Page 84 of The Hitchhikers

Jenny flopped back onto the mattress, wrapped herself in the blankets, and breathed in the scent of clean linen. She rolled over to her other side, so she could no longer see the window. When she eventually heard Simon’s halting steps, she held her body still, taking only shallow breaths.

He pushed the door open and moved around the room as he undressed. He bumped into the foot of the bed with a muffled curse. The mattress dipped with his weight. Cigarette smoke and whiskey wafted from him. She tensed, waiting for wanderinghands to grab her, under her shirt or around her bottom. He let out a heavy breath and shifted onto his side, facing her.

She squeezed her eyes shut. The clock ticked on the night table.

The touch of skin, warm against her hand, his fingers entwining with hers. Within moments, his breath deepened. He’d fallen asleep. He’d only wanted to hold her hand.

CHAPTER 30JENNY

When she woke, Simon was standing beside the bed, pulling on a fresh tank top. His blue one with the white trim. His hair was a mess, and he had dark circles under his eyes. He looked pale. Hungover. He noticed her watching. A smile ghosted across his lips, then disappeared.

“I’m going to get the old lady to feed the animals and make us breakfast.”

“Ruth. You should use her name.”

“Ruth. Whatever.” He was walking toward the door. “You should go back to sleep.”

Jenny rolled over and stared at the ceiling. Outside, the cows were mooing and the horses neighing for their food. The sun was filtering through the curtains, making patterns.

Simon had told her to go back to sleep. Like a child. He was only trying to be nice—he cared that she got rest—but the words pricked at her. Tiny thorns, digging into her skin.

She got up and had a shower, thinking about Alice and the others. Could they hear the water? They probably wanted showers too. But Simon wouldn’t let them come up.

Dressed in clean clothes, she walked out into the kitchen, and finding it still empty, she stepped out onto the porch. Ruth and Simon were in one of the paddocks. Ruth was feeding thehorses. Simon was leaning against a fence post and watching. He turned to look at Jenny.

She gave him a small wave, which he returned with a thumbs-up.

Jenny went back to the kitchen. Maybe she could make coffee, but she didn’t see an automatic drip coffee maker like she had in her house. Only a tarnished metal percolator with a glass knob top was sitting on the stove. She didn’t know how to use those.

She washed the dirty dishes that Ruth had brought up from the basement and was putting the last one in the rack when the front door banged open. She spun around as Simon entered the kitchen, dragging Ruth behind him. He held the green phone in his other hand, wires dangling.

“Did you see this?”

“What?” Jenny’s face was so hot. Like she’d been standing by a fireplace. She wiped at her brow, forgetting that her hand was wet and soapy. “Where did you find it?”

“The barn. On the workbench.”

She shook her head. “I was looking for twine.”

“It was ringing. Ruth says she forgot about it.” He gave an angry laugh, pulled his arm back, and threw the phone against the far wall, where it hit with a clatter of the bells. The bottom half-spewed metal innards as it slid across the floor to knock against the garbage can.

Bones, who must have followed them into the house, was bumping against Ruth’s legs, leaning into them, and barking at Simon.

“Tell him to shut up,” Simon said to Ruth.

“Bones. Enough.” Ruth sounded like she was trying to be firm, but Jenny heard the quiver in her voice. The dog quieted, an anxious whine still leaking from his throat.

Simon opened the back door, grabbed some dog treats from a container on the counter, and threw them outside. Bones trotted outside, and Simon closed the door behind him.

He pushed Ruth into one of the chairs and leaned into her face. “Who was calling you?”

“I don’t know.”

“Nah, you were bugging out. Who were you expecting?”

Ruth looked to Jenny then back to Simon. Jenny held her breath.

“Our daughter calls.”