Chapter 31. Jenny
JENNY
Simon pushed past her, grabbing her free hand, and pulling her along with him. She struggled to hold on to the rifle and keep up with Simon, who was taking the steps two at a time.
They burst into the kitchen, the screen door slamming behind them. The vehicle could be close now. The person already walking up to the front steps. Maybe they’d heard the noise.
Simon dropped her hand and pulled the gun from his shorts, running to the front of the house. “Lock the dead bolt,” he whisper-yelled over his shoulder.
Jenny flipped the lock. Should she put a chair under the doorknob?
Something to barricade the door. But what if they needed to run out?
She went to Simon. He was standing by the window to the right of the front door, using the tip of his finger to pull the curtain back.
The sun slanted in, making him look as though he’d been sliced in half. One side gold. One dark.
“White truck coming up the driveway,” Simon said.
Jenny could hear it now. The rumble of an engine growing closer.
The truck stopped. A door slammed. Simon drew back from the window and moved over to stand in front of the solid wood door. He gestured to Jenny to get behind him.
“Stay ready with the rifle, but don’t take the safety off yet.”
She pressed against his back, the rifle at her side. She could feel his fear. The heat of his body through his shirt. His fast breaths. She didn’t know why they were in front of the door. Shouldn’t they be hiding somewhere? Then he brought his gun hand up.
“Don’t shoot,” she pleaded.
He looked back at her and mouthed, “Quiet.”
Bootsteps, coming up, then across the porch. Probably a man, who was now on the other side of the door. So close to them. He knocked fast, like a woodpecker. Rap, rap, rap.
Jenny felt the sound go straight through her body. She shivered, hooking her finger into the waistband of Simon’s shorts. The back of his arm flexed. He was gripping the gun.
The man knocked on the door a few more times. The porch boards squeaked as he shifted his weight. Or maybe he was peering into the windows. Jenny held perfectly still.
“William? Ruth? You in there?” A woman’s voice. Cheerful.
Jenny lifted her head, surprised.
More footsteps. Lighter—and fast. The person was running up the porch steps.
“Where’s Bones, Mom?”
Jenny sucked in a gasp. Oh no. It was a child. Sounded like a young boy.
“I’m not sure.” The woman knocked again.
After a moment, both sets of footsteps moved away.
They were walking down the steps. Jenny exhaled and leaned forward, touching her forehead to Simon’s back, but he was inching to the side, then he dropped low, crawled to the window, and gently moved the edge of the curtain away.
Jenny waited behind the door for the sound of the truck starting. It had to drive away soon.
“What’s happening?” she whispered to Simon.
“I don’t know. They’re in the middle of the driveway.”
Jenny dropped to her knees and crawled over to him, softly sliding the rifle with her. The window was low enough that she could remain on her knees. She peered over Simon’s shoulder so she could see through the same narrow gap.
The woman was tall and slender, with blond hair in a high ponytail, tight jeans tucked into cowboy boots, and a blue checkered shirt tied at her waist. The little boy had the same blond hair, but he was wearing a red baseball cap, and his jeans were faded and dirty at the knees.
She couldn’t see much of his face. They were talking.
Now he was pointing at the barn. They turned and walked toward it, the woman’s ponytail swinging. The boy ran ahead.
“They’re not leaving. Keep watch. I’ll be fast.” The warmth of Simon’s body left her side, leaving her unbalanced. She looked over her shoulder. He was crawling away.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m getting Ruth in case they start searching.” When he was farther from the window, he rose to his feet, and hurried to the kitchen. He pushed the table off the hatch.
She turned to the window and watched the barn entrance.
She thought she could hear the boy calling for William, but she wasn’t sure.
She hoped Simon was fast. What if he couldn’t make Ruth come up?
The woman and kid might go around to the back door.
There could be a spare key. She thought of lies she could tell.
They were relatives. William and Ruth had gone on a trip.
They were looking after the farm for them. But every idea fell apart.
The woman and boy emerged from the barn.
Jenny held her breath. The boy stopped and adjusted his baseball hat, lifting it and squishing it down onto his mop of blond hair.
The woman waited while he walked over to the paddock, kicking his boots in the dirt, chickens running out of the way.
One of the horses hung its head over the fence and the boy patted his neck.
Jenny heard movement. She glanced at the kitchen. Simon was coming back, Ruth with him. She already looked terrified. Bones was right behind.
Simon mouthed “Where are they?” to Jenny.
“By the horses.” Bones trotted over, bumping against her, and licking her face.
“Go sit on the couch,” Simon said to Ruth. “If they come to the door, get rid of them. Tell them you’re napping or something.”
“Please don’t hurt them.” Ruth pressed her palms together like she was praying. “That little boy is ten years old. They don’t mean any harm. They’re just being good neighbors.”
Simon must have given Ruth their description. She sounded so upset. Jenny wondered if they were people who Ruth and William spent a lot of time with. Maybe even loved.
“Then you better be good at making them leave,” Simon said. “I’ll be right here.” He pointed to where Jenny was crouched.
Ruth nodded. Her face was so pale, almost translucent. Jenny could see faint blue veins in her forehead. Ruth smoothed her dress over her round hips, patted her braided bun, pushed some wisps away from her face. Then she sat on the couch with her back straight and hands in her lap.
Simon eased behind the curtain near Jenny. They both saw the woman and kid at the same time. They walked past their truck and the tractor. They were coming back to the house.
Simon shot a dark look at Ruth and pointed to his gun. Jenny pressed her hand to her stomach. She felt like she was going to be sick. Like she had heatstroke and the chills.
Ruth flicked her gaze toward them, and then focused on the door. She almost looked calm, but Jenny saw her swallow a few times, her hands clasping and unclasping.
The woman and kid walked up the stairs. Bones started barking and rushed to the door, circling and growling like he was going to attack the wood.
Ruth looked at Simon, her blue eyes large and watery. “I don’t know what to…” But they were out of time. Three hard knocks on the door made them all jolt. Bones barked louder.
“Ruth? William?” the woman yelled.
Simon held up a hand, counting down with each finger, mouthing the numbers. Then he nodded. Ruth got to her feet and walked to the door. This was the moment. Ruth could bolt outside. It might all go wrong again. Jenny didn’t know what Simon would do after that.
Ruth took a deep breath and opened the door. “Donna!”
“Ruth! Oh, thank God. I was getting so worried.”
“Is everything all right?” Ruth sounded slightly breathless to Jenny, who was watching the side of her face. Simon was also staring.
Bones had rushed out and his toenails were dancing on the wood deck, his collar jingling. The barking had stopped. Now he was making excited whines and yelps.
The little boy was talking to him. “Hi, Bones!”
“Carrie said you’re not answering your phone.” Carrie. Jenny remembered the name. She was Ruth’s daughter. She’d been calling. How many times had she tried?
“We’ve been having trouble with the lines. Meant to report it to the phone company, but we’ve been down with a stomach bug.”
“William’s sick too?”
“He’s been in bed all day. The man’s acting like he’s got the plague.”
The woman laughed. “I swear it’s like that with all of them. You need any help with the animals? Or groceries?”
“That’s a lovely offer, but we’re managing.” Ruth smiled, looking pale and sickly enough that hopefully the woman would believe her.
“I can take Bones for a walk.” The kid again.
“Thank you, honey, but maybe another day.”
“Do you have cookies?”
“Steven!” his mom said. “We don’t ask like that.”
“It’s fine,” Ruth said. “Steven is my best cookie eater, but I haven’t baked for days.”
“You’ll still be at the fair, though, won’t you?”
“I think I’ll be sitting this year out. I just don’t have the energy.”
“Oh.” A long pause. “Well, we won’t keep you.” Jenny wasn’t sure if she was imagining the confusion in the woman’s voice. What was different? Did Ruth say something odd?
Jenny glanced at Simon, who was frowning.
“I’ll let Carrie know about your phone,” the woman said.
“Thanks, Donna.” Ruth wrapped her arms around her middle. “Bones, come now.”
Bones walked into the house, slowly, with his head down. The neighbors’ footsteps were moving away. Ruth was still watching, a faint smile on her face. She gave a small wave. Two truck doors slammed shut, the engine started. Ruth stepped back and closed the door.
“Why was that chick acting weird?” Simon said.
“They left. That was what you wanted.” Ruth didn’t look so scared now. She seemed frustrated, which worried Jenny more. She might upset Simon. Jenny rested her hand on his leg.
“It was after you talked about baking.”
“She might have been surprised because I bake every day. It didn’t mean anything.”
Jenny squeezed Simon’s leg gently so he would look at her. “It’s good,” she said. “Now she’ll believe that Ruth is really sick.”
“Hope you’re right. Because I’m going to be pissed if they come back.” Simon got to his feet and gestured for Ruth to come with him.
Jenny stood and watched as Bones followed Simon and Ruth to the kitchen. After the hatch was open, Simon held on to Bones’s collar. “The dog stays.”
“He’s old,” Ruth said. “He needs to be with us.”
Even from her spot by the window, Jenny could see the distress in Ruth’s face, but Bones didn’t seem to notice. He was looking up at Simon with his tongue out and tail wagging.
“He’ll be fine. Now get going.”
She turned and went downstairs. After the hatch was closed, Simon walked back into the living room, with Bones padding after him, collar jingling.
“Keep the dog outside with you, okay?”
She nodded. “How much longer are you going to be?”
His face twisted with frustration. “I’m hoping we can leave tonight, but I broke one of the tools, and the old guy had parts everywhere. I just have to stay at it.”
“Aren’t you hungry?”
“I’ll eat after. I want to get on the road before anyone else shows up.” He drew her into his arms and kissed her. She leaned into it, wanted to stay close like that forever, but after a few moments he drew away, gave her a final peck, and scratched Bones around the neck.
“You look after my girl, okay?” Bones thumped his tail on the floor. When Simon reached the back door, he paused by their gear. “I’m going to put all this in the truck now.”
“I can help.”
“I’ve got it, babe.” He swung the backpacks onto his shoulders. “Go keep watch.”
She nodded and called Bones to her. Outside, she rocked in the chair and stared at the area of the driveway where she’d first seen the rising dust.
It was good that Simon was loading up the truck. They’d be leaving soon.