Kate Wilhelm by Hounds

Author:Hounds [Hounds]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2011-12-03T17:30:00+00:00

They wouldn’t stay in the barn. There were too many places where creatures as thin as they were could slip through, so Martin didn’t even try to make them stay there. They seemed to prefer the porch. No one wanted to go to town to buy collars for them in order to tie them up. Martin didn’t like the idea of tying them up anyway. “What if they decide to go back to where they came from?” he asked. Rose didn’t press the idea after that.

At dinner she said, “Let’s go over to Lexington to a movie tonight?”

Martin sagged. “What’s playing?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. Something must be playing that we’d like to see.”

“Another night? Tomorrow night?” Martin said. “Tell you what, I’ll even throw in dinner.”

“Oh, never mind. It was a sudden thought. I don’t even know what’s on.” Rose and Annamarie cleared the table and she brought in apple pie, and coffee. She thought of the dogs on the porch.

“Next February I’ll spray the trees,” Martin said. “And I’ll fertilize under the trees. Watch and see the difference then. Just wait.”

Rose Ellen nodded. Just wait. Martin was tired, and thinner than usual. He worked harder here than he ever had anywhere, she was sure. Building, repairing, planting, studying about farming methods, and his school courses. She wondered if he was happy. Later, she thought, later she would ask him if he was happy. She wondered if that was one of those questions that you don’t ask unless you already know the answer. Would she dare ask if she suspected that he might answer no? She hoped he wouldn’t ask her.

Martin was an inventive lover. It pleased him immensely to delight her, or give her an unexpected thrill, or just to stay with her for an hour. They made love that night and afterward, both drowsy and contented, she asked if he was happy.

“Yes,” he said simply. And that was that. “I wish you were, too,” he said moments later. She had almost fallen asleep. She stiffened at his words. “Sorry, honey. Relax again. Okay?”

“What did you mean by that?”

“I’m not sure. Sometimes I just feel that I’ve got it all. You, the kids, the farm now, and school. I can’t think of anything else I want.”

“I’ve got all those things too, you know.”

“I know.” He stretched and yawned and wanted to let it drop.

“Martin, you must have meant something. You think I’m not happy, is that it?”

“I don’t know. I don’t know what it takes to make you happy.”

She didn’t reply and soon he was asleep. She didn’t know either.

She dozed after a while, and was awakened by a rhythmic noise that seemed to start in her dream, then linger after the dream faded. She turned over, but the noise didn’t go away. She turned again and snuggled close to Martin. The bedroom was chilly. A wind had started to blow, and the window was open too much. She felt the air current on her cheek, and finally got up to close the window.

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