“Baby, I wouldn’t need to know you to bring you home.”
“Oh, Christ,” I said, pulling back to scowl at him. “You’re a complete whore, aren’t you?”
His arms yanked me against his chest as he tipped his head back and burst into laughter.
“Mom?” Finn called, throwing open his door.
“I’m right here, bud,” I answered, turning toward him. “You need to go to the bathroom?”
“Yeah.” He hopped down from the truck and looked back and forth between Curtis and me.
“Come on, pal,” I said, reaching for his hand. “I’ll take you.”
I brought him into the bathroom where Jesse was still fighting for their life, and he immediately started fake gagging and laughing.
“Just pee,” I ordered, forcing myself not to react. “Hurry up.” I looked under the closed stall door. “You good, Jess?”
“Yeah,” they replied miserably. “I’ll be out in a sec.”
“No rush,” I said, even though I wanted to get back on the road again.
“It stinks so bad in here,” Finn said, still giggling as he walked over to put some sanitizer on his hands.
“Shut up, Finn!” Jesse yelled back.
“What? It does!”
“Out,” I ordered Finn, walking him back outside. “Leave Jess alone. They’re not feeling good.”
“Obviously,” Finn snickered.
“Hey,” I shoved him gently, making him stumble. “How would you feel if Jess was making fun of you for having a stomachache?”
“Sorry,” he grumbled.
I yanked him back against me and slung my arm over his shoulders, bending to kiss the top of his head.
“Your friend seems nice,” he said, sliding his arm around my waist.
“You think so?”
“He thinks his son will like me,” he informed me like I hadn’t been in the truck for that conversation.
“Everyone likes you, Finn. You’re awesome.”
“Not true.”
“So true.”
“Hey, wait up,” Jesse called from behind us. We paused so they could catch up, and I gave Finn a reminder squeeze so he wouldn’t start mouthing off about the bathroom stink again.
“Feel better?” I asked.
“Yeah,” they replied, swiping their hand over their forehead dramatically. “That was rough.”
“And in a rest stop bathroom, no less.”
“I never want to think about it again,” they muttered.
