It was a long drive. Lane sent a broadcast text to the Parker kids. Jess had called her the evening before to say they were safe and sound and had stopped in Amarillo for the night. But, they'd talked before she and Ben had made the decision to for to Saint Louis, so she wanted to be sure the kids knew where she was and had a vague outline of what was happening. Since she didn't know who might be driving, she sent the text to all three knowing that the software on the phones would allow them to read, but prevent them from texting if the car was in motion she didn't expect a response until later.

Lane hated when people travelled in the car with someone and made "private" calls. It seemed rude. If a call came that, a person could take over the blue tooth or over the speaker in the car that was another thing. But, her phone wasn't paired to Ben's Navigator.

She didn't need to be entertained, but she was curious about Ben's pensive mood. Since he didn't seem like he wanted to talk, she asked if he'd mind if she read. He'd told her to go ahead.

He was still vacillating between thinking about Lane moaning in her sleep, wondering why they’d never dated, and trying to shake himself out of the fantasy before he'd have to stay in the car when they got to the next rest stop or embarrass himself with the erection that he couldn't seem to lose for very long. Now that she wasn't trying to make conversation, matters only seemed worse. Too much time to think and now Peggy Lee had started singing Fever. He turned off the stereo. They were nearing Saint Louis and the Wright City rest stop was just a few miles ahead. He needed some space and fresh air.

"There's a rest stop ahead. I need a pit stop, how about you?" he watched as she stretched, ran her hands through her long red hair, and smiled. God she was killing him.

"I could stand to stretch my legs. If there's a soda machine I could use a new drink too."

As he pulled into a parking space, he told her to go ahead that he wanted to make a call. Sure, he wanted to check in with Tanner, but he needed a minute to get himself under control. Watching her ass as she walked away wasn't helping. Lane was five feet ten inches tall and weighed about 175lbs. She had curves in all of the right places. He took a gulp of the now very cold coffee and got out of the SUV before calling Tanner to get a location for meeting him. He walked into the men's room, ran water over his hands, and splashed a bit on his face before he used the facilities.

He came out to find Lane at the vending machine engaged in a discussion with some strange guy wearing boots and a cowboy hat of all things. He scanned the parking lot, must be a trucker he thought as he approached. Lane was giggling. WTF giggling. She'd taken off her sunglasses and was looking at this guy in a way that he couldn't put words around, but he knew he didn't like it. No, he didn't like this guy at all. He put his left hand proprietarily in the small of her back as he joined them. She looked up at him and smiled.

"Fish, this is my friend Ben Bellini. Ben, this is Fish Tucker." The men shook hands. "Fish is an old friend that I haven't seen since college."

Since college, that was the easiest way to explain. Fish had been the key board player in the band with her first husband. Fish was still in the music business playing keyboards for a country singer's backup band. He was on his way to a gig in Saint Louis. They'd just traded cards with e-mail addresses and cell phones as Ben had approached.

"Nice meeting you, man. Take care of Red." Fish said as he walked toward the waiting tour bus.

Lane held two bottles of Diet Coke and smiled as she looked up into Ben’s face. "I got one for you too." She said as she offered one of the sodas to him. She was still smiling and he was pretty sure it had nothing to do with him.

Ben unlocked the SUV and opened her door. He walked around to the driver's door shaking his head. He was going to have to sort this out soon. He was feeling like a jealous teenager.  He got in and as he started the engine, he looked at her. "So you know Fish from college?"

"Well, sort of." She hesitated. "You know I'm divorced from the Kids' dad. But, I was married before I married Phillip. I got married the first time when I was still in college." She took a drink of her soda. It wasn't something she meant to keep a secret; it was just something she didn't like to think about. Ben hadn't put the car in gear. He just sat there looking at her. Those hazel eyes looking dark, like melted Hershey's Kisses.

"Are you telling me you were married to Fish Tucker?"

She looked out the window. "No. Fish played keyboards for the band. I married the lead singer & guitarist." She looked back at Ben. "His name was Gus. He was gorgeous, bigger than life, you know. The band cut an album even got some air play on the local radio stations in Omaha." She took another drink. Why was Ben just staring at her? "They went out on a three month tour and when they came back," she sighed, "God, this is so hard." She looked out the window again.

Ben reached over and took her hand. "Whatever it is, it's okay, just tell me."

She turned toward him and put her other hand over his. "Gus couldn't or didn't want to resist the groupies. When Gus came back, he had an STD, which he gave to me. A couple of penicillin shots took care of it. It could have been worse. Could have been something that would stay with me for life." She was crying as she finished. "I didn't mean for it to be a secret, I just don't like remembering it."

Ben reached over and pulled her into the best hug he could manage across the console. He wiped the tears from her cheeks with his fingertips. "It's okay. It's in the past. It's not your fault. God that man was stupid. How could any man who had you waiting at home for him even think about another woman?"

And, before either of them knew what was happening, he kissed her. She'd welcomed the kiss parting her lips and he had quickly deepened it moving his tongue into her mouth. Then she did it, she moaned as she moved her tongue into his mouth. He moved one hand into her hair holding her head with one hand the other behind her back pulling her as close as he could. She had her hands at his neck twirling the fingers of one hand around his hair while the other stroked the back of his neck. Who knows how long they may have kept it up, but they heard someone passing by yell "Hey get a room why don't you?" Ben wasn't ready to let her go. She was his best friend, and this wasn't a kiss you could pretend didn't happen. He reluctantly pulled out of the deep kiss, brushing his lips gently over hers again. "God, I have wanted to do that all day." He said as he brought his hand out of her hair to her cheek and then touched her lips with his thumb.

Lane moved her hands from around his neck and took his hand. She badly wanted to say the hell with whomever it was and just kiss him again and so she leaned across the console and gently brushed her lips against his. Then she moaned again before she moved her lips next to his ear. She licked his ear lobe and purred, "So that explains your mood all morning." She leaned back and twisted in her seat so she could fasten her seat belt.

Ben sat staring at her. Waiting to wake up. Good God, had she just purred in his ear? He swore he had the biggest erection he'd ever had in his life and did she just purr in his ear? She reached over, straightened the collar of his shirt, and then tapped him on the shoulder. "Come on, fasten your seatbelt. We've got to get on the road." Sure, they needed to get on the road, the sooner they got on the road, the sooner they could stop again, the sooner they stopped again, the sooner he could kiss her again. He could work with this.