and caught a cab and rode back to the hotel.
Do you want a drink? he said.
Just one.
They walked into the bar and were shown to a table and each had a glass of wine, then they took the elevator to their room and undressed and got into the big king-sized bed. They shut the lights off and had just the light coming in from the street through the lacey curtain.
Isn’t this fun, she said.
Sure seems so to me.
She scooted over close to him.
I’m about as happy as I can be, she said. This is just what I want and tomorrow I want our own bed again.
Everything in its time and place, he said.
Now are you going to kiss me in this big hotel bed or not?
I was hoping to.
In the morning they ate a late breakfast in the restaurant and then packed up and the valet brought Louis’s car around to the front of the hotel and helped them with their bags. Louis gave him a generous tip out of his good feeling. They drove home leisurely on U.S. 34 out onto the high plains through Fort Morgan and Brush and finally into Holt County, all flat andtreeless except in the windbreaks and along the streets in the little towns and around the farmhouses. There was a cloudless sky and nothing along the horizon but more blue sky.
They got to Addie’s in the afternoon and Louis carried her bags up to her room and then took his car home and unpacked his bags. At dark he walked over to her house for the night.
38
Labor Day they decided to drive out east on the highway to Chief Creek. The creek was shallow and sandy-bottomed with grass and willows grown up on both sides and milkweed, the grass had been cropped off close to the ground by cattle. There were great old cottonwood trees in a grove back a little from the creek. Addie brought out the basket with their picnic and Louis got the rake and shovel from the car trunk and scraped the old dry flaky manure from the shade under the trees where the cattle had stood out of the wind.
You’ve been here before, Addie said. You came prepared.
We used to come out here when Holly was a little girl. It’s about the only place to find running water and shade.
Well, it’s nice. It’s not the mountains but it’s nice for Holt County.
Yes.
But won’t somebody come to chase us off this place?
I doubt it. It belongs to Bill Martin. He never minded before.
You know him.
You do too, I think.
Just by name.
I had his kids in school. They were all bright kids. Hell-raisers, but bright. They’ve all left home now. I imagine he’s sorry about that. Kids don’t want to stay here.
Addie spread out a blanket on the cleared ground and they sat down and ate the fried chicken and coleslaw and carrot sticks and chips and olives and she cut them each a piece of chocolate cake. They drank iced tea with it all. Then they lay down on the blanket and looked up into the green moving branches of the tree overhead, the leaves twisting and fluttering in the low wind.
After a while Louis sat up and took his shoes and socks off and rolled up his pants cuffs, then walked over to the creek across the hot ground and stepped down into the cool water onto the sandy bottom and dipped and cupped water onto his face and arms. Addiejoined him, barefooted in her summer dress. She held her dress up above her knees and stepped in.
Oh isn’t this just perfect for a hot day. I’ve never been here before. I didn’t know there was anyplace like this in Holt County.
Stick with me, he said. You’ll learn a lot, lady.
Louis took off his shirt and pants and underwear and laid them out on the grass and stepped back into the water, splashed himself and sat down.
Well then, Addie said. If that’s the way you’re going to be. She pulled her dress off over her head, took off her underwear and lowered herself into the cool water beside him. And I don’t even care if someone sees us, she said.
They sat facing each other and lay back in the water, both of them very pale except for their faces and hands and arms. They were a little
Do you want a drink? he said.
Just one.
They walked into the bar and were shown to a table and each had a glass of wine, then they took the elevator to their room and undressed and got into the big king-sized bed. They shut the lights off and had just the light coming in from the street through the lacey curtain.
Isn’t this fun, she said.
Sure seems so to me.
She scooted over close to him.
I’m about as happy as I can be, she said. This is just what I want and tomorrow I want our own bed again.
Everything in its time and place, he said.
Now are you going to kiss me in this big hotel bed or not?
I was hoping to.
In the morning they ate a late breakfast in the restaurant and then packed up and the valet brought Louis’s car around to the front of the hotel and helped them with their bags. Louis gave him a generous tip out of his good feeling. They drove home leisurely on U.S. 34 out onto the high plains through Fort Morgan and Brush and finally into Holt County, all flat andtreeless except in the windbreaks and along the streets in the little towns and around the farmhouses. There was a cloudless sky and nothing along the horizon but more blue sky.
They got to Addie’s in the afternoon and Louis carried her bags up to her room and then took his car home and unpacked his bags. At dark he walked over to her house for the night.
38
Labor Day they decided to drive out east on the highway to Chief Creek. The creek was shallow and sandy-bottomed with grass and willows grown up on both sides and milkweed, the grass had been cropped off close to the ground by cattle. There were great old cottonwood trees in a grove back a little from the creek. Addie brought out the basket with their picnic and Louis got the rake and shovel from the car trunk and scraped the old dry flaky manure from the shade under the trees where the cattle had stood out of the wind.
You’ve been here before, Addie said. You came prepared.
We used to come out here when Holly was a little girl. It’s about the only place to find running water and shade.
Well, it’s nice. It’s not the mountains but it’s nice for Holt County.
Yes.
But won’t somebody come to chase us off this place?
I doubt it. It belongs to Bill Martin. He never minded before.
You know him.
You do too, I think.
Just by name.
I had his kids in school. They were all bright kids. Hell-raisers, but bright. They’ve all left home now. I imagine he’s sorry about that. Kids don’t want to stay here.
Addie spread out a blanket on the cleared ground and they sat down and ate the fried chicken and coleslaw and carrot sticks and chips and olives and she cut them each a piece of chocolate cake. They drank iced tea with it all. Then they lay down on the blanket and looked up into the green moving branches of the tree overhead, the leaves twisting and fluttering in the low wind.
After a while Louis sat up and took his shoes and socks off and rolled up his pants cuffs, then walked over to the creek across the hot ground and stepped down into the cool water onto the sandy bottom and dipped and cupped water onto his face and arms. Addiejoined him, barefooted in her summer dress. She held her dress up above her knees and stepped in.
Oh isn’t this just perfect for a hot day. I’ve never been here before. I didn’t know there was anyplace like this in Holt County.
Stick with me, he said. You’ll learn a lot, lady.
Louis took off his shirt and pants and underwear and laid them out on the grass and stepped back into the water, splashed himself and sat down.
Well then, Addie said. If that’s the way you’re going to be. She pulled her dress off over her head, took off her underwear and lowered herself into the cool water beside him. And I don’t even care if someone sees us, she said.
They sat facing each other and lay back in the water, both of them very pale except for their faces and hands and arms. They were a little
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