“Earthquake?”
“Neither a shiver nor a quiver.And, you’ll notice, the neighbors are untouched.”
Stevie surveyed the yards to the left and right, which, like Corinthia’s, also bordered the Refuge.“Stampede?”
“Of what?Scrub jays?”
Stevie peered over the fence.
“Also, about last night—I didn’t get to tell you…”
Stevie looked at Corinthia.“Tell me what?”
“The end of the story.”
Stevie raised her eyebrows.
“She kissed me,” Corinthia said.
“Shekissedyou?”Stevie goggled.“And then what, your heart expanded three sizes and knocked the Refuge into your backyard?”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”Corinthia paused, uncertain whether it was wise to share the next part of the story or not; whether Stevie would think she had taken leave of her senses.“Actually, she kissed me, and then… she disappeared.”
“Disappeared?As in ran away?”
“As inpoof.”She related what happened, with less emphasis on the giddy, sparkling magic of the kiss itself.No one had ever made Corinthia feel that way—and therefore, in the bright light of day, it was the least believable part of the whole story.
When she was done, Stevie made a skeptical face.“Corinthia, people don’t disappear.”
“I know that,” Corinthia replied, only slightly defensive.“It was a trick of some kind, of course.”
“Of course,” Stevie echoed, her gaze drawn back to the Refuge.“And this”—she gestured to the new sand and the lunging trees and the slowly tipping fence—“is clearly some kind of natural phenomenon.”
“Clearly,” Corinthia said, and they both looked at each other.
Beaufort let out a few more joyful bays in the direction of the Refuge.
“It’s like someone he knows is in there,” Stevie said.“Who would that be?”
“Probably a hiker who lives in the neighborhood,” Corinthia said, wrapping logic around herself like a cozy sweater.
“You don’t think it’s your lady friend?”
“Are you saying Rosemary is in the woods and Beaufort can sense her, or are you saying she had something to do with this?”Corinthia gestured to the fence.
Stevie shrugged.“Something’sgoing on.”
“And she’s not my ‘lady friend.’I don’t even know her last name or where she lives.”
“You did kiss her.”
“Shekissedme.Unexpectedly,” Corinthia added, primly.
“Unexpectedly but not un-enjoyably, am I right?”
This was all too much for Corinthia.One didn’t meet strangers in the woods and start getting kissed, willy-nilly.Except Corinthia had, and she had too many feelings about it, most of which didn’t even seem to have proper names.
If only she could concentrate on something mundane, like shoring up the fence with slats of wood and making calls to her homeowner’s insurance company, then everything wouldn’t feel so out of control.“Well, I’m glad we cleared this up,” she said.She began to walk the dog toward the side yard gate.
