Honeymoon for Three

nothing had happened. Penny was very quiet, unusual for her, and she sat close to Gary.
    He had a hard time not challenging Alfred, but he honored Penny’s wishes. Tonight was definitely the last time they would have to put up with him. Tomorrow they would leave him behind. Gary wouldn’t accept any more reasons for Alfred tagging along with them.
    ***
    Penny and Gary weren’t alone for any length of time until they went to their room at the lodge to go to bed. Penny finally made it her job to extract them from Alfred’s company, giving excuses to him even though it was fairly early, telling him that they were tired after a strenuous day.
    The three of them had attended a ranger show and washed clothes together in domestic bliss, with Alfred babbling about all the sights they had seen. He obviously expected to do more sightseeing with them tomorrow. That was probably the reason he didn’t tell his story about her to Gary. He thought he had power over her, even though she had hit him. That hadn’t fazed him at all. What a strange person.
    Penny tried not to antagonize Alfred further. She didn’t want him to say anything to Gary that would inflame the situation. Gary would erupt and probably attack Alfred. They both might end up hurt and get themselves thrown out of the lodge. She wasn’t sure what it would do to their marriage. If they could escape with no blood being shed and the marriage intact, she would be happy.
    Once they were inside their room with the door closed, Penny had to tell Gary something. She simply said that Alfred had made a pass at her, and she had rebuffed it. She didn’t elaborate.
    “That son of a bitch. I’m going to go punch his lights out.” Gary started to open the door.
    “Leave him alone.” Penny restrained him. “You’ll only get us kicked out of this place. Alfred’s not worth it. We’ll leave before he gets up in the morning. With any luck we’ll never see him again.”
    She hoped that was true. She set their travel alarm clock for five a.m. before she turned out the light.
    Penny didn’t want Gary to touch her because she felt dirty and unworthy, although she knew he was hungry for her. She told him she still had her period. That was unfair to him. She had other ways of satisfying him. She employed them now. He was asleep in ten minutes. It would be a different matter for her.
    She lay awake thinking about Alfred, wondering what motivated him. He had always been a little peculiar, but nothing like this. He had become excited from touching her navel, instead of, say, her breasts, which is what she would have expected him to do when his hands started to wander. Peculiar behavior, indeed. And very scary. She wouldn’t tolerate it, regardless of the consequences.
     
    CHAPTER 15
    Gary didn’t want to give up his dream, but something was pulling him inexorably back toward consciousness.
    “Honey, wake up.” Penny’s hand was on his shoulder.
    He reluctantly opened his eyes. He couldn’t see anything. They had an inside room at the lodge with no windows.
    “What time is it?” he asked groggily.
    “Five o’clock.” She turned on the lamp sitting on her nightstand. “I’d like to get up now and get out of here.”
    “It’s the middle of the night.”
    “If we leave now, we can shake Alfred.”
    Gary stretched his hand to his lamp and switched it on. He tried to wake up enough to think clearly. Alfred. Alfred had eaten dinner with them. He had gone to the ranger show on geology with them. He had even done laundry with them at the lodge. And he had somehow molested Penny, although she had downplayed it.
    At dinner, Alfred had asked them where they intended to go in Yellowstone. Penny secretly put her finger to her lips, warning Gary not to be specific. He talked in generalities about their plans. Alfred suggested that they continue driving together. Gary and Penny didn’t respond.
    Yes, Penny was right. They should get out of there right now and leave Alfred behind for good. Alfred was a burr; once he stuck to you, he was almost impossible to get rid of. In addition, Gary was afraid that if he saw him again, he would beat him up. That wasn’t appropriate behavior for a honeymoon.
    Gary threw off his covers and hopped out of bed, grimacing as his bare feet hit the cold wooden floor. “We can be out of here in ten minutes.”
    ***
    Alfred was livid. He stomped around the parking lot. He picked up pinecones and threw them at trees. Penny had betrayed him. They