supposed to go right, but he didn’t. Caught me on the quad. I’m sore. But mostly I’m tired. No worries, okay?”
“Fine. I’ll let it go for now, but I want to take a look at it in the morning.”
Hank muttered, grabbed the pillow, and limped off to climb into the back cab of the truck.
While Kyle had the chance, he pecked Lainie on the mouth.
“Nice to see you out here waiting for us.”
“Were you afraid I’d chicken out?”
“Nothin’ is a sure thing.”
Lainie returned his smooch. “Lucky for you, I am.” She situated herself in the passenger side. “Need me to navigate?”
“Nope. I reckon this truck can almost drive itself to Muddy Gap. We’ll head north on I- 25 to Cheyenne and then west on I- 80
to Rawlins. You ever been in that area?”
“Doc keeps me to the Southwest and Midwest areas for the CRA, which is why I always run into Hank.”
“Lucky Hank,” he muttered. Kyle wouldn’t admit it to them, but it bugged him that Lainie and Hank had known each other longer.
“No sniping,” she warned.
Might be a long couple of weeks.
Settled in, with the truck on cruise, he asked, “So even when you live in Colorado Springs you’ve never worked the ‘Daddy of
’Em All’ in Cheyenne?”
Lainie’s body went stiff. She shook her head and aimed her gaze out the window.
9 CORRALLED
Way to stick your boot in your mouth .
Kyle felt like a total fucking heel. Of course Lainie hadn’t worked Cheyenne Frontier Days. Frontier Park was where her father had been killed. He grabbed her hand from the console.
“Sugar, I’m sorry. Sometimes I don’t think before I open my big trap.”
“Actually, it’s probably stupid I’ve never been there. My mother suggested I steer clear of the place, since she claims I already have enough issues with the hero worship of my dead father. But the morbidity keeps me away, not her.”
“Have you talked to her since this morning?”
“No. And I feel guilty, but not guilty enough to call her, know what I mean?”
“Yeah. My mom gets on my nerves too. We butted heads big-time when I stayed with her after my surgery.”
“Sharlene and I get along for a while and then kaboom ! We don’t talk for months. My grandma Elsa reminded me I might not like what my mother does, but at the end of the day, she’s still my only mother.” She sighed. “I miss Grandma putting things in perspective for me.”
“When did she pass on?”
“A little over two years ago.”
“I’m sorry. You’re lucky. I never knew my grandparents.” Heck.
Kyle never knew his father. That was one thing his mother never shared— the name of the sperm donor who impregnated her.
“What was your grandma like?”
“Elsa was an amazing woman who lived a hard life. Her parents married her off at eighteen to a family friend who was fifteen years older than her, right after he was discharged from the military. They had nothing in common and she didn’t get pregnant until she was thirty- eight. My dad was her miracle baby. Arthur, my grandfather, died when my dad was six, so Grandma raised her LORELEI JAMES 9
son on her own. She cleaned houses, took in sewing and ironing.
She grew most of their food and hunted and fished for their meat.”
“She does sound amazing.”
“My dad’s death nearly killed her,” Lainie said softly. “And then my mom moved me away. When I was nine I ran away and my mom finally agreed to let me spend summers with her. After I graduated from high school, I packed up and moved to Oklahoma. Gram needed a caretaker and I was all she had. Times with her were the best of my life. She was . . . real—know what I mean?”
Kyle squeezed her hand. “I like seeing this sweet, sentimental side of you, Lainie. I’m just sorry I didn’t take the time to notice it before.”
The conversation died. Had Lainie taken that the wrong way?
“Kyle, can I be honest?”
“Sure.”
“I liked that you saw me as sexy, not sweet. I really liked that you
“Fine. I’ll let it go for now, but I want to take a look at it in the morning.”
Hank muttered, grabbed the pillow, and limped off to climb into the back cab of the truck.
While Kyle had the chance, he pecked Lainie on the mouth.
“Nice to see you out here waiting for us.”
“Were you afraid I’d chicken out?”
“Nothin’ is a sure thing.”
Lainie returned his smooch. “Lucky for you, I am.” She situated herself in the passenger side. “Need me to navigate?”
“Nope. I reckon this truck can almost drive itself to Muddy Gap. We’ll head north on I- 25 to Cheyenne and then west on I- 80
to Rawlins. You ever been in that area?”
“Doc keeps me to the Southwest and Midwest areas for the CRA, which is why I always run into Hank.”
“Lucky Hank,” he muttered. Kyle wouldn’t admit it to them, but it bugged him that Lainie and Hank had known each other longer.
“No sniping,” she warned.
Might be a long couple of weeks.
Settled in, with the truck on cruise, he asked, “So even when you live in Colorado Springs you’ve never worked the ‘Daddy of
’Em All’ in Cheyenne?”
Lainie’s body went stiff. She shook her head and aimed her gaze out the window.
9 CORRALLED
Way to stick your boot in your mouth .
Kyle felt like a total fucking heel. Of course Lainie hadn’t worked Cheyenne Frontier Days. Frontier Park was where her father had been killed. He grabbed her hand from the console.
“Sugar, I’m sorry. Sometimes I don’t think before I open my big trap.”
“Actually, it’s probably stupid I’ve never been there. My mother suggested I steer clear of the place, since she claims I already have enough issues with the hero worship of my dead father. But the morbidity keeps me away, not her.”
“Have you talked to her since this morning?”
“No. And I feel guilty, but not guilty enough to call her, know what I mean?”
“Yeah. My mom gets on my nerves too. We butted heads big-time when I stayed with her after my surgery.”
“Sharlene and I get along for a while and then kaboom ! We don’t talk for months. My grandma Elsa reminded me I might not like what my mother does, but at the end of the day, she’s still my only mother.” She sighed. “I miss Grandma putting things in perspective for me.”
“When did she pass on?”
“A little over two years ago.”
“I’m sorry. You’re lucky. I never knew my grandparents.” Heck.
Kyle never knew his father. That was one thing his mother never shared— the name of the sperm donor who impregnated her.
“What was your grandma like?”
“Elsa was an amazing woman who lived a hard life. Her parents married her off at eighteen to a family friend who was fifteen years older than her, right after he was discharged from the military. They had nothing in common and she didn’t get pregnant until she was thirty- eight. My dad was her miracle baby. Arthur, my grandfather, died when my dad was six, so Grandma raised her LORELEI JAMES 9
son on her own. She cleaned houses, took in sewing and ironing.
She grew most of their food and hunted and fished for their meat.”
“She does sound amazing.”
“My dad’s death nearly killed her,” Lainie said softly. “And then my mom moved me away. When I was nine I ran away and my mom finally agreed to let me spend summers with her. After I graduated from high school, I packed up and moved to Oklahoma. Gram needed a caretaker and I was all she had. Times with her were the best of my life. She was . . . real—know what I mean?”
Kyle squeezed her hand. “I like seeing this sweet, sentimental side of you, Lainie. I’m just sorry I didn’t take the time to notice it before.”
The conversation died. Had Lainie taken that the wrong way?
“Kyle, can I be honest?”
“Sure.”
“I liked that you saw me as sexy, not sweet. I really liked that you
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