BETT LEFT THE SIM CARD house and went down to the edge of the slope that led to the river. Not the cupcake cave slope. The one where a person could walk into the only part of the river where she might dare to swim, if it were the hottest day of the year and she were willing to put on a bathing suit, none of which in existence would fit Bett. But it was the best view of Hugh Munin’s house, and Bett wanted to get an eyeful. Call it a compulsion. Or a mortification.
He was there, in the river, fishing rod in hand.
Relief washed over Bett. “Mr. Munin!” she called to him.
The man turned around, surprised. “You remember my name?” he shouted to her.
Bett nodded.
The man turned and walked toward her. Bett jumped.
“I’m sorry.” Mr. Munin stopped. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Should she go?
Mr. Munin turned as if to walk back across the river to his house, fishing rod in hand like a bow.
“How do you know Eddie?” Bett blurted, and Mr. Munin turned again to face her.
But he didn’t answer her question. Instead, he said, “Eddie told me if I saw you to tell you he’s so glad to work with you.”
Bett started. “You know he’s my coach?”
“Yes. I’ve known Eddie for years. We like to chat.”
“Why did you stay in your house even after the river made the oxbow?” Why was she asking that? She wanted to know about Eddie—but her mouth was behaving independently from her mind. Or maybe reflecting it, because Bett didn’t know what she wanted.
“I love my home,” he said simply.
Bett hesitated. “It must feel good,” she said. “Walking through the river like that.”
“It does to me,” said Mr. Munin. “I love fishing, and I don’t mind getting a little wet. I have a good woodstove.”
He hesitated, his dark eyes looking into Bett’s. “Eddie really cares about you.”
Bett snorted. “Is that why he chases me with a bus?”
“Yes,” said Mr. Munin, smiling. Then the smile faded. “He also said to tell you he just wants to talk to you.”
Bett was silent.
“It’s not going to be scary,” said Mr. Munin.
“Yes, it is, actually.” And Bett turned away from him quickly and hurried back to her house and scaled the wall into her own little room, bypassing the door and the possibility of her mother. Outside her window she could see Hugh Munin standing there in the water, ready to make the crossing to his house.