the three of us, but if she was willing we could always add on."
"You mean my cabin?" Her voice scaled up in disbelief.
"Yes." Jack was watching Kate very carefully, alert to every change of expression.
She stared back at him. "I--I--I don't know what to say. What about Johnny?" Johnny was Jack's twelve year-old son, currently bunking with his best friend's family in Anchorage and greatly miffed at having to go to school instead of being allowed to come on the hunt. He had his father's dark blue eyes, which also like his father's saw too much, and an impish charm all his own. "How does he feel about this? There aren't any video arcades on my homestead, or in Niniltna, either, for that matter. The last I saw, anyway."
"We've talked about it some." Jack grinned. "After this summer, up the creek with your aunties, picking fish with Mary Balashoff and out on the Freya with Old Sam, he's looking at Bush life through rose colored glasses. And of course he's more in love with you than I am, always has been. Johnny won't be a problem."
She was mute. He gave a sudden laugh. Bristling was an easy response for her and so she went with it. "What? What's so funny?" Still laughing, he said, choking over the words, "You should see your face. You look like a deer caught in the headlights. Jesus!"
Defensive, now that she knew what she was supposed to be reacting to, she said, "Can you blame me? Jack, I've never shared living space before, not with you, not with anyone, not since I was a little girl. I haven't had a roommate since I was in college. I just--I don't--"
He waved her to silence with one hand while he tried to bring himself back under control. Knuckling an eye, he said. "Look, Kate. I've pretty much made up my mind to take that retirement package. I've given some thought to starting up as a contractor, offering training and investigative services." He gave her what he obviously thought was a reassuring smile. "That part of it has nothing to do with you."
The smile faded. "This does. You're my light bright shining, Kate. I love you. When we were apart those eighteen months, I tried like hell to get over you, between most of the clean sheets in town and a few others besides. It didn't work. I've made you a part of my life, a necessary part." He paused. She was back to staring, dumb, paralyzed, and he nearly started laughing again. It would be fatal to his cause if he did and he knew it, so he choked it back and said, "It doesn't mean I can't live without you. It doesn't mean I can't go on seeing you while not living with you." He spread his hands. "But I want more if I can get it."
He let his hands drop and regarded her steadily.
"Can I?" He raised one hand up, palm out. "Don't answer me now. Just think about it, okay?" "Okay," she said numbly, for lack of inspiration.
He leaned forward to kiss her. "Good girl."
SEVEN
You get a bunch ofnimrods like this out in the Bush and you figure you're going to have people popping off when they shouldn't.
HE LAY BACK DOWN, TO ALL APPEARANCES DISMISSING the subject from his mind. Rough fingers traced the length of her spine. "Is that what they call a hunter's moon?" he said.
"I don't know," she said, willing to go along with the change of subject. In truth, her thoughts were so fragmented she'd have a hard time coming up with anything to say for herself, and was grateful for the lead he gave her. "It's a full moon, or almost full. What's a hunter's moon?"
"The first full moon after the harvest moon." She smiled without opening her eyes. "You sound like the encyclopedia.
What's the harvest moon?"
"I don't know, but it has something to do with the equinox." His fingers flexed, and she sighed her pleasure. "Sounds like it's tied up with the old hunting and gathering seasons. Or gathering and hunting. Or something. Urn, right there, yes. That's what Old Sam says, did you know?" She turned and crossed her hands on his chest and propped her chin on them, smiling down at Jack.
"When
"You mean my cabin?" Her voice scaled up in disbelief.
"Yes." Jack was watching Kate very carefully, alert to every change of expression.
She stared back at him. "I--I--I don't know what to say. What about Johnny?" Johnny was Jack's twelve year-old son, currently bunking with his best friend's family in Anchorage and greatly miffed at having to go to school instead of being allowed to come on the hunt. He had his father's dark blue eyes, which also like his father's saw too much, and an impish charm all his own. "How does he feel about this? There aren't any video arcades on my homestead, or in Niniltna, either, for that matter. The last I saw, anyway."
"We've talked about it some." Jack grinned. "After this summer, up the creek with your aunties, picking fish with Mary Balashoff and out on the Freya with Old Sam, he's looking at Bush life through rose colored glasses. And of course he's more in love with you than I am, always has been. Johnny won't be a problem."
She was mute. He gave a sudden laugh. Bristling was an easy response for her and so she went with it. "What? What's so funny?" Still laughing, he said, choking over the words, "You should see your face. You look like a deer caught in the headlights. Jesus!"
Defensive, now that she knew what she was supposed to be reacting to, she said, "Can you blame me? Jack, I've never shared living space before, not with you, not with anyone, not since I was a little girl. I haven't had a roommate since I was in college. I just--I don't--"
He waved her to silence with one hand while he tried to bring himself back under control. Knuckling an eye, he said. "Look, Kate. I've pretty much made up my mind to take that retirement package. I've given some thought to starting up as a contractor, offering training and investigative services." He gave her what he obviously thought was a reassuring smile. "That part of it has nothing to do with you."
The smile faded. "This does. You're my light bright shining, Kate. I love you. When we were apart those eighteen months, I tried like hell to get over you, between most of the clean sheets in town and a few others besides. It didn't work. I've made you a part of my life, a necessary part." He paused. She was back to staring, dumb, paralyzed, and he nearly started laughing again. It would be fatal to his cause if he did and he knew it, so he choked it back and said, "It doesn't mean I can't live without you. It doesn't mean I can't go on seeing you while not living with you." He spread his hands. "But I want more if I can get it."
He let his hands drop and regarded her steadily.
"Can I?" He raised one hand up, palm out. "Don't answer me now. Just think about it, okay?" "Okay," she said numbly, for lack of inspiration.
He leaned forward to kiss her. "Good girl."
SEVEN
You get a bunch ofnimrods like this out in the Bush and you figure you're going to have people popping off when they shouldn't.
HE LAY BACK DOWN, TO ALL APPEARANCES DISMISSING the subject from his mind. Rough fingers traced the length of her spine. "Is that what they call a hunter's moon?" he said.
"I don't know," she said, willing to go along with the change of subject. In truth, her thoughts were so fragmented she'd have a hard time coming up with anything to say for herself, and was grateful for the lead he gave her. "It's a full moon, or almost full. What's a hunter's moon?"
"The first full moon after the harvest moon." She smiled without opening her eyes. "You sound like the encyclopedia.
What's the harvest moon?"
"I don't know, but it has something to do with the equinox." His fingers flexed, and she sighed her pleasure. "Sounds like it's tied up with the old hunting and gathering seasons. Or gathering and hunting. Or something. Urn, right there, yes. That's what Old Sam says, did you know?" She turned and crossed her hands on his chest and propped her chin on them, smiling down at Jack.
"When
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