All Night Long

philosophical conundrum, isn’t it? How do I prove that I’m okay?”
    “You could start by making an appointment with Dr. Van Dyke.”
    “Forget it. Dr. Van Dyke is a very nice lady and no doubt an excellent shrink, but I don’t want to talk to her.”
    “She’s an old friend of the family, Luke. It was perfectly natural that Mom and Dad would ask her for advice when they started to worry about you. She’s just suggesting that the two of you have a little chat, that’s all.”
    “If I ever decide that I need that kind of help, I’ll give her a call.”
    Jason settled deeper into his chair. “Told the Old Man this was a waste of time.”
    “It was his idea for you to pay me a visit?”
    “He thought maybe I could get through to you.”
    “Had a feeling that might be it,” Luke said. “Consider the message delivered.”
    “You’re coming back for his birthday, aren’t you?”
    “I’ll be there.”
    “Good. That’s important.”

    “I know,” Luke said.
    “Be prepared for a sales pitch on the wonderfulness of rejoining the company, though.”
    “Forewarned is forearmed.” Luke started to take another swallow of coffee. The sound of a familiar car engine stopped him. “Damn.” He took his heels off the railing and got to his feet. “Now, where the hel s she going?”
    Jason watched him, baffled. “Who?”
    “Irene.” Luke crossed the porch and went down the steps.
    “Wait up.” Jason launched himself up out of the chair and hurried after Luke.
    “Where are we going?”
    Luke didn’t answer. He rounded the side of the cabin, walked into the middle of the narrow lane and came to a halt directly in front of the yellow compact.
    Irene was forced to stop. He went to stand at the window on the driver’s-side door, braced one hand on the low roof and leaned down to look at her.
    She lowered the window and looked at him through the shield of her dark glasses.
    “Something wrong?” she asked politely.
    “Where are you headed?”
    She reached up and removed the glasses with a slow, thoughtful air.
    “You know, I’ve stayed in a wide variety of lodging establishments in my life, but this is the first tim ‘ve had to account for my comings and goings to the proprietor.”
    “We do things a little differently here at the Sunrise on the Lake Lodge.”
    “I’ve noticed.” She tapped the frames of the glasses against the steering wheel.
    ““Would that be the military way, by any chance?”
    “That would be the Marine way, Miss Stenson,” Jason offered helpfully. “My brother just got out of the service a few months ago. You’ll have to make allowances. He’s still adjusting to civilian life.”

    She nodded once, very crisply, as though the information confirmed some private conclusion she had already reached.
    “That explains a lot.” She smiled at Jason and then gave Luke a considering look. “It crossed my mind that I owe you something for the considerable amount of inconvenience I caused you last night and this morning.”
    “That right?” Luke asked.
    “I was thinking that maybe I could repay you with an offer of a home-cooked meal this evening.”
    That was the last thing he had been expecting.
    “Boy, howdy,” Jason said enthusiastically. “Do you cook, Miss Stenson?”
    ” I’ll have you know that you are looking at the reporter who is single-handedly responsible for selecting every recipe that runs in the Recipe Exchange column of the
Glaston Cove Beacon
.”
    Jason grinned. “Should I be impressed?”
    “You would be more than impressed, you would be stunned speechless if you saw some of the recipes I’ve rejected. Trust me, you’re better off going through life never knowing what some people can d ith lime-flavored gelatin and red kidney beans.”
    “I’ll take your word for it,” Jason said.
    “By the way, you’re invited to dinner, too, of course, assuming you’re staying overnight?”
    “I am now,” Jason assured her.
    “Excellent. See you both at five-thirty. We’ll have drinks before dinner.” She turned back to Luke,
    politely challenging. “If that’s okay with you, of course?”
    “One of the things they taught us in the Corps was to take advantage of strategic opportunities whe hey are presented,” he said. “We’ll be on your doorstep at seventeen-thirty ma’am.”
    “I assume that means five-thirty in real time,” she said. “Now, if that’s settled, I’ve got a few errands to run.”

    Luke did not take his hand off