ON THE WAY BACK FROM the pool area, Zach let Nev lead him by the hand. He watched her towel-wrapped slight curves, walking in front of him, thankful she was in front and perhaps not noticing her effect on him.
“Which room do you want?” Zach asked.
Nev glanced back at him with a grin. She shrugged. “I don’t know. Yours?”
Zach had a thousand things he wanted to say. His brain spun through them and nothing at all would come out. “Uh. Shouldn’t we tell Lizzie where we’ll be?”
“Why? She’ll be fine. Or she can find us.” Nev pulled him inside and shoved the door closed. “Now shut up and kiss me.” Her smile dared him like it always had.
Zach grinned and leaned in. She did not laugh or move away when their lips met. The soft warmth of her lips pushed back against his. Her arms were strong; she’d rubbed his shoulders to try to get him to relax in the hot tub. She wrapped them around him, her hands slipping inside his towel, grabbing his buttocks. Oh, my. Then she fell backward, pulling him onto the bed as the towels fell. He kissed down her neck to the spot he’d tickled under her collarbone. The smell of chlorine reminded him of her quick disrobing and her lithe form slipping into the hot tub’s bubbles.
He knelt in front of her; her body arched as his lips went lower. He knew she wanted him as much as he wanted her, but then he remembered the mess he and Lizzie had made. Nev’s hands held his head to her chest. He could hear her heart pounding. I don’t want to mess this up. His hold on her relaxed and his breath shuddered out. He wanted her, but he could wait. “Nev,” he said, his soft voice hoarse, “Maybe we should just snuggle.”
Her hands relaxed. “Yes,” she said and exhaled. “Okay.”
Zach climbed onto the bed, pulling the sheet over her in the light of the nightlight. She made room, nestling herself under his arm and laying her head on his chest. Her fingers found his, intertwining, squeezing her gentle answer. There would be time for them to make a decision they both might not regret.
* * *
Lizzie woke with a calm pleasant feeling she didn’t recognize permeating her awareness. Saj’s feet were on her stomach and he was pushed out at a right angle. His feet moved, pressing on her bladder. She extricated herself from the sheets. Spike and Charley were tangled in covers and no longer snuggled. As Lizzie padded to the bathroom a smile crept to her lips. How many more hitchhikers am I going to pick up on the way?
It was earlier than she was used to being up, so she stripped off her clothes and jumped in the shower. She realized it had been nearly two days since she’d had clean clothes. With clean clothes and her teeth brushed she felt brand new. She wandered next door, but stopped herself before she knocked on the door to Nev’s room. I’ll let her sleep.
Lizzie went back and repacked Saj’s diaper bag. Sometime soon they’d either have to do laundry or get more clothes. Whichever was less work. If Nev helped, the shopping would be easier.
She sat down with her notebook and a pen and wrote herself a long diary entry. Partway through, a Creedence Clearwater Revival song insinuated itself into her head and their words turned into her lyrics.
Cuz we’re a travelin’ band with our parts to play
The music is fine when it all goes our way
But the road it is long and the voices are strange
That keep telling us all keep your eyes on the road
Keep your eyes on the road
Whichever way you’re going
Keep your eyes on the road
Without you it’s still flowing
If you wanna come along, then you can join us
If you wanna wave us past, you don’t need to know us
If you wanna little love, come and ride beside us
But keep telling us to keep our eyes on the road.
Her brain heard music. Damn. She wished she had a guitar or a bass. She sang the words over and over trying to nail it down. Maybe today they could stop at a music store. It had been a long time since her muse had sung a pleasant song to her. Saj stirred and Lizzie again thought about getting Nev or Zach up, but she could handle it.
A few minutes later there was a soft knock on the door. She opened it to Nev and Zach, both looking fresh and clean. And happy.
“We need to get a guitar today,” she whispered, inviting them in, “or a bass. I started a new song.”
“Cool,” Zach said. “Let’s get both? Acoustic maybe? We’ve got room.”
“As long as we don’t pick up any more strays,” Lizzie said.
Nev smiled and hugged her. Lizzie stiffened as if her calm would go away if she shared it. “What’s this for?” she asked, then she softened into the hug and held onto Nev.
“I always wanted to reach Charley.” Her eyes strayed to the still sleeping boy. “But he wouldn’t let me in. Now he’s with us. It feels good.”
“Yeah.” Lizzie nodded, letting go, the warm calm still infusing everything.
“I’ll check for music stores on our way this morning,” Nev offered. “There’s got to be places in Vancouver.”
“The boys” started waking up as the “adults” voices got louder with the excitement and joy. Zach went off in search of continental breakfast; Nev and Lizzie pulled gear together. They were fed and on the road by nine o’clock.
Online, Nev located River City and Sound, a music store nearly on the way.
Somebody had broken in before them, but Zach found a Martin Traveler guitar and a Kelly Travel bass. Lizzie carried the bass to the car and worked on translating the sounds in her head onto the fretboard.
Lizzie switched sides to behind Zach so she could turn in her seat and finger the bass without danger of hitting Saj. The bass’s hum pulled Saj’s attention like a magnet. Whenever she plucked a string his eyes grew and his hands went back and forth on his car seat like he was playing the bongos.