Audrey Westin let a howl out into the clear California night, the sound torn away by the wind that whipped her blond hair around her shoulders.  It was warmand the top of the convertible was down and she was happier than she'd ever been.  She was rich!

She looked over at Chance Harper, sitting in the passenger seat.  He had his elbow resting against the door, his chin in his hand, his eyes on the passing scenery.  She wondered what was on his mind.

"If you're worried about not having any stuff..." she began, even though she knew that wasn't the problem. Chance could make the best of any situation. Heading to Vegas on a moment's notice without so much as a toothbrush wouldn't phase him.

"Got everything I need right here," he said, pulling his camera out of his coat and smiling at her warmly.  The smile made Audrey feel better, at least until Chance raised the camera to his eye and snapped a picture of her at the wheel.

"Hey," she threatened.

"A camera-shy photo editor," he mused.

"Not anymore," she declared, focusing on the highway that stretched out in front of them. They were beginning to lose the radio stations as they climbed into the hills surrounding the city.  There were no other cars.  She glanced at Chance when he didn't say anything.  "What?"

"Nothing," he said and she knew him, knew he wasn't telling her everything.

"Chance," she warned.

"Just be careful," he said.

"Careful of what?"

"I don't want to see you get hurt," he continued. The words came out slowly, like they were hard for him to make himself say.  Audrey glanced at him again, thinking that sometimes she didn't know him at all.

"Why would I get hurt?" she pressed, and he said nothing.  "You're a pessimist, Chance Harper."

"I'm a realist," he corrected her gently.

"How can you be a realist when you lead this kind of fantasy life where things are always happening to you, working out in unexpected twists?"  Instantly she knew she shouldn't have said it.

"You think it's a fantasy and I think it's more real than real," Chance said and pulled his coat up around his shoulders like he was cold in the night air.  After wrapping himself up, he slid around in his seat until he'd found a comfortable position to curl up in.

"You're going to sleep?!"

"Yeah, do you mind?"

"Some fun road trip buddy you turned out to be," Audrey muttered, but she wasn't angry.  She just didn't understand it. She was completely wired, blood singing through her veins. She didn't think she'd ever be able to sleep again.  But there was Chance, eyes closed, by all accounts already sleeping like a baby.

She sighed and pressed the accelerator harder, sending the car streaking into the night.

She eased into the gas station a couple of hours later and got out.  The window was dark, the attendant gone home for the night.  Her tank was on empty and she knew they wouldn't get much further without gas.  She didn't want to end up stuck in the middle of nowhere.

As she walked to the center island to try the automatic payment machine there, Audrey asked herself where her spirit of adventure was.  But watching the white line down the middle of the two lane highway had sapped it from her, she suspected as the machine took her card and she walked over and started the flow of gas into the tank.

Chance got out of the car, moving like he was stiff.  Without a word, he started to put up the convertible top on the car, fastening it into place easily. Of course it wouldn't give him any trouble, she thought, but then her expression softened when he grabbed a squeegee and started washing the windows.

"Sleep well?" she inquired.

Chance nodded, but she didn't think he looked rested.  He looked like he'd been sleeping in the car, eyes puffy and a lock of his hair pushed up and out of place.  "Hungry," he said.

She nodded vaguely, agreeing with him. She'd been hoping for a steaming cup of black coffee herself when she'd spotted the bright gas station sign from the road.  Audrey pulled the pump from the gas tank and replaced it on the island as Chance started to walk away from the gas station, into the brush.

"Where are you going?" she called. But he waved his hand toward the dark station and she realized what he was doing.  "Easy for you, you're a man," she muttered.  She'd been hoping to use the bathroom.  Audrey looked out into the desert, thinking about coyotes and scorpions and the "Next gas 100 miles" sign she'd seen.

She headed back to the gas station building. Sometimes there were facilities around back.  Maybe she'd get lucky and they wouldn't be locked.

Lucky.  Every time she started to forget, something reminded her again. She was a lottery winner!  Audrey pushed on the door, which didn't budge under her hand.  Then she saw the handwritten note taped to the door: Get key from cashier.

She scowled and rounded the dark building.  What the hell, she thought, and pushed on the door to the convenience mart, noticing it said "Open 24 hours."  And the door did swing in.  As it did, the lights came on.  "Chance?" Audrey called.  She turned and he was standing at her side.

"Motion sensor," he said, looking at her.

"Should we -?"

He nodded, and they went inside together.

The convenience mart was in perfect order.  Coffee steamed in a pot next to the soda machine, which rumbled through an icemaking cycle.  Everything sat in neat rows on the shelves.

"Where's the cashier?" Audrey whispered.

Chance shrugged, looking around.  He tried the knob on the "Employees Only" door but it didn't turn.  He put his shoulder to the door and looked in through the little window.  He didn't see anything amiss.

Audrey poured herself a cup of coffee and dug in her pocket for some change. She dropped it on the counter, then decided she really needed the key to the ladies' room, no matter how bad the deserted gas station was giving her the creeps.

She stepped behind the counter, stopping short. "Chance!"

Chance hurried over to her, hesitating for a second when he saw the man in the Quikie Mart vest lying on the floor behind the counter.  In the next instant, he was on his knees, feeling for a pulse.  "He's alive," he told her.

Audrey pulled out her cell phone and dialed 911, but the call didn't go through. They were in the middle of nowhere, of course there was no 911.  Chance turned the man over, but there didn't seem to be any injuries.  No explanation of why he was lying there unconscious.

The man's eyes opened slightly and he groaned, coming around.  In the next moment, he started to convulse.  "He's having a seizure," Audrey said.  "Give him some space."

She should have followed her own advice, because as soon as the words were out, one of the man's hands flailed up and struck her on the cheek, hard.  She put her hand over her eye and scooted back, but already the man was beginning to settle.

"What -?" he asked dully, coming around.

"I think you had a seizure," Audrey told him.

The man nodded.  "I have epilepsy. But I take medicine..."

"You hit your head when you fell," Audrey said, noticing the bump on the back of the man's skull.  "Are you all right?"

The man nodded, but he looked like he was going to cry.

"It's okay. You're okay.  Everything's fine," Audrey said, soothing him.  "Is there someone we should call?"

"My wife?"  His voice broke.

"Okay," Audrey said, her tone still calming as she dialed the numbers he gave her.

She eased into the gas station a couple of hours later and got out.  The window was dark, the attendant gone home for the night.  Her tank was on empty and she knew they wouldn't get much further without gas.  She didn't want to end up stuck in the middle of nowhere.

As she walked to the center island to try the automatic payment machine there, Audrey asked herself where her spirit of adventure was.  But watching the white line down the middle of the two lane highway had sapped it from her, she suspected as the machine took her card and she walked over and started the flow of gas into the tank.

Chance got out of the car, moving like he was stiff.  Without a word, he started to put up the convertible top on the car, fastening it into place easily. Of course it wouldn't give him any trouble, she thought, but then her expression softened when he grabbed a squeegee and started washing the windows.

"Sleep well?" she inquired.

Chance nodded, but she didn't think he looked rested.  He looked like he'd been sleeping in the car, eyes puffy and a lock of his hair pushed up and out of place.  "Hungry," he said.

She nodded vaguely, agreeing with him. She'd been hoping for a steaming cup of black coffee herself when she'd spotted the bright gas station sign from the road.  Audrey pulled the pump from the gas tank and replaced it on the island as Chance started to walk away from the gas station, into the brush.

"Where are you going?" she called. But he waved his hand toward the dark station and she realized what he was doing.  "Easy for you, you're a man," she muttered.  She'd been hoping to use the bathroom.  Audrey looked out into the desert, thinking about coyotes and scorpions and the "Next gas 100 miles" sign she'd seen.

She headed back to the gas station building. Sometimes there were facilities around back.  Maybe she'd get lucky and they wouldn't be locked.

Lucky.  Every time she started to forget, something reminded her again. She was a lottery winner!  Audrey pushed on the door, which didn't budge under her hand.  Then she saw the handwritten note taped to the door: Get key from cashier.

She scowled and rounded the dark building.  What the hell, she thought, and pushed on the door to the convenience mart, noticing it said "Open 24 hours."  And the door did swing in.  As it did, the lights came on.  "Chance?" Audrey called.  She turned and he was standing at her side.

"Motion sensor," he said, looking at her.

"Should we -?"

He nodded, and they went inside together.

The convenience mart was in perfect order.  Coffee steamed in a pot next to the soda machine, which rumbled through an icemaking cycle.  Everything sat in neat rows on the shelves.

"Where's the cashier?" Audrey whispered.

Chance shrugged, looking around.  He tried the knob on the "Employees Only" door but it didn't turn.  He put his shoulder to the door and looked in through the little window.  He didn't see anything amiss.

Audrey poured herself a cup of coffee and dug in her pocket for some change. She dropped it on the counter, then decided she really needed the key to the ladies' room, no matter how bad the deserted gas station was giving her the creeps.

She stepped behind the counter, stopping short. "Chance!"

Chance hurried over to her, hesitating for a second when he saw the man in the Quikie Mart vest lying on the floor behind the counter.  In the next instant, he was on his knees, feeling for a pulse.  "He's alive," he told her.

Audrey pulled out her cell phone and dialed 911, but the call didn't go through. They were in the middle of nowhere, of course there was no 911.  Chance turned the man over, but there didn't seem to be any injuries.  No explanation of why he was lying there unconscious.

The man's eyes opened slightly and he groaned, coming around.  In the next moment, he started to convulse.  "He's having a seizure," Audrey said.  "Give him some space."

She should have followed her own advice, because as soon as the words were out, one of the man's hands flailed up and struck her on the cheek, hard.  She put her hand over her eye and scooted back, but already the man was beginning to settle.

"What -?" he asked dully, coming around.

"I think you had a seizure," Audrey told him.

The man nodded.  "I have epilepsy. But I take medicine..."

"You hit your head when you fell," Audrey said, noticing the bump on the back of the man's skull.  "Are you all right?"

The man nodded, but he looked like he was going to cry.

"It's okay. You're okay.  Everything's fine," Audrey said, soothing him.  "Is there someone we should call?"

"My wife?"  His voice broke.

"Okay," Audrey said, her tone still calming as she dialed the numbers he gave her.