"If he's in that much of a jam," I said, ''why didn't he call me himself?"
"Nevada's a proud man," she said. "You know that."
"How come you're so interested?"
"Because he's my friend," she said quickly. "When I needed help, he didn't ask any questions."
"I’m not promising anything," I said. "But I'll fly down to L.A. tonight.
Where can I reach you?"
"I'm staying at Nevada's," she said. "But you better let me meet you someplace.
I don't want him to know I called you."
"O.K.," I said. "I’ll be at the Beverly Hills Hotel about midnight." I put down the telephone.
"Who was that?" Monica asked.
"My father's widow," I said, walking past her toward the bedroom. "Pack your bags. I'm taking you back to the ranch. I have to go down to L.A. on business tonight."
"But it's only been five days," she said. "You promised we'd have a two-week honeymoon."
"This is an emergency."
She followed me into the bedroom as I sat down on the bed and pulled off my waders.
"What will people think if we come back from our honeymoon after only five days?" she said.
I stared up at her. "What the hell do I care what they think?"
She began to cry.
"I won't go," she said, stamping her foot.
I got to my feet and started out. "Then stay!" I said angrily. "I'm going down the hill to get the car. If you're not ready when I get back, I'm leaving without you!"
What was it with dames, anyway?
You stood in front of some two-bit preacher for five lousy minutes and when you walked away, everything was turned inside out.
Before you were married, it was great. You were the king.
She stood there with one hand on your cock to let you know she wanted it, and with the other, tried to light your cigarette, wash your back, feed your face and smooth your pillow all at the same time.
Then come the magic words and you got to beg for it. You got to go by the book. Play with it, warm it up, treat it gentle.
You got to rest on your elbows and light her cigarettes and carry her wrap and open doors.
You even have to thank her when she lets you have it, the same piece she couldn't stop offering you before.
I pulled the car up in front of the cabin and tooted the horn. Monica came out carrying a small bag and stood there waiting for me to open the car door.
After a moment, she opened the door and got in with a grieved expression.
And she wore the same expression for the two hours it took us to drive back to the ranch.
It was nine o'clock when I pulled up in front of the house.
As usual, Robair was at the door.
His expression didn't change when I stayed in the car after he took out Monica's valise. His eyes flicked across my face as he turned and bowed to Monica.
"Evenin', Miz Cord," he said. "Ah have you' room all tidied up an' ready for you."
Robair looked at me again and turned and went back up the steps.
When Monica spoke, her voice was low and taut as a bowstring. "How long will you be gone?"
I shrugged.
"As long as it takes for me to finish my business." Then I felt a softening inside me.
What the hell, after all we'd only been married for five days. "I’ll get back as quick as I can."
"Don't hurry back!" she said and stalked up the steps and into the house without a backward glance.
I swore angrily and threw the car into gear, then started up the road to the plant.
I kept the old Waco in the field behind it.
I was still angry when I climbed into the cockpit and I didn't begin to feel better until I was twenty-five hundred feet up and heading toward Los Angeles.
5.
I LOOKED DOWN AT THE BLUE-COVERED SCRIPT in my hand, then back up at Rina.
Time hadn't taken anything away from her.
She was still slim and strong and her breasts jutted like rocks at the canyon edge and I knew they would be just as hard to the touch. The only things that had changed were her eyes. There was a sureness in them that hadn't been there before.
"I’m not much for reading," I said.
"I thought that was what you'd say," she said. "So I arranged with the studio to screen the picture for you.
They're waiting down there right now."
"How long you been out here?"