The Newcomer (Thunder Point #2)(101)

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Not far away, another car was parked outside the roadblock. It was a ten-year-old Pathfinder with a lot of miles on it. Cee Jay was driving, Maddy was in the passenger seat and their luggage was piled in the back. Cee Jay got out of the car and looked down the road into the town. The banner had been raised, the music played and it appeared there was dancing in the street as the sun made a lazy decline over the rocky Pacific coast. Kids and dogs ran amok, laughter rang out, a couple of fireworks shot into the sky.

A wedding party, Cee Jay thought. An entire town celebrating its favorite couple.

“Wanna go congratulate the happy couple?” Maddy asked with a laugh. “Throw them off balance just a little bit?”

Cee Jay shook her head. No one could see her, but if they could they would see a very melancholy, remorseful look come into her eyes. “No. I’ve played my last card here.” Then she took a deep breath, shook herself of the sentimental musing and smiled over the top of the car at her girlfriend. “So. What sounds good? Miami? Atlantic City?”

Maddy got back in the car. “You’re driving. Just get me outta here. I’ve had enough of these hicks.”

Cee Jay looked for another moment at the hundreds of people, all with what appeared to be happy, untroubled, connected lives. “Yeah,” she said softly. “Yeah.”