"I'll show them."
Alex thought as he walked along the highway.
"I can make it on my own. I'm not just some spoiled rich kid."
Alex turned and stuck out his thumb as yet another car sped past him.
"Damn! Why won't anyone stop?"
He walked on, his belly rumbled and he sighed. All the money he'd brought he had spent. To his dismay his credit cards had been cancelled, and his bank accounts frozen. His father no doubt had done that, hoping to see Alex come crawling back begging for forgiveness.
"Well I won't!"
He thought bitterly
"I'll die first."
Alex stuck out his thumb, not bothering to turn around this time. Another car whizzed by and Alex trudged on.
~ * * * ~
Jake hummed to himself as he drove down the highway. The A/C cranked up as far as it would go with the fan on high. The forecast was calling for temperatures in the upper 90's all week with no rain in sight.
"It better rain soon..."
Jake thought, worrying for the welfare of his horses. He turned on the radio, hoping to distract himself from thoughts of the weather. A few hours passed uneventfully and Jakes thoughts were returning to the dry weather they'd been having when he spotted someone walking along the side of the road. "What's this?" Jake asked himself as he slowed down to get a better look at the young man walking along the road.
"Little scrawny, but maybe..."
~ * * * ~
By now Alex had completely given up on catching a ride so when the blue pickup pulled over several hundred feet in front of him he was totally taken by surprise. He stood there staring stupidly at it. "Don't just stand there, get in!" Yelled the driver, shaking Alex from his stupor. Alex ran to the truck. Opening the door he tossed his bag in and climbed into the cab. Sweet cool air greeted him as he buckled himself into the passenger seat. "Thanks a lot." He said looking up to see who had rescued him from becoming a man sized jerky stick.
The man in the driver seat was big. Even sitting he was at least a head taller than Alex, maybe more. His skin was brown from days spent working in the sun and he looked like he could easily lift a car if he so chose. He had short, dark redish hair, a square jaw and a crooked nose which looked like it had been broken once or twice, and dark green eyes. He met the man's gaze and realized he'd been staring. "Thanks" Alex muttered again, looking away quickly.
"Where you headed?" Asked the man, his voice deep and intimidating.
"As far away as I can get." Replied Alex defensively.
"Well I'm not going too much farther but you can ride with me till the next town if you'd like."
"That's the best thing I've heard all day..." Said Alex, relaxing into his seat.
The man chuckled"The name's Jake." He said as he changed gear and pulled out onto the highway.
"My name is Alex."
"Whats a boy like you doing walking down the highway in this kind of heat?"
"I'd rather not talk about it if thats ok. I just can't go back, thats all." Alex said pensively staring out the window. Jake nodded and said nothing. They drove on in silence for the next hour and Alex began to doze. Jake took this opportunity to study his young passenger in the mirror.
They boy could hardly be more than 18. He was so slender and pale though he was sunburned. His hands were pink and showed no signs of real work where as Jake's were rough and calloused. The boy's skin looked smooth and he itched to feel it's obvious softness. His dirty-blond hair was a bit long for his taste but it wasn't too bad. He looked so... so fragile, like a living porcelain doll.
Jake slowed down and turned onto the exit.
"A few more miles to town, not much time left."
Jake thought
"Do I take him or let him go? He must have someone that will come looking for him, he's so young. If I stop there'll be witnesses... No, better just take him home."
Alex woke as the pickup went over a bump a few miles later. He yawned and stretched. "Sorry, I didn't realize I was so tired." Alex said. "Were are we?"
"A mile or so from Fellbrook." Jake said, sighing inwardly. It would have been so much easier if the boy had just stayed asleep. Now what?
"I've been thinking," he said slowly, forming an idea "I could use some help around the ranch and if you need a place to stay a while, I'd be glad if you'd sign on..."
Jake's offer hung in the air, the quiet
whoosh
from the fan the only sound.
After what seemed like forever Alex finally answered. "O-Okay..."
Jake loosened his grip on the steering wheel, he hadn't noticed he'd been griping it so tightly.
"It's settled then." He said and drove through town.
About 30 miles later Jake turned onto a dusty road between two fields and a few twists and turns later Jake turned the truck onto a long driveway lined with large stones. The driveway took them past several out buildings, a barn, stables, workshop and finally up to a large plantation style home.
"Welcome home." Jake said, a little more seriously than he had intended. Alex didn't seem to notice, he was too busy taking it all in.
"You live all the way out here?" He asked, surprised. "Where is everyone else?"
"Everyone else?" Asked Jake.
"Yeah, like all the farm hands and stuff..."
Jake laughed.
Alex flushed and looked down at his hands.
"You have a lot to learn boy." Jake said, a wicked gleam in his eye.
Alex continued to study his hands.
"Grab your stuff." Jake said as he got out of the truck.
Jake walked into the house with Alex following sheepishly behind.
