Someone wasshowering.
The sound triggered mild outrage, along with a strong urge to pee.She crossed her arms over her chest and tried to ignore her full bladder.She couldn’t use the restroom when there was a naked cowboy in it, hosing himself down.
Unbelievable.
With a huff of indignation, she turned and walked back onto the porch.She wasn’t going to confront a nude stranger in a private space.She could wait until he got dressed before she demanded answers.Pulling her phone from her pocket, she checked for service.
No bars.Great.
There was an interloper in her cabin, and she had no way of communicating the news to anyone.
Vanessa studied the sunflower-adorned doormat by the threshold.She toed it aside and crouched down for a closer look.There was a smear of rust, and a jagged outline, like the ghost of a metal key.
She straightened abruptly and felt a wave of fatigue so strong she swayed on her feet.She needed to sit down before shefelldown.She descended the porch steps, sank into a sitting position and buried her face in her hands.Although she felt like crying, the tears wouldn’t come.It was as if she’d used all of the sadness allotted for one year, and had to wait for the well of sorrow to replenish.
After a few moments, she lifted her head.The lake wasn’t visible from the front of the cabin, but she could imagine its calm, silvery surface.Wind rustled through the leaves in the nearby tree and the SUV’s cooling system ticked in a steady rhythm.The engine had been running hot since they crossed the border into Texas.She prayed it would restart.
“Mommy?”
Vanessa startled at the sound of her daughter’s voice.The little girl was awake in her car seat, rubbing her eyes with tiny fists.“What, baby?”
“I have to go potty.”
Vanessa sighed heavily.Of course she did.They both did.Their last pit stop had been in San Antonio.
“I have to go potty,” Emily repeated.
Vanessa rose from the step, dusted off her butt and returned to her vehicle.She hoped they didn’t have to find alternative lodgings because she couldn’t afford it.Her scheming ex-husband had drained her bank account.The divorce lawyer took the rest.Also, there might not be vacancies anywhere.Pickings were slim around here in early summer.This was a popular recreation area for families and fishermen.
Emily unbuckled her seat belt.“I have to gonow,” she said.“It’s a ’mergency.”
Vanessa studied the trees that lined the lakeshore.They would have to squat behind a bush in the dark, where creepy-crawlies lurked.She wondered if the person inside the cabin was finished showering.Fresh indignation filled her at the thought of a strange man using her towels.She opened the car door and searched for Emily’s shoes on the floor.Emily kicked her feet with impatience.
“Mommy!”
“What?”
“I saw a monster!”
Vanessa wrestled a miniature shoe onto a swinging foot.Her daughter had a wild imagination.“Where?”
“Behind you,” Emily said.
Vanessa glanced over her shoulder warily.The truck she’d noticed before was parked less than twenty feet away, beneath an oak tree with branches that stretched out like phantom arms.The glow from the porchlights didn’t reach the space.While Emily kicked her feet, ambient night sounds swirled around them.Then something moved.
Something big.
Vanessa captured Emily’s foot and held it still, as if staying motionless might prevent an attack from whatever was out there.Mountain lions prowled the hills and valleys all over Texas.They often struck from behind, dispatching prey with a vicious bite to the neck.Coyotes were also common, but small and usually harmless.
The most dangerous beast was, of course, the two-legged variety.
Vanessa felt the sudden urge to grab her baby and run, but where would she go?Into the dark trees by the lake?To the next cabin over?
She couldn’t leave the safety of her vehicle.The best option was to get inside the SUV, lock the doors, and drive away.But she didn’t move, because she was afraid to draw attention to herself.She was afraid of peeing her pants, too.Swallowing hard, she gripped her daughter’s little shoe like a lifeline.
“Mommy?”Emily said.
“Shh.”
