CHAPTER 23
An hour and twenty minutes. That’s how long it took us to walk five miles. But our phones were still showing no service, so we really did end up at a seedy gas station just off the highway.
“Do you have a phone we can borrow?” I asked the guy behind the counter. “Like the kind that plugs into the wall?” I pulled at the neck of my shirt to fan myself, still feeling hot from the walk. “You know, the kind with a cord.”
“The kind with a cord?” Skyler teased from next to me. “I think it has square buttons, too, that you push.”
“Shut it,” I said, my smile growing.
“No,” the guy said, not thinking we were funny at all.
“Is there a place close where cell phones work?” Skyler asked.
“I can give you the Wi-Fi info.”
“Yes, that would be great,” I said. “Thank you.”
I entered it into my phone and we went out and sat on the curb to FaceTime my mom.
She picked up after a few rings. Her smile stretched across the screen. “Hello, daughter of mine.”
“It’s both of us,” I said, scooting closer to Skyler.
“Hi, Mrs. Simons,” Skyler said.
She squinted. “Where are you guys? Is that a building behind you?”
“So you’re not on your way back,” I said.
“What?” Mom asked.
“We haven’t been behind you for at least an hour and a half,” I said.
Her gaze went to what I assumed was the side mirror. “The kids aren’t behind us,” Mom said out loud.
“They aren’t?” Olivia said.
“We’re two hours from Spokane,” Mom said.
“We are not. The RV broke down.”
“Broke down?”
“Made funny noises, spewed smoke, and is now sitting on the side of the freeway.”
“Why didn’t you call us a couple hours ago?” she asked, voice slightly panicked. But I saw the familiar look of concentration come onto her face as she switched into planning mode.
“We had no cell reception. Skyler and I walked to a gas station.”
“On the freeway? That’s super dangerous,” she said.
“But obviously super necessary, thanks to our oblivious mothers,” I said lightly.
She cringed. “Yes, sorry.”
“We talk too much,” Olivia called out.
“What do you want us to do now?” I asked.