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daytime. After all her years in a city like Nashville, it would be nice to be close to nature for a change.
    “I don’t think Limon has any mountains,” Joy said. “I drove through there when I moved back to California three years ago. If I remember correctly, it’s a lot like Kansas…really flat with thunderstorms and tornadoes. An old railroad town, I think.”
    “You must be thinking of a different place. Molly said there were a bunch of motels there so it has to be some kind of tourist town.”
    “I doubt it. Several highways intersect there. That’s probably why they have so many motels. You should look it up on my laptop while I finish.”
    “It’s okay. I’m going to hit the shower and get ready for bed.” If Limon turned out to be a hellhole, she’d rather not know about it tonight.

Chapter Four
     
    Joy hated to disturb Amber, who was sleeping peacefully with Skippy tucked under her arm, but it was seven a.m.—time to eat breakfast and roll out. Limon was nearly six hours down the road under the best of conditions, but they were driving into a massive thunderstorm that would slow traffic and have Joy wrestling with crosswinds.
    Fearing Skippy would snap at her, she opted to wake Amber with her voice instead of jostling her. It took several shouts before she finally stirred.
    “God, this bed…that was the best night’s sleep I’ve had in years. Maybe it’s because I didn’t have to sleep with Corey. I hope he got bedbugs at his hotel last night.”
    When she rolled back the covers and swung her bare legs to the floor, Joy whirled away on impulse, realizing Amber was wearing only a long T-shirt with nothing underneath. She was practiced in such avoidance from her years in the navy, where a lingering gaze could lead to a dishonorable discharge.
    “Do you drink coffee?”
    “Gallons,” Amber replied groggily. She pulled on the faded denim skirt she had worn the day before and clipped Skippy’s leash to his collar.
    Joy had gone to bed the night before trying to think who Amber reminded her of and was startled when it came to her—her ex-partner Syd. It wasn’t anything to do with the way she looked, since they couldn’t have been more different. Syd was a large woman, not fat but big-boned, and she had straight black hair. Amber looked like a shopworn Tinkerbell.
    No, the main similarity was the way they both sought to hitch their wagons to whoever could take them along. Syd was overtly sexual in her quest, turning on her sad brown eyes and pouty lips whenever she wanted something, an act that had usually resulted in Joy falling all over herself to please her. Amber’s look was genuine desperation, but it triggered the same sort of emotional reaction in Joy—the urge to come to the rescue.
    Knowing her tendency to respond to women in distress was not the same as accepting it. For the last four years she’d berated herself for being Syd’s patsy, especially since she’d practically rolled over and given up all claim to Madison. Syd had her over a barrel because she couldn’t fight for custody without her personal details coming to light, a move that would have ended her navy career. Had she known she’d be leaving only a few months later to help take care of her mother, she would have put up more of a fight. To this day, she felt guilty for putting the navy ahead of Madison.
    Breakfast was simple fare, cereal with bananas and coffee. Joy wanted to get on the road quickly. After dropping Amber in Limon, she hoped to push herself for eight more hours all the way to Evanston, Wyoming, which would put her in striking distance of getting home late Friday night.
    To shorten her long day, she set the cruise control at eighty, five miles above the limit. That would get her into the RV park around eight o’clock, thanks to the extra hour she’d pick up crossing into Mountain Time.
    Amber kicked off her shoes and rested her feet on the dashboard, causing Skippy to stand, twirl twice, and settle