Vagabond Tracks (Pride Road Trip 2026 #8)

Chapter One

Payden

Boy in unicorn outfit

We leave the station bright and early tomorrow morning. I was beyond excited having Daddy all to myself for a whole week. A giant mobile pride party that fulfilled a bucket list item of mine—riding on a train. Up and back down the Pacific coastline and I couldn’t wait.

Daddy had been so busy lately that we hadn’t seen each other much and texts went unanswered. Sometimes for days… But I was good boy and didn’t complain. This was gonna be our time to get closer and maybe, just maybe, he’d finally ask me to move in with him.

I hoped.

We’d been dating for like six months now and it was time.

At least, I thought it was but whenever I brought it up, Daddy changed the subject.

I saved and saved for this trip and even paid extra so we had a slightly bigger cabin room to surprise Daddy with.

He wasn’t thrilled about the cramped spaces we’d be in and almost didn’t go because of it.

I worked a bunch of extra assignments to make this happen. Hopefully Daddy will appreciate that.

But still didn’t know what time he was picking me up.

Me: I hope you had a great day at work, Daddy. What time will you be here in the morning?

The dots came and went then nothing. I still had loads of packing to do and figured he’d text back as soon as he had a break. Poor Daddy worked a lot of long hours and needed this vacation break for sure.

The hardest part of packing was deciding which stuffies to bring.

If I brought them all we’d have nowhere to sleep, or I’d be nakey butt, so I chose just two.

Had to make sure my new unicorn onesie with footy-footies were washed and ready to go so I threw a quick load in the washer.

It’ll keep me nice and warm when we roam around the cars at night.

With all that in my ginormous suitcase, all that was left was the stuff I’d use in the morning.

Maybe I could sneak in a couple of toys…

My tummy decided it was time to eat, hollering at me. I popped some leftovers in the microwave, grabbed my phone, sat down to wait, and noticed that Daddy finally texted back.

Daddy: Meet you at the station.

Me: Okie dokey. I’m so excited. Love you, Daddy, see you tomorrow for our big trip!

“Hmm, no love you back. Daddy must be really busy.” I shrugged it off, ate, then washed my dishes. If I left any in the sink they’d be super yucky when I got home.

“Ooohhh, don’t want to forget my new train onesie.

Choo choo!” I called out, sliding my feet across the floor playing Super Train Payden.

I wonder if one of the stations we’ll stop at will have train stuffies.

With as many as I have now they’ve taken up so much space, Daddy will have to say yes to moving in together, then I can finally have a playroom for all my toys.

Hmm, maybe I should put together a list of reasons to live together and not mention any negatives. Before I had a chance to start the note in my phone, it rang.

“Hi mom,” I figured she’d call at some point.

“Excited for your trip?”

“Very. I’m almost done packing. He’s meeting me at the station in the morning.” Mom sighed. She’d only met Daddy once and did not care for his wandering eyes, as she’d called them. His comment that he’s taken but not blind didn’t go over well with her.

“Not too late to leave him at a remote station in the middle of nowhere.” Funny-not-funny, but if it were up to her she’d do it.

I always loved that about my mom, not afraid to keep it real.

She is who she is, and she never asks for forgiveness.

Me, I was a people pleaser like Dad. Avoid confrontation at all costs. “Too much?”

“I-I’m not sure, to be honest. I really want this to work out, Mom. I’m hoping he asks me to move in with him.” Probably shouldn’t have shared that.

“Your place is so cute, Payden, and your father and I are so thrilled with the life you’ve made for yourself. Who knew selling newspapers could do that,” she laughed. “Just kidding, I hope you know how proud we really are.”

“I do mom.” And I worked hard, taking on more when I could for the magazine, mostly working remotely. Occasionally popping into the office for a team meeting, though most of those were done by video lately. “But you know I want the picket fence dream.”

“Always the dreamer, my sweet boy, but sometimes the dream isn’t what it should be. The house may be perfect on the exterior but broken inside.” She had no idea how much that scared me, especially the further I felt Daddy pulling away from me.

Enough of that depressing bologna. Daddy and I were on our rainbow infused holiday starting tomorrow and things were gonna be better. Making this right and winning my Daddy back, that was the goal for this trip.

I hoped.

Seem to be thinking those two little words a whole lot today.

“Send us as many pictures as you can,” Mom said while Dad hollered in the background, “We love you, son, be safe.”

“I love you both too and I promise I’ll send so many pictures you’ll want to block me.

” I have missed them terribly since I’d moved out of Yucca Valley.

With a degree in journalism, small town Cali didn’t offer much, and by the time graduation rolled around, I had landed a job closer to Los Angeles.

Not with a major publication, but we all have to start somewhere, and my teammates were wonderful to work with.

Nearly three years later, at the age of twenty-four, I can’t imagine myself working anywhere else.

Na?ve? Quite possibly, but for now happily content will do.

“Not a chance. We live vicariously through you. Talk soon, love you.” She hung up. I really had a wonderful, accepting family. Even if they didn’t know all my preferences but still understood how important it was for me to have a Daddy.

Some things were better kept between you and your partner even if you love your parents as much as I do.

Tonight was gonna be like the night before school started.

All your new clothes, shoes and backpack to show off, seeing the friends you missed all summer long.

Granted, I didn’t have any friends on this trip, but making new ones wasn’t a problem for me.

I’m a people person, well, more of a people pleaser.

At times my mom always said it was to my own detriment.

Back to the whole night before school deal, there was no way I was sleeping tonight. Far too excited and jam packed with adrenaline. It was like covering the story of my career, only this time it was me hoping to seal the deal with Daddy and get my forever dream.

I had signed both of us up for almost every event from the costume contest to game night on the train and everything in between.

There was even a car set up as just a dance club, and I loved to get lost in the beat.

Whoever organized this event really went all out.

The tickets weren’t cheap, but they were inclusive, except for alcohol.

You had two tickets for drinks per night per person, after that you had to pay for any extras.

Not being much of a drinker myself, that wasn’t an issue for me.

Gah, I was so ridiculously hyped up. My little was screaming to play and run around. Maybe that was just what this wound-up boy should do to unwind enough for a quick nap. A couple of hours’ sleep would be better than nothing.

With my favorite cartoon playing in the background, I pulled out my ponies and their two-story castle. “Princess Rosemary,” the naughty girl was in time out last weekend for kicking Chardonnay. “No kicking. That’s not nice, even if this is your castle.”

Chardonnay wasn’t having any of it. Rosemary lost her trust. She stayed on the front lawn grazing, far away from Princess Attitude. Sometimes I just didn’t know what to do with these silly fillies. He-he, I cracked myself up.

We played until my eyes grew tired and I’m happy to report that playtime was incident free. No pony went into time-out or had to be spoken too. With a quick kiss each, I tucket my girls and their castle away, took my clothes from the dryer and put them in the suitcase.

I scanned my checklist, marking off the last few items. If I didn’t make such thorough lists for everything, I’d obsess over forgetting something.

Wide awake again and knowing my boss was in bed and wouldn’t give me a mental hand slapping, I checked work emails and tied up a few loose ends.

By then, I was finally tired enough to doze off for a bit.

“Time to go! Time to go!” I sang while I got ready, shaking my hips and dancing away.

Excited wasn’t a strong enough word for how, well, excited I was.

My luggage was next to the front door while I ran around, double checking everything was unplugged and the doors and windows were locked.

With five minutes to spare, I hauled myself, and far too many bags for one week, out to the curb to wait for the driver.

The driver was kind enough to help me put it all in the trunk, and it nearly didn’t fit, which was scary. My tiny tush may work to close an overpacked case, but I don’t think the same would happen for a car trunk.

Even the L.A. traffic today couldn’t ruin my mood. I was on my way to meet Daddy. I remembered to pack a couple bedtime stories for him to read to me too. We were gonna play and eat and meet new people and see new places. I’d squeal if I wasn’t worried I’d scare the driver.

After he dropped me off curbside, I rolled my cases inside, excitedly scanning the terminal for Daddy. Could he already be on the train? New to all this, I wasn’t sure how it worked exactly. Did we check in and get escorted straight on board? Guess I’ll check in and see.

“Good morning, how can I help you?” the lady at the window asked as I stepped up.

I slid my ID beneath the glass window. “Checking in for the Pride Road Trip Train, please.” She typed away and printed out my ticket. “Do you know if Jarvis Styles has checked in?”

Back to the typing, it was taking forever. It took her a few minutes to respond and when she did I swear my heart fell.

“No sir, I don’t see that he has. Your train is here, feel free to board. Signage is overhead to the rear of the building. You’re on platform seven. Enjoy your trip.”

Well, my glass was still half full. Daddy will be here. He’s probably just stuck in traffic. I headed outside, located our platform and made my way over.

“Hello sir, ticket please?” The porter said as I approached and handed him my ticket. “Excellent. Car seven, cabin twenty. Right this way.” He took my bags and I followed him to it. Was I supposed to wait on the platform for Daddy? Shoot, I don’t wanna get in trouble.

“Can I wait outside for my partner?” I asked.

“You can, but I can assure you once they arrive I’ll bring them straight to your cabin.”

“I’d um, I’d rather wait outside please.” He nodded, sat my luggage inside the cabin, and I followed him back out and took a seat on a nearby bench.

People watching had always been a fun past time for me. Many great stories I wrote while in college started this way. But today it wasn’t as much fun. Watching all the happy travelers as they boarded, my head darted toward the door every time it opened. Only none of them were Daddy.

“Sir, last call for boarding. I’m afraid if your friend isn’t here he’ll have to meet us at the next stop.”

I checked my phone for the millionth time and fired off one last text only it didn’t go through.

Daddy wasn’t coming, was he?