Hortons Bend

hysterical to be sure. He didn’t know what had happened out in the field. No way to explain it and all he knew was that he needed to get home. Brody stopped before he got down to the fisherman. Standing in the darkness while watching the glow of the lantern he began to think. And panic. “What if she goes to the police? Surely she wouldn’t. I knew I should have gone alone. What the hell was I thinking?” went through his mind like a speeding train. Brody regained his composure and walked toward the light. The fisherman got up from his crate again and asked “Everything alright buddy? That gal seemed upset.” Brody smiled and assured him “She just got spooked. You know…being on the river when it got dark. She’ll be alright.” The fisherman nodded and went back to his fishing hoping the man would not ask him to help load the boat. Brody backed up the Toyota and slid the boat onto the trailer. He left without saying goodbye to the lonely fisherman. He hoped he had left an impression on him that it was just a woman who had no place being on the river.
    When Brody unhitched the trailer at the Tabor’s he did so as quickly as possible. Jimmy was coming out of his back door to greet Brody but he waved his goodbye and got in the Toyota. He could always explain why he didn’t stay and talk to him later. He put that behind him as he drove home. The lights were lit on his front porch and once again panic began to set in. “What was I thinking? Would Lacy see through him? Would Darwin call Lacy and tell her that they had snuck onto the Horton property?” he asked himself. Brody put these questions away as he took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. He vowed never to do anything so stupid again. Never to risk everything so dear to him for a lousy site that nobody cares about. Lacy was sitting on the sofa and greeted him when he walked in the door. “Hey sweetie I’m glad you’re home I was beginning to wonder. How was the collection in Calhoun?” she asked. He smiled and explained that it didn’t pan out. He kept it brief but mentioned something along the lines that the family decided to keep the artifacts for their children. He sat down with her on the sofa but declined any dinner telling her that he was tired and didn’t feel very well. Lacy was concerned and told him to get a hot shower and she would come to bed shortly. After his shower he lay in the bed and closed his eyes. He whispered to himself “I’ve got to let this go. I’ve got to put this behind me.” His wife came into the bedroom and asked “Did you say something Paul?” Her husband closed his eyes again and said “No honey. Come to bed.” He was asleep within minutes.
    Chapter Nine
    Brody arose the next morning with a ravenous hunger for breakfast. “Maybe today I can do something right” he thought in the shower. It wasn’t until he dressed that he realized it was Friday. He had put on some comfortable jeans thinking that it was Friday. Brody started to change clothes that would be acceptable at the museum but decided that he wanted to call in sick today. “I haven’t been out in sometime and it’s just not in me to go there today” he reasoned to himself. A sense of relief came over him but it lasted only a moment before his thoughts turned to Darwin. What would she do? Would she even return to the museum? He lingered in the bathroom on the verge of having a full blown panic attack before he finally calmed himself down to have breakfast with Lacy. When he walked into the dining room, his wife was all smiles and greeted him warmly. “Well hello there sleepy head!” were her words as she offered him up a plate of pancakes. Brody managed a smile and asked her “How long have you been up?” She looked at the clock and said “oh sometime around 6:30 I suppose. I’ve got to go into town for a library function this morning. You remember me telling you about it don’t you? It’s a planning committee for exhibit ideas.” He did vaguely remember her telling him earlier in the week. Brody’s face appeared to be frowning but he was actually lost in thought when his wife brought him out of his day dream. “You don’t need me for anything do you hon?” she asked. “No…no I just was trying to remember….” His voice trailed off. Lacy didn’t take any offense since she knew her husband was wont to keeping too many thoughts in his head at once. His wife stopped and looked at him “Sweetie are you feeling ok? I