Page 41 of Long Pig

At first, she blamed it on being paranoid. She was tired; everyone felt watched sometimes. But the feeling had a life of its own. It pooled along her shoulders and crawled down her arms. When she moved, it moved with her.

She checked the surrounding area and paid attention to the dogs, but they were only interested in doing their morning business.

“You want a cup of coffee?” Dale asked suddenly from behind her.

She jumped and spun. “Sorry, you startled me,” she said, her hand going over her heart.

Dale gave her a quizzical look but didn’t ask questions.

“Yes, I’ll take a cup,” she replied.

He walked away, and she looked into the distance again. That strange feeling didn't shift. If anything, it heightened, but as she continued to scan the distance, she found only stillness.

Or at least she did until the dogs came running back ready for their breakfast.

“Your wish is my command,” she told them and headed for the garage.

After filling the two large metal bowls, she checked their outside water, found they had plenty, and headed back to the house for the much-needed coffee.

She and Dale sat in their favorite outdoor chairs and enjoyed the slight breeze before the heat rose.

“How did you sleep?” Dale asked.

“Good. I feel tired though. How about you?”

“The same as usual. If I didn’t need a bathroom run at 2:00 a.m., I would sleep straight through. Can I give you some advice?”

That surprised her. “Sure,” she said.

“Stop growing older. It sucks.”

Willow laughed. “Now you’re wishing me an early death?”

“No,” he said and grinned. “I figure if you stop celebrating birthdays, you can stay young. I should have tried it years ago, but now it’s too late for me.”

“What has you in such a silly mood?” she asked after releasing a short bark of laughter.

“Grouchy not silly. If it gets too bad, put me in a home.”

“But you’ve always been grouchy so how will I know?”

“Brat,” Dale muttered which made Willow laugh again.

“You want to help me in the garden today?” Willow asked. “I need to prune and dig up a few areas.”

“Unless you really need my help, I want to change Lucy’s oil and give her a tune up.”

Lucy was the name her grandmother gave to the 1975 Ford truck Willow drove. It was a classic, and she might have loved it as much as Joan had. Dale didn’t take the truck to the repair shop like he did his own new Ford. He liked getting his hands greasy and babying Lucy.

“You work on the truck and I’ll handle the garden. When I’m done, I’ll make sandwiches for an early lunch. I’m going to grab a banana. Do you want one?”

“What happened to the days when a man needed a full breakfast to start his day?” Dale grumbled.

“His blood pressure went up along with his cholesterol and bananas are good for him.”

“Then I guess I’ll take the blasted banana,” he complained good-naturedly. “And don’t forget our meeting this afternoon.

“Meeting?” she questioned.