Spencerville

this outdoors since high school. Next, we’ll do it in your barn, then the backseat of my car.”
    “Maybe we’ll get a motel room.”
    “That, too.”
    He picked up his pants, but she said, “No. Take off your shorts. I’ve never seen a naked man in the woods. I wish I had a camera. Your socks, too.”
    He slid off his shorts and socks. “You’re embarrassing me.”
    “Turn around.” She came up behind him and ran her hands over his back and buttocks, squeezing his cheeks. “You’re all muscle.”
    “You been in jail, or what? Can I get dressed?”
    “No, turn around.”
    He turned around, and she moved her hands over his chest and down to his stomach. “I told you, I can’t keep my hands off—” She looked at his stomach. “What’s that?”
    “A bruise.”
    “Oh…” She hooked her bra and buttoned her blouse. He got dressed.
    She went back to the streambank and sat in a patch of sunlight near the water, her back to a willow tree.
    Keith came and sat beside her.
    Annie threw twigs in the water and watched them run downstream, cascading over the stones. She asked, “What happened when he came out to your place?”
    “About what you’d expect.”
    “Tell me.”
    “Well, he was a lot crazier than the situation required, so I had the thought that he’d found out about your visit to me, and I was… I was really worried for a minute there. About you.”
    “Thank you.”
    “But he sort of had the drop on me, and I was a little worried about me, too. Then I realized he didn’t know anything, but that he was just nuts.”
    “Was he alone?”
    “No. He had one of his men with him. A guy named Ward. You know him?”
    “Yes, he’s my keeper.” She added, “Cliff led me to believe he was alone.”
    Against his better judgment, Keith replied, “If he was alone, he’d be dead.”
    She didn’t speak for a while, then said, “He’s a coward and a liar.”
    “He’s also dangerous, Annie. You have to be careful.”
    “He’s never hit me. I know how to handle him.”
    “Your kids are gone, his job is in trouble, I’m in town, and he’s ready to blow. Believe me.”
    She asked him, “How do you know his job is in trouble?”
    “I went to that meeting at St. James. You know about that?”
    “Yes. As a matter of fact, my parents were there. They’ve been acting weird since then. I guess the subject of Cliff Baxter came up, but no one will tell me about it. Will you tell me about it?”
    “No.”
    She thought a moment, then said, “I’m not completely naive. I know he fools around, but I can’t believe that came up at a public meeting.”
    “Tell you what—there’s a transcript available. You remember Jeffrey Porter?”
    “Yes. I run into him once in a while. And his wife, Gail. That was the girl he was seeing at school.”
    “Right. I’ve caught up on old times with them. In fact, I trust them, and if you ever need anything and you can’t contact me, go to them. I’ll speak to them and set it up.”
    “Keith… no. I don’t want anyone else knowing about us. It’s too dangerous.”
    “Listen to me, I know when to bet my life on someone. These are trustworthy people. But go and speak to them first, and let me know what you think.”
    “Okay… and they have a transcript of the meeting?”
    “They do. He called me yesterday. They’re selling it all over town for five bucks, and they can’t keep up with the demand. But for you, it’s free.”
    “Keith, what’s in the transcript? Will I be embarrassed, humiliated, or both?”
    “I’m sorry, Annie. They got a little carried away with witnesses against your husband. But you shouldn’t feel embarrassed or humiliated. You may, however, be angry.”
    “Actually, I don’t care anymore.”
    “Go see the Porters. We may need their help.”
    “With what?”
    “Rendezvous. Cover stories.”
    “And how long will we need cover stories?”
    He took her hand. “That’s up to you, Annie. Are you ready to leave?”
    She looked at him. “Are you proposing, Mr. Landry?”
    “Yes, I am, Miss Prentis.”
    “I accept.”
    He put his arm around her, and they rolled over, with her on top of him. She kissed him, then said, “It took you a while to get around to it.”
    “I’m shy.”
    “You are, you know. You may be a man of the world, but you’re still shy.”
    “Don’t tell anyone.”
    She said, “You’ve changed, Keith. Of course you have—but I still know you.”
    “You haven’t changed much. I still like