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"My tree house is over there," he said. He pointed. "It's my secret hideout."
"It's a good thing to have," Thibault said. He motioned to the branch beside him. "You want to sit down?"
"I can't get too close."
"No?"
"My mom says you're a stranger."
"It's a good idea to listen to your mom."
Ben seemed satisfied with Thibault's response but uncertain about what to do next. He turned from Thibault to Zeus, debating, before deciding to take a seat on a toppled tree near where he'd been standing, preserving the distance between them.
"Are you going to work here?" he asked.
"I am working here."
"No. I mean are you going to quit?"
"I don't plan to." He raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
"Because the last two guys quit. They didn't like cleaning up the poop."
"Not everyone does."
"Does it bother you?"
"Not really."
"I don't like the way it smells." Ben made a face.
"Most people don't. I just try to ignore it."
Ben pushed his glasses up on his nose again. "Where'd you get the name Zeus?"
Thibault couldn't hide a smile. He'd forgotten how curious kids could be. "That was his name when I got him."
"Why didn't you change it to something you wanted?"
"I don't know. Didn't think about it, I guess."
"We had a German shepherd. His name was Oliver."
"Yeah?"
"He died."
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay," Ben assured him. "He was old."
Thibault finished his sandwich, stuffed the plastic wrap back in the bag, and opened the bag of nuts he'd packed. He noticed Ben staring at him and gestured toward the bag.
"You want some almonds?"
Ben shook his head. "I'm not supposed to accept food from strangers."
"Okay. How old are you?"
"Ten. How old are you?"
"Twenty-eight."
"You look older."
"So do you."
Ben smiled at that. "My name's Ben."
"Nice to meet you, Ben. I'm Logan Thibault."
"Did you really walk here from Colorado?"
Thibault squinted at him. "Who told you that?"
"I heard Mom talking to Nana. They said that most normal people would have drove."
"They're right."
"Did your legs get tired?"
"At first they did. But after a while, I got used to all the walking. So did Zeus. Actually, I think he liked the walk. There was always something new to see, and he got to chase a zillion squirrels."
Ben shuffled his feet back and forth, his expression serious. "Can Zeus fetch?"
"Like a champ. But only for a few throws. He gets bored after that. Why? Do you want to throw a stick for him?"
"Can I?"
Thibault cupped his mouth and called for Zeus to come; the dog came bounding out of the water, paused a few feet away, and shook the water from his coat. He focused on Thibault.
"Get a stick."
Zeus immediately put his nose to the ground, sifting through myriad fallen branches. In the end, he chose a small stick and trotted toward Thibault.
Thibault shook his head. "Bigger," he said, and Zeus stared at him with what resembled disappointment before turning away. He dropped the stick and resumed searching. "He gets excited when he plays, and if the stick is too small, he'll snap it in half," Thibault explained. "He does it every time."
Ben nodded, looking solemn.
Zeus returned with a larger stick and brought it to Thibault. Thibault broke off a few of the remaining twigs, making it a bit smoother, then gave it back to Zeus.
"Take it to Ben."
Zeus didn't understand the command and tilted his head, ears pricked. Thibault pointed toward Ben. "Ben," he said. "Stick."
Zeus trotted toward Ben, stick in his mouth, then dropped it at Ben's feet. He sniffed Ben, took a step closer, and allowed Ben to pet him.
"He knows my name?"
"Now he does."
"Forever?"
"Probably. Now that he's smelled you."
r /> "How could he learn it so fast?"
"He just does. He's used to learning things quickly."
Zeus sidled closer and licked Ben's face, then retreated, his gaze flickering from Ben to the stick and back again.
Thibault pointed to the stick. "He wants you to throw it. That's his way of asking."
Ben grabbed the stick and seemed to debate his next move. "Can I throw it in the water?"
"He'd love that."
Ben heaved it into the slow-moving creek. Zeus bounded into the water and began to paddle. He retrieved the stick, stopped a few feet from Ben to shake off, then got close and dropped the stick again.
"I trained him to shake off before he gets too close. I don't like getting wet," Thibault said.
"That's cool."
Thibault smiled as Ben threw the stick again.
"What else can he do?" Ben asked over his shoulder.
"Lots of things. Like . . . he's great at playing hide-and-go-seek. If you hide, he'll find you."
"Can we do that sometime?"
"Anytime you want."
"Awesome. Is he an attack dog, too?"
"Yes. But mostly he's friendly."
Finishing the rest of his lunch, Thibault watched as Ben continued to throw the stick. On the last throw, while Zeus retrieved it, he didn't trot toward Ben. Instead, he walked off to the side and lay down. Holding one paw over the stick, he began to gnaw.
"That means he's done," Thibault said. "You've got a good arm, by the way. Do you play baseball?"
"Last year. But I don't know if I'll play this year. I want to learn how to play the violin."
"I played the violin as a kid," Thibault remarked.
"Really?" Ben's face registered surprise.
"Piano, too. Eight years."
Off to the side, Zeus raised his head from the stick, becoming alert. A moment later, Thibault heard the sound of someone coming up the path as Elizabeth's voice floated through the trees.
"Ben?"
"Over here, Mom!" Ben shouted.
Thibault raised his palm toward Zeus. "It's okay."
"There you are," she said, stepping into view. "What are you doing out here?"
Her friendly expression froze as soon as she spotted Thibault, and he could plainly read the question in her eyes: Why is my son in the woods with a man I barely know? Thibault felt no need to defend himself. He'd done nothing wrong. Instead, he nodded a greeting.
"Hey."
"Hi," she said, her tone cautious. By that time, Ben was already running toward her.
"You should see what his dog can do, Mom! He's supersmart. Even smarter than Oliver was."
