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"When are you going to Monroe?"
"Tomorrow afternoon. Touchet is leaving for Richland Center the day after tomorrow. Tuesday morning, I guess. That's what Uncle Mike told my dad on the phone today. Is this guy that important that they kidnap young ex-virgins for him?"
Valentine shrugged. "You'd know better than I. But if he gets production out of the farms, I suppose he's pretty important. Their army has to eat, too. Speaking of eating, I wonder if Frat found any rabbits. Your mother makes a great game pie. Oh, God! Your parents... I'm going to have a hard time acting normal in front of them."
"You and me both. But-what do we have to feel guilty about? You're my fiance, right?"
He chuckled, nuzzling her with his chin. The shyness had magically vanished. Or perhaps it had been exorcised by a far stronger and more ancient magic.
"Molly Valentine," she mused. "Ugh!"
"Hey!" he objected.
"No, I just hate the Molly part. I love Valentine. Melissa Valentine? That's better. Nobody ever called me Melissa. Molly is way easier to shout."
"Put your pants on, Melissa. Or we'll be here all night," he said, looking out at the setting sun.
"That wouldn't be so bad. I wonder if the patrolman watching the place got an eyeful."
Dinner passed self-consciously, but Valentine found he could talk to her parents without feeling too uncomfortable. Her parents seemed to have other things on their minds. All Valentine could do was look at Molly's red, raw lips. How could they not notice that?
Gonzalez noticed something else in the basement as they got ready for bed.
"Hey, Val, what happened today?" he asked.
"Split a lot of wood."
Gonzalez snorted. "You stuck your wedge into something."
Valentine turned around. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Well, your fly's been unbuttoned all night, and your back looks like two alley cats went about fifteen rounds on it. Unless you've been rolling in barbed wire, I'd say someone was moaning in your ear."
"Just go to sleep, funnyman. I was just doing some chores for the family, really. Molly had something she needed fixed, so I took care of it for her."
Gonzalez shook his head and turned over, carefully positioning his injured arm. "You officers get all the good jobs," he observed.
Valentine awoke in the middle of the night to a light tread on the stair. In the dim light shining down from the kitchen, he saw Molly cautiously entering the basement.
"David?" she whispered.
"Over here," Valentine breathed back.
"No, over here," Gonzalez answered.
"Shut up, you," Valentine said, throwing his pillow at the scout.
"I wanted to talk to you. Sorry, Gonzo," she said.
Gonzalez swung his feet to the floor with a groan and pulled on his pants with his good arm. "I just remembered how long it's been since I've watched a sunrise. Don't make too much noise 'talking," you two."
"Thanks, Victor. I mean it," Valentine said.
"You owe me one. See you at breakfast."
He moved soundlessly up the stairs.
Molly scuttled into Valentine's arms. He kissed her, grateful for her surprise.
