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

Oliver’s quiet voice cut through the chaos of Boyd’s thoughts and Boyd lifted his gaze to catch Oliver’s. Oliver had his cheek up against the horse’s, and he looked as though life could not get any more content than it was at that very moment.


“I mean, a car is cool, no doubt.” Oliver stroked down the neck of the horse. “But you’ll see…it’s not the same as a real live thing underneath you. The connection you get is amazing. You move, it moves; you respond, it responds. You learn how to make each other understand without the drone of verbal communication. It’s just touch and tone and a real desire to figure each other out.”


Boyd lifted an eyebrow and smiled. “You sure you’re still talking about horses?”


Oliver forehead tightened into a frown. “Hunh?”


Boyd laughed and started to take his jacket off. “Kind of thought the next couple of lines would be something about movement between your legs and the feeling of muscles pumping against your ass.”


Chapter 22