Wren
I can come! I’m at Sara’s but I can leave right now
Colt
Nah, I got it. Already pulling my boots on
Wren
You sure?
Colt
Yeah it’s fine. Just slammed an energy drink
Wren
At 11pm??
Colt
Brock sit tight. Probably two hours. Save me one of those Outlaw drinks for the ride back
Just drive
I shoved the phone into my pocket and leaned back against the headrest.
Two hours. Could've been worse.
Knowing Colt, he'd stop for gas and come back with nachos, sunflower seeds, and a story about the cashier. That was just how he was.
I probably should've let Wren come, but Colt had already jumped on it. Besides, I wasn't about to have my little sister driving two hours through the mountains in the middle of the night because I couldn't keep an old truck running.
The dome light had blinked out, leaving nothing but darkness. Outside, the moon washed over sagebrush.
"Colt's coming," I said. "Two hours, maybe less if he drives like he usually does."
She nodded and tucked her hands under her thighs.
"You cold?"
"I'm fine."
She was not fine. I could see the goosebumps running up her arms.
I reached behind the seat and grabbed my old Carhartt jacket. It smelled like hay, motor oil, and every cold morning I’d ever spent wearing it, but it was still heavy and warm.
I dropped it into her lap.
She stared at it, then at me. "Thank you."
She slipped it on, and it swallowed her whole. The sleeves hid her hands, and the thick collar brushed her jaw.
She looked ridiculous. She looked?—
I turned toward my window.
The ache in my arm was still there. I rolled my shoulder in a slow circle, trying to loosen it. The joint popped. I clenched my jaw and did it again.
