Page 23 of Craving Theodora
“That’s so cool,” he said with a sigh. “Did you trick people?”
“All the time,” I confirmed.
“Nice.”
Teddy leaned forward to mess with the radio, scanning through the stations until she found some classic rock. The cab filled with sound as she turned it up a little.
Finn started to sing along quietly, but with feeling, behind me.
“He’s going to lose his voice before we hit Eugene,” Teddy joked, shooting a smile at her son.
“He’s a sweet kid,” I replied softly.
“You’re good with him,” she said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him talk so much.”
“I remember Dylan at that age. They’re tryin’ so hard to be cool. They just want someone to pay attention. Not exactly a chore.”
The radio switched songs, and I quickly looked behind me as Jesse, who’d been silent for most of the ride, started belting it out.
Teddy laughed, and Finn joined in.
I checked the mirrors again, but it was getting darker, and visibility was turning into a slew of headlights behind me. I couldn’t even tell what color the cars were. By that time, we’d already crossed the Oregon border, and with every mile, I felt my shoulders relaxing bit by bit. We were firmly in the Aces’ territory. It would’ve been idiotic for one of Granger’s men to pull anything at that point.
The kids got restless in the last couple of hours, which was familiar as hell. It reminded me of Dylan when he was younger, when familiar landmarks began to appear on the way to Eugene. We decided to drive right through instead of stopping for something to eat, and I watched the gas gauge, making a mental note to fill up Teddy’s tank in the next couple of days.
“We got good mileage,” I mentioned when I finally pulled off the freeway. “Especially with all that weight in the back.”
“I keep old Trusty in peak condition,” she replied. As we’d gotten closer to home, she’d gotten quieter. It was the first time she’d spoken in nearly an hour.
“Mom’s a mechanic,” Finn said proudly.
“Son, if you don’t sit back in your seat…” Teddy warned in exasperation.
“You’re a mechanic?” I asked in surprise. I probably should’ve asked what she did for a living before that. Had we talked about anything important on the drive?
“Yep. Still a diesel mechanic,” she confirmed, shooting me a look. Fuck, that was something I would’ve known if we’d actually been planning a life together. “I was working at a friend’s garage before we left.”
“Sara’s!” Finn added.
Teddy tilted her head at Finn like she was agreeing with him.
“Are we close?” Jesse asked. They’d been lounging in their seat with a little blanket, but had perked up once we got off the freeway.
“Yeah, just a few more minutes,” I answered.
“Coffee shop!” they announced loudly, pointing out the window. “Tomorrow morning?”
“Remember where it is,” Teddy replied.
“There’s another one!”
“Jesse’s goal in life is to try every local coffee shop,” Teddy informed me.
“Death to corporate coffee,” Jesse announced.
“You’re gonna like my cousin, Charlie,” I told Jesse as we pulled into our new neighborhood. “She’s got a couple of coffee carts.”
“Are they any good?” Jesse asked, leaning forward.
