“He’s a little out there, Ma,” Edward repeated.
Rubin laughed. “He’s wily, Edward. He likes to make everyone think he’s crazy so they stay away from him. He’s as sane as we are, although I’m not sure that’s saying very much. The more active he stays, the better it is for his body, although moving that still of his around isn’t the best thing for him. Last time I talked with him, he said he had a plan that would keep him from having to do it as he got older. I didn’t point out that he was already well into his older years.”
“I went to visit him,” Rory said, “just to check on him, really, and that old man has been seeding wildflowers and transplanting ferns and other fast-spreading plants on the holler leading to his house. You can’t even tell it’s there anymore. I’m serious, Rubin. He’s erased it on purpose. It’s so overgrown now I don’t see how he packs in his groceries.”
“Mostly, he lives off the land now,” Edward pointed out. “He has his own vegetable garden. He hunts and fishes. He does okay.”
“I wish he interacted with others a bit more,” Diego said. “The more he acts like a recluse, the more there’s a chance he could die without anyone knowing.”
“I keep an eye on him when I can,” Rory admitted, glancing at his mother. “He came all this way in a blizzard to check on Ma when we were gone. I figure it isn’t that hard to get down to his place once in a while to check on him. I bring him Ma’s cider and some baked goods. That way he doesn’t shoot me.”
“Good plan,” Edward said. “I should have thought of that. Maybe that’s why he accused me of being a government spy. I didn’t bring him any of Ma’s cookies.”
Patricia laughed. “I’m sure that’s it. Luther does have a sweet tooth. Will you be seeing him this trip for certain, Rubin?”
“Yes,” Rubin affirmed. “He doesn’t like me to look after him, as he calls it, but he lets me, even though he still thinks I’m fourteen.”
That got another laugh. Jonquille liked to listen to them talk. All of them spoke softly, blending in with the sounds of the night, the drone of the insects and calls of the night frogs. Occasionally there was the hoot of an owl or the song of one of the night birds. Something large splashed in the water, and Edward spotlighted a large, very well-fed doe. Her eyes shone at them, and when he put out the light, she was gone instantly.
Rubin’s and Diego’s accents seemed to get just a little more pronounced in the company of the Sawyer family as the night wore on, and for some reason, Jonquille found that extraordinarily sexy in Rubin. She was grateful she hadn’t drunk any more of the cider because she was afraid she might have blurted that right out to him.
He was the one who ultimately ended the visit by standing and holding out his hand to her, pulling her to her feet and whispering to her to go inside and use the facilities quickly because they had to leave. She did so, and when she returned, he took her hand as if it were the most natural thing in the world and they walked together like that all the time.
Patricia kissed her cheek and told her to come back often. Edward and Rory pretended they were going to kiss her but backed off when Rubin threatened to shoot them. Diego moved to the other side of Jonquille so she had both brothers acting like they were looking out for her as they started up the trail toward their cabin. They were miles from home, and it had surprised Jonquille that they’d stayed so late.
They walked several miles along the trail before Diego suddenly veered into the woods. Rubin indicated for Jonquille to follow Diego. “There’s a shortcut we take through here.”
Diego was already slipping out of his “visiting” jacket and replacing it with his forest gear from his pack. Rubin was doing the same. He took Jonquille’s nice jacket, folded it and pushed it into his pack. She pulled out her worn one and slipped into it. She was never without it in the woods.
“You okay in those hiking boots?” Rubin asked.
“Yes. I only have a couple of pairs of shoes. These work for almost every type of situation I run into.” That wasn’t altogether true. They weren’t as cute as she would have liked, but when you wanted serious hiking boots, you sacrificed looks for performance. She really needed performance. Since she wasn’t around people most of the time, it all worked out.
They shrugged into their packs and Diego took lead, setting a fast pace, cutting through the woods on a narrow game trail that he seemed very familiar with. He didn’t slow no matter what obstacle was in his path. He leapt over small logs or large ones and clearly expected Jonquille to do the same. She did so effortlessly. In fact, her body welcomed the stretching after sitting for so long. She wasn’t used to visiting with others and the activity felt good.