“I feel like the high school student I never got to be,” she giggled.
Chapter Twenty
Emma made sure everything was ready and loaded the next morning. Filly had even thought to include two travel mugs of coffee and a box of breakfast bars. All that was left was waking Sophie and demanding that she get dressed. She opened the bedroom door, hoping to find that Sophie was up and getting around, but no such luck. There was the same old heap of covers and nothing else. She tiptoed across the room and picked up Sophie’s phone to find that it had been turned off.
“Go away,” Sophie said. “If you were my friend, you’d leave me alone.”
“This is called tough love.” Emma ripped the covers away and tossed them in the corner. “Get up and get dressed.”
Sophie didn’t even open her eyes. “I’m fine. Go away. I don’t want to eat.”
Emma untucked the bottom sheet on all four sides, grabbed the edge, and gave it a jerk, landing Sophie on the floor. Her eyes popped wide-open. “Dammit, Em! I said I’m fine. I just need to wallow in guilt for a few days.”
“You’ve had more than twenty-four hours of wallowing, and that’s enough. Either get dressed or go like you are. It makes no difference to me, but you look like shit.” Emma crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot. “And you might want to wear boots.”
Sophie rubbed her swollen eyes. “I’m wearing what I have on, and I’m not putting on boots.”
“Fine by me,” Emma said. “Stand up.”
“What for?”
“I’m rescuing you just like you did me.”
“I don’t need rescuing. I’m fine,” Sophie argued.
“If I had a nickel for every time I said that I was fine, I’d be a rich woman. That’s the first sign that you are not fine. Stand up or else I’ll go get Arty and Josh and we’ll carry you outside.” Emma’s voice sounded just like Rebel’s in her own ears, and that made her happy.
“I’ll stand up, but I’m not going outside. I have to go to the bathroom, and then I’m going back to bed.” Sophie got to her feet.
Emma picked up her hiking boots from the closet and her purse from the dresser. She carried both out to the vehicle, tossed them inside, and got back just as Sophie was coming out of the bathroom.
“If you don’t walk out on that porch, I’m calling Rebel to come down here,” Emma threatened.
Sophie whipped around and gave her a dirty look. “You wouldn’t dare. I didn’t call Victoria to come get you.”
“That’s a whole different story. Walk outside on the front porch.” Emma pointed to the door.
Sophie stomped to the door and went outside. “Now what? Do you have one of your high-dollar therapists out here to talk to me?”
“Now you are going to get in the passenger seat of your vehicle, and we’re going for a drive,” Emma said.
“You’re not driving my car,” Sophie declared as she went down the stairs in her bare feet.
“I’ve got the keys.” Emma dangled them in front of her. “Either you go with me, or I’ll go by myself and let you wallow in your misery for the rest of the week.”
“You wouldn’t dare!” Sophie raised her voice. “You don’t know your way around these parts. I didn’t even know you had a driver’s license still.”
“Mother didn’t think I needed one, but that was the one time Daddy put his foot down and insisted that I have a license and my own car,” Emma said. “Now, go get in the car and show me where to go and how to get back here when we finish our drive.” Emma marched out to the car, where Josh stood waiting with the door opened for her. She slid into the driver’s seat and started the engine. Her hands were all sweaty, and her pulse raced. She hadn’t driven anywhere in a very long time.
You are strong, and Sophie needs you. Rebel’s voice came to her.
“Yes, I am,” she muttered.
Filly and Arty both came out onto their porches and waved. “Have a good time!” they yelled in unison.
Josh rushed around to the other side of the vehicle and opened the door for Sophie, who hadn’t moved more than a foot from the bottom of the steps. Emma put the vehicle in park and stomped the gas, revving up the engine. Doing that relieved enough of the nerves that she giggled.
“You’re going to tear up my engine.” Sophie stormed out across the yard and got into the passenger’s seat. She fastened her seat belt and glared at Josh when he slammed the door shut.
“Be careful and call,” he mouthed and gestured to Emma.
“I promise I will,” she yelled through the closed window, and then focused on Sophie. “Driving is somewhat like riding a bicycle, isn’t it? It’s all instinct, but I have to admit,” she said as she made a U-turn in the yard and started away from the park, “this is the first time I’ve ever driven on a dirt road.”
“Pull over and let me take the wheel,” Sophie growled.
Emma shook her head. “Nope. If you do that, you’ll go right back to the trailer and go to bed again.”
“Where are we going?” Sophie asked.
“We’re going to tour Big Bend National Park and look for good places to paint a few pictures,” Emma answered. “You just look out the window and see if there’s anything we need to stop and take a picture of on the way. Coffee is right beside you, and there’s breakfast bars in the console.” Emma picked up her silver travel mug and took a sip of coffee. “Good and strong. It’ll wake you up, believe me.”
“I don’t want coffee, and I don’t want to eat,” Sophie moaned.
Emma took another couple of sips, put the mug back in the holder, and popped open the console. She removed a breakfast bar and used one hand and her teeth to open it. “Then just sit there and pout. I wasn’t this cantankerous when you rescued me. Have you been using drugs or something? Is that what you and Teddy really fought about? Did he find your stash and break up with you because he can’t stand the idea of being married to an addict?” Maybe that would shock Sophie out of the depression.
Sophie folded her arms across her chest. “No!”
“Then what?” Emma asked. “Talk to me.”
“No.” Sophie sighed.
Emma braked hard and brought the vehicle to an abrupt stop to let a herd of deer cross in front of her.
“I don’t want to talk. I just want to be left alone,” Sophie said.
“You’d be better off dead than half-alive like you are right now.” Emma eased on down the road and ate the breakfast bar with one hand. “And don’t be a back-seat driver. Drink some coffee so you won’t be so grouchy.”
“You’re worse than Victoria.” Sophie picked up the coffee and took a few sips, but she didn’t say another word for thirty minutes. By then they were passing the tiny community of Terlingua.
“I’m stopping for a bathroom break. If you want to call anyone, like Teddy, and tell him what a jackass you’ve been, your phone is in your purse.” Emma pointed to the back seat.
“What the hell is all that other stuff?” Sophie gasped.