Page 10

“Another two hours or so. Do you need to stop?”

“No, I think I’m good.”

By the time we got to Butte the stars were coming out, and I was ready to be out of the car. It had been an eventful day and I was exhausted.

“This hotel has free breakfast so it’s a good place to stop.”

Jenny pulled into a chain hotel that I recognized from commercials but of course had never been to. My family rarely traveled but the few times we did we’d stayed in high-end fancy hotels with good security. But this place seemed nice enough. The parking lot was well lit and full of Subarus, pick-up trucks, and mid-level SUVs.

I let Jenny handle the check-in process, paying attention to what she needed to provide and the questions they asked her. We were able to get two rooms that were side by side and, as it turned out, were connected by interior doors.

“Wow this is a good idea, being able to see someone in the next room without stepping outside,” I said when Jenny showed me the connecting door. “Oh hey, there’s two doors, I guess that’s to make sure some rando doesn’t come in. Brilliant.”

Jenny gave me a funny look but didn’t comment.

After we’d settled into our rooms and cleaned up, we walked across the parking lot to a chain restaurant that Jenny explained was typically found along the interstates across the country. It was a little drab and dated but clean. Despite being sick to my stomach earlier I was ravenous. I guess adventures made me hungry.

I ordered a cheeseburger and fries while Jenny ordered something called a Monte Cristo sandwich. When she realized I didn’t know what it was, she insisted on cutting off a piece of her sandwich for me to try.

“Mm, that’s really good.”

The sweet and crispy French toast was the perfect foil for the salty ham and creamy cheese. I was almost sorry I hadn’t ordered that instead. I eyed her sandwich, wondering if she’d give me another piece. Without a word, Jenny handed me the remainder of the piece she’d shared with me.

“I’ve got a new rule for this trip.”

“There are rules for this trip?” I asked.

“Yes. And one rule is that you have to try at least one new food every day while we’re traveling. I can tell that fancy cook of yours has been limiting your palate.”

“I tried a bunch of new foods earlier, that’s what made me sick I think.”

“Not snacks, actual food. And you don’t have to eat them all at once.”

“That seems fair,” I agreed. “As long as I’m trying new things I think I’m going to order some mozzarella sticks.”

“Maybe we should also have a rule that you have to eat a vegetable with every meal,” she said wryly.

I laughed. “Road trips are all about eating fun foods, remember?”

While we waited for the mozzarella sticks I gave Jenny some of my fries to make up for giving me half her sandwich, and after we finished the mozzarella sticks we shared a slice of caramel apple pie. I’d had apple pie before of course – apples were one of the biggest crops in Washington – but nothing like this pie.

“Have you done this before?” I asked.

“Shared pie with a stranger?”

“No,” I laughed. “Go on a road trip.”

“Oh sure. My grandparents lived in Chicago and once a year we’d take this exact same trip to go see them, then we’d drive back with the car stuffed with cookies and breads that Nana sent back with us.”

Her smile turned nostalgic. “Sometimes Mom and Pops and I would travel to go camping somewhere, and once we drove down to California to go to Disneyland for my tenth birthday. It was the best.”

“What are you going to do now?” I asked Jenny when we got back to the hotel.

“I think I’m going to take a hot bath and then watch some reruns on cable until I fall asleep.”

“Enjoy your soak,” I told Jenny.

“I’ll see you in the morning. But knock on the connecting door if you need anything.”