Chapter 2. Jenny
JENNY
They’d zipped their sleeping bags together and lay with her head on his chest, his arm wrapped around her.
He was tracing soft patterns on her skin.
The night air was still warm enough that they could sleep in their T-shirts and underwear, but their pants and shoes were nearby in case they had to dress in a hurry. They hadn’t unpacked their bags.
Simon’s voice was low and close to her ear. “Blue and Ocean?”
“I wasn’t thinking. The names just popped into my head.”
“I like them.” Simon moved his hand to stroke her lower back, scratching gently.
They’d been bitten by so many bugs on the beach, they were both covered with welts.
Alice had given them calamine lotion and a red thermos full of water, and when she realized they didn’t have pillows, she’d insisted that they take a couple of decorative ones from the RV.
They were firm, and roughly textured, but Jenny was grateful they didn’t have to use their packs as pillows again.
“Should we ask them for a ride?” Jenny said.
“I don’t know … Tom asks a lot of questions.”
“I think they’re nice.” Jenny flexed her toes, trying to stretch the knotted muscles in her calves.
Simon and she had been in constant motion for days.
First, taking the aluminum skiff down the coast in the pitch-dark and tying up in a hidden bay when the sun rose.
The next night, they’d boated up the river, but the rapids had stopped them.
They’d abandoned the skiff at the dock and slept on the campsite beach.
They planned on continuing by road, but when they tried to walk to town and find a gas station, where they’d hoped to catch a ride with a long-haul trucker, someone who could get them to the next province, Jenny’s feet had hurt too much.
“Did you notice that everything they have is new?” Simon said.
“Maybe they’re rich.”
“They probably have cash with them.”
She realized what he was thinking. “No.”
“We’re going to have to do something for money.”
“Not that.” They were good people. She could tell right away.
Tom spoke in an upbeat, encouraging gym teacher voice, and Alice was pretty with her hazel eyes, brown curly hair, and dimpled cheeks.
It was sad that they didn’t have kids. Alice seemed like she’d be a good mom.
Not like her own. Jenny rolled onto her side so that Simon wouldn’t feel her tears.
Simon turned over too, his hand cupping her stomach, his thumb rubbing soothingly. He was excited about the baby, thinking of names, and talking about how they could live on a farm, or he’d get a job on a fishing boat in Nova Scotia. She’d make jewelry to sell in shops.
“I promised that I’d take care of you,” he said.
“I don’t want anyone else to get hurt.”
“Okay. We’ll just ask them for a ride.” Simon kissed the crook of her neck. “Whatever makes you happy, babe. I’d do anything for you.”
It was scary sometimes, in a way she didn’t quite understand, his willingness and loyalty, his fierce protectiveness of her. She wasn’t always sure she deserved it. But he did. He’d saved her, and she’d never forget that. She owed him everything.
They were woken by the hushed voices of Alice and Tom as they moved around, the smoky smell of campfire.
When Simon and Jenny emerged from the tent, Alice greeted them with a pot of coffee.
She looked ready for the day, with her curly hair in a low ponytail, tied with a white silk scarf.
She was dressed in blue pin-striped shorts, and a sleeveless, white-collared shirt.
Tom was more casual in a purple University of Washington tank top and gold athletic shorts.
Jenny and Simon used the washrooms, then sat for breakfast. Jenny took forkfuls of pancakes, savoring each maple-syrupy mouthful. Alice didn’t seem to be eating much, but Tom was halfway through his stack. He paused to take a sip of his coffee, steam drifting into his face.
“So, are you hitting the road this morning too?” he said.
Simon set down the syrup he’d been pouring, taking a moment to wipe his sticky fingers. “Hope so. Any chance we could get a ride?”
“Where do you want to go?”
“If you could get us to the next town, we’d be grateful.”
Tom got his map, unfolded it on the table, and narrowed his eyes as he peered down at it, humming to himself. “That’d be Lytton.” He checked the scale, spread his fingers between the two cities. “Looks like it’s about seventy miles, give or take. That work?”
“Yeah, perfect.”
Jenny nodded. She didn’t know anything about Lytton, but it didn’t matter.
“We’d be glad for the company,” Tom said. “Right, honey?”
Alice looked startled, her cheeks flushing, and Jenny wondered if maybe she wasn’t glad about it at all, but she said, “More the merrier,” and added another pancake to his plate.
After breakfast, Tom and Simon packed up camp, while Jenny helped Alice wash dishes inside the RV. Alice had wanted Jenny to relax again, but Jenny had insisted that it was only fair. She glanced at Alice, who was drying the plates so fast it was like she was waxing a car.
“You sure you’re okay with giving us a ride?”
“Of course.” Alice smiled but it seemed more polite than genuine. Was she angry that they were interrupting their trip?
“We do appreciate it.” Jenny dropped her hand to her belly and caught Alice shooting a glance at her. “The baby’s moving. Feels like flutters.”
“That’s wonderful.” Alice turned away. “I’m going to secure the bathroom.”
Jenny stared after her. Did she say something wrong? When Alice was finished in the bathroom, she came out and began putting away the glasses. Alice seemed fine, but Jenny didn’t want to possibly upset her again, so she washed the last plate and slipped outside.
While Jenny gathered her backpack, she listened to Tom telling Simon about the Winnebago.
“It’s the smallest of the models, just twenty-three feet, but good enough for what we need.
See the windshield there? It’s slanted six degrees, so it blends with the side windows, gives you views all around.
Got a reserve gas tank and a V8 engine. It’ll climb mountains. ”
Simon spotted Tom’s fishing rods, and the subject changed to fly fishing—something Tom was learning. Simon knew everything about fishing, in all types of water. Jenny tensed when Tom asked Simon how he’d gained so much experience, but Simon only muttered, “My dad.”
After they’d loaded the RV with their gear, Tom gave them a tour inside.
Simon asked about the carpeted hump between the two front seats, and Tom explained that it covered the engine.
He showed them how the passenger’s seat spun, but not the driver’s because it was blocked by the dinette, then had them try the seats so they could feel how comfortable they were.
When they were ready to leave, Simon ran to the bathroom, while Tom and Alice sat up front, looking over their map and discussing the day—where they would stop for lunch, where to get gas. Jenny waited at the table, facing the front of the RV so she could watch for Simon.
The RV was running when Simon jogged back, his eyes bright and excited looking. He sat beside Jenny at the table and dropped his arms around her shoulder. Tom slowly drove out of the campsite. As they passed the washrooms, Alice made a surprised sound.
“I thought those men would still be sleeping it off.”
Jenny looked out the window. Two of the motorcycles with the low handlebars were parked in the shade at the side of the washroom.
Alice turned in her seat. “Did they give you any trouble, Simon? They look rough.”
“Must have just missed them.”
When Tom and Alice began talking to each other again, Simon leaned closer to Jenny and whispered into her ear. “Found cash in one of their saddlebags.”
Jenny stared at Simon. Why would he take a risk like that? He could’ve been caught, gotten hurt.
“And this.” Simon lifted his shirt to show her the hunting knife clipped onto the waistband of his jeans. A big knife, with a carved antler bone handle and an intricate scroll design on the leather sheath. It looked important. Like it had mattered to someone.
Jenny turned away, trying to catch her breath. She regretted all the food she had eaten, the overly sweet coffee and pancakes that now sat heavy in her stomach.
“No one saw me,” Simon murmured, and she nodded, but she couldn’t meet his eyes, too scared that he might see her upset.
He might think she doubted him, or, worse, that she couldn’t handle their new life on the run.
Up in the front, Alice spun the radio dial.
Jenny’s thoughts flipped into new fears.
She hadn’t thought about the radio. Would they be on the news?
It would give their descriptions. Alice and Tom would figure it out. They would turn them in.
“I have a headache,” Jenny said. “Do you mind if we don’t listen to music?”
“Of course.” Alice reached over and shut off the radio.