Chapter 14
Callan was familiar with the traffic around Boston, but as they took the carriage onto the big road, his mouth dropped open, green eyes wide, at the sheer number of metal carriages traveling the road. He turned to Daisy. “Where are they all going?”
She shifted in the seat, her hair piled on top of her head, silver rings catching the light as she gestured to the road in front of them.
The black shorts and white shirt were verra fetching on her as she blew a lock of hair out of her face, the scent of oranges from her shampoo filling the van.
He had tasted an orange a few days ago, and found he liked it verra much, though he did not care for the grapefruit she gave him.
“Who knows? Work, vacation, running errands.”
Callan shook his head, smiling at her annoyance with the other cars who tended to dart in front of her without so much as a by your leave.
“Ye said ye planned our trip. Where are we visiting first?”
When she abruptly changed lanes, Callan gripped the belt, praying it would hold him if she crashed the beast.
“Salem. It’s famous for the witch trials.”
“Witches?” Mayhap there would be a powerful witch there to aid him in returning to his own time? Though Callan was beginning to like this new world, and going home would mean leaving Daisy. The longer he was with her, the less he wished to leave.
He glanced over at her to see she had her hand out the window, the sun kissing her skin as she let the wind blow through her fingers.
“I thought you’d enjoy stopping at some historical sites and some just for fun things along the way to North Carolina. There are tours and museums dedicated to the witch trials. It was a dark time in history.”
She bit her lip. “Maybe you’ll meet a witch who can help you go home.”
But when she said it, Callan heard a note of sadness creep into her voice.
Then she smiled as they drove down the highway, pointing to a small furry animal sitting on the side of the road, ignoring everything around it.
“Welcome to road trip life. It’s all about the journey, not to mention the bumps and detours.”
As Boston disappeared behind them, Callan felt a chapter close and another begin. He might not know where they were going, but for the first time since the damned fates had tossed him through time, he was eager to see where the journey led.
“I forgot to get gas after Dave checked the van over, so we’ll need to stop and fill up. These old vans get lousy gas mileage.”
She swerved abruptly to take the exit, horns blaring as he caught a fleeting glance of a sign telling them there was gas and food ahead.
“Will ye show me where the food goes for the metal beast?” He followed her out of the van, stretching and inhaling deeply, though he found the air tinged with an unfamiliar, unpleasant scent.
“What is that stench?”
“It’s gasoline.” She pulled the plastic card, a credit card, out of her pocket and put it into the machine. “I rather like the smell.”
She showed him how to feed the van gas to make it go. Once the beast was full, she closed the mouth of the carriage and turned to him. “You can pump gas the next time and I’ll walk the dog.”
“Aye. Can I drive the metal beast?”
“The van?” She blinked at him, looking at him as if he were a witless lad of nine summers.
“Not yet. We’ll find an empty parking lot and I’ll give you a lesson because we have a lot of driving ahead of us, and it would be nice to share the driving.”
Then she frowned.
“You need a license to drive, and since you’re from the past, I don’t know what we’ll say if we get pulled over.”
Unsure of what she meant by a license, Callan was heartened to think she might be starting to believe him. A weaker man would be wounded by her disbelief, but he knew he would not have believed her if she had traveled to his time.
“Come on, we need road trip snacks. It’s tradition,” she said, voice bright. “Wait until you try a Red Vine in place of a straw in a bottle of Pepsi. Pure heaven.”
The bright lights and music, not to mention the smell of coffee, gas, and something so sweet it made his teeth ache, made him blink as they stepped inside the store.
There was so much to look at. Colorful packages held all manner of things he could not identify.
“What exactly is ‘road trip food’?” he asked, his curiosity piqued as he picked up a bag of beef jerky.
Daisy grinned, snatching the jerky from his hand and tossing it into a small red basket she carried on one arm.
“Things you can eat with one hand while driving. Jerky’s perfect. But there’s more to road trip food than jerky,” she declared, guiding him down another aisle.
“I only eat road trip food on a road trip, so it’s fun and you feel like it’s a treat.” She handed him another package, this one some type of meat stick along with a bright orange stick that she said was cheese, but he had his doubts.
“Wait until you try these.”
As Daisy paid for their sustenance with the card, he heard the bell above the door jingle as three men came in, dressed from head to toe in black leather. The motorcycles outside. One day, he would ride such a machine.
Before they left, Daisy showed him the bathing chamber, one for men and one for women.
“Would you walk Frankie so he can do his business? I’ll meet you at the van.”
She handed him the sack of food and drinks before pushing open a door that said women.
He took the sack of food and drinks to the van, put them away, walked Frankie, and then quickly returned to the door that said ’twas for men.
The toilet was different than the one in Daisy’s home.
It took him a moment to figure it out, and he was careful not to make eye contact with the other two men there.
The machine to dry his hands was loud and the way it pushed the skin around on the back of his hands made Callan jerk his hands back, drying them off on his jeans.
Once they were on the road again, Daisy handed him another sack she purchased.
“Do you like the Dr. Pepper?”
He had not liked the blue can of drink she favored, but this one tasted good, even if the bubbles tickled his throat.
“Aye, ’tis tasty.” He rummaged through the sack, coming up with a package containing jerky and the orange cheese.
The jerky smelled of smoke and spices—a familiar scent that reminded him vaguely of smoked meats from market days long gone.
He tore open the package eagerly and bit into a piece, chewing.
The savory taste made him nod in approval. “This is delicious.”
Daisy laughed, watching him enjoy his first bite. “I knew you’d like the Slim Jims.”
When he took a bite of the cheese stick, he made a face. It did not taste like any cheese he had ever eaten before, but there was something about it that made him want more.
With a grin, she handed him a bright package. “Now, for something a bit different.”
“Gummy bears?” The bright colors made him hesitate as Callan eyed the squishy candies with suspicion, but seeing her eating them, he popped one into his mouth. The sugary sweetness, the chewy texture, and the feeling in his mouth made him spit it out into a napkin.
“Saints, that’s foul,” he muttered, reaching for the pepper drink to cleanse his mouth.
“Guess gummies aren’t for everyone,” Daisy giggled, eating another one, her blue eyes sparkling as she took a red stick and put it into her Pepsi, taking a sip through the red stick.
“Red Vines and Pepsi. Classic road trip food.” She grinned, sipping the drink. When he tried one of the vines, Callan gagged. “Disgusting.”
“Each to their own.” She shrugged and turned up what she called road trip music as they sped down the highway. His Daisy did not care for the signs telling her how fast she was allowed to go. She said ’twas more of a suggestion than a rule.
The lass had packed several of the brightly colored pillows from the apartment, some blankets, sheets for the bed, and several of her herbs, which were secured on a shelf with a tie to hold them in place. She had also insisted on bringing the coffeepot and tea kettle.
“How far is it to North Carolina?” He finished his snack and tossed the trash into an empty bag. Frankie was napping in the back on his purple bed, occasionally softly yipping in his sleep as he dreamed of chasing rabbits or playing in the park.
Her blue eyes sparkled when she pushed her dark sunglasses up on top of her head.
“If we drive straight through, without stopping to see anything, it should take about thirteen and a half hours. If you’re not in a hurry, I thought you might like to see more of the country. The states are so different from each other, and there’s so much to see.”
“Nay, I am in no hurry. I would very much like to see this land of yours.”
As he looked out the window, she promised they wouldn’t take the highway the entire time, as the back roads were much more scenic and interesting.
“My plan isn’t written in stone. We can always stop along the way if you see something that looks interesting.”
The smell of the vehicles and freshly cut grass from the men cutting it on the side of the highway drifted in through the open windows, mingling with the faint scent of Daisy’s perfume.
The hum of the engine and the rhythm of the road had a hypnotic quality, and Callan found himself lost in thought.
His mind wandered back to Scotland, to the rolling hills and rugged landscapes he knew so well. He missed his homeland even though he’d had to leave. The pain of the banishment from the clan still stung.
In all his years, Callan never thought he would miss England. But he missed the crash of the waves against the rocks, standing on the battlements of Blackford, and sparring with William in the lists. Even so, he could not deny that this road trip was exciting.
Seeing a world so vastly different from his own, meeting Daisy. She was unlike any other woman he’d ever known, and he wanted to spend more time with her and her laugh that warmed him from the inside out.