Cool air blasting from the vents, the radio at full volume in his parents’ cherry-red Cadillac Escalade, he followed the flow of the crush of traffic around him. He sang along with Garth, his thumb drumming on the steering wheel. He might be dusty boots and even dustier dashboard as a rule, but today he was picking up his mom. So he’d shined the Escalade from bumper to bumper. His mother was, after all, his favorite lady. Staubach had carried on something awful at being left at home. If the car moved, he expected to be in it. The old mutt had stubbornly followed him clear to the end of the drive before sitting on his haunches to howl pathetically as Cash turned onto the main road. He’d have to give him double doggie treats when he got back. In truth, the dog wasn’t the only creature feeling pathetic. His mind refused to clear. Normally, he loved time like this. Short stints away from everything. Away from the demands and responsibilities of the ranch, away from petty squabbling among the hands.
