“Uneventful.” The lie came surprisingly easily. Then again, she’d been lying to her parents for years.

“Is it hot?”

“Very.”

“How’s the car?” her dad asked.

“Good.” As it should be. It was brand-new. Nobody in their family drove old jalopies. Not anymore.

“Where are you staying tonight?”

Joy didn’t know. Despite her parents’ and Mark’s objections, she hadn’t made hotel reservations. Spontaneity gave her hives, but she wanted some flexibility on her trip. If a side trip took longer than expected or she stayed in a town longer than planned to explore, she didn’t want to be locked into a reservation.

Joy looked out the window. A block down from the bar was a motel with a bright pink neon VACANCY sign.

“I’m staying at the Howard Johnson,” she announced, then gave them the address so that her parents could find it on Google Maps.

Joy’s food arrived and she wished them a good night. As she ate, her gaze kept drifting to the bar. Some people left, more went inside. She didn’t know what she hoped to see, maybe Dylan coming outside for a breath of fresh air.

She still couldn’t believe she’d spent the afternoon with him. She also hadn’t had that much fun on a road trip before. Mark always made phone calls and she’d read a book, listening to her music through earbuds, whenever they went on a long drive. They had a comfortable companionship. But Dylan’s music appreciation rivaled her own. He also had her pegged before they’d left the parking lot. No one had seen through her that easily before. It left her feeling uneasy and more curious about him. How had he figured her out so quickly?

Yes, she dressed like her sister and she listened to her favorite music. Joy wanted to experience the trip the way she imagined Judy would have.

The first time she’d glimpsed Judy’s Route 66 Bucket List had been the day after Judy’s high school graduation, the day of Kent Dulcott’s graduation party. Judy’s last day on earth.

Joy had wandered into Judy’s bedroom, a room that looked like a jukebox had exploded and spewed everything circa 1950s. B-movie posters and Hollywood heartthrob pinups from a bygone era plastered the walls. Lipsticks in vintage shades of Coral Sunrise and Vivid Crimson filled the drawers. Retro clothing stuffed the closet. Judy even had a teal rotary phone and portable record player, the kind that looked like a suitcase.