Hiding in Plain Sight by J.A. Hornbuckle Read Free Book Online Page A

me the most.
    Big trucks meant long distance drivers, right? 
    I'd never hitchhiked before and the thought of doing so made my heart beat fast.  But I couldn't think of any other way to get out of town at the moment.  We were so far off the beaten path, I was sure we were beyond a Greyhound or Amtrak route.
    Taking a deep breath, I turned around and started walking backward, holding my thumb out.  I got a lot of visual attention and even a couple of horn bleeps as I walked, but no vehicle stopped.   Perhaps I needed to get further out of town or on a different road before I could catch a ride.  I had only gone maybe fifty yards from the driveway from where we'd slept, when I heard his motorcycle. 
    I whipped around when I caught a glimpse of him flipping a bitch in the middle of the busy street and tried to walk faster.   Peripherally, I saw the matte black and gold machine pull beside me.
    "Oh, hell," I yelled, so frustrated I could've cried.
    "Get on the bike," he shouted.  I wasn't sure if he was shouting to be heard or shouting because he was pissed. 
    I stopped and turned around to glare at him.  What was his problem?  It couldn't be me because I'd never even laid eyes on him before yesterday.  Just to get this point across, I shot up the middle fingers of both hands as I again began to step backwards.
    "Get on the fucking bike," he shouted again, and I saw his cheeks were bright red with anger in the open visor.
    Glancing at the traffic behind him, I stuck out my thumb determined to catch a ride from anyone but him. 
    But then, I saw it.  A very clean, very shiny navy sedan was moving slowly in our direction.  In the sea of pickups and semi-trucks, the sedan stood out. 
    Uh-oh, my mind screamed.
    Wasting no time, I ran to Bayco and swung a leg over but not before catching a look of utter surprise on his face at my quick movements.  I jerked my head around to assess the progress of the other car, but I couldn't see it now.  I slapped my hands on Bayco's shoulders while shrieking, "go, go, go !" and he didn't disappoint.  I was wrapping my arms around his waist and scooting my ass closer to him on the seat as the bike took off like a shot.
    He wove us in and out of traffic, his head swiveling to the side mirrors as we moved.  He maneuvered around, passing the slower vehicles on both the left and the right side of the lane.  He did sharp, right hand turns, gunning the bike, getting more speed on some of the straight streets and dragging his boot lightly on the sharper curves.  I was hanging on for dear life, but my head was wrenched over my shoulder to keep an eye on the car that seemed to follow our every move.  Finally, after zipping down some residential alleyways, the car was no longer in sight.  Bayco slowed the bike but continued to meander through the housing development until he turned onto one of the county roads, where the motorcycle began eating up the miles.
     I kept turning back to keep an eye out for the car I'd seen But after about the fourth time, I felt Bayco's hand on my thigh to steady me. 
    "Stay forward," he yelled over the wind and the deep throb of the engine.  I tucked my cheek between his shoulder blades and resolved not to look back.
     

Chapter Six
     
    Brand bit into the oversized burger, which had come in a paper lined plastic basket, the juices almost dripping off his chin.  As he reached for napkins, he glanced at the wind-blown beauty across the table from him.
    They'd traveled for hours, eating the food he'd purchased for breakfast while still on the move.  Absolutely not stopping until their bladders, the gas gauge or their stomachs demanded it.  In spite of all the miles though, she still was a vision.  There was something about her big dark eyes and full lips, framed by all that amazing hair that captivated him.  Not to mention, even after all that time on the road, she still looked and smelled fresh, clean and good.
    And it had too long since he'd had