Chapter 1: Somewhere near Booneville, Mo.

It was 3am when the alarm woke John from his sleep in the warm bunk of his Peterbuilt. As he looked out at the cold mist shrouding the truck stop parking lot, a cold shudder ran through him. "Looks colder than a mother-in-laws kiss, but a man's got to make a living." He thought. After pulling on jeans, engineer's boots, a flannel shirt and his leather biker's jacket, John exited his truck and headed toward the truck stop so he could use the facilities and grab a cup of coffee before heading back out on his run from Oregon to Georgia. Just one more day and he would be home, although that did not hold the appeal it once did. Not since his wife Patty had passed three years earlier.

As he walked by the idling trucks, each surrounded by the amber glow of running lights left on to assist other drivers in backing into the closely packed parking spaces during the night, he spotted what looked to be a teen or small man huddled near the exhaust stack of an idling Freightliner trying to stay warm in the heat given off the exposed exhaust.

"Mister, do you have a dollar you could spare, please?" the form called. John then knew it was a girl from the tone and timber of her voice. "I need it to buy something warm to drink."

Usually John would have continued without even acknowledging the panhandler, but something made him stop. He didn't know if it was the desperate tone in her voice or if it was the unusual politeness of the request. "Come on then, I'm heading inside, I'll buy you a coffee, cause a buck wouldn't do it." He told her with a touch of humor in his voice.

As the form got closer he could tell the girl was about 5' tall and maybe a hundred ten pounds if you put bricks in her pockets. She wasn't dressed for the weather wearing a medium weight jacket that looked soaked thru, jeans and tennis shoes. To be honest, she looked like a drowned puppy. As she fell in beside him John noticed she stayed out of arms reach as they headed toward the truck stop.

"So, why are you out here on a night like this anyway?" John asked her as the approached the doors.

"Just waiting on morning." She replied in a tone that spoke of weariness and despair.

"Well, I'm John by the way." He told her holding out his hand for a handshake.

"I'm Kathy, with a K." She gave him a half smile and barely touched her fingers to his before withdrawing them.

The waitress met them at a booth as they slid in and after a quick glance at the girl and John laid menus on the table in front of them. "You want coffee?" She asked.

"Yep, two coffees to start with, thanks." John told her with a smile. Although he was very curious John let the silence surround them as they each studied their menus. After looking at the menu for just a moment Kathy laid hers to the side. John had a good idea why she did, since she was panhandling for the cost of a cup of coffee not ten minutes earlier. Not sure why he was saying it, John quietly spoke to her even though there was no one near to overhear. "Listen, I know you're broke, but you look hungry, so why don't I buy you something to eat, OK?"

Kathy looked at him warily "You sure?"she asked.

"Don't sweat it, I'm hungry too and it's always better to eat with someone rather than alone. Plus it would look funny me eating and you not, besides a little breakfast won't break me." John told her. Although John didn't usually eat a large meal right before driving for it slowed him down and made him a little drowsy later, he figured that he needed to eat something to get her to eat also. "So, what do you want?"

She picked the menu back up and after just a moment she asked "May I have the 'Basic Flatbed'?" She asked shyly.

John knew she had ordered the cheapest meal on the menu and it impressed him for although she was hungry she didn't attempt to take advantage of his generosity nor did she ask in a demanding tone of voice like so many young people seemed to do. The 'Basic Flatbed' consisted of two eggs, toast and jelly for $2.99, not enough to keep a mouse alive let alone a young woman."Sure thing, if that's what you want." He assured her. When the waitress returned with their coffee and asked if they were ready, John told her "I'll have the 'Long Haul Special' and she wants the 'Basic Flatbed'". After the waitress determined how they wanted everything cooked she left. John took a moment to really look at Kathy sitting across from him. She was not what some would call a "classic beauty" but she was very cute with black hair pulled into a ponytail that hung down her back. Her face even unadorned by makeup was clear and the skin still had the blush of both youth and the cold from outside. Her lips full on a nicely proportioned mouth were touched at the corners with the hint of a smile. But it was her eyes that captured John's full attention. He didn't know what the color was called; for they were the most mesmerizing shade of yellow-green he had ever seen. He had seen plenty of green eyes before, but never with the shade of yellow mixed in. Looking closer he could see golden yellow flakes strewn in the iris' like stars in the night sky. Giving himself a mental shake to break the feeling of getting lost in those beautiful yellow-green pools, he brought himself back to the present. Gently he asked "What's your tale Little Bit?"

"You've got your own problems; you don't need to listen to mine." was the quiet reply.

John could almost hear the tears in that quiet statement. "Nonsense, besides I don't have anything else to do while we wait for out food. So let me hear why you're out on a night like this, not properly dressed for the weather, broke and trying to imitate a connivance store hotdog rotating around a heat source."

Kathy could not help but grin at the image John's words brought to her mind of a hotdog. John watched as the smile started at her lips and seamed to light up her whole face. He had to mentally chide himself and remind himself of not just the age difference but he truly wanted to help this young woman.

"There's not a whole lot to tell." Kathy began softly. "Eight months ago my Mother died from pancreatic cancer. She didn't feel well for a long time, but by the time she went to a doctor and they found the cancer she only had a couple of months to live. After she died things got weird between my Stepdad and me. He started to drink, and then he drank more and more. Sometimes he would look at me funny and it made me uncomfortable. Then other times he would be like the Bill I used to know, the one that loved my Mom and took care of us before she got sick. Yesterday Bill had been drinking most of the day and late yesterday afternoon Bill told me to come with him, that he wanted to show me something he was thinking of getting for Mom's grave. I thought it weird to go look at something so late in the day but since it was for Mom, I said OK. He drove us around for over an hour until I was totally lost when he pulled off the road into a little trail. By this time it was full dark and I knew we were not there to look at anything for Mom. That's when Bill told me since Mom was gone it was my job to take care of him and his needs. He grabbed my shirt and was trying to get it off me; I was yelling for him to stop and trying to keep my shirt on and his hands off me. Then I slapped him, he hit me and told me either fuck him or get out of the car and never come back. I was so scared; I just jumped from the car and started running. A little later I heard the car coming down the road so I hid in the ditch until he was gone. I kept walking until I got here a few hours ago. Bill never slowed down or came looking for me again so I guess I'm on my own."

John sat stunned; he could not imagine anyone treating someone in their care in such a manor. Just then the waitress put their plates down in front of them. John looked down at the mountain of food on his plate and was almost ill. Compared to his plate the one in front of Kathy looked empty. "Wow! I didn't realize there was this much food when I ordered this" John lied. "Why don't you help me eat this so it doesn't go to waste?" When Kathy looked at him suspiciously he continued gamely. "Seriously, I didn't know, at least take the ham I don't need both ham and sausage." When she shyly nodded John stabbed the slab of ham and deposited it on her plate. "Might as well share the biscuits and gravy too." He told her pushing the plate of biscuits and bowl of gravy closer to her. Without waiting for a response he began to eat his meal. The whole time he ate John was thinking about what Kathy had told him. His first impulse was to find this Bill and beat the living shit out of him, but he knew that was not an answer. All of a sudden it hit him how young Kathy looked. "How old are you Kathy?" When she replied "19, why?"He told her just curious, and continued to think hard about what to do with the young girl across from him. Even though she said she was 19 John thought of her as a young girl. Not just because he was 54 but because of how innocent she appeared to be. After spending the night alone either on the road walking or in the truck stop it was a wonder she had not been grabbed and raped or worse. Once again she reminded John of a lost, wet puppy. No matter how he turned it over in his mind, it seemed there were three avenues in dealing with the situation. First, convince her to go to the police; they would see she was at least put in a shelter if nothing else. Although this would not solve her money or long term shelter problems. Second, give her some cash and just walk away. John immediately knew this was not an option, his conscience would never allow him to abandon her like that, even with a little cash in her pocket it would not solve any of her problems and the next fellow she approached might be the one to finish what Bill had attempted. The third and almost as ridiculous avenue as the second was to ask her to continue with him to Georgia. There he could help her get employment and on her feet and see that she was safe. That was crazy, first she didn't know him from Adam, and after the way Bill had treated her, John was sure she wouldn't trust him enough to get in a truck and go all the way to Georgia. Second she was 19 and he was 54, and what girl in her right mind would go with a man old enough to be her father even if it was purely platonic.

Chapter 2 »