He shrugged. “The way I see it, Crash, I paid for this room. That means that this room is mine. It also means that thetoothbrush is mine. You’re not the only one here who needed to brush their teeth. I don’t give a shit if it had already been used or not.” He sat down to pull on his socks. “Use it or walk around all day with morning breath. Up to you.”
I let out a snarl as I turned back for the bathroom. I slammed the door behind me and grabbed onto the sides of the porcelain sink as I hung my head. I closed my eyes as I willed myself to calm down.
After several minutes and some really deep breaths, I felt my heart slow, so I opened my eyes, lifted my head, and put toothpaste onto the toothbrush. I told myself to pretend he hadn’t used it.
I brushed my teeth, washed my face, and combed my hair. Once I was finished, left the bathroom to find him standing in front of the window, looking out.
He turned to face me. “I figured we’d grab some breakfast and then maybe try to hitch a ride out of town before looking for another car.”
I nodded. “Sounds good. We need to stop at a dollar store along the way. I need a toothbrush of my own and some deodorant, maybe an extra set of clothes.”
He nodded and opened the door. I honestly had no idea what we were doing or why I kept going along with him. I’d probably do better if I just found Kevin and strapped myself to his back and let him carry me off.
We stepped out into the bright sun, and I took a deep breath of the cool spring air. As we walked to the lobby to turn in the key, I noticed the police car parked behind the truck we’d left across the street the night before. The officer stood there, talking to a little old man in jeans and a flannel shirt.
I smacked Oliver’s arm.
“I told you that truck belonged to a little old man.”
We both looked across the street as the man scratched his head in confusion, almost like he didn’t know why he couldn’t remember parking his truck at the gas station. We were about to walk into the lobby when the door opened. A teenage girl came walking out, holding a stack of papers to her chest. When she saw us, she fell back a step.
“Oh, excuse me.” She handed over a sheet with Kevin’s picture. “Did either of you two lose a goat last night?”
I looked up at Oliver, my eyes wide. He just shook his head. “Nope, not ours.”
“Darn it. He made his way to our place, just behind the motel. I want to keep him, but my dad says he belongs to someone. We figure he got spooked by the storm yesterday and took off.”
I tried to bite my tongue, but I couldn’t. “Why don’t you go ask that old man over there. I heard him say something about losing a goat.”
Her brows arched, and a look of determination settled over her face.
“Thanks!” She rushed past us.
Oliver just glared down at me.
“What?”
“That’s the kind of shit that will get us busted. Keep your mouth shut,” he said quietly as we waited at the counter.
I grumbled at him.
“Everything OK with your room?” a woman asked.
“Everything was fine,” Oliver told her, handing over the key.
“It’s a shame everyone is checking out today. Everyone is going to miss the excitement.”
“What excitement?” I asked.
She leaned forward. “Well, I’ve only been on the clock for twenty minutes, but already we’ve had the police show up because they located a stolen truck across the street, and apparently we have a rogue goat that’s running around towncausing all sorts of trouble. He humped a plastic reindeer in Mrs. Willmore’s yard, and then he kicked her when she tried to shoo him away.” She laughed. “This is the most entertainment this town has seen all year.”
I chuckled, happy that Kevin potentially found the love of his life.
“Alright, we have to go,” Oliver said, grabbing my wrist and tugging me toward the door.
“Have a nice day, and thanks for staying with us,” the woman behind the counter called out just before the door closed between us.
“What’s got you in such a rush?”
