Lacey

"Y'all got yerselves stuck in a ditch, eh?" The young tow truck driver drawls as he approaches us.

Y'all? This is LA, who says y'all here? I resist the temptation to pull out the camera and tape him as he hooks up his truck to the Explorer. It's not worth the conversation about why I'm filming, and who we are, and when it will be on. Not after the morning we've already had.

Especially after I started to reach for the camera and Travis shot me a look that said hell no. Whatever, it doesn't go with the theme anyway. Christmas cheer, ha. So much for that.

"This tiurrrr looks shot ta hell." He comments. Apparently the front tire is now flat, thanks to Travis' reaction driving. That mouse had him squealing like a little girl. Honestly, I don't think I've ever screamed that high. I stifle a laugh at the memory. If only I had been taping that part. Travis looks over at me again while talking with the kid, scowling as though he knows what I was laughing about.

Mind reader.

"How far can you tow us?" Travis asks him.

"Only 'bout a mile er so. Then I gots ta charge ya extra," he mutters. Travis rubs his face up and down, trying hard not to lose it.

"Extra it is, I guess," Travis says. "My mechanic is on the other side of town."

"Okie dokie. Just give me the address and I'll plug 'er in. GPS'll get me there."

"Fine." Travis turns to look at me. "Babe, we're gonna have to leave the tree."

"What!" My hands fly in the air as soon as the word leaves my mouth. It wasn't a crazed stalker that jumped out of the woods, making this day worse. But leaving the tree after all we've gone though to get it seems equally horrific.

"We're going to have to take a cab home with this flat tire on the truck. There's no way we can get the tree home with us."

My bottom lip pops out, quivering like jello. "But... my beautiful, perfectly green Christmas tree..." I whine. Yes, I admit that I'm pulling out all of my weapons in this fight. A Christmas tree's life is at stake, people!

"I know, and I'm sorry. There's just no way," Travis says, causing my brows to wrinkle, dang it!

"Y'all gots a permit for that there tree?" the driver asks.

"A permit? No," Travis says before I have a chance to smack his arm to quiet him down.

"Can't be cutting trees in this forest then, you'll be fined if ya get pulled o'er by a ranger."

Crap! Well, maybe running into a ditch was a happy accident. This guy, Toby-if his name tag is accurate- knows an awful lot about the rules in this forest. Which is weird when you think about it.

"Toby, how do you know that?" I go ahead and ask.

"Eh," he shrugs, "I get called ta tow vehicles out of these parts every time some yahoo cuts a tree. Rangers take the car ta impound."

Travis pips in, "Then why did you get lost looking for us?"

"You called, not a Ranger. Rangers know how ta give directions."

Dang it! Travis didn't like that answer. At all.

"Babe," I go over and put my hand on his arm, drawing his attention away from the tow truck twerp, "Let's concentrate on calling a cab."

"I'll drive ya down the hill to the gas station if ya want to give the cabbie that address. He'd find ya faster." Toby interjects. He's not helping things much, by the way.

Travis looks like he might grind his teeth right into his jaw. Yikes! I need a distraction!

Without thinking it through any further, I pull Travis down to my level and plant my lips on his. At the same time I throw my arms around his neck and keep him glued to me, giving Travis a deeper kiss. I can feel his eyebrows fly upwards and he practically chokes before giving in and wrapping his arms around my waist.

From the front of the Explorer I hear Toby clear his throat trying to remind us we aren't alone. Stupid boy. I'm keeping him alive right now, he should be thankful and just stay out of our make out!

Travis pulls back a little, which I allow because he seems to have calmed down. He rests his forehead against mine and sighs peacefully.

"Better?" I ask.

"Of course." He smirks. Then he leans to whisper in my ear, "As soon as I get you alone..." he leaves the next part to my imagination. He stands up straight and pulls his phone back out of his pocket.

"I'll get a cab set up. You pull anything you want to take with us out of the Explorer."

I salute him, "Yes, sir!" and give a wink. Toby just shakes his head.

I think I hear him mutter, "I'll never understand Los Angeles people."

Honestly, me neither.

^^^^^

It's a good thing that tow truck guy knew what was up. LOL, I didn't notice how Mater-like he was until after I wrote it. What can I say, my four-year-old loves Cars...

Anyway, thanks for reading, and voting *wink wink*

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