Page 105 of Years in the Making

I barely manage a breathy “Yes” as my fingers go to work.

“Good. Imagine your fingers are my tongue.”

“Teddy,” I whine, just as a loud bang comes from outside and I drop my phone and scream.

“Nellie? Nell?” I hear Teddy’s voice through the phone and then from outside.

The door flies open, and he slides over to me, pulling my shaking body to him.

“I’m so sorry. Fuck, I didn’t expect it to be that loud. You’re okay.”

“I know. I don’t know why I’m shaking,” I croak, leaning harder into him. “Kinda pissed I didn’t get to finish though.”

“Hurry up in here, and I’ll help with that back in the bunkie. I don’t want to end up trapped in here for the night.” His eyes catch on the counter, and I watch him realize the same thing I had earlier. “Although…” He looks at me as a wicked little grin appears.

“It was a far better thought when there wasn’t a threat of a bear bursting through the wall,” I say, shaking my head.

“Fair.”

Teddy helps not once but twice back in the bunkie, and I fall asleep no longer hearing the gunshot.

FORTY-ONE

TEDDY

“We’ll be back soon,” Nellie says as she hugs Midge. “I cannot wait.”

“You’ll let us know if you change your mind, though, right?” Midge asks.

“I absolutely would, but that won’t happen.”

“And you,” Midge says, pulling me down for a hug, “take care of our girl here.”

“I will.” I hug her back as tightly as she’s hugging me. “We’ll see you soon.” I release her and wave to the gathered townspeople.

Betty brought two dogs over at dawn, and they’re howling away in the truck. Kevin is looking at me like I’ve betrayed him. “Gonna be a long drive with those two,” George says, patting me on the back.

“They’ll settle down, I’m sure of it.” Nellie waves off his concerns, and I don’t have the heart to tell her that it’s probably going to be like this for the next sixteen hours.

Sixteen hours driving right through, at that.

We pull out of the gas station-liquor store-taxidermistparking lot with a lot more fanfare than we pulled in with. Both Nellie and I wave out our windows as we pull back onto the main road and head for home.

Three hours later, Nellie is looking over at me like she may murder me. “Why are they still going?” She looks back at the two huskies still chattering away.

“They’re huskies.” I shrug, reaching over with my right hand to take hers. “They talk.”

“Do they ever shut up?” she asks, looking worried.

“I’m sure they will when they run out of things to say.”

After another three hours, Nellie looks like she’s near tears.

“Do you want me to just open the door and let them out because I will? For you, I will.”

She laughs and then scolds me. “Don’t make me laugh. I’ve gotta pee so bad.”

“Why didn’t you say something?”

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