Chapter 1

My cell chirped. I reached forward and punched the speaker so I could hear the message. It was my dispatcher. "Ted Woodman, when are you getting in?"

"I'm about an hour out. Why?"

"Teri Bascomb is limping in with engine problems, driving an eleven-year-old Mack. The load that it is hooked to has to be on the west coast ASAP. We need a tractor to take it. Teri is looking for someone coming in that she can team up with and take right off."

"Shit, my rig needs service. Get someone else."

"No one else is available. The load won't be here for three hours. You'll have time to clean up, get your tractor serviced and then you can crawl into your sleeper. Teri has plenty of time open on the book, and can hook up and take off even if you're sleeping."

"Is this Terry a good operator?"

"Teri has had the north-south runs from New England to the Deep South and has never had a bit of trouble. Going west will be a new route for this driver and you know it well. You two will make a great team."

"Okay, I'll pull into the service area and get things ready. You can tell this Terry guy I'll be in the bunk asleep when he gets here."

I needed an oil change and a new air filter and a list of things checked out. I grabbed a shower and ate a light lunch. It was going to be dark by the time my rig headed west. It wouldn't matter to me; I would be sleeping.

I'm an independent trucker. It might seem strange for me to let someone pilot my rig, but I had known Henry, the dispatcher, for years. We had never met. I knew what city and state he worked out of, but never had a reason to go through there. If I worked for a fleet company like Yellow or Air Land and Sea Express I would know the dispatcher. Henry had several independent truckers like me he dispatched for. I doubted he had met very many of us We had been friends a long time coming from our phone conversations. I trusted him to give me a load that would make me no trouble.

I crawled into my bunk and went to sleep. My last thought was wondering what this Terry guy looked like. A while later, I felt the engine kick over and then, in a few minutes, lock onto the load. The driver eased across the lot and I was aware when he hit the highway. I approved of the way he went up through the gears. I rolled over and dropped off again.

I awoke to a CD playing a Ray Price song. In my estimation, if there ever was a singer, he was it. The timbre in his voice always gives me shivers. Terry sure had good taste. I listened to two more songs and decided I'd crawl out and meet my team driver. Just then, "Crazy Arms" came on. Terry started to sing along.

Shit, this Terry person either had a real high voice or he was a she. Beautiful voice, though. I squirmed into my pants, anxious to meet Terry or maybe Teri now. I opened the curtain just enough to get the woman's face in profile. She had black hair, styled in a mannish cut. Just then, she glanced across to the side view mirror. Her eyebrows were plucked lightly. She had a thin nose and her lips were overly full and wide. No raving beauty, this one. But then, was I the most handsome devil?

She stopped singing when the song ended and then her gaze swung back to where I was staring at her. She smiled, saying, "You snore. Truck stop ahead in ten minutes. Are you rested enough to take over?"

"Yes Ma'am."

"Good, I'm a half hour over on my log. You fill up the tanks and I will get us something to take with us to eat. I like driving your rig. Driving a rig with this few miles on it is an experience for me even if it is a Freightliner." She grinned at me and I knew she liked what I drove. "I know I'm pushing this, but we need to keep moving. I lost too much time with the piece of junk I was driving."

I eased into the co-pilot's seat.

"Ma'am, had you kept up your maintenance? I have a reason for asking."

"I have. I think I took on a load of bad fuel. My problem started when I switched saddles."

"To fix it would mean draining and flushing the lines."

"You got it and I didn't have time to have that done. After I pay you for your time and for the tractor, I might not make any money, but I will still have my reputation intact. You said you had a reason for asking about my maintenance. What is that all about?"

"It took me five years to be able to buy this rig. The day I took title, Mona, my wife, told me she was terminally ill. She lasted seven months. When I put her in the hospital near the end, she said she had two more weeks. I was going to be gone three days on a short trip. She lied. I found out later when I read the note she left me, she did not want me around to see her die.

"Mona passed away the day before I returned. That was two years ago. Now I call this rig Mona, in her memory. I lost one Mona and I don't want to lose another. I'm a stickler for maintenance and that is the reason I asked."

"Fair enough. After six hours in the seat, I'm in love with this Mona, myself."

"Ma'am, you know you said we didn't have time to eat. I think we do. When we hit the prairies, we'll pinch Mona in the ass and you can see how sweet she really is."

"Okay, if you say so."

I watched "Teri" wheel into the truck stop. I gathered she was at least as tall as I was. She seemed thin, but this may have been because she did not have much for breasts. I could not tell because how could I stare without being disrespectful. Teri pulled up to the pumps and jumped down, heading for the restrooms. I started the fuel running in and clicked the nozzle on automatic. I headed for the restroom myself. We met as I was going in. Teri was as tall as I had guessed at earlier.

The truck stop was well lit. I smiled, and even though I had my legs crossed, I paused to watch her walk around to the entrance to the diner before I turned into the john. There was not anything wrong below her waist. Her jeans were designer and fairly tight. Nice legs and a nice butt. There was not much about her especially to turn me on, but I wasn't looking for a woman anyway.

The waitress was setting my breakfast on the table when I went in. Teri was giving her an order for food to travel with us. Teri looked at me. "Is there anything you want to add?"

"Maybe a little more fruit. Double the apples and bananas. If you have a melon, that could go in as well."

She nodded agreement. I sat the coffee carafe on the table, asking for it to be filled before we left and attacked my meal. I announced that I preferred toast rather than English muffins.

"I'll remember for tomorrow." Teri ate fast and I did too. She was worried we would not make good time when we hit the flat country further to the west. Soon we pulled back onto the road again.

Teri announced she would sit beside me until her breakfast settled a little. "I've never been west before. I want to see some of it. Even here in Ohio the towns and cities are not nearly as close together as up and down the coast corridor."

"Through here is fine. Wait until we get near St Louis. It is busy then. The country will begin to open up after that. I'll drive through the cities if you want."

"Okay. Do you have any family?"

"My parents live north of Albany. My sister is married to a farmer in Vermont. I have two nephews. That is about it. How about you?"

"I have a brother who still lives in Maine. That is where I am from. I married my high school sweetheart, but after awhile he decided I wasn't pretty enough for him. He dumped me for the sluts who hung around the truck stops. I got the house and some of the things in it. He got the up-front money for the lease of the Mack. I turned around and sold the house and when he lost the lease I had money to take it over."

"Do you still see him?"

"Occasionally. He wants to come back to me, but I have said no. Vows and promises have always meant a lot to me. I could not trust him, and his track record on promises is not very good. We started out as a team. Being a team driver has its good points, but if you don't trust your partner, it is canned hell."

"Having someone in the cab is unusual for me. For the minute, I'm enjoying this."

"I am too. I guess I will get in the bunk. You might keep feeding CDs into the deck. You've got a good selection and I love to hear them."

It was still night for a little bit. I had slept well and I was wide-awake. Three and a half hours were about all I was good for when I was driving before my bladder was screaming, "empty me." I made one stop and Teri didn't wake up.

"Ma'am, you better wake up. I'll be turning off soon at the next truck stop." You've been asleep more than six hours."

"I was wondering when we were going to have a pee break."

"You missed the last one, but I figured as long as you were sleeping you were fine."

"I was. How are we doing on time?"

"I think I have made up all the time you lost getting to me. We can take it a little easier now if you wish. We still have open country ahead of us."

"Time enough for me to take a shower?"

"Both of us and an early lunch too."

"Thank God." I'm sure we both felt better being in the same cab this close together when we climbed in again.

We alternated every few hours when we stopped for restroom breaks. Teri sang to the songs I had on the CDs and she was damned good. She did not have a strong voice, but she was always on key. By the time we hit the bottom of the Continental Divide and started climbing, we were a full three hours ahead of Teri's schedule.

"We'll be in San Diego in plenty of time. The load I have in the container is bound for the air force base there. They are doing minor retrofit of some planes on-base rather than having the planes return to the factory. The base is waiting on this equipment."

"Ma'am, I think you were in luck that your truck gave out. You would never have made it in your Mack, driving on your own."

"I know. I told Henry my problem and he said he would find a way to get me to San Diego in time. I did have a team driver hired, but he had a death in the family and refused to make the trip."

"So you know Henry, the dispatcher?"

"He is extended family. He is my brother's wife's brother. I've known him for years."

"So I've been set up?"

I received a quiet, "Yes. Are you pissed?"

"Can't tell yet. It depends on whether I can get a load back to Pennsylvania soon. I was going to be visiting my folks this week. What are you going to do now that you're out here on the west coast?"

"I'm going back with you if you'll let me."

"I'll give it some thought after we drop this load." This comment apparently didn't sit well. From then on, Teri didn't have much to say on the way down the west slope of the Rocky Mountains. She did not sing either and I missed that. Maybe she was disappointed I did not fall all over her.

I backed up to the dock at 9 A.M. and took the odometer reading. "Ma'am, how many miles from where you took on this load until you met up with me?" She told me. "Well what do you know? It totals exactly 3,000 miles. That is damned good. I guess you could call us a team."

She mumbled something. It sounded like, "Don't I wish" and maybe it was.

Then she asked, "Where to now?"

"Ma'am, I'm driving up the coast to a motel I know. It's about forty miles. We will clean up and get us lunch. Maybe have a nap. Tonight we'll have a nice dinner at the restaurant across the street and go down to the dance hall and kick up our heels. I am good after a few beers. You'll have to bear with me until I do."

"Damn it, stop calling me Ma'am. My name is Teri."

I grinned, "Yes Ma'am."

Teri stared at me and then she grinned back at me.

"Sounds like a plan."

I parked my rig and called a taxi to take us to the motel.

"Teri, I'll get us rooms."

"Get one room. Twin beds if they have them or one king-size if they don't."

"Either way, that's going to put us awfully close together."

"Are you afraid of me? I'll tell you right now, I'm not afraid of you."

"No, I'm not afraid of you, but I am cautious."

"Okay, people can call us the cautious twins. I'll need some things at a clothing store. Is there one near where we are staying?"

"Around the corner. I'll walk with you, or meet you and we can walk back together. I need to call dispatch."

"Meet me. You can carry my bags."

"Just like a woman." We were back to being friendly again. She left me when I went in to get a room and watched her go down the street.

I had my choice of beds in the motel room. Thinking "What-the-hell," I picked one with a king-sized bed. I would follow Teri's lead, though. In the meantime, I called my dispatcher.

"Ted here," I stated when Henry answered. He got right to it.

"Hey Ted, have you made love to her yet? You two should be just right for each other."

"You son-of-a-bitch, you could have warned me. What did you tell her about me anyway?"

"Just that you were a lonely, depressed widower."

"I figured something like that. I've kept her off balance though. She does not even know yet if I am going to let her ride home with me. She is a good driver, I'll give her that much."

"Come on Ted, if you are pissed at me, don't take it out on her. I know she isn't any raving beauty, but I can't believe you will hurt her feelings. That isn't you."

"Whatever. Can you round me up a load going east?"

"I've got two. One from San Diego to Dallas and one from Houston to New Jersey. You can have them both. You will need Teri to help you drive though. You have only a short time to make Texas before the other load has to leave. You can't get the one in San Diego until tomorrow afternoon. It will be tight, but with Teri there, you can make it."

"What are you trying to do, play cupid? I thought only interfering women did that."

"Maybe a little. Ted, I know Teri is not that pretty, but she really is a nice woman. She took a hit when she decided to walk away from her husband. It was the right move, but she was hurt. She needs someone that will treat her right. You and I have been friends for years, and I know what happened to you when you lost Mona. You need someone as much as Teri needs someone."

"Yeah well, okay, I'll treat her good. I'll have her call you about the two loads when she gets back. I'm fine with them and her driving with me, but you can put it up to her. I don't want to pressure her in any way."

"Ted, I never met your wife, but I know you loved her dearly. She was reclusive I think you said one time. You are young and it is time you started looking for someone new. Even if nothing develops between you and Teri, you both will be better for knowing each other. If that is playing cupid, so be it."

Henry explained more about the freight I would be delivering and where. Finishing with him, I went down the street to meet Teri. She was checking out of the store. "Do you need to buy anything?" she asked as she came up to me.

"No, I'm fine. Do you need any clothes washed? There is a laundry a couple of doors from the motel."

"I could. Everything I have is dirty. I could wait until after you leave if you want. That is if you don't want me riding with you."

"I would like to have you with me. Henry found me a contract and I need a driver as far as Dallas." A look of stubbornness crossed her features.

"So it boils down to I can have a ride because you need me. Is that it?"

"You can look at it that way. I will say it again, I do want you with me and had decided already that you would be in the cab all the way east before Henry had found a load for me. I suppose you might not believe me and I admit I didn't fall all over you by asking you earlier. So if you want, I'll buy you air fare if you don't believe that."

"What would you do for a spare driver if I took you up on that?"

"I'd have to call Henry and tell him I couldn't handle the orders for service. I'd then wait for a load that I could handle." Teri searched my face for an indication to see what I really wanted."

"Ted, let's start over and talk about this rationally. Would you like to have me as your team driver on the way east?"

"The truth is I'm hoping you will be."

"Okay, that is settled. Now tell me why you didn't know if you wanted me with you?"

"It wasn't you. I was pissed at Henry. I felt he had put something over on me and you got in the way. He could have told me that the Teri I was going to be driving with was a woman. You are an excellent driver and you sing well. I was going to beg you to drive with me if I had to."

"I thought there was something about me you didn't like and wanted to get rid of me. I was beginning to like you a lot. You were treating me with respect. More than my ex-husband did at the end of our marriage. When you said you weren't sure about me returning with you, I was hurt."

"I'm sorry. As I said, it wasn't you. I felt Henry was meddling in my life and I took it out on you."

"Okay, I'll accept that. I am going down and do our dirty clothes. What are you up to?"

"I'll walk down with you. There is a deli across the street and I will get us a sandwich for lunch. Then I'm coming back and lie down until you get back."

"You did have the last turn this morning. Good idea." Teri was as tall as I was and with the shorts, she had put on when replacing her jeans, I could see her beautifully shaped legs. I had resisted looking at women for a couple of years. I felt I owed Mona that much. As Henry said, it was time I moved on. Was Teri the one? I did like her and I regretted almost blowing my chances with her. I would have to be more careful and consider her feelings in the future.