changed from his uniform to sweat clothes and made chili for everyone for dinner. He cubed elk steaks to brown with dicedonions and peppers in his cast-iron pot. As the chili simmered, he added more ingredients and the aroma of tomato sauce, garlic, and meat filled the house. It was a good smell. Cooking also meant he got to stay in the kitchen while Marybeth and Missy visited in the living room, which was fine with all of them.
T hat evening, the girls cleared the chili bowls and silverware from the table while Missy tried in vain to call her husband on her cell phone.
“He never leaves it on,” she said angrily as she sat down at the table. “He only turns it on when he wants to tell somebody something.” Her tone was bitter, and Joe exchanged glances with Marybeth. Neither really knew Missy’s third husband well, but there had been rumors lately about the possibility of his indictment for land-use fraud. Missy had said little of this, except that the impending “issues” were one of the reasons they’d wanted to get away to their condominium in Jackson Hole in the first place.
“I guess you’re stuck with us,” Sheridan said as she opened the box of a Monopoly game.
Missy patted her on the head. “I enjoy being with you, darling.” Sheridan rolled her eyes as soon as Missy looked away.
“Sit with me, Princess,” Missy directed Lucy, who gladly did as she was told. Missy liked Lucy’s sense of style, and Lucy liked Missy’s huge traveling bag of makeup and hair-spray.
After a protest from April, Sheridan returned to the table with Pictionary instead of Monopoly. They divided up into teams. Joe was on Missy’s team, which meant that he gave himself permission to have another bourbon.
During the game, while the sand ran through the one-minute timer and the designated “artists” drew frantic sketches on pads for their teammates to guess at, Joe found himself paying special attention to April. She was the most determined artist on his team, and she drew very deliberately. When her pictures were complete, she was deliriously happy with herself, and she beamed. Joe had noticed before that April didn’t have the lively features and sparkling eyes that Sheridan and Lucy had. Marybeth had said that “the sparklegot beaten out of April early on.” He remembered that phrase as he watched her now.
After a round that Joe and Missy won by correctly identifying April’s drawing, April whooped and punched the air with pure joy.
“I like it that you’re getting more normal,” Lucy said to April. “You’re not so weird anymore.”
“Lucy!” Marybeth said, alarmed.
But April didn’t explode and start swinging, or withdraw and freeze her face into a pinched glare, as she had in the past. Instead, she smiled and reached across the table and mussed Lucy’s hair. Both girls laughed. Joe thought April seemed flattered. Sheridan beamed with relief, her eyes sliding from her mom to her dad.
During the second game, with Joe about to draw and Sheridan poised to flip the timer over, Joe suddenly looked up. “Listen,” he said.
“What?” Missy asked, alarmed.
“Do you hear that?”
“I don’t hear anything.”
“That’s right,” Joe said. “The wind stopped.”
“Too bad,” Sheridan chimed, turning the timer over and setting it down. “This is fun.”
“Sherry’s right,” Lucy smiled, her eyes wide. “Storms are good for our family.”
Joe smiled and sipped his bourbon, enjoying the moment despite the ticking of the timer. April tugged on his sleeve, her face was urgent.
“DRAW SOMETHING!” April pleaded. “We’re running out of time!”
Five
I t was two days before they could get back onto the mountain, and they needed three borrowed Sno-Cats to do it. The meeting point was at a clearing outside Winchester where the road ascended into the mountains. There were more people in the assemblage than Joe expected.
After the weather delay, the DCI agents had arrived in their state
T hat evening, the girls cleared the chili bowls and silverware from the table while Missy tried in vain to call her husband on her cell phone.
“He never leaves it on,” she said angrily as she sat down at the table. “He only turns it on when he wants to tell somebody something.” Her tone was bitter, and Joe exchanged glances with Marybeth. Neither really knew Missy’s third husband well, but there had been rumors lately about the possibility of his indictment for land-use fraud. Missy had said little of this, except that the impending “issues” were one of the reasons they’d wanted to get away to their condominium in Jackson Hole in the first place.
“I guess you’re stuck with us,” Sheridan said as she opened the box of a Monopoly game.
Missy patted her on the head. “I enjoy being with you, darling.” Sheridan rolled her eyes as soon as Missy looked away.
“Sit with me, Princess,” Missy directed Lucy, who gladly did as she was told. Missy liked Lucy’s sense of style, and Lucy liked Missy’s huge traveling bag of makeup and hair-spray.
After a protest from April, Sheridan returned to the table with Pictionary instead of Monopoly. They divided up into teams. Joe was on Missy’s team, which meant that he gave himself permission to have another bourbon.
During the game, while the sand ran through the one-minute timer and the designated “artists” drew frantic sketches on pads for their teammates to guess at, Joe found himself paying special attention to April. She was the most determined artist on his team, and she drew very deliberately. When her pictures were complete, she was deliriously happy with herself, and she beamed. Joe had noticed before that April didn’t have the lively features and sparkling eyes that Sheridan and Lucy had. Marybeth had said that “the sparklegot beaten out of April early on.” He remembered that phrase as he watched her now.
After a round that Joe and Missy won by correctly identifying April’s drawing, April whooped and punched the air with pure joy.
“I like it that you’re getting more normal,” Lucy said to April. “You’re not so weird anymore.”
“Lucy!” Marybeth said, alarmed.
But April didn’t explode and start swinging, or withdraw and freeze her face into a pinched glare, as she had in the past. Instead, she smiled and reached across the table and mussed Lucy’s hair. Both girls laughed. Joe thought April seemed flattered. Sheridan beamed with relief, her eyes sliding from her mom to her dad.
During the second game, with Joe about to draw and Sheridan poised to flip the timer over, Joe suddenly looked up. “Listen,” he said.
“What?” Missy asked, alarmed.
“Do you hear that?”
“I don’t hear anything.”
“That’s right,” Joe said. “The wind stopped.”
“Too bad,” Sheridan chimed, turning the timer over and setting it down. “This is fun.”
“Sherry’s right,” Lucy smiled, her eyes wide. “Storms are good for our family.”
Joe smiled and sipped his bourbon, enjoying the moment despite the ticking of the timer. April tugged on his sleeve, her face was urgent.
“DRAW SOMETHING!” April pleaded. “We’re running out of time!”
Five
I t was two days before they could get back onto the mountain, and they needed three borrowed Sno-Cats to do it. The meeting point was at a clearing outside Winchester where the road ascended into the mountains. There were more people in the assemblage than Joe expected.
After the weather delay, the DCI agents had arrived in their state
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