****
As soon as Boone and Delilah pulled onto the southbound lane of the interstate, Boone’s phone rang. Boone activated the speakerphone. “Hi Angel,” Boone laughed.
“I am not an angel,” Delilah replied impatiently.
“Whatever, Angel,” Boone laughed again. “Thirty minutes down, too many hours to go.”
“I was thinking of us being partners,” Delilah announced. “You know, working together.”
“You are talking half the take-home pay,” Boone reminded her. “But I forgot. You got Daddy.”
“I make my own way,” Delilah rebutted.
“What about the house?”
“It is just a house. A lot of parents buy their kids houses.”
“Not mine.”
“I am sorry, Hooxei. Things could not have been easy growing up.”
“My life wasn’t that bad. My grandparents took good care of me. They loved me, provided what they could for me. They were there for me when I turned a...teenager,” Boone proclaimed. “Sure there have been lonely times. But I did not mind. I still do not mind. I have everything I need.”
“Everything?” Delilah asked.
“For now, yes. Maybe someday I will find a woman who will love me for who I am. But I am in no rush.”
“Any woman would be lucky to have you. You are a good person; a good man.”
“Thank you, Delilah. I hope your right,” Boone sighed. “So you really think we should make a go at being partners?”
“It would be nice not traveling alone all the time. Sure there will be twice the expenses and half the income...oops,” Delilah paused. “It sounds like I am trying to talk you out of teaming up. I know there are probably more cons than pros so I am just going to throw out the biggest advantage of...”
“We both have secrets,” Boone interjected.
“Yes. And no one we can trust with our secrets,” Delilah exclaimed in a guarded tone.
“But you have not shared any of your secrets with me, Angel,” Boone reminded Delilah.
“I know. I know,” Delilah sighed in exasperation. “It is just...well, the last time I thought I could trust someone it went bad, horribly bad. My father still has not forgiven me for it. I royally screwed up, and I put myself and my family in danger.”
“So you do not trust me?” Boone asked defensively.
“I do trust you. I trust you with my very life. I just cannot seem to form the words. Not yet. But someday, I promise,” Delilah implored.
“Why don’t we table our partnership for now? Let’s think about it for a few days and talk again,” Boone suggested as a way to change the subject.
“I agree,” Delilah replied. “So how to kill seven more hours?”
“Follow me,” Boone laughed.
“Uh?” Delilah exclaimed. Boone was in the vehicle behind her. Or so she thought. Within seconds, Boone passed her and sped away.
“Whoa. Slow down. I do not need any speeding tickets,” Delilah exclaimed as she pushed down the accelerator to catch up with Boone.
“I know every speed trap between here and Red Mountain. Try to keep up with me, little lady.”
“Little lady? Really? I am almost as tall as you,” Delilah scowled as she pushed the accelerator further to the floor board. “I hope you know these roads well. I would like to get home in one piece.”
“Trust me?” Boone asked with an amused tone.
“Yes.”
“Then let’s get home before dark!”
It took a while for Delilah to relax and become comfortable driving at such a high speed. “How fast are we going? My speedometer is maxed out.”
“Do not ask a question you do not want to know the answer to,” Boone warned.
“Fair enough. So what do we do now?”
“Listen to music?” Boone suggested.
“Boring!”
“Play a game?”
“What kind of game?”
“When I was little, whenever we went somewhere in the car, my grandmother would play car games. I know a few. It might sound silly and juvenile, but it will make the time go by faster.”
“What do you got?” Delilah asked.
“This road is fairly deserted. So we cannot pick a color of a car and see who counts the most cars that color and we cannot collect license plates from different states. So consider those games useless.”
“What else you got?”
“I spy.”
“What in Valhalla is that?”
“I pick a color of something I see and then I say 'I spy something' that color and you have to guess what I see,” Boone explained.
“Boone, look around. What do you see?” Delilah chuckled in a condescending tone.
“Grass, trees, more grass, more trees,” Boone laughed.
“You are hopeless.”
“But at least you are laughing.”
“Laughing at how stupid you are,” Delilah laughed loudly.
“Are we stopping for lunch?” Boone asked.
“Of course. I like eating.”
“Yes, you do. It is one of the things I like about you. A woman who is not afraid to eat,” Boone confessed.
“What else do you like about me?” Delilah asked curiously.
“You are smart, beautiful and fearless. I would not want you as my enemy.”
“You are afraid of me?”
“Not afraid. But I know you can hold your own. I like that.”
“I like that about you, too,” Delilah confessed.
“Get ready to slow down,” Boone warned. “The first speed trap is approaching in about five miles.”
“When was the last time you got a ticket?”
“Never,” Boone boasted. “Remember, I can manipulate people.”
“That is convenient. So you slow down just so you do not get pulled over?”
“You got it! It takes too much time having to stop,” Boone laughed. "Plus, I cannot take the chance of losing my hunting license."
“But you will stop to eat?” Delilah joked.
“You bet. A man’s gotta eat.”
“Our only choices for a decent restaurant are Denver or Grand Junction. Do you want to eat early or later?”
“We will be in Denver in no time. Since the mountains are still clear, we should be able to get from Denver to Grand Junction in three hours.”
“Denver to Grand Junction is a four-hour trip,” Delilah gasped.
“Not when you are flying. Just keep up, Angel.”
“How long are you going to call me Angel?”
“Until you tell me everything. It is only fair.”
“In time, Hooxei.”