everything we could. He’s lucky to still be alive.’
I smiled. He was worried about a lawsuit. I couldn’t blame him. I figured, for Jeff’s sake, it was just as well that he was worried.
‘You could see him if you want,’ said the doctor.
Lily looked at me. ‘You go ahead,’ I said.
She shook her head. ‘I don’t think so.’
Dr Rodman stood up. He shook hands with both of us. ‘If there’s any change, we’ll let you know,’ he said.
I took back roads from Hyannis to Orleans. Although they were a little less congested than Route 6 had been in the morning, I found myself stuck behind a Dodge wagon trailing a big powerboat in Dennis. He kept the needle on 20.
‘Who does Jeff know in Montana?’ I asked Lily as we crept past a miniature golf plaza in Harwich.
‘Montana?’
‘Yesterday when I was picking up the living-room I saw his phone bill. There were four collect calls on four consecutive days, all from the same number in West Yellowstone, Montana.’
I glanced sideways at her. She was frowning at me. ‘I don’t know,’ she said. ‘Why?’
‘Just curious, I guess.’
‘So he’s got a friend in Montana,’ she said.
‘He doesn’t have many friends.’
‘Well, he used to.’
‘What about you?’
‘What about me?’
‘Know anybody in Montana?’
‘What are you getting at, Brady?’
I reached over and touched her leg. ‘Nothing. Sorry. I’m nosy. After the other night…’
‘Yeah, well, me too, you know.’
I squeezed her knee. ‘I know. Accept my apology?’
‘Sure.’ She didn’t sound especially enthusiastic.
Lily and I didn’t talk much the rest of the way back. There didn’t seem to be much to say. Lily stared out the side window. I repressed urges to curse the traffic.
When I finally pulled in beside her Cherokee, I turned to her and said, ‘I guess I’ll head back tonight, OK?’
She turned in her seat to face me. ‘No.’
‘No?’
‘No. It’s not all right. I don’t want you to go.’
‘Lily—’
She smiled quickly. ‘Yeah, I know. You’ve got to get back to your office. I understand that. But it’s not all right with me. I don’t want to be alone here. Not yet. Do what you feel you have to do. But don’t ask me what I want.’
‘I can’t stay with you here forever.’
‘I know. One more night would be nice, though.’
‘I’d have to take off early in the morning.’
She nodded. ‘That’d be great.’ She reached over and placed the palm of her hand on my cheek. Then she tilted towards me and kissed me there. ‘I’ll take you fishing tonight, how’d that be?’ She kept her mouth against my face. ‘Jeff’s pond is full of nice rainbow trout. I’ll paddle.’
‘The way to a man’s heart,’ I said. The dewy touch of her lips remained long after she had pulled away from me.
Lily broiled T-bone steaks for dinner. Baked potato, salad of mixed greens, a musky red wine. We ate in the kitchen.
While she was cleaning up I retrieved my fly-fishing gear and went out back to the toolshed to hunt up the paddles and cushions for our canoe excursion. The sun had already dipped behind the trees, and the shed had no windows. The only light came through the open doorway. Everything in there was a shadow.
I squeezed around a lawn mower and a wheelbarrow. I spotted a pair of paddles propped up in the corner behind a large object shrouded under a canvas cover. As I leaned over it to reach the paddles I realized the object was a motorcycle. Seeing it saddened me somehow. The bike was a relic, I guessed, from Jeff’s vigorous youth. Before the leopard got him. And now he was lying in a hospital, more dead than alive.
Lily was waiting for me on the dock. She had the canoe drawn up alongside. I held it for her while she stepped in. I handed her the paddles and cushions. Then I took the bow seat. Lily shoved us off. I stripped line from my reel and began fly casting.
A furry blanket of mist skimmed the inky surface of the pond. An orange
I smiled. He was worried about a lawsuit. I couldn’t blame him. I figured, for Jeff’s sake, it was just as well that he was worried.
‘You could see him if you want,’ said the doctor.
Lily looked at me. ‘You go ahead,’ I said.
She shook her head. ‘I don’t think so.’
Dr Rodman stood up. He shook hands with both of us. ‘If there’s any change, we’ll let you know,’ he said.
I took back roads from Hyannis to Orleans. Although they were a little less congested than Route 6 had been in the morning, I found myself stuck behind a Dodge wagon trailing a big powerboat in Dennis. He kept the needle on 20.
‘Who does Jeff know in Montana?’ I asked Lily as we crept past a miniature golf plaza in Harwich.
‘Montana?’
‘Yesterday when I was picking up the living-room I saw his phone bill. There were four collect calls on four consecutive days, all from the same number in West Yellowstone, Montana.’
I glanced sideways at her. She was frowning at me. ‘I don’t know,’ she said. ‘Why?’
‘Just curious, I guess.’
‘So he’s got a friend in Montana,’ she said.
‘He doesn’t have many friends.’
‘Well, he used to.’
‘What about you?’
‘What about me?’
‘Know anybody in Montana?’
‘What are you getting at, Brady?’
I reached over and touched her leg. ‘Nothing. Sorry. I’m nosy. After the other night…’
‘Yeah, well, me too, you know.’
I squeezed her knee. ‘I know. Accept my apology?’
‘Sure.’ She didn’t sound especially enthusiastic.
Lily and I didn’t talk much the rest of the way back. There didn’t seem to be much to say. Lily stared out the side window. I repressed urges to curse the traffic.
When I finally pulled in beside her Cherokee, I turned to her and said, ‘I guess I’ll head back tonight, OK?’
She turned in her seat to face me. ‘No.’
‘No?’
‘No. It’s not all right. I don’t want you to go.’
‘Lily—’
She smiled quickly. ‘Yeah, I know. You’ve got to get back to your office. I understand that. But it’s not all right with me. I don’t want to be alone here. Not yet. Do what you feel you have to do. But don’t ask me what I want.’
‘I can’t stay with you here forever.’
‘I know. One more night would be nice, though.’
‘I’d have to take off early in the morning.’
She nodded. ‘That’d be great.’ She reached over and placed the palm of her hand on my cheek. Then she tilted towards me and kissed me there. ‘I’ll take you fishing tonight, how’d that be?’ She kept her mouth against my face. ‘Jeff’s pond is full of nice rainbow trout. I’ll paddle.’
‘The way to a man’s heart,’ I said. The dewy touch of her lips remained long after she had pulled away from me.
Lily broiled T-bone steaks for dinner. Baked potato, salad of mixed greens, a musky red wine. We ate in the kitchen.
While she was cleaning up I retrieved my fly-fishing gear and went out back to the toolshed to hunt up the paddles and cushions for our canoe excursion. The sun had already dipped behind the trees, and the shed had no windows. The only light came through the open doorway. Everything in there was a shadow.
I squeezed around a lawn mower and a wheelbarrow. I spotted a pair of paddles propped up in the corner behind a large object shrouded under a canvas cover. As I leaned over it to reach the paddles I realized the object was a motorcycle. Seeing it saddened me somehow. The bike was a relic, I guessed, from Jeff’s vigorous youth. Before the leopard got him. And now he was lying in a hospital, more dead than alive.
Lily was waiting for me on the dock. She had the canoe drawn up alongside. I held it for her while she stepped in. I handed her the paddles and cushions. Then I took the bow seat. Lily shoved us off. I stripped line from my reel and began fly casting.
A furry blanket of mist skimmed the inky surface of the pond. An orange
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