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It ht seem counterintuitive that I’d upset my entire life to make the trip my former friend’s mountain cabin Maybe I was just tired of the tediuht behind a desk And the only way to get et out in the open, away from the noise and bureaucratic bullshit I told ht to the dealership where I handed over the keys to e pick-up
The truck’s headlights flash on a road sign announcing Bucky’s General Store and Liquor Emporium—open 24/7—about a quarter mile down the road From o I reach for s of stale coffee to getof the trip I come up empty
“Shit” I toss the er’s side footwell and rub onna crash—big time
I pull into the general store’s parking lot, grateful to discover they’ve also installed a gas puo in for an energy shot anyway A day-old sandwich ht not be a bad idea either For all I know, Jack hasn’t been back to the cabin since the last tiht’ve even caved in
A payphone stands like a relic outside the entrance, a res le as I step inside the store
The cashier, a stout wolance before returning her attention to the teenager in a gray hoodie and cutoff shorts standing at the counter “Honey, if you don’t have the cash, I’s back”
“No,” says the softest voice I’ve ever heard “I have it I’m justnot sure where I put it”
I grab a passable-looking Italian sub froy shots—plus a bottle of Jack Daniels, because why the hell not? —then get in line behind the girl at the register Over her shoulder, I can see she’s loaded up the counter with a small mountain of food and cam
ping essentials: matches, batteries, live bait, a loaf of bread, jars of peanut butter and strawberry jas for s’mores
S’mores had been Jack’s favorite summer dessert
“I swear I have the money somewhere” Her hood is up, so I can’t see her face, but she sounds tired If I had ht beback on the road
The cashier sighs “Sweetie, either pay for your things or please step aside so I can help the next customer”
“Look, I found some” She lays a wrinkled bill on the counter The cashier takes the bill and smooths it out
“This doesn’t even cover half of what you’ve got here”