Chapter 42

42

Katie had been really fussy for the last six hours. It had made the trip to Wyoming seem even longer.

She'd had really gross diapers, too. Grosser than normal, and he'd had to stop more often to change her. She was pooping a lot today. He hoped she wasn't getting sick or anything. The thought of her being sick at all terrified him. He'd made sure to do the formula right every time. And he used the distilled water from the grocery store, just like it had said on YouTube. But her nose looked a little runny.

He had the schedule from the pediatrician the social worker had given him in Finley Creek. After Neveah had died, the hospital social worker had helped him get started on being Katie's dad.

It said she was supposed to have vaccinations, too. He'd gotten her the first shots when he was supposed to. The doctor had told him he was doing a great job, and that she was there to help if he had any questions.

Dr. Coleson-Greene had been really pretty and really nice and hadn't made Sonny feel stupid at all. She'd said to call her office with any questions. But he didn't.

What if she found out that he was driving all over the place with the baby? It could be bad. He never left Katie in his truck ever, though. And he tried not to leave her in her carrier too much—but he kind of had to sometimes, when he was driving. But he talked to her all the time when he drove, so she wouldn't think she was alone or anything.

He was still not sure what he was going to do when she stopped sleeping all the time. Maybe by then he'd have found a place in Wyoming like he wanted.

He looked out the window now. He was in a rest stop in Wyoming now. Near Masterson, he thought. He'd already dropped off the load he'd been sent with.

It had been an emergency run—that Ashton guy had called him in the middle of the night, saying he had a load that had to be taken out of Texas that night. And it was more money than Sonny had ever been paid before.

He'd heard on the radio about the TSP and that drug bust—he'd put it together fast.

But the money? They'd doubled the money they'd paid him this time. And they'd given him a thousand-dollar bonus after they'd asked if he'd spoken to anyone about his load this time. Of course he hadn't, and he'd told them that—he was too busy taking care of Katie on stopovers to talk to someone about the stupid shit in his truck. He didn't care if it was a dead elephant—he just needed the money. He'd told them that, too.

They'd doubled the bonus then. Weird, but he'd worked for weirder bosses before.

He had lots of money in the bank now. Maybe enough to get a single-wide or something. There had to be a trailer park nearby. He could rent a single-wide somewhere. Maybe he could do only local runs. He had passed a trucking company with a We're Hiring! Drive for Tyler Trucking! sign. He could get a job there and drive local, maybe be home every night to be with Katie. He'd have to find a babysitter for the daytime, though. But his brother's ex-wife lived around here somewhere. She had always been really nice. He hadn't always appreciated that, but now he did. Maybe she'd help him find a good babysitter for Katie when Katie was too old to go with him all the time.

Sonny really needed to sit down and come up with a plan.

But for now—Katie needed a bath. The guy in Finley Creek he'd met before had told him to keep her clean; the one who had given him the bonus and everything. He'd been older and had said he had four daughters of his own. He had known what to do, Sonny thought. And he hadn't looked at Sonny like he was stupid or a loser for wanting to take care of his little girl or nothing. For wanting to be a dad.

Sonny had been trying. But it was kind of hard to do when he was driving down the interstate all the time. After she was clean and snuggled in fresh clothes he just held her.

Until he was sure—Katie had a fever.

Sonny didn't know what to do.

So he put her in her carrier and fastened her in. He started his truck and got it idling.

While he googled.

It was almost eleven at night. No walk-in clinic was going to be open. But he was almost in Masterson again. Where he was supposed to pick up another load fast. But…he had been there before. There had to be doctors somewhere.

Every town had a hospital, right? His mom used to take them to hospitals when they'd get sick because she never worked good enough jobs to have health insurance or anything for doctor visits. Hospitals had to help people no matter what, even if they couldn't pay.

He was going to have to find help for his baby. He didn't think he could handle her being sick on his own. But he'd get her help.

Somehow.

"It's okay, Katie. Daddy's going to make it better. I promise."

Sonny's baby girl just kept fussing, more and more.

When he pulled into the parking lot of Masterson County General Hospital, Sonny's eyes were wet, too.

He just wanted his baby to be okay.