Free Wilder Boys by Brandon Wallace Page A

back?”
    â€œNope. They live with a foster family. But I’m savin’ up for a good lawyer, and soon I’m goin’ to try to make us a family again.”
    Suddenly Jake realized why Sharon had been so kind and helpful to him and Taylor. He’d never thought about what it would be like for a parent missing a child; for him it had always been the other way around.
    Sharon wiped moisture from her eyes, and they all sat silently for a moment. Then the waitress appeared with their dinner.
    â€œThat’s what I’m talkin’ about!” Taylor said, picking up his fork.
    â€œNot so fast, young man,” Sharon told him. “Just because we’re in a truck stop, don’t mean we eat like barbarians. Put your napkins in your laps.”
    Jake and Taylor did as they were told, then Sharon reached across the table with both hands to say a short prayer. The boys glanced at each other, then reached out and linked hands. As they prayed, Jake thought about how far they’d already come, and how grateful he was to have found an adult who would help them instead of getting in their way.
    â€œNow, let’s do us some damage to this meatloaf.” Sharon said. “We’ve got a lot of hours to put in on the road tomorrow—and I plan to get started nice and early!”

10 Sharon wasn’t kidding.
    That night she booked the boys a motel room outside of North Platte, Nebraska, while she slept in her truck. Jake felt like his head had barely hit the pillow when he heard a loud knocking on the motel room door. He sat straight up, heart pounding. For a sickening moment he thought he was back in Pittsburgh and that Bull was trying to break down the door. Then he recognized the motel room and hurried to the door, Cody at his heels.
    â€œWho is it?” he muttered.
    â€œIt’s me, Jake.”
    He opened the door to see Sharon smiling, holding a cup of coffee. She wore a fresh T-shirt that read A BADATTITUDE IS LIKE A FLAT TIRE. YOU CAN’T GO ANYWHERE UNTIL YOU CHANGE IT. Jake couldn’t help but smile.
    â€œTime to crank up your engines, boys,” Sharon said. “We got a lot of road to reel in. Meet me at the truck in fifteen minutes.”
    Jake had to splash water on Taylor to wake him up, but the boys went to the bathroom, got dressed, and staggered out to find Sharon checking over the tires on the eighteen-wheeler. The three of them jumped into the cab and pulled back onto the interstate just as golden streaks of dawn were creeping over the horizon. The boys scarfed down a couple of yogurts each, along with some bagels and cheese that they found in Sharon’s mini-fridge.
    â€œWill we make it to Wyoming today?” Taylor asked Sharon.
    â€œOught to be there in a couple of hours.”
    Taylor spun around. “Did you hear that, Jake? We’ll be in the Tetons in two hours!”
    â€œWhoa, cowboy! I didn’t say that,” said Sharon. “I said we’ll be in Wyoming in two hours. Wyoming’s a big state. If you’re goin’ to the Tetons, I think the best place to let you off is Rock Springs. From there, you gotta head north.”
    â€œHow much farther is it?” Jake asked.
    â€œAbout another three hours.”
    Sharon shifted into a higher gear. “I wish I could take you myself, but I’m already runnin’ late with this load. If I don’t get it to Reno on time, I won’t get paid.”
    â€œThat’s okay,” Jake said. “We’ll figure out something.”
    While Sharon drove and chatted with Taylor, Jake pulled out his father’s journal and letter, scouring them for clues. He studied the map with the sketch of the lake with the waterfall coming down into it—or near it, he couldn’t decide which.
    Look across the moose’s neck, he read again. What did that mean?
    Jake shook his head, and for the first time he wondered if they’d made the right decision leaving