Chapter 6	

	The drive to Silverside seemed to take longer than it ever had, she thought, but
then, she’d never traveled it with Reese Kincaide before. The silence was strained and
although Mikki tried to pass the time watching the scenery out the window, she really
wasn’t in the mood to appreciate it.  Conversation was sparse and whenever they did
say anything to each other, voices were tense.  After a few unsuccessful attempts at
conversation, Reese glanced sideways at Mikki.
	“Mind if I put on some music?”
	“Go ahead.” she said, without turning her head.  He switched on the radio, set to
his favourite station, and the voice of Alan Jackson filled the cab.  When the song ended
and the next one started, he stole a look at her and noticed her tapping her fingers
against her leg in time to the music. Reese frowned as he remembered the first letter
Monica had shown him. She enjoyed children, country music, and long drives in the
country.  He’d seen her in action with the children, and she was obviously enjoying the
music. He wondered if she considered this trip a long drive in the country? He thought
not, since she didn’t seem to be enjoying herself very much.
	At last they pulled into Silverside and Mikki directed him to her sister’s house.
She had hoped to arrive early enough to help with the preparations, but she supposed
she should be thankful to be there at all, even if there was just under an hour to spare. 
At least it wasn’t a surprise shower, she would never have had enough time to get
everything organized now if it had been. She was more grateful for the ride than she
cared to admit and when they pulled up outside the house, Mikki glanced cautiously
towards Reese.
	“Thanks.” she said, chewing her bottom lip slightly. “I really appreciate this.”
	He grinned back at her. “Don’t mention it.” he said, as he got out of the truck and
walked around to open her door for her.
	“I -- should be ready around three.” she said.  He reached into the back seat and
pulled out her packages.  “Thank you, I can manage.” she said, glancing towards the
house as she loaded everything into her arms.  The last thing she wanted was for her
sister to get a hold of him and drag him into the house for coffee and gossip. The drive
down here had been strained enough.
	Again he nodded. “I’m going to find a place to park the truck and take a nap in
the back. I’ll be back by three then.”
	“Michelle Johnson, where have you been?” Mikki heard her sister’s voice ringing
cheerily across the yard and smiled despite herself. 
	“My sister.” she told him. “I’d better go.”
	Reese didn’t say a word, just nodded, returned to the driver’s side and climbed
into the cab.  He watched as the other woman welcomed Mikki with a big hug and
unloaded half the packages to help her into the house. When they reached the front
steps, he pulled away from the curb and headed down the street.
	“So tell me all about it -- who’s the dreamboat in the truck?” Sandy Johnson
asked her sister as she ushered her into the house.
	Mikki glanced at the truck that was just turning the corner at the end of the street. 
She should have known Sandy wouldn’t miss a thing. “Nobody.” she said flatly.
	Sandy raised her brow. “Nobody?  Looked pretty handsome for a  nobody to
me!”
	Mikki shot her sister a glance that clearly said she didn’t want to talk about  the
dreamboat in the truck.  “He’s a friend of Joey’s.  There’s nothing to tell. My car broke
down and he offered to drive me here because he knew I had to be here today.”
	“Riiiiiight.” Sandy stretched out the word, nodding, but didn’t say any more about
it. They had a shower to prepare for, and a busy afternoon ahead of them.  In fact, as
she threw herself into the preparations, Mikki hardly remembered that she had made the
trip in Reese’s truck.  When the guests started to arrive, there was even less time to
think about him, and she found herself caught up in the joy of the occasion.  She was so
happy for Sandy, and it was obvious that Sandy was extremely happy to be a
bride-to-be. It was her sister’s day, and she was determined not to spoil it by being in a
brooding mood over the likes of Reese Kincaide!

	At a quarter after four, Reese pulled his truck up beside the house and headed
for the door with long purposeful strides, a deep frown on his face. He hoped Mikki and
her sister were having a good visit and she didn’t mind that he was over an hour late.
Once he’d climbed into his sleeping bag in the back of his truck and his head had hit the
pillow, he’d  been asleep in seconds. His sleepless night, and the drive, had left him
exhausted, and though he had set the alarm on his wristwatch, he had slept right
through it.
	He knocked on the door, then paced nervously, looking back out at the street.
When the door opened, he spun around, an apologetic look on his face, and found
himself face to face with Mikki’s sister.
	“Sorry I’m late.” He said.
	Sandy leaned back into the house and called. “Mikki, your ride’s here.” then she
grinned at Reese and added “...finally!”
	Reese cleared his throat and leaned against the railing, feeling rather
uncomfortable, while Sandy stepped outside, glancing at the truck.
	“So, are you Kincaide, in the flesh?” she asked with a grin, pointing towards the
lettering on the door of the truck.
	“That would be me.” he nodded, holding out his hand. “Call me Reese if you like.”
	Sandy smiled and took his hand,  but still looked like a woman on a mission.
“Mikki’s sister, Sandy. So you’re a friend of Joey’s?” she asked casually.
	“Joey?” He looked at her a little confused, then it dawned on him and he shook
his head. “Oh! Joey. No, I’ve never met her.”
	Sandy raise a brow. “Mikki said you were a friend of Joey’s”.
	Reese sighed. “It’s a long story. A big misunderstanding actually. Mikki thinks
Joey had something to do with how she and I met.”
	Sandy looked back inside the house for a moment. “And did she?” She asked.
	“No.” He shook his head. “At least, not the way she thinks.”
	Just as he finished speaking, Mikki appeared at the door, and he forgot himself
as he stared at her for a few seconds.  She looked so much happier now than she had
when he had dropped her off.  She gave her sister a hug as they said their good-bye’s 
and then glanced at Reese, though she quickly turned her gaze away again and headed
down the steps.
	“Nice meeting you.” he said to Sandy, then took the steps two at a time to make
it to the truck in time to reach around and open the door for Mikki.  Sandy stood on the
porch, a knowing grin on her face, and watched them drive away.  

	“Reese.” Mikki said cautiously, after they had driven in silence for quite some
time.  He glanced at her, waiting for her to speak, but said nothing himself.  “Thanks for
bringing me.  It really meant a lot to me to be able to be there today.” She watched as he
drove, his eyes intent on the road ahead.
	“No problem” he said, not taking his eyes off the road as he hummed along with
the radio.  
	“Really, Reese, I mean it. You missed a days work to drive me here, Reese. You
didn’t have to do that.  I am grateful.”
	“I’m the boss.” he said, shrugging. “I can miss a day now and then when I need
to.”
	She was silent for a few seconds before she spoke again. “Did you get some
sleep this afternoon?”
	He nodded. “Yep. Slept like a log.” Then he shot her an apologetic glance before
turning his attention back to the road. “I’m sorry I was late. I slept so good I didn’t wake
up in time.”
	Mikki shrugged “Sandy and I had a great visit while we were waiting. I don’t see
her as much as I’d like.” she said, then she glanced at him cautiously. “I’m sorry you had
to drive on so little sleep this morning.”
	“I didn’t mind, Mikki, really. It was my idea, remember.”   he said, in a tender tone,
turning to glance at her.  “I didn’t mind one bit.” The smile he gave her set her heart
racing, and she quickly turned to look out the side window again.
	“Good.” she said again, more softly.
	“Good.” he repeated, and smiled.
	
	“Kincaide here.” Reese said into his cell phone as they sped along the highway
about an hour outside Silverside.  Moments later he had skidded onto the shoulder with
a cloud of dust behind them, and was parked on the side of the road, notepad in hand
and a tense expression on his face.  He glanced at Mikki as he said goodbye, then
heaved a heavy, worried sigh.
	“Something wrong?” she asked him, when he’d sat there looking at her
thoughtfully for a few minutes.  When his expression changed, she realized he hadn’t
been looking at her after all, but rather staring right through her.
	“It’s my mother.” he said, hesitating for a moment. “She’s had a heart attack.
That was Jake on the phone.  They called the shop earlier this afternoon and he got the
message off the machine when he went back in after the last job. They didn’t give much
details, just she’s in the hospital, and they were trying to get a hold of me hoping I could
make it out there.”
	Mikki swallowed hard, as he turned and stared out the front window.  She didn’t
know what to say to him.  She wanted to take his hand and tell him how sorry she was,
but instead she clasped her hands on her lap and sat there awkwardly.
	“I’m sorry Reese.  It’s my fault. If you hadn’t been with me you would have been
there to take that call and you’d know more details.”
	He shook his head. “Don’t be silly. If I hadn’t been with you, Mikki, I’d have been
on the Cartwright job-site instead of Jake. None of this is your fault.”  
	She sighed and turned to stare out the front window alongside him.  “Mikki.” he
said softly, then turned a worried expression her way.  “It’s at least a twelve hour drive
southwest to get to Clay River.  If I were to leave directly from here, that is.” He was
silent for a moment, and she nodded but said nothing.
	“I understand.” She said finally.
	His eyes clouded, then he looked at his watch. “If I take the next cut-off and drive
all night, I’ll get there in the morning.”
	She shot him a concerned glance. “Reese, you’re already tired today, you can’t
drive all night without sleep!”
	He sighed. “I will if I have to.” he said, his voice determined.
	She looked down at her hands and frowned. She knew that if he drove her home
to Elmdale first it would add four hours to his trip.  Even returning her to Silverside would
add two hours he didn’t need to drive.  Since she felt like she’d been enough of a burden
on him already, she took a deep breath and prepared to speak. She knew what she had
to do.
	“Drop me off at the nearest place with a phone, Reese. There must be a truck
stop, or at least a gas station somewhere.  I’ll call for a taxi, or maybe I’ll see if Max can
come pick me up.”
	If she’d been looking at him she would have seen flint flash in his eyes. It was
bad enough thinking of leaving her alone in the middle of nowhere, leaving her at some
truck stop with who knows what kind of clientele, to wait for a taxi, but having some guy
named Max come pick her up seemed to push some buttons inside him that he didn’t
really know how to deal with. When she didn’t take her eyes off her hands, he pressed
his lips together tightly.
	“There’s no need to do that.” he snapped, then swore at himself for sounding so
angry.
	She looked at him then, hurt replacing concern in her eyes. “I’m sorry that I’m in
the way here Reese. If I could have gotten to Silverside some other way today, believe
me, I would have. Might I remind you that you offered to drive me there, and ...”
	“Mikki...”
	“...neither of us had any way of knowing this was going to happen with your
mother, and...”
	“Mikki...”
	“...you have a long enough drive ahead of you as it is.”
	“Mikki!”
	“No Reese, I refuse to be any more trouble to you. Just leave me at...”
	He leaned in without warning , took her face in his hands, and planted a firm kiss
on her lips, effectively silencing her, not to mention knocking the breath out of her.  Time
seemed to stand still as his lips pressed against hers, and for a moment she forgot
where she was.
	“Come with me.” he said, when at last he lifted his lips from hers.
	“Huh?” she whimpered.
	The kiss had been quick and impulsive.  After trying to get her attention, and
watching her lips moving over and over as she continued to argue her case, it had been
the only effective way he could think of to shut her up.  Now that he had done it,
however, he wanted to do it again, and he’d wanted to do it for a long time. Just inches
away from her, he let his eyes slowly drift down her face to her lips and slid his fingers
through her hair ‘til his hand rested on the back of her head.  In what seemed like slow
motion, he lowered his head once more, breathing his words against her lips.
	“Come with me.”
	Before she could answer, his lips claimed hers.  If she’d been surprised by the
first kiss, the second one sent shockwaves through her spine and curled her toes.
Powerless to resist -- not wanting to resist -- she kissed him back.  Sensing this, the
hunger in his lips burst into flame and his grip tightened with an urgency that made her
moan.  Her hands began the slow migration upward, her fingers spreading out over his
chest, and finally reaching his neck, where  she clung to him as she kissed him with a
hunger she didn’t know she possessed.
	Somewhere deep in his brain the warning bells sounded, loud and clanging --
and very annoying.  He detached himself and looked deep into her eyes, searching her
emotions. What he saw made him catch his breath, then it was gone as if he had been
mistaken, and she was staring out the window.  Still, he couldn’t let go right away, and
his fingers gently brushed the hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear.  He
smiled as he thought of how often he had wanted to do that while looking at her picture.
	“Hadn’t we better get going then?” She asked, her voice almost a whisper.
	“Yeah, I guess so.” he said, his fingers still moving in her hair. “You OK?”
	“I’m fine.” she insisted.
	“Good.” His eyes lingered on her lips again for a second as he agreed in his mind
that she definitely was fine -- mighty fine!  The importance of the situation he’d found
himself in hammered on his brain, however, and reluctantly he pulled away from her,
letting his hand rest on her shoulder momentarily before straightening and grasping the
steering wheel. He’d just as soon stay there and kiss her all day, but he had to get to
Clay River as soon as he could.
	“I’ll drive as far as I can tonight.” he said. “How about that? We’ll only stop if I
can’t drive any more, but I promise I will stop if I get too tired. I should be good for a
while after the nap I had while you were at your sister’s.” He shot her a quick glance. 
	She simply nodded, because she knew her voice was too shaky to speak, and
he sucked in a deep breath and  threw the truck into gear, throwing gravel behind him as
he pulled back onto the highway.  He knew that if he didn’t get going now, he’d take her
back into his arms and kiss her again, and then they might never get to the hospital in
time.
	
	Mikki sat curled up on the passenger seat, rocked to sleep by the rhythmic
motion of the truck on the open highway.  Reese had taken the opportunity to steal
several glances at her while he had been driving, and had come to the conclusion that
this was going to be remembered as one of the most peaceful drives he had ever taken,
and he drove a lot.
	Now, however,  there were more important matters to attend to. Though he
hated to wake her, if he didn’t get some coffee and stretch his legs, he was in danger of
falling asleep at the wheel, and he’d promised her he would stop if there was any threat
of that.
	The gas bar and coffee shop that he could see up ahead seemed to be an
omen, and he eased the truck off the road.  She stirred at the change of speed, and
rolled her head to the side, then slowly opened her eyes and blinked, as if slowly
remembering where she was. She rubbed the back of her neck and straightened in her
seat, squinting out the window.
	“Where are we?” she asked, her voice still thick with sleep.
	“Not even close yet.” he said, by way of an answer. “The truck needs gas, and I
need a strong coffee if I’m going to drive any further tonight.”
	She nodded and began to fish for her shoes that she had slipped off earlier. “I
think I’ll find the ladies room.” she said, as the gas attendant neared the truck.  Reese
nodded and turned his attention to the red-head teen, dressed in cover-alls and cap
bearing the gas bar logo.
	“Fill ‘er up please.” he said. “And I hope there’s a coffee pot somewhere close
by?”
	The boy grinned and nodded towards the building. “Cloe always has a pot on.”
	While Reese waited for the truck to fill, he glanced towards the building. Mikki
had disappeared around the side with a key attached to a fair sized chunk of wood a few
minutes before, and as he watched, she reappeared, swinging the over-sized key-fob
casually at her side.  She had smoothed her hair and tied it back into a ponytail with
something, and was smiling as she looked up at the stars while she walked.
	Reese became suddenly aware that the boy was talking to him, and tore his
attention back to the truck. The tank was full, the kid said, and he could pay Cloe at the
coffee shop when he got his coffee.  Reese thanked him and glanced back towards the
building.  Mikki was gone.  With a sigh, he pulled the truck forward and parked it out of
the way of the pumps and headed inside.
	She was sitting on a stool at the counter, opposite a woman who looked like she
was probably in her mid-fifties, who Reese assumed must be Cloe.  She looked like
something out of a movie, her bleached blonde hair piled in a mass of curls on the top of
her head,  and she wore a tailored pink uniform and apron.  She looked up when he
entered, and flashed him an approving smile, which didn’t change at all when he slipped
onto the stool next to Mikki.
	“Hi, Sugar.” she said, pushing an already poured cup of coffee towards him. 
“Strong and black. Your wife said you have a long drive ahead of you.”
	His wife. Reese eyed Mikki carefully.  For a split second he contemplated telling
the woman they weren’t married, but decided against it. It didn’t really matter anyway,
they’d be back on the road in a few minutes and would probably never see her again.
Besides, there had been an annoying little flip in his stomach at the sound of the word,
and he wasn’t entirely sure what it meant.  Ignoring it was probably the best course of
action.
	“...best this side of Bainsbridge.” Cloe was saying, and Reese looked at her, a
little puzzled, realizing he hadn’t heard a word she had said.
	“What was that?” he asked politely.
	“Apple pie.” she repeated. “Best this side of Bainsbridge. Can I bring you a
couple of slices? You look like you could do with something to eat, Sugar.”
	He opened his mouth to refuse, then glanced at Mikki. They hadn’t stopped at all
since leaving Silverside.  He’d picked himself up a bagel and coffee on the way out of
town, but she had declined, saying she’d overeaten at the shower. It was now almost
ten o’clock at night, however.  He raised an eyebrow questioningly at her and she gave
him a hopeful glance and nodded slightly.
	“Sure, why not.” He said, flashing Cloe his killer smile. The woman gave him a
big grin and winked at Mikki as she disappeared into the kitchen. Almost no time later,
she returned with two generous slices of pie, each topped with a large helping of ice
cream.