AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“And you — Elizabeth Margaret Danniher — do not blame yourself that you don’t love him that way.”
“I don’t. Not really. I know—”
“He’d have been too nice to you, anyway. Would—”
“Hey. Tom’s nice to me.”
“—have let you keep at least one emotional foot in the cave you’d completely retreated to when you arrived here. Thing is, Tom was in his own cave. Two of you had to both advance to come together. Mike would have accommodated you by being right outside the cave entrance whenever you felt like coming out. You wouldn’t have had to put as much on the line.”
I’d have to mull over whether she had a point... after I shook off the image of Tom and me being cave-dwellers.
“As much as I appreciate your analysis,” I said dryly, “I’ve got to go get Tamantha.”
“Uh-huh. Think about it. But you know I’m right.”
With that parting shot, she turned, waving over her shoulder as she walked away.
****
“Progress?” Tom’s question meant with Keefe’s death.
We stood just outside my back door, watching Tamantha and Shadow play in the fast-fading twilight. I was backed up against his chest with his arms around me, which helped fight the cold.
“Before I tell you about that. We have something else to talk about.” I tilted up my head. “Grasshoppers. Your mother said there could be hordes of grasshoppers.” I untilted my head to keep it from getting stuck.
“She said unless the grasshoppers hit.”
“You remember exactly what she said?”
“Yes. Because I saw your expression. Thought you might be thinking hordes of grasshoppers.”
“Actually,” I said with dignity, “the word in my mind then was plagues of grasshoppers. I downgraded to hordes. I knew a couple who got married in a park in Washington, D.C., when cicadas were at their worst. The every-seventeen years kind. Their wedding was outside, in the woods. It was crazy. Needed umbrellas to keep them from dropping on our heads, couldn’t hear the vows over the whine. Are we going to have to bat away insects throughout our wedding — weddings — and reception?”
“Not going to be outside much.”
“That is not reassuring, Tom. Maybe the grasshopper hordes won’t interfere with the wedding itself or the reception, but the cookout at the ranch house for family and—”
“Hold up, Elizabeth. There can be grasshopper infestations, but—”
“Infestations. Great.”
“—they’re not as bad as you’re describing, especially not in town. We’ll have a better idea come spring—”
With another quick tilt, I shot him a look. March, heading toward April should be spring.
He ignored it.
“—when we can check with the USDA.”
“The USDA does grasshopper reports?”
“Yeah. They can affect rangeland.”
“Sure. Worry about the cows.”
He suppressed a grin, saying, “We always do. The outlook’s for normal numbers around here.”
“They do grasshopper outlooks, too?”
