For as long as Boyd can remember, he's been pushing pins into a map. Carson City, Las Vegas, Albuquerque -- all places he wants to see, for a dozen different reasons that wouldn't mean a thing to anyone else. When he finally gets a chance to purchase the '70 Plymouth Duster of his dreams, at a price that even he can manage, Boyd jumps at the opportunity.<br><br>Oliver seems like just another kid with a broken dream when their paths cross in Vegas. Against Boyd's better judgment, he offers to let Oliver hitch along for the ride when Oliver confides the need to get out and get gone.<br><br>But isn’t long before Boyd realizes Oliver's reasons for running are more complicated -- and more dangerous -- than Oliver let on. Boyd doesn't like people who play hardball, and he definitely doesn't like people messing with a man who's managed to light a fuse that Boyd forgot he had.

Road Trip

“Geee-zus,” Oliver whistled. “This is yours?”


Boyd didn’t even try to hold back the self-satisfied smirk. “She sure is. Brand new for me as of yesterday.”


His grin quickly faded into a disappointment however, when Oliver looked up and said, “What is it? Pretty old, right?”


Boyd clucked his tongue. “No. It’s not old.” He patted the car as if soothing it. “She’s a ‘70. And what did I tell you about hurting her feelings?”


Oliver assessed Boyd’s expression carefully. “I thought you were kidding?”


“I’m not,” Boyd frowned. He rested both forearms on the roof of the vehicle and stared across it at Oliver. “I’ll wait while you apologize.”


“You want me to…” Oliver cocked his head and lifted an eyebrow, “apologize to your car?”


Boyd folded his fingers together and rested his chin on them. “Yes. And you should be quick about it. I want to get a good hour behind us before I find a place to pull over and sleep.”


Chapter 8