Page 22 of Hoofin’ It

“Dare I ask?”

“How about a promise to enter the dating world and lose your virginity before you’re thirty?”

“Did it ever occur to you I wouldn’t even care if I stayed a virgin until the day I died?” I did care, but it wasn’t anyone’s business why I waited.

I knew I could turn myself into a whore if I wanted, but I didn’t. When I did settle down, I wanted to follow in my father’s footsteps. Maybe my parents were more than a little crazy, but they were still together after so many years.

That’s what I wanted, and I wasn’t going to ruin my chances by being a dick—or thinking with it. There were plenty of girls in the world who reduced me to drooling, but I recognized the difference between love and lust.

I wanted the kind of love that resulted in a pancake-stained ceiling and a child willing to clean up my messes. That sort of love took a special woman, and I wasn’t going to find her unzipping my pants every time a pretty lady took a second look at me.

“Where did we go wrong?” Lewis mock sniffled.

“You really aren’t going to give up, are you?”

“Not without good reason.”

I sighed. “Fine. I want what Mom and Dad have, and hopping from bed to bed isn’t going to get that for me. So, no. I won’t turn myself into a man whore. I’d rather wait for the right woman.”

“What if she never comes?”

“I die sad, alone, and a virgin. Shit happens.”

“You’re making it very difficult to tell you to rebel and do all the crazy things you missed out on as a teen, Shane. How am I supposed to do my godfather duties if you insist on being so responsible?”

Since I didn’t trust my one-eyed vision enough to shoot a glare at Lewis, I concentrated on the road. I had no idea where we were going except my godfather seemed to believe we’d find trouble east and south of town. Of course, with few main roads connecting the scattered cities and towns of Nebraska, we could be headed west and north via a very scenic route destined to add eight hours to the trip.

With Lewis, I never knew.

“You wouldn’t have dragged me out of the house with a busted up shoulder unless you had a good idea of where we’re going. What do you know that you’re not telling me?”

“Have your parents ever told you you’re a spoilsport?”

“No, they just tell me I’m an awful child.”

“Well, you are.” Lewis laughed. “Actually, you’re just an awfully responsible child. We wish you’d come out of your shell. I’m following a hunch. Six months ago, a few sex trafficking rings were busted in Des Moines. Since there was an established network there, it’s possible that those rings were related to the one in New York. If so, we might be able to find a lead.”

“That sounds like a pretty cold lead to me.”

“Please don’t tell your parents this, but I may have installed tracking software on their phones. I have been tracking their location with this software, and they beelined it for Des Moines. I figured I’d just piggyback off their hard work.”

I really should have known. “Have you done anything nefarious with my phone?”

“Not yet.”

“I will consent to tracking software installed on my phone in exchange for my new bike.”

“Pull over and pay up.”

Torn between laughing and groaning, I obeyed, letting the engine idle while I dug my phone out of my pocket, unlocked it, and handed it to my godfather. “I’m only doing this because the chance of this trip going south fast has occurred to me. That, and I really want this bike.”

“Of course you do. She’s fast, she’s beautiful, and she doesn’t talk back, unlike every other woman in your life, right?”

Considering my mother was one of the few women in my life, I nodded. “How does this tracker work?”

“It’s something the force has been playing with. Since everyone carries their phones with them, the chief thought it might be a good idea to have an extra layer of protection. Anyway, the cars are tracked, and some of our gear is tracked, but people rarely remember phones are tracked. So, one of the forensics guys wrote an app that lets us keep track of each other. I’ll install the app on your phone and authorize certain officers to track your location. For now, I’m giving myself, your parents, their partners, and the chief tracking access. The chief tracks everyone who uses the software. This’ll make them feel all nice, warm, and fuzzy knowing where you’re at. When this blows over, we can uninstall it.”

“I basically just sold my soul and privacy to the devil for a motorcycle.”