Killean released a small bark of laughter; it had been so long since he laughed that it sounded rusty to him. Simone didn’t seem to notice as she smiled at him. He found himself momentarily dazed by the loveliness of that smile and the twinkle in her eyes.
Simone relished the sound of his laugh. It wasn’t carefree or loud, but it was deep and vibrated his chest. “And what’s your last name, ancient?” she teased.
“Claymore and yours?”
“Baker.”
Simone had hundreds of more questions for him, but some might irritate him or get him to clam up again, and she was enjoying this more carefree side of Killean. Just minutes ago, she never would have suspected it existed; she didn’t want to scare it away.
They traversed another fifty miles in silence before Killean pulled into a gas station that looked like it was last updated in the fifties. The old-style pumps would make antique hunters drool. Chimes went off when Killean drove over a black strip and parked next to one of the pumps. A young man in his twenties jogged outside and was at Killean’s door before he could turn off the truck.
“What can I get for you?” the kid inquired when Killean rolled down his window.
“Fill it up,” Killean said as he pushed a button to open the gas tank.
The kid nodded before turning away.
“I need to use the restroom,” Simone said, and opening her door, she jumped out into the brisk air.
“Not alone,” Killean replied.
He flung his door open and hurried around the front of the truck to join her. Her fierce frown didn't deter him when he stopped at her side.
“I’ve been going alone most of my life. I think I can handle it now,” she said.
“Not alone,” he repeated as he clasped her elbow. “Where’s the bathroom?” he asked the kid.
“My dad has the key inside,” the kid replied without taking his gaze off the rising numbers on the pump. “He’ll tell you where it is.”
Killean led Simone across the pavement and into the small convenience store. The middle-aged man behind the counter didn’t look up from his newspaper when the bell over the door rang.
“Keys to the bathroom?” Killean asked him.
Without looking, the man pulled a spoon from the wall and plopped it on the counter before turning the page. “Outside to the left,” the man said.
Simone grabbed the spoon before Killean could. “Thank you.”
They walked outside and around the side of the building to the metal bathroom door. Simone used the key, slipped inside, and locked the door behind her. Crossing his arms over his chest, Killean leaned against the wall while he studied the road. Crickets chirruped and frogs croaked in the nearby fields. He smelled horses, but he couldn’t see them in the fenced-in paddock across the way. Overhead, thousands of stars lit the black tapestry of the night while a crescent moon hung in the sky.
On the distant horizon, a set of headlights soared over a small hill. They vanished into a dip in the road before reappearing. Killean stepped away from the wall as the vehicle neared. Despite the calm of the night, a looming sense of doom built in his chest. He had no reason to suspect being discovered, but the sooner they were away from this place, the happier he would be.
The car was almost to the gas station when Simone emerged from the bathroom. “Do you need to use it?” she inquired.
Killean didn’t look at her as the car swung into the gas station and parked near the door of the store; more headlights loomed on the horizon. They’d passed other vehicles on their way here, and for all he knew this was the only gas station around for miles, so it was a big draw for the locals, but he still didn’t like seeing so many vehicles on the road.
“Killean?”
“Shh,” he whispered, and clasping Simone’s arm, he slid further into the shadows of the building as the kid pumping the gas turned to look at the idling sedan.
A beat-up truck pulled in and parked next to the car. Three young guys jumped out, waved to the kid pumping gas, and sauntered into the store. A woman climbed out of the sedan with her baby and followed the guys inside.
Killean relaxed, and taking the spoon from Simone, he strode with her back to the store, put the spoon on the counter, and they returned to the truck. Opening the passenger door, he helped her into the truck before walking around to the other side and climbing behind the wheel. Killean closed the door and studied the quiet night.
“That will be seventy-five dollars,” the kid said as he returned to Killean’s window. “Would you like me to check your oil and wash your windshield too?”
“No,” Killean said as he took control of the kid’s mind. “And I already paid you.”
“You’re all set, sir,” the kid said and tapped the window frame. “Have a good night.”
