4. Cole

-gunslinging outlaws-

“Great! Just fucking great,” I muttered, ending my call with AAA.

I kicked the tire of the rented car that had suddenly and inexplicably died on me. So, I was stuck in the middle of nowhere and, since it was Saturday night, it would be hours before I could expect any roadside assistance.

There was no way I was standing by the side of the road waiting for them. I was not all that far away from Stormy City so my best bet would be to walk into town and either find some accommodation for the night, or even better find a cab that would get me back to New York.

But first, I called Mrs. Frost and explained my situation to her and asked her if she would be able to keep Bianca for the whole night.

“It would be a pleasure,” she said.

“Thanks. I really appreciate it. May I speak to my daughter?”

“Of course. She is right here.”

“Hiya, Daddy.”

“Hey, honey.”

“Mrs. Frost had you on speaker. You’ve got car troubles, huh?”

I smiled. Sometimes my daughter was so adult and mature I felt a pang of nostalgia for the little girl who used to walk around chewing at her pink blanket. “Yes, I’m afraid so. I’ll pick you up in the morning, okay?”

“Okay. I’ll be here waiting for you.”

“That’s my girl.”

“Daddy?” she whispered.

“Yeah.”

“Can I come with you next time? I like Mrs. Frost and everything, but I really want to go with you.”

“Yes, you can come with me next time because… guess what? Until now our house looked like a building site, but it’s now almost ready for us to move into.”

“Really?”

“Hmmm.”

“Daddy?”

“Yeah?”

“I know we’re meant to be poor in our new life, but will I still have my own room?”

I frowned. “We’re not meant to be poor, honey. We’ll just be middle-class, like all your other friends, so of course, you’ll have your own room.”

“Can I choose the color?”

I smiled. “Sure, you can decorate it in any way you like. Maybe we can get someone to paint the same Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs painting that you have on your bedroom wall now.”

“Oh goodie, yes.”

“Right, you be a good girl now and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“I will. I love you, Daddy.”

“Love you too.”

“Nite, nite, Daddy.”

“Nite, nite, sweet pea.”

I blew her a kiss, ended the call, and put my phone away, just as an approaching car slowed down. Maybe I could hitch a lift. There were three women in it. A redhead wound down the passenger window, hung her head out, and laughingly shouted, “Hey, Sexy! Sorry we’re not allowed to stop for strangers, but the town’s only a mile away. We’ll be waiting for you at the Dead Or Alive Saloon.”

She was young and full of life, and it felt like another lifetime since I’d indulged in such clean, easy fun. Obviously, I had no intention of going to meet her, but I found myself smiling back at her. Then as the car slowly moved on my eyes alighted on the face in the back of the car.

Our gazes collided.

And I froze with shock.

The girl with the tumbling corkscrew gold curls was not smiling. She was staring at me with wide eyes. Then her lips parted with surprise and I saw her suck in a breath. It was barely seconds before the car passed on by, but I felt as if I’d been sucker punched. That girl had sucked the air from my lungs. Fucking hell!

Stunned, I watched the car pick up speed and disappear down the road.

What the fuck just happened?

My mind was blank.

Then, as if guided by pure animal instinct, I began to walk towards the town. I wasn’t looking for a way to get back to New York, I was looking for a bar called Dead Or Alive.