Run Away Baby

“In your dresser.”

“That’s what I thought. Don’t go digging through my shit.”

“You didn’t miss them until you knew I had them.”

“I’ve been looking for them.”

“No you haven’t.”

He put them in his pocket and took the pack of cigarettes back from her. He lit one and took a long drag of it, his forehead creased in irritation.

“You don’t have any cards, do you?” he asked Abby, abruptly, the words spilling out along with cigarette smoke.

“Do you mean from that deck? No,” she said.

“I didn’t ask you if this whole deck was here. I asked you whether you’ve got a deck of cards on you. In your purse or something. Never mind.”

“I’m afraid not,” Abby said.

Meggie opened one of her bottles of beer and took a drink, staring thoughtfully at Rake. “Who do you know who ever went to Hawaii?”

“I’ve told you before, I don’t like you going through my shit.”

Charlie removed some firewood from the back of his truck and started off in the direction of the pond.

“Are you going to make a fire?” Abby asked him.

“Yeah,” he said, not looking back.

She followed after him. Rake and Meggie stayed where they were, arguing about the cards and Meggie invading Rake’s privacy. Finally alone, Abby caught up with Charlie and pulled on the back of his shirt. “Wait for me. Slow down.”

“What?” he said, turning to her, not slowing his pace.

“Do you think that’s a good idea? What if people see smoke? What if more people show up and see me hiding here?”

“I wouldn’t be starting a fire if I was worried about it. We’re really far away from everyone out here. And we’re low. No one’s going to see it or smell it. Don’t worry.”

“I am worried. A little bit ago you didn’t even want to use flashlights inside the shed and now you’re going to start a fire?”

“Listen, this is our family’s land. All of this as far as you can see. We can do what we want here. People out here aren’t nosy. They don’t like people snooping in their business, so they don’t snoop in other people’s business.”

“I thought country people were super snoopy?”

“Some are, but only to outsiders. The sheriff down here’s related to us. No one’s going to mess with us.”

“What about your cousin and his wife? Why are they here? That wasn’t the plan.”

“She’s not actually his wife.”

“Whatever. Why are they here? You said you wouldn’t tell anyone about this.”

“I didn’t tell them! They just decided to come out here. They like to come out here sometimes and hang out.”

“Really? They just showed up here, coincidentally, the same time we did?”

“Yeah.”

“Why weren’t they surprised to see us?”