I swallowed, shifting in my seat.
“Have you ever had second thoughts?” I asked, my voice wavering.
“About what?”
“Us,” I said, over the faint beeping of his cell phone.
“No, why have you?” Drawing his phone from his pocket, he gazed at the screen squinting his eyes.
“No,” I lied. “I guess because our relationship moved so fast, I've always wondered.”
“Stop thinking so much and start enjoying yourself. We’re living the dream life in the jungle.” He gave me a wink.
When we pulled into the driveway, David parked the truck near the steps with the engine running. With his phone in hand, he began texting someone while I reached for my handbag and exited the vehicle. As I walked up the stairs toward the house, I heard gravel crunching as David turned the truck around.
“Slim needs my help,” he called out. “I’ll be back in a bit.” He blew me a kiss and then drove back down the driveway.
I couldn’t help wonder if it was really Slim or maybe Conchita who texted him. Max started barking and I immediately went over to greet him.
“Hello, my handsome boy,” I said, untying him from the run. Jumping up and down, he ran circles around me and then dashed off in the direction of the garden.
I picked up my pace and followed him. I watched as he sniffed his way through the freshly planted flowers, stepping on some while leaving a trail of paw prints behind him.
“Max! Come over here,” I yelled, patting my leg. I whistled at him but my attempt was weak. I never was a good whistler. Max soon started digging near a bright pink hibiscus as I slowly made my way toward him, step by step, ever so careful. Moving the soil with his paws and snout, Max unearthed something small and square. He tried clamping his jaw around it but it was too awkward for him. He began whining and then turned to me, wagging his tail.
“Whatcha got, boy?” I said as I moved closer. Max pawed at it before I picked it up, wiping the dirt from it. A small wooden box with the letter ‘G’ carved on top of it. I had no idea why it was buried there or what the letter G stood for.
I studied the box for a moment, feeling its weight and observing the tiny keyhole in the middle of it. I shook it by my ear but didn’t hear any rattling inside. It felt solid.
I quickly placed the box back in its hiding place, patting the dirt around the plant to cover it up. I then made my way through the garden, backtracking over paw prints and footprints where Max and I trampled through the ground. I did my best to cover both of our tracks, smoothing the soil with the sides of my boots.
As I headed toward the house, I felt something soft brush against my shoulder, tickling my skin. I turned and saw a large plant with peach, bell-shaped flowers dangling from its stems. I took a step back to study it closer, noticing the heady, sweet aroma filling the air. The scent reminded me of something I couldn’t quite put my finger on, a perfume maybe?
I continued down the path, and from a distance saw Max sitting by the front door waiting for me. He had turned into such a great companion, loyal, smart, and obedient. When I reached the house, I patted Max on top of his head and then pulled the keys from my pocket to unlock the door.
My mind soon wandered, wondering where David had hidden the key to the wooden box in the garden.
26
David
I stand outside the kitchen window, watching Val as she riffles through the cardboard box, my cardboard box. She pulls out folder after folder, frantically scanning the papers inside each one. I feel my blood pressure rise as she intrudes into my personal life. What is she doing? What in the world could she be looking for?
Of course, she can’t see me from this angle, not from where I’m standing. With the sun blazing bright in the afternoon sky, even if she were to look outside, the glare would blind her. It’s like a big beaming spotlight shining inside the house and directly on her. You’re busted. We’ve caught you, the sun and I. I chuckle to myself.
Val sits back on her heels, her eyes locked onto the piece of paper in her hand. With her finger, she traces over the lines on the page, one by one, until she reaches the end. Her mouth drops open as the paper falls from her hand and flutters to the floor. I gape as her hands fly up to cover her mouth to silence the scream she lets out.
As she turns her head toward the deck, I take a quick step back from the window, my foot catching on the leg of the wrought iron bench nearby. I fall to the ground with a loud thud and soon hear Max barking as he rushes over to the door. It opens.
“David! Are you okay?” Val stands frozen in the doorway, panic in her eyes.
“Yes,” I say, slowly rising to my feet. I don’t look at her as I brush the dirt and leaves from my jeans.
“What happened?” she asks, her voice trembling.
“I was just… uh,” I wipe a bead of sweat from my forehead. “I was just moving the bench. It was too close to the house… too close to the window. I must have turned the wrong way and tripped over myself,” I lie. I still don’t look up as I walk past her into the house.
“What’s going on here?” I ask, my eyes trailing to the cardboard box and papers strewn on the floor. Now it’s my turn for questioning.
“Oh, I was just cleaning. Straightening up the house a bit,” she says, her hands
