Chapter 3: Choices

After a good five-mile run, a hot shower and Denver omelets for breakfast, they climbed into the Volvo and headed back into town to take care of a list of errands. On the way, Willie asked, "Would you be at all interested in helping me shop for a car?"

"You mean a new one?"

"Um, not necessarily. I was thinking maybe a good four-wheel drive SUV. I get the impression you're pretty much a DIY kind of guy, and you probably know a hell of a lot more about cars than I do. I just don't want some slick salesman unloading a lemon on me."

"Sure, I'll be happy to at least offer an opinion. How much are you willing to spend? I ask because, considering the depreciation on those things, I'd go with something three or four years old."

"I don't know how much because I've never bought a car before. What should I expect to spend for a decent, fairly late-model SUV?"

He shrugged and guessed, "You're probably looking at at least twenty grand for something worthwhile. Double that if you buy new."

"Yeah? So if you were buying it, what would you be looking for?"

"Personally? I'd be looking for something like a Toyota 4-Runner or a Nissan Pathfinder, but that's just my own prejudice talking. I don't know what your resources are, so maybe you'd be interested in something more upscale, like a Mercedes or a Lexus or an Escalade. There, you're looking at fifty, sixty, even seventy-plus thousand for a new one."

"I'll trust your judgement. Let's go shopping, shall we?"

Two hours later, he followed her out of a car lot a few miles south of town. She was driving a black 2011 Highlander she'd bought for twenty-two K. Adam had talked them down from twenty-four by dangling the cash purchase carrot. He thought it was a great buy because he'd driven it up and down the road for a few miles, and the engine sounded smooth as glass. After the test drive, he checked the oil and the transmission fluid, and insured there was no oily residue inside the exhaust pipe. It was clean inside and out, and it had less than sixty thousand miles on it.

He followed her back to town and they met up at the same cafe where they had breakfast the day before. He bought a newspaper from a dispenser outside the door and settled across the booth from her.

As he turned to the want ads, he asked, "So how does it feel?"

"Great! I already love it. I've never really owned my own car before."

"Yeah, well it seems to be in awfully good shape. You should get years of good service out of it IF you're compulsive about regular maintenance. So what else is on your agenda for today?"

"Clothes shopping. All I have is what was stuffed into that backpack, so I need lots of stuff. I'm sure you don't have much interest in following me around the fashion boutiques, so I think we should stop somewhere and have another set of house keys made for you. After that, well I guess we'll just meet back at the house. How does that sound?"

"Sounds good to me. I think I'll poke around town and look into the job market. Maybe I'll get lucky."

She reached across the table and laid her hand on his. "There's really no rush, is there? I mean, you've got a place to live and all the necessities. I think I could make a good case for having you stay as a live-in housekeeper. Hell, you're good at everything you do, and I think that house is big enough to keep you busy. Why don't you give yourself a break for a while, a few weeks maybe. I get the feeling you're way overdue for a vacation."

The offer was tempting, but it didn't feel right. "Willie, I hope this doesn't come off sounding like typical macho BS, but I'm used to making my own way in the world. Your offer is incredibly generous, but I'd feel like a bum taking advantage of you like that."

She sat back gaped at him. "What do you mean, 'taking advantage'? Jesus, Adam, it's me who's trying to take advantage of you! That house is way too much for a single girl like me! What do you think I'd have to pay for someone to take care of all the thousand and one things it takes to maintain a place that big? I'm not offering favors, you ninny! I'm asking for a favor. A big one!"

He burst out laughing. "Ninny? You called me a ninny? Where do you come off calling me a ninny, you little twit?"

Now she was laughing. "I am not a twit! There's nothing twitty about me. What is a twit, anyway?"

"I'm not really sure. It just came to me out of the blue. I think it's something like a silly or a foolish person. Of course you're neither, so I apologize."

Willie got control and returned the apology. "Well I'm sorry I called you a ninny. I guess I don't know what that is either." She leaned forward and got back to the business at hand. "But I'm serious, Adam. We both need a rest, so why don't we take some time to ourselves? Say, a couple of months, at least. We can wake up in the morning and just take whatever the day brings. I know people can't live like that forever, but for a while? Would you? Please?"

He sat back and looked at her, already hooked. If this was going to happen, there was something he needed to ask her, something very delicate, but this was neither the time nor the place. "There must be something magical about you, Miss Downey, because you make it impossible for me to resist. Okay, let's play it a day at a time and see where it goes. Thank you for the offer."

"And thank you for accepting. I think we're going to be good for each other."

After lunch, outside the cafe, she turned to him and said, "I'm probably gonna be all afternoon shopping. You know how it is with women and clothes. If you're heading back to the house, would you mind doing a walk-around and making up a list of things we need? I'm sure there must be lots of stuff, but if we made a list, maybe we could do it all in one trip."

"Sure. I've already started a list and come up with a few suggestions, so I'll just keep it going. Any idea when you might be home so I can plan dinner?"

Willie squeezed his hand and suggested, "Why don't you tell me what time you want to have dinner ready and I'll make sure I'm there on time?"

"Okay, how about six? Anything special you have a yen for?"

"Nope, not really. Surprise me."

This time, she gave him a quick kiss on the lips before climbing into her new chariot. She rolled down her window and said, "Here, take my house keys and get another set made on your way home, okay?"

"Done."

As he drove toward Wheeler Peak after stopping at a hardware store to get the keys made, Adam thought about that chaste little kiss ... and some other things. He thought he knew what he wanted from their budding relationship, but he wasn't at all certain she wanted the same things. Yeah, she might have tossed out a hint here and there, but they were weak hints, nothing he could hang his hat on.

He couldn't help but wonder about his sense of uncertainty. It's like he was two different people sometimes. Put in a combat situation like he'd been in dozens of times in Afghanistan, he was confident, focused, knowing exactly what had to be done. But put him next to a woman, especially a woman he had strong feelings for, and he felt on the edge of helplessness. It made no sense. Perhaps it was because strong feelings might lead to strong commitments.

Maybe it was just him, or maybe it was his tenuous legal situation, but that kind of uncertainty made him very uncomfortable, like he was walking on eggshells. He made up his mind that sometime before the end of the day, he'd know exactly where he stood with Willie, one way or the other. Either was acceptable.

He spent the afternoon combing through the house from top to bottom, starting with the attic. He found a few items stored there, but nothing especially interesting. Except there was an old trunk with a padlock on it, but it was probably nothing but family mementos. He dragged it to the trap door and lowered it down onto the hallway floor with a rope. As far as busting the rusty old lock off and investigating the contents, he'd leave it to Willie to do the honors.

Aside from a few useful power tools like a chainsaw, a heavy-duty weed cutter and a snow blower, there wasn't all that much to add to his list of needed items, other than a good basic tool kit. Considering the size of the house, he'd recommend at least a 10,000 peak watt gasoline-powered generator, assuming they were going to get some heavy snow storms over the winter. It was almost a near certainty that they'd lose power once or twice before spring arrived. He figured a generator that size could operate the furnace and the well pump at the same time.

For dinner, he decided to cook a pot of chili. He used the recipe he learned when he cooked at Jennie's Diner back in Polk; always a winner. He'd go easy on the "hot", serving some crushed red pepper on the side if she was the adventurous type, and he'd serve it with warmed tortillas and some grated cheddar cheese.

For a little atmosphere, he built a fire in the large fireplace located between the living room and dining room and open to both.

He had just stirred the pot and reduced the heat to a low simmer, when he heard the garage door opening downstairs. The Highlander would surely be crammed with packages, so he headed down the stairs to lend a hand.

It took him three trips to get everything up to her room.

"Damn, Willie, did you leave anything on the shelves for the other customers?"

She reached over and pinched his butt. "All necessities, I can assure you."

"Yeah? Jeez, that's amazing because all my necessities fit into a gym bag."

"Oh, pooh! Anyhow, some of this stuff is for you. With winter about to set in, I knew you'd be working outside in the cold from time to time, so I bought you a couple of heavy sweaters and an a good parka. I can't have you freezing your tush on my account."

Adam had to quickly suppress the feeling of resentment that arose in the back of his mind. This was exactly the kind of thing he didn't want to happen; her showering him with gifts. But rather than start an argument, he swallowed his pride and thanked her for being so considerate. He'd have to find a more opportune moment to explain to her why it made him so uncomfortable, like he was her kept man. Any relationship would have to be equal in all respects, or it wouldn't work at all. He went back downstairs to attend to their dinner.

A few minutes later, she came down and entered the dining room as he was setting steaming bowls of chili on the table. She'd changed her clothes, dressing down in a bulky flannel shirt, old ragged jeans and some fluffy house shoes.

"Mmm! That smells awesome, Adam. I love chili. Is it hot or mild?"

"Sort of in between. There's some crushed red pepper if you're into self-abuse. Ice tea okay?"

"Perfect. Can I dig in?"

"Hey, go for it. I'll bring in the tortillas and cheese."

All through dinner, they chatted about her shopping spree and the list of items he thought she should consider buying for the house. He told her about the trunk he found in the attic, and said he'd pulled it into one of the spare bedrooms. She got all excited about it, like a little girl waiting to open a birthday present.

While he was washing up after dinner, she came in and stood beside him, sliding her arm around his waist. She gave him a squeeze and said, "You are a major find, Adam. You're making this transition to a new life so much easier than I expected it to be. I'm not sure I'll be able to find enough ways to thank you."