work that morning.

  She turned and offered me a wink. “I’ll be right with you, Tango. Find a seat.”

  I wanted to question her, but the cop shot me a glare and tapped his pen on his notepad. I searched the room for a place to park my ass, and smiled when I spied a familiar face. Maurice sat at the same table he’d occupied every morning since Slade and I were kids. He’d aged some in the past six years, but his steely blue eyes and deep dimple remained the same.

  “What a surprise. Look at you, boy.” He chuckled, and rapped his knuckles on the end of the table.

  I took his trembling hand in my own and gave him a firm shake. “Maurice. Nice to see you.”

  “I knew I’d run into you again if I hung around long enough.”

  I’d always loved the guy. “Yeah. Took me awhile to find my way home. But here I am.” I settled into the seat across from him.

  “Last time we shared a table, you wanted advice about a ring.”

  “That’s right.” I’d wanted to marry Slade the day she turned eighteen. Maurice had encouraged me to wait until after college.

  “Did you ever buy it?”

  “No.” Shame clogged my throat. “Never got the chance.”

  His boney knuckles rapped the table. “I know, son. I know.”

  The redheaded waitress topped off Maurice’s coffee and poured a mug for me. “I’m sorry, boys. No breakfast this morning. The kitchen is out of commission for a bit.”

  “What happened?” I asked. “Slade okay?”

  “Everyone is fine. Charlie’s got a bump on his head. He came in early this morning and got clocked from behind, but he managed to wrestle them out the back door. Cops said he probably stopped a robbery in progress. Slade found him on the floor when she arrived.”

  Fuck. Every muscle in my body drew tight. Fists clenched under the table, I forced my rage to stay below the surface. It could’ve been Slade. What if she had arrived first? My body rumbled with unchecked anger. Keep your shit together, T. The last thing Slade needed was to see my monster. I was here to win her back, not scare the shit out of her.

  “The paramedics have come and gone already. Said Charlie was fine. The big lug refused to go home. Soon as the cops clear the kitchen, we’ll be up and running again.” Kim shot me a wink and left to attend her other customers.

  Maurice studied me for an uncomfortable spell with glassy eyes. “Slade is a good girl. Strong. Independent. Damn good mother. You don’t need to worry about her.”

  I almost laughed out loud. Was I that obvious? “I can’t help but worry.”

  “You love her,” he stated, his voice softening.

  Nothing like cutting straight to the chase. “Never stopped.”

  “Then what’s the problem? She loves you, too. Get her. Fight for her. You three belong together.”

  We three? That statement threw me back for a moment. I hadn’t considered that getting my girl back meant I’d be raising another man’s child, living with a constant reminder that I’d failed her. That was a heavy load to carry. “That’s exactly what I’m doing. I’m fighting, but she keeps pushing me away.”

  Maurice dropped his gaze to his coffee cup, wrapping both hands around the white porcelain. “She’s a tough cookie. Doesn’t want to depend on anyone, just like her mother. Don’t give up.”

  “Make no mistake,” I said, tapping my thumbs on the table. “I’ll break through her wall if it’s the last thing I do.”

  “You want answers. I get that.” He tilted his head, drawing his brows tight. “What happens if you don’t like what you find?”

  He knew something. Damn. I should’ve come to him sooner.

  “Maurice. If you had any idea who I’ve been working for, you’d understand there isn’t a damn thing Slade could tell me that would scare me away. I’ve seen it all. Heard it all. Done unforgivable shit. I’ve beaten men to the edge of death trying to wipe away the pain of losing her.”

  The old bugger’s eyes actually welled with tears. I’d always known he had a soft spot for Slade. Her mother, too. Never understood why. Guess I had never given it much thought.

  He huffed. Opened his mouth to speak. Snapped it shut. Looked over his shoulder as if to make sure no one was listening. “Ask your father what happened to the other girl, Slade’s friend.”

  “Addison,” I mumbled, fighting a shiver. “What do you know about her?”

  “That’s all I can say. I’m sorry, son. You’ve got your work cut out for you. Slade won’t be easy to break.”

  “I don’t want to break her. I just need her back in my life. I want to help.” I leaned forward, gripping the edge of the table. “Please. Tell me what you know.”

  “I can’t.”

  We locked scowls for an uncomfortable spell, neither one backing down.

  “What are you doing here?” Slade’s voice broke our battle of wills, and I traded one game of stare-down for another.

  Maurice dropped some change on the table and grunted as he pulled himself out of the booth. “I need to get home. I’ll see you tomorrow, Slade.”

  “Bye, Maurice. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Her wide eyes darted back and forth between the two of us before settling on me.

  I cleared my throat, ready for a fight. “Sit down. Please.”

  Brows pinched, she shot me a warning glare. “What were you two talking about?”

  “You.”

  “Why?”

  I tapped on the edge of my coffee cup. “You know why.”

  “What did he tell you?” she asked, her tone worrisome.

  “He only stated the obvious. We still love each other.”

  “He’s a stupid, senile old man. What does he know?”

  Ouch. “Obviously more than I do.”

  “Enough, Tango. You need to leave. It’s been a shitty morning, and you’re the last person I need to see right now.” Slade stormed toward her office.

  I followed. She was not getting off that easy.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” she asked, attempting to shut the door before I could enter.

  I blocked it with my foot. “Just want to make sure you’re okay. Do you know who broke in?”

  “No,” she said, stepping back in defeat, looking everywhere but at me.

  “Has it happened before?” Crossing my arms, I leaned against the door frame.

  “Once. Years ago. I never keep money here overnight, so there was nothing to steal.” Slade moved to her desk and shuffled through a stack of mail. “I’m busy, Tango.” She came to a large white envelope and tucked it into her handbag, but not before I caught glimpse of the Rossi Corporation logo.

  Interesting. I’d file that bit of information away for later.

  “Did you hear me? I’m busy. That’s your cue to leave.”

  I had
no intention of leaving without answers. “Where’s Rocky, Slade?”

  Her leg bounced like a jackhammer under her desk. She gnawed the bottom of her lip before flipping me the bird. “Not your concern.”

  Any fool could see that fear dictated her actions. Fuck if that didn’t make me need to push harder. “What happened to Addison? The truth this time.”

  Slade slammed her palms on the desk. “Get out of my restaurant.”

  “What are you hiding from me?”

  “You are not welcome here anymore. Get out. Don’t come back.”

  Charlie came around the corner, laying a heavy hand on my shoulder. “Hey, T. Everything kosher?”

  “I’m having a conversation with my girl, Charlie. Give us a minute?”

  Charlie cleared his throat. “Listen, Tango. You know I love ya, but Slade’s had a rough morning. She asked you to leave. Don’t make me ask, too.”

  Charlie had at least a hundred pounds on me. Most of them soft. I could take him down easy enough. But I liked the guy, and he did have Slade’s back. Had to give him props.

  “All right.” I nodded, and stepped away from the door. “I’m sorry,” I whispered before turning to leave. I would give her this round, but I hadn’t lost a fight yet.

  She caught me by the elbow halfway down the hall. Face flushed, breaths shallow, she begged, “Please. Please. If you ever cared about me, leave. Go back to New York. This town isn’t big enough for both of us.”

  Ouch. That stung. Like a paper cut dipped in lemon juice. I only nodded, swallowing the lump of emotion threatening to choke me. I needed to drag her into her office, kiss her dizzy, and remind her of why I could never leave. Instead, I turned and walked away.

  I dialed Tito’s number as I retreated to my car. He answered on the first ring. “Yeah, bud.”

  “I want details on every personal contact on that card. Names. Addresses. Backgrounds.”

  “Done. I have one name for you now. The call she received the other night came from a cell registered under the name Tucker Slade. Thirty-two. Single. Moved to Whisper Springs a couple years ago.”

  “Slade? You sure?”

  “Yeah, he and his father, James, own Slade Trucking based out of Billings, Montana. James’s wife is an ob/gyn. Has her own practice. Tucker resides in Whisper Springs, runs the Idaho hub.”

  “You don’t fucking say.”

  “There’s one more thing. She made several calls to another cell number, twenty-six times in the past week. They all went unanswered. Took some digging, but I got a name. Dane Reynolds. I’m working on his rap sheet now. Send you the intel when I have it.”

  The Rover shrunk around me. Dane. Fuck.

  “I need everything you can find on Dane Reynolds. His cousin, too. Addison Reynolds.”

  “Addison? Isn’t she the crazy chick you—”

  “Don’t say it, Tito. Fuck’s sake. Just send me everything you can on both of them.”

  “What’s up with your girl, T? You retiring your dick? Luciano’s ladies will be heartbroken.”

  “That’s precisely what I’m doing.”

  “Sweet. More pussy for me.” He chuckled. “I’ll send a file when I have the other intel.”

  “Thanks, again.”

  My car heated a few thousand degrees, or maybe it was just me. I started the engine and blasted the air conditioning. James Slade. Was it possible she’d found her father? Why hadn’t she mentioned him? Rocky had said on the phone he was with Uncle Tucker and his grandparents.

  Fucking secrets and lies.

  I dialed Dad’s assistant. “Hey, Lisa. Yes. I’m good. You? Good to hear. I need a favor. Can you book me a couple flights? New York, then Billings, Montana.”

  Lisa put me on hold, giving me time to ponder my next move. Slade was not making things easy, but I was not about to quit.

  Rossis didn’t quit.

  I considered Maurice’s warning about not liking what I’d find, and decided that whatever it was, I’d deal. I would make things right for my girl. I would win her back.

  I dropped my head to the back of my seat and closed my eyes, allowing the cool air to calm me the fuck down.

  Addison. Dane. I had the pieces to the puzzle. I just couldn’t get them to fit.

  “What am I missing, babylove?”

  “I miss you, babylove,” I sighed into the phone.

  “Mom,” Rocky growled. “I’m not a baby.”

  “Right. How about … pumpkin?”

  “No,” he said, cocky and pretentious like his father.

  “Little man?”

  “I’m not little.”

  Jeez. I hated this growing up crap. “Just Rocky?”

  “Yes. Just Rocky. Grandpa says I have the coolest name ever. He used to be a boxer. He showed me his trophies. He even lets me beat up a punching bag.”

  “I’m happy you’re having so much fun.”

  “I gotta go, Grandpa’s waiting for me in the truck. We’re going to buy a new fishing pole. Here’s Tuck. Love you, Mom.”

  “Love you, baby … I mean, Rocky.”

  “Slade?” Tucker sounded short of breath.

  “Hi, Tuck.”

  “Shit. I thought Rockster would never stop talking.” He blew a long breath into the phone. “What happened? I’ve been trying to call you. Charlie said you took a couple days off.”

  No need for Tucker to hear the hows and whys, so I skipped to the end. “I busted my phone. Took me awhile to get this new one figured out.”

  “Slade. Rocky called you the other night. Talked to Tango. Told him he was with his grandparents. I tried to grab the phone, but he locked himself in the bathroom.”

  I laughed, picturing that scene, then realized what Tucker had said. “Wait. What?”

  “Tango answered your phone, said you were in the bathroom. Asked Rockster how camp was. Your baby-boy spilled the beans, lil sis.”

  “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!” Tango knew I’d been lying the whole time. No wonder he’d been relentless in questioning me. “Oh fuck, Tuck. Shit. What am I gonna do?” I paced the width of the kitchen. “It’s over. My life is over.”

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow down. Deep breaths.”

  “I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe, Tuck. He’s going to find out.”

  “Snap out of it, Slade. He won’t find out. If he knew anything, shit would’ve hit the fan already.”

  “I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling pretty covered in crap right now.” I pressed my butt against the counter and slid to the floor. Deep breath in, deep breath out. And again. In. Out. It wasn’t helping. “I can’t go to jail, Tuck. I can’t lose Rocky. Oh my God? What am I going to do? I should never have come back to town. I should’ve moved far away, changed my name.” I tugged at a loose thread on my jean shorts.

  “Slade. Pull your shit together. I’ll talk to Dad when he gets back. We’ll figure this out. No one will take Rocky away from you, understand? I’ll die before letting that happen.”

  I believed him. Tucker, James, Lettie. They loved Rocky like he was their own flesh and blood. We had each put our lives on the line for my boy. We all had something to lose.

  I had to talk to Tango. I had to find out what he knew. I had to cover one lie with another.

  Lies.

  Lies.

  Lies.

  I would drown in them.

  I dialed Tango’s number. No answer. I couldn’t wait for him to call me back. It took all the courage I could muster to pull myself off the floor and step outside.

  When I reached the Rossi estate an hour later, my clothes were drenched with perspiration. It was the hottest day of the year. Ninety-seven in the shade. Why hadn’t I called a taxi or borrowed Marion’s car?

  I stood at the arched entryway and shook out my nerves before pushing the doorbell. A petite, Latino woman greeted me.

  “Maria?” I slapped my hand over my mouth. Maria had been Tango’s nanny, and when he no longer needed a nanny, she had been promoted to staff supervisor. I�
�d always adored the woman.

  A loud shrill pierced my ears. “Oh Dios mío. Look at you. My, my, my.” Like an anaconda, her arms coiled around me, stifling my ability to inhale. “So beautiful.” She dropped her arms and took a step back to inspect me head to toe. “Princesa. So lovely to see you,” she said in her thick accent, grabbing my hand and pulling me into the house.

  “Hi.” Maria hadn’t aged at all. Gorgeous olive skin. Jet black hair cut in a short bob and tucked behind her ear. Chubby cheeks. A smile wider than the Grand Canyon, and welcoming eyes that never let you down. “I’m here to see Tango. Is he around?”

  “No. I’m sorry. Mr. Rossi left yesterday.”

  “Left?”

  “Yes. His father drove him to the airport yesterday morning. Said he was going home to New York.”

  “Oh.” I should’ve been elated. Instead, my heart and chest deflated.

  “Would you like me to get a message to him?”

  Had he given up? Had I convinced him to leave? Maybe the lying beast I’d turned into disgusted him, and he’d decided he didn’t want me back after all. “No. No. That’s not necessary. I have a long walk home. Could I bother you for a glass of water before I go?”

  “Sí. Sí. Of course. But you shouldn’t walk so far in this heat. I’ll drive you.”

  “Oh no. I couldn’t put you out.”

  “Nonsense.” Maria dismissed my refusal with a wave of her hand and headed down the main hall toward the kitchen. The house was exactly as I’d remembered, except it didn’t look as big as it did when I was a kid. Expensive artwork covered the walls. The wood floors were still polished to a reflective shine.

  When we passed the grand staircase, I fought the urge to run up the steps and dive into Tango’s bed, like we used to do when we were kids, before I was banned for being a white-trash whore.

  Maria grabbed a bottle of Evian from the refrigerator, which I quickly and gratefully drained. “Thank you,” I sighed.

  “I have an appointment in town. Come. I’ll drop you off. It will be so lovely to catch up.”

  We made our way past the back staircase when a familiar voice stopped us cold.

  “Where are you going dressed like that? Get back in here.”

  “Carlos. Tango is gone. The staff know better than to talk. I’m tired of hiding.”