The Vacation: Short Story: Saddles and Secrets, #4

By Shirley Penick

Andrea Clementine has a wonderful vacation planned. Nine whole days away from work, from home, from everything but fun. Right up until her car conks out, not even halfway to her destination. Her vacation is ruined, and she's stranded on the side of the road.

Carl Ray Black is on his way to a conference when he sees a familiar car stopped not quite all the way onto the shoulder. He can't leave the only woman he's ever loved abandoned, even if she does hate him with the heat of a million suns.

When they discover they are bound for the same location, Carl Ray offers her a ride. Andrea would ride with a serial killer to start her vacation, as planned.

Can they spend five hours in the car together, alone, without murder being committed? Join Andrea and Carl Ray to find out why they are at odds and see if this could possibly be a second chance for love.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Shirley Penick
• Release date: Jan 17, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201087593

Book preview

Chapter 1

Andrea Clementine punched out from her Friday eight-hour shift, as Bedford, Wyoming’s dispatcher and practically skipped out the door. Nine glorious days of vacation started now. Her bags were packed, and she was ready to roll. Deadwood, South Dakota was calling her name. It was four in the afternoon now, she could be there around ten, provided she didn’t stop too long for snacks and breaks. With the long summer days, she might even get there before dark.

Two days in Deadwood at Wild Bill Days, where there would be concerts and food and something called a Dock Dogs competition. Her internet search gave her the deets: Dogs of all kinds jumped off a dock, into a lake or pool, as far as they could.

Following Wild Bill Days, she’d explore the rest of the fun things in the surrounding area, like Mount Rushmore, and the National Parks nearby. The Wind Cave would be fun to tour, and who could resist the Badlands?

After all that exploring, she’d go back to Deadwood and play the casinos. She had her exact funds set aside for losing. Once she’d blown through her budget, she would either hang out by the pool or it would be time to leave. Either way, she was pretty sure she could easily keep herself busy for nine days, with interesting historical things in Deadwood, and the surrounding area.

Andrea waved goodbye to the sheriff who was on the phone and he sent her a thumbs up. Glad not to have been stalled with a Have a fun vacation conversation, she breezed out the door and hurried to her car.

At her almost-turquoise Subaru Crosstrek, she pulled her auburn hair out of the professional twist and let it hang free. She checked her car, and everything looked the same. Cooler filled with drinks. Bags of junk food she would normally not touch, but which were required for a road trip.

Climbing into ‘Subie’, she let out a sigh and opened the sunroof, this was going to be the best vacation ever. She could just feel it.

Carl Ray Black locked the door to his business, asking himself if he should be attending this conference. He’d put off going to the darn thing for years, using the excuse of distance, to get him out of it, but this one was too close to Sturgis, South Dakota, where he’d always wanted to visit. The idea of all those motorcycles convening at the same time was astounding. The Sturgis rally wasn’t going to be happening when he would be there, but they did have a motorcycle museum and he could visit some of the iconic places.

The conference was in Deadwood, only fifteen minutes away from Sturgis. Carl Ray’s plan was simple: go to the conference, drive over to Sturgis and check it out, and then head home.

He could take a few days off, but being the owner of a plumbing business didn’t lend itself to vacations, so he would probably be back on the road at the end of the third day.

A long drive was great and the quiet gave him time to think. Halfway between Buffalo and Gillette, a car