Page 28 of Bear Strength

This isn’t the route people usually take, unless it’s some young couple aiming for the woods for some good time, or if you just want to ride endlessly into the sunset, not caring about the world.

“But, you do know this is the roundabout way to town, right?”

“I know that,” she nods, sounding a little embarrassed. “I’m just getting off work, and with Dominick in school, I figured I’d go do some shopping and if I have time, eat my late lunch and drink my now cold coffee underneath some tree. Sounds silly, doesn’t it?”

She looks down, like a kid caught stealing candy. She knows it’s wrong, but she’s unwilling to give it back because she wants it too much. I know the feeling.

“Nothing silly about it,” I assure her. I really mean it.

She looks up at me again. Her cheeks are red, like poppies in a field. Her eyes brighten.

“Well, silly or not, now I’m not sure if I even have the time for that,” she concludes.

“When’s your boy returning?”

“Not before 6.”

“It’s 4 now,” I check my watch. “Plenty of time left for a quick lunch and soaking in some nature.”

“I don’t know…”

“Listen,” I suddenly remember. “There’s this little lake, it’s a bit tricky to get there, but it’s worth it.”

“A lake?” she wonders. “I haven’t heard of any lake here.”

“Well, it’s nothing big, but you got weeping willows bending over the surface and shit.”

“Bending over the surface and shit?” she repeats, finally showing me a smile. “Yeah, that’s really remarkable.”

I chuckle, and surprisingly, she does the same. I wouldn’t say she’d trust me with her own life, but I’m not a potential rapist or serial killer any longer. That’s a step up on the ladder.

“It’s real pretty,” I emphasize.

“So, where is it?”

“You just follow this road, then you’ll come to a fork. Make sure to take the left left.”

“The left left?” she chuckles again, and I wonder what she would look like making that sound with her clothes off.

I think of old nuns again, and it does the trick.

“Actually, I better take you,” I conclude, surprising even myself with this suggestion.

“Oh, I can’t let you do that,” she shakes her head.

I’m not sure if she’s just being polite or I’m back on the rapist/serial killer level again.

“I can’t let you get lost. Dominick would never forgive me for getting his mother lost in the woods.”

She locks eyes with mine. Blazing dark against her white complexion and red cheeks. The wind ruffles her hair and her hand flies up to remove a stray strand that flutters over her lips.

“So, a quick lunch?” she asks, smiling just a little.

“A quick lunch.”

“But, I only have one coffee and it’s cold.”

“I don’t drink coffee. But, we’ll share the sandwich,” I grin.

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