Chapter Text
It was 8pm sharp when the alarm woke up Kate.
She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and stretched. Her sleeper cabin was as undisturbed as it had been ten hours ago.
Outside she could hear other trucks' engines rumbling and air brakes hissing.
Kate pulled her hair into a tight bun, wrapped herself in a thin cardigan, put on her jeans, gloves and boots, switched her ELD to ‘On Duty’ and stepped outside.
The Texas heat had mostly dissipated for the evening and the setting sun cast the truck stop into a fiery orange light.
Kate checked the lights, the tires, the locks on the trailer. Everything was in order.
She was just about to step back up into her truck when she heard the crunching of asphalt and gravel behind her.
“Hey, darlin',” a woman with a Texan drawl said. “You don't happen to go north?”
Kate stopped on the steps of her truck and turned around.
The woman she laid eyes upon took her words away.
The setting sun complimented the other woman's tanned skin, her wild blonde hair appeared to glow and flowed like honey.
She wore a pair of scuffed cowboy boots, faded and sunbleached jeans that nonetheless hugged her hips that also carried a belt with a holstered revolver, the white tank top wrapped tightly around her ample chest and gave free view to strong arms and shoulders, formed by ranch work, that effortlessly carried a guitar case and a small travel bag. On her lips she held a warm smile and her vibrant green eyes shone with a sense of adventure.
“North is a bit vague,” Kate managed to reply, still unable to take her eyes off the beautiful stranger.
“Just the next big city is enough,” the woman responded.
She rolled her shoulders and Kate suddenly felt hot.
“Sure, come around and have a seat,” she finally said and almost blushed when the woman flashed her a big smile.
Kate watched how her passenger hoisted herself up into the cabin like it was nothing.
She put her bag and guitar case in the back. With a smirk she fell into the passenger seat and gazed at Kate.
“I'm Cass,” she said.
“Kate,” Kate introduced herself.
“Where are we headed?” Cass wanted to know as she buckled up.
“Next big city on my route is Abilene, but that's a few hours away still,” Kate replied and selected Drive on the gear stalk.
“Sounds cool,” Cass responded and got comfortable.
Once they were on the highway, picking up speed Cass spoke up again.
“Would you mind if I put on some music?” she asked and held her phone up.
“Sure, have at it,” Kate replied and checked the mirrors.
Every time she looked in her right side mirrors, her gaze wandered down to Cass' breasts for a fraction of a second too.
Kate noticed how Cass' nipples pressed against the stretched fabric, growing stiff from the air conditioning.
“I hope you like Katie Noel,” Cass said as she connected her phone with the truck. “I kind of love her music at the moment.”
“I know her music and like it well enough,” Kate replied.
“Good to know you have a good taste in music,” Cass laughed and started the playlist.
As they drove towards the setting sun, the light highlighted Cass' features and Kate had to concentrate on keeping her eyes and truck on the road. But she kept sneaking glances at Cass who was looking at the sunset and drumming on her thighs along to the songs.
“Bet you're wondering why I'm tramping, huh?” Cass suddenly said and stretched her arms over her head. The movement made her breasts pop out and Kate stared ahead on the road with burning cheeks.
“Grew up on a ranch with horses, sheep n' cattle,” Cass began to tell her story. “Picturesque little place it was. Left when dad and the preacher tried to marry me off to some dude.”
She scoffed and rolled her eyes.
“Packed my bag, grabbed my guitar and revolver and told them they can shove their wedding and sermons where the sun don't shine. - Boy they weren't happy. I can tell you that,” Cass laughed.
The story felt uncomfortably familiar to Kate.
“I know a thing or two about sermons myself,” she mumbled and chewed on nothing in particular.
Cass noticed the shift in the mood and stopped drumming on her thighs.
“Guess I'm not the only one who's got some scars,” she said quietly. “Well, I've laid myself bare before you, why don't you do the same?”
Kate swallowed at the mental image. It would be a sight to see.
“I grew up on the Oregon coast in a small fishing town,” Kate began. “I thought my family loved me but when I got drugged at a party and someone made a video of me making out with guys and girls… they just dropped me. I wasn't a victim in their eyes but a harlot that has sinned and strayed from God's path.”
Even years later she felt that spark of anger about her treatment at her mother's hands.
“Once I had finished High School I packed my things, took my pickup and just left. Drove East until I wound up in Montana and decided to stay there. Can't say I'm missing my mother but I do miss my sisters…”
Kate wondered how Lynn and Mary were doing. She hoped they managed to get out of their mother's clutches too.
“Shit,” Cass said, “that sounds rough. I'm sorry.”
“Thank you,” Kate replied and came to a halt at a stop sign. “But the prospect of getting married to a stranger doesn't sound appealing either.”
“No it doesn't,” Cass agreed.
For the next half hour the only sounds were the rumbling engine, the tires on the road, the wind howling past the cabin and Katie Noel's songs.
Their trauma bonding had soured the mood.
In the distance a train sounded its horn.
“Got someone waiting for you up in Montana?” Cass asked to break the ice again.
“No,” Kate responded, glancing over to how Cass would react.
“Seriously?” Cass followed up, sounding flabbergasted. “Nobody who is waiting for Katie-Bug to come home?”
Kate felt how her heart skipped a beat at the pet name and she prayed her blush was not visible in the amber glow of the dash board.
“I guess I've never found the right guy,” she said.
It was true, she never found a man that she loved. She had male friends, sure, but none of them were of any interest to her romantically.
“Ever considered you're stalking the wrong woods?” Cass asked.
“What?” Kate replied, unfamiliar with the saying.
“I mean: Ever considered that you're not into guys? Maybe you're exclusively going for us girls,” Cass explained and provocatively pushed her chest out.
“We have a lot going for us,” she laughed.
Kate needed a moment to contemplate the implication of her being into women. So far she had never even considered the possibility. But it would explain a lot.
In school she had always furiously blushed when she and her fellow students had changed into their gym gear. Maybe it had never been only about modesty but perhaps she had blushed because she had been secretly attracted to her classmates.
It would also handily explain why she never found a guy really attractive.
“It looks like I might have caused a realization,” Cass laughed and suddenly it sounded heavenly for Kate. “Quite the shock, huh?”
Kate had trouble sorting her now racing thoughts. Everything was beginning to make sense all of a sudden.
“Hey,” Cass said after a few seconds, the voice both worried and teasing. “Breathing is still allowed, just saying.”
Kate managed to snap out of her frozen state and shook her head.
“Yeah, eh… sorry,” she apologized. “It's just a lot to take in.”
“I bet,” Cass replied with a smirk. “Wasn't any better for me either, when I realized my heart beats for women only.”
“It only took me 26 years,” Kate half mumbled, half laughed.
“Better late than never,” Cass said to encourage Kate. “But you're cute. Once you decide to start looking for a girlfriend you won't have a problem finding one.”
Kate noticed how her brain short circuited at being called cute.
In the distance the lights of Abilene began to become brighter, signaling the end of their drive together.
The closer they came to city limits, the less Kate wanted her passenger to leave. Cass was pleasant to be around, not judgemental about her past and drop dead gorgeous. Kate's little gay brain didn't want to be left alone again, now that she had admitted to herself she liked women.
“I could take you a little further up North,” Kate cautiously offered before she pulled into a truck stop.
“You would?” Cass asked, surprised. “That'd be great. Thanks.”
A big smile appeared on her face, and Kate smiled as well.
“Why don't you tell me what you like about Katie Noel's music?” Kate asked as they drove past the truck stops.