Page 64 of The Hitchhikers

“Hi.” Jenny left the RV to stand next to Simon.

The woman gave her a friendly smile, which Jenny tried to return, but her lips felt dry and tight and there was still a lump in her throat. She stroked the dog’s head.

Alice stepped out next. She was wiping her hands on her shorts, and her ponytail was falling apart, curls springing wildly. Jenny hoped that the old woman would think Alice’s eyes were puffy and bloodshot from fatigue.

“I’m so sorry. I hope we haven’t damaged your field.” Alice smoothed her hair back away from her face, and her wedding ring flashed gold in the sun. Jenny should have apologized too. She didn’t think about it. She never thought as fast as Simon and Alice.

The woman peered over Alice’s shoulder into the RV.

“Your husband still sleeping?”

“Oh. Um…” Alice looked at Simon. The old woman’s forehead scrunched together as she waited. She seemed more confused than suspicious, but Jenny held her breath.

“My brother-in-law’s sick.” Simon lowered his voice. “He couldn’t come on our trip.”

“I see. That’s too bad.” The woman paused. “Well, don’t worry about digging. My husband can pull you out with the tractor. Come on up to the house.”

“We don’t want to disturb your family,” Alice said, and Jenny caught the annoyed look that Simon gave Alice—out of view from the woman.

“Just me and William, and we’ve been awake since the crack of dawn.”

“In that case, a tow would be great.” Simon held his hand out. “My name’s Blue.”

The woman gave his hand a quick shake. “Ruth Polanski.”

Simon gestured to Jenny. “This is my girlfriend Ocean, and my sister Alice.”

“Blue and Ocean? You hippies?”

“Something like that.” Simon smiled. “We enjoy traveling and meeting good people like you.” For a moment Jenny thought he’d gone too far with his friendliness because Ruth looked confused again, but she turned around to head back through the field with the dog at her side.

“Come on, then.”

Jenny stared at Simon’s back all the way up the driveway until they’d made it to the top, where it leveled out. He didn’t turn to look at her. Not even one time. Her heart was beating too fast, her blood rushing everywhere all at once. She had to calm down. She paused to take a breath.

The farmhouse, with white peeling paint, was on the rightside of the hill, and faced out at the pasture. The porch was missing railings but there were flower boxes and two rocking chairs. Beside the house, a garage looked like it had been built from mismatched wood boards.

On the opposite side of the driveway, a weathered barn leaned into the hill, and next to it, a green tractor was parked under a carport. The fields were dotted with cows, and two horses grazed in a paddock. Chickens were everywhere. Scratching in the dirt and the garden beds overgrown with flowering bushes and roses. The sweet scent drifted toward her.

They were standing in front of the barn when an old man in baggy pants held up by suspenders walked out. He looked at them from under the brim of his battered red baseball hat.

“Good morning.”

They returned the greeting in an uneven chorus. Simon’s voice was upbeat, Alice’s flat, and Jenny’s so quiet she wasn’t even sure herself if she’d spoken.

“William, dear, these folks have gotten their RV stuck in our field.”

“The lower field?”

“In a ditch,” Simon said. “We tried to get it out, but it won’t budge.”

“Sounds like you need a tow.” The man rested his hands inside his suspenders and rocked back on the heels of his gum boots with a pleased smile.

“Yes, sir. We’d appreciate it. Only a few days into our trip, and wouldn’t you know it, we hit an elk with the RV, and then I got us lost,” Simon said.

“That can happen,” William said. “Once you get on these old country roads, all the fields start looking the same. But don’t worry. I’ll have you out in no time.”

“You’re welcome to wait in the house,” Ruth said. “It’s a lot cooler.”