Page 58 of Hauling Ashe

“Conned you, huh?”

“And I gave in, but man, I wanted to toss him in the trunk on occasion. I could have buried him out here and no one would miss him.”

“You might not be wrong about the missing part.” I’m not certain who would miss me if I were gone. The thought is morbid but I’m playing along.

“Eventually, though, I decided he wasn’t so bad.”

I reach for her hand, which I haven’t been holding because of her internet searches in the last hour, and I pull her fingers up to my lips, kissing her there before scraping my teeth across her knuckles. I can’t wait for another night with her and seeing this vacant land gives me another idea, but I need to get us through the first stop. I need to live through the next one.

“I’d miss you,” Mae whispers with her hand at my lips.

I close my eyes for the briefest second while I drive, feeling the same way.

I’d miss you, too, sunshine.

+ + +

The closer we get to our destination the more nervous I grow. Mae has gone quiet as the signs advertise more and more about the Grand Canyon—tours, camping and helicopter trips—and I have no doubt she knows where we’re headed. She was so disappointed when we had to skip Santa Fe and the drive to Los Lunas, but she put on a brave face. And I haven’t missed her hints about the Grand Canyon. While the location is not on the route, the destination was a point of interest for old-school 66 travelers and we were too close to bypass such a national treasure.

“They say a helicopter ride is really the best way to view the Grand Canyon,” she emphasizes. “To experience the canyon, you need to hike it, but I don’t know how I’d do at camping in it.”

“Ever been camping?” I ask.

“Only kind of vacation I ever had before this one.”

The comment startles me. “You’ve never been in a hotel before?”

“Oh, I have. I’ve just never been anywhere on a vacation that warranted a hotel.”

“Never?” I can’t believe it. Surely, she’s been somewhere other than her home state.

“Went everywhere in a camper or stayed in camping cabins. Been in an Airbnb but not a hotel for an extended stay.”

I’m stunned. “This must have been a huge risk for you then. An adventure to stay in roadside motels and such.” It’s not really a question, just an observation. Mae is curious. She needs to travel. She needs to experience places and I feel guilty once more that we cut a few stops out of her trip. But I’m hoping our next excursion makes up for some of the loss, at least a little bit.

Mae shrugs even though she knows I hate it. It’s her way to dismiss something serious.

“Life is full of risks, but I got tired of never taking any.”

I swallow a lump in my throat and consider what I’m about to do. “This trip was really brave of you, Mae.”

Her neck cranes so she faces my direction. “I thought it was stupid?”

She teases me but also questions me. I’d said it. Plus, her sister told her the trip wasn’t smart or safe. I’ll agree on the safety part. What would have happened to her if she’d been alone on the road with that flat tire? Or worse, been taken in by a biker in a bar? But unsafe and unsmart do not compare to the courage she has to risk this trip anyway.

“No, sunshine. I think you are very brave.”

Softly she smiles, turning her head away from me and staring out at the scenery around us.

When we pull off the road leading to the Grand Canyon, Mae spins to me once more, a question in her expression. When she sees the helicopters in the near distance, her mouth falls open.

“What are you doing?”

“I want to be brave like you.”

Her hand comes to my wrist as I pull into the parking lot. “Tucker, you do not need to do this.”

“Why not?”