The next Monday, at five in the morning because Hollis swore it was the best time to start a road trip, we were on our way. I was grouchy and unshaven, just to prove a point, but he didn’t seem to mind. Hollis was excited enough for both of us, anyway. We stopped for coffee and breakfast at a fast food place before heading west on Highway 70 from Salina. Traffic built bit by bit, but it wasn’t so bad after we cleared the city.
I felt better as the day dawned, and I could almost feel the weight of the world falling off my shoulders as we sped down the freeway. I glanced to my left and saw Hollis smiling as he hummed to the classical music that played on low volume through the car stereo. We’d decided to take my SUV since it was newer than his battered Toyota. I didn’t want to take that man
