The Torment of Rachel Ames by Jeff Gunhus

Author:Jeff Gunhus [Gunhus, Jeff]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780989946186
Goodreads: 27247853
Publisher: Seven Guns Press
Published: 2014-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

A couple of hours later, the sun has set and they’re back at the cabin, sitting opposite one another around a campfire. Rachel’s changed out of her wet clothes and she’s wrapped in a bulky sweater, relishing the warmth. The cup of whiskey with a splash of coffee in it doesn’t hurt either.

John’s across from her, hazy in the rising heat from the fire, accented by periodic bursts of sparks. She stares into the flames, lost in their dance.

“Is the fire all right with you?” he asks.

She nods. “Feels good.”

A long pause, perfectly empty except for the gentle sounds of the fire.

“When’s the last time you did it?” John asks.

She nearly spits her drink into the fire. “What?”

John laughs. “Enjoying your time with your mind in the gutter over there?”

“That’s where my mind is most comfortable,” she says, masking her embarrassment.

“I was talking about writing.”

She takes a drink. “Well, either way, it’s been a while.”

“Since you’ve done it, or done it well?”

There’s a pause and then they both burst out laughing.

“Writing,” he says. “C’mon now.”

“You said it,” she says. God, it feels good to laugh. To feel normal. He seems to give up the line of questioning and they sit quietly, as patient as the stars inching across the sky.

“How about you?” she finally asks, realizing it’s more than small talk. She really wants to know the answer. “How’d you end up out here?”

“Nothing complicated. Fell for a girl. A really great girl.”

“Ah, the downfall of all men.”

John’s voice is distant, like he didn’t hear her. “She always wanted a place like this. Even before we found this spot, she could describe it to me perfectly. Like she’d been here before and just couldn’t remember how to get back.”

“So where’s this girl?”

John stares into the fire and shakes his head. There are no details in the action, only the unmistakable look of heartbreak.

“I’m sorry,” she says.

He nods. “Part of her is still here, you know. As long as that’s true, I’ll be here too.”

A chorus of howls rises up in the distance. Her head jerks up at the sound.

“Maybe we should head inside,” she says, her mouth suddenly dry. She has no interest in facing another wolf, especially outside where she’s exposed.

“They shouldn’t bother us,” John says. “Not this close to the house.”

“I wouldn’t count on that.” She stands up and John follows her lead back to the deck and the sliding door. As they approach the door, she realizes she has to get rid of him. If he comes inside, her demolition project will be discovered. It’s been a terrible mistake allowing herself to get too comfortable with him and now she’s going to pay the price unless she can send him on his way. She turns and blocks him from coming in. “Thanks for a great afternoon. I really needed that.”

John looks past her. The cabin inside is completely dark. “Do you have a lantern close by? Do you want me to…” He turns on a flashlight and shines it inside.

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