Everything Stays in Vegas

Everything Stays In Vegas

by NotForSaleYet

I hate Vegas. I would never come here, but business is where it is. I pulled my motor home onto Boulder Highway and headed for the interstate. I wanted to be in St George Utah before nightfall.

I was sitting at a red light when it happened. I could see him screaming at her and she just kept turning her back to him and trying to ignore him. He slammed her in the middle of her spine and it catapulted her into the intersection, less than ten feet from my bumper. Well, fuck. I killed the diesel, opened the door and stepped out. When I went to lean down and help her up this asshole says,

"Get your hands off my wife motherfucker."

"You his wife girl?" I asked.

"No, we're divorced."

"Fuck you bitch. No paper can take you from me. You're mine."

The asshole grabbed my arm so I did the only thing I could do, I kicked him in the nuts. When he bent over, grabbing his balls, I kicked him again. Sounded like one of his hands broke. He screeched and tried to turn. I kicked him in the head and down he went. I pulled his body onto the curb in the median. Why kick? Because you can hurt your hands hitting hard bone and your feet are protected by boots. Shouldn't be that hard to figure.

"You need to get away from here girl, before he wakes up."

"I have nowhere to go and no money mister."

"Shit. How old are you?"

"Nineteen."

"Ok, get on board and I'll get you out of this area."

"I have to get my stuff first. It's over in the bushes."

"Fine. Get your stuff and lets get out of here before the asshole wakes up or the cops get here."

One nice thing about Vegas. The light had turned green twice so far and not one single vehicle bothered to stop and see what was going on. The few pedestrians just walked around us and kept going.

A minute later out she comes from the bushes. She had a knapsack and a bundle in her arm. I waited by the door of my motor home. When she started up the steps the bundle cried. Oh crap, a talking bundle. Now what do I do?

I strapped her and the bundle on the couch and got the rig moving. As soon as we were out in the desert I pulled over at the first area on the highway wide enough for safety. I swiveled my seat around and looked at this girl and her bundle. She was rocking it gently.

"How old?"

"She's almost three months old."

Crap. I'm a sucker for babies, probably because I was one once myself, maybe.

"His kid?"

"Not any more."

"I'm heading up to St George. You need to think about where I should take you. You have any family?"

"No. Never met my dad and my mom died last year, drug overdose."

What the fuck is wrong with families these days? What happened to fall in love, get married, have kids, live happily ever after? Yeah, I know, my ex always said I was a dreamer. She was wrong. I'm no dreamer. I just like things to make sense.

"All right. Use the bathroom, get the bundle settled down and we'll get out of this state before your ex decides to call the cops."

And we did. I stopped in an rv park in St George for the night. Feeding the girl wasn't hard. Just add some more lettuce to the salad and a extra handful of frozen meatballs to the spaghetti. Hey, you want fancy, go find a chef.

Good thing is she doesn't talk much. We ate dinner without a single word between us. After dinner she even tried to help clean up but I told her to take care of the bundle while I did the few fishes. Long about ten I could tell she was about ready to fall asleep.

"Ok, a couple of things. That couch makes into a bed. I'll set out sheets and blankets and a pillow. You and the bundle sleep there. The bedroom is mine. When you're settled close the door to the hallway so I can use the bathroom at night. If you open the slider and you see my bedroom door open close the slider and wait a while. Any questions?"

"I'm Caroline. This is Shelley."

Crap. I hate it when people have to get personal.

"Sam. Good night."

"Good night Sam."

Next morning I headed further north. I'm retired after 40 years in construction but I'll do the occasional contract if it pays well. I made enough so that even after the ex got half, that bitch, I was still ok. I like fishin'. I got the motor home so I could go fishing anywhere I want. I tow a little four-wheel drive jeep for the times I need to get off road to a good spot. I'm not sure what to do about the girl and bundle but that's her problem. I figure she can tag along until she sees somewhere she wants to light. Since she knows how to keep her mouth shut and did a good job of cleaning up the front of the rig before I got up I don't see any problem. The bundle whimpers now and then but she keeps it quiet.

I headed up to Idaho, stopping every few hundred miles or so. Got nothing to hurry for. Fish usually hang around. In a couple of days we had a routine. She helped with the cooking and cleaning, kept the bundle quiet, and never asked me to change the tv channel - gotta respect that. I guess it was the fourth night, as I was heading off to bed, that she finally had to say something.

"Sam, what's going to happen to us?"

"Don't know. That's up to you. When you get tired of tagging along let me know and I'll let you out wherever you say."

"Ok, night Sam."

We stopped now and then to get a few things for the bundle and a couple of things for her. She couldn't wear the same jeans and shirt forever I guess. She asked to borrow twenty bucks for some girl stuff so she could keep track of what she owed me. I told her to shut up and put what she needed in the basket. Smart girl. She shut up and put stuff in the basket.

Heard her sniffling a couple of times at night but she didn't make a habit of it.

I like to read so I had a few boxes of books in the compartments. She got in the habit of reading when I was off fishing. She didn't mind cleaning and cooking what I caught. That was nice. I don't mind doing it either but it's nice when someone else does it.

Bothered me a little when she put the bundle on the carpet. Bothered me a little more when the bundle started crawling around. Finally had to mention it.

"She going to crawl all over now?"

"She's seven months old Sam. It's a normal thing to do."

"Oh, ok."

We moved around the northwest most of that summer and fall. Fishing was good. Sometimes I'd be out of the rig overnight. She kept it nice and clean all the time. Took a while to get used to that. I'd rather fish than clean.

Winter was on the way. I usually headed down to south Texas or over to Florida. Don't really like winter much.

I'd added that internet to the rig a while back and got a laptop. I didn't see the need but when she started saving me fuel money finding the lower priced stations I figured it was ok. She spent some time learning things on it I guess.

I figured out she probably needed some change now and then so I started putting a few twenty's a week in her knapsack. She didn't say anything - smart girl, but she did start wearing some new stuff.

Winter went ok. Fishing wasn't so good but we did some hiking to new fishing spots. Bundle was getting a bit heavy for her to cart more than a mile or two so I carted her around some.

Decided to head for Colorado in late Spring. I like the trout in the high mountains. Bundle was doing some walking on her own. That was strange. I thought she was like her mom, didn't talk much, until I heard her mom hush her when she didn't know I was already at the rig.

"You have to be quiet when Sam is here Shelley. He likes it quiet."

Huh, guess I never thought about it that way. Summer came and we were wandering around up in Wyoming. Nice mountains up there. I'm not sure how it happened. One minute we were walking a trail to a fishing hole I'd been told about and the next thing I know bundle is falling off the trail and all I heard was

"DADDY, DADDY, HELP."

Grabbed her before she went so far off we couldn't get her back. Handed her to her mom and just sat down on that trail for a minute.

Daddy? What the fuck?

I carried her back to the rig. She wouldn't let go of my neck the whole way.

"I'm sorry Sam. I've tried to explain to Shelly that she can't call you that but she won't listen."

"What? Oh, well, I guess it's ok for a while."

I found us a nice quiet campsite near a good stream. I sat outside most of a day thinking.

That night Caroline put a small cake on the table after dinner.

"It's our anniversary Sam."

"Oh, ok."

Anniversary? Was I supposed to do something?

When she put the bundle, I mean Shelley, down for the night I started for my bedroom. Shelly held up her arms.

"Kiss please". I guess it took a second for the blood to get back up to my brain and before it did I guess I leaned down and kissed her. She hugged me and smiled and lay down. I looked at Caroline. Like always, she didn't say anything.

I was in bed reading when the door slid open. She was standing there in a long t-shirt just looking at me. Well, hell, I'm human. I nodded and she climbed into bed with me. Took us a while to figure out what worked for us but we got it done.

Things changed after that. Couldn't shut the little girl up but I got used to it. Caroline offered advice now and then. Some of it was ok. Didn't mind the changes too much since it didn't mess up the fishing.

So here we are in Oregon for the summer. Shelley is five and Caroline says we need to think about school. I'm thinking we could use that internet to teach her. Caroline seems ok with it.

I've learned a couple of things I guess. I'll never pick up something in Vegas ever again. Can't get rid of it.