Suzie’s House 339 : On the Road Again, Dudut-du-du-doooo-du duu du-du

“Thanks.” Drew took the keys from Trent. “I owe you one.”

“You owe me more than one, but who’s counting?” Trent grinned.

Drew could hardly argue. If not for Trent and Sonoma’s faithful care, he would have ended up in some back alley feeling isolated in his insanity and scrutinizing every little dust speck of self recrimination that fell past. In a way, he could say he owed the couple his life.

“Well. Thanks. For everything.” Drew held his hand out.

“Anytime.” Trent shook it. His grin got wider.

A twinkle in the old man’s eye should have warned him, but Drew’s head was so full of all that he hoped for and all that could go wrong that he didn’t take heed.

“So… I guess this is good bye.” He thought about hugging the man. Trent would handle it like a champion. Except for Sonoma, Drew had never met anyone better at giving a hug. So only Drew’s personal sense of masculinity stood in the way. After all he’d been through, you’d think it wouldn’t still matter to him. But it did.

“Better get going.” Trent saved him with the comment and gesture toward the door.

“Right.” Drew lifted his bag. Feeling a lot less awkward, he left the house that had sheltered him since he lost his marbled.

He would be back. He had to in order to return the car. But, with any luck, he wouldn’t be living here anymore. With luck, he’d be moving back in the Suzie’s house. Mixed feelings dogged his heels and he went down the steps to the car parked at the curb.

Trent followed him every step of the way. When they reached the street, Drew waved good bye. Trent waved back. Drew went around the car to the driver’s side. And Trent slipped into the passenger seat.

“What are you doing?” Drew leaned into the car with his hands braced on the open door and the roof.

“You didn’t really think I was going to let you drive my car all the way across the country on your own, did you?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I did.” Drew sat.

Trent grinned as he sprawled comfortably in his seat. He clearly wasn’t going anyway.

“What about Sonoma? Doesn’t she mind you taking off like this?”

“She’ll understand.”

She probably would, too. In fact, she might even have suggested it. It wasn’t like the couple didn’t travel both with and without each other. Drew had met them on one of their less impressive jaunts – just a few hundred miles from here to Yellowstone. Not like when they went off to Machu Picchu.

“What about your luggage? Don’t you need a suitcase?”

“Already in the car.” Proving his point, Trent reached into the back seat and grabbed a baggie of home made trail mix from a hamper.

That only proved Trent had planned this right from the moment he offered his keys. And despite how gentle and goofy the man could be, once he decided something, nothing would move him. He had turned passive aggressive into an art form.

“All right. I guess we might as well get going.” He turned the key in the ignition.

“Whoohoo! Road trip!” Grinning even wider, Trent turned on the radio.

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