it,” he added.
“Fine, let me try these on.” She took the proffered clothes and hurried to the ladies’ fitting room.
Twenty minutes later, she had four new tops and a pair of riding boots. Even she wouldn’t have recognized herself if she didn’t know better.
“I’ll pay you back for all of this as soon as I can access my money,” she assured him.
“Don’t worry about that right now. Last stop is the pharmacy. You stick back here until I come get you. That way, if Guy happens to choose this pharmacy to stop and ask questions, you weren’t with me when I asked for prenatal vitamins.”
Amanda had to agree it was a good idea, but she wasn’t real happy about standing alone waiting on him. Somewhere along the way she’d grown to trust him and feel secure around him. She needed to shake that feeling because it wouldn’t be for long, just long enough to get her somewhere safe.
Five minutes later, Morgan reappeared with a white paper bag bearing the pharmacy name on it.
“Okay, I think we’re set.” He took all the bags from her, but let her carry the pharmacy bag.
Once they were outside, he pulled all of her clothes out of her backpack and discarded the old ones in favor of the new ones. He bundled them up in one of the bags and stuffed the bag deep in a Dumpster.
“What about my hair?” she asked.
“We’ll grab a room at the next stop, and you can do your thing there. Eat these peanut butter and crackers for now. Then we’ll meet up with the rest of my friends and see what their plans are. They ride in some rallies along the way to whatever town they plan on staying for a while. I think they are considering somewhere in California this time.”
Amanda climbed back onto the back of the bike and held on as Morgan pulled out of the parking lot and headed back toward the interstate and another four hours on the road. By the time they reached the next town Morgan planned to stop in, Amanda could have sworn her ass was numb from the constant vibrations. Her poor baby was probably seasick, she thought.
Morgan got a room in a motel, having her hide behind the line of cars until he had the room key.
“No reason for him to know what you look like now. He can see what you look like after your cut-and-dye job,” Morgan explained.
As soon as they got into the room, she made a beeline for the bathroom, carrying her supplies. She wanted to get this part over with, and she was dying for a shower. She felt like road grime.
With the first cut of the scissors, she wondered if Morgan would like it or not. Then she wondered why that would be important to her. They didn’t even like each other really, did they?
* * * *
Morgan tugged off his boots and then pulled off his T-shirt. He was hot and sweaty and needed a shower. As soon as Amanda got out, he planned to take one. For now, he sat on the love seat and stretched his legs out in front of him. It felt good to stretch. He spent a lot of time on his bike, but it still left him stove up after long rides. Add to the fact that he’d spent several weeks in a soft bed helping to protect two of his best buds’ women, and he was a little out of shape for long rides. This would be one hell of a ride.
His thoughts turned to Amanda and what she might look like when she came out. No matter what, he knew better than to laugh or stutter. Whatever the outcome, he hoped it would work for what they had in mind, which meant he hoped she wouldn’t stick out like a sore thumb.
After what felt like forever, the doorknob turned and the bathroom door cracked open, letting steam escape. He waited, but she didn’t appear. He got up and walked over to the bathroom and peeked inside. She stood with a towel wrapped around her and the hair dryer in her hand, fiddling with the buttons.
“Having trouble?” he asked.
She squealed and jumped. He caught the hair dryer in one hand and grabbed her arm with the other to be sure she didn’t fall and break her fool