She took it from him, and Andrew took it from her. The splintered ends looked fresh. But that was impossible.

After they went back into the cottage, Kate said, “Okay, spill it. Why did you get all weird?”

He told her about the shelter he’d found, and how it was within sight of the cottage. If it had been built by some kids, he and Kate would have heard them playing. Andrew, being a wary Jersey boy, had been worried that they had some strange-o lurking about, keeping tabs on them. When he heard the branch snap, he’d thought maybe he could catch the person.

Kate shivered. She didn’t like the thought of being peeped on when they were basically out here all alone.

“Did you see anything?”

“No,” Andrew said, pouring himself a glass of water. “Shelter’s still there, but it’s empty. I kicked it apart for good measure. Now they know I know, and hopefully they’ll move along.”

“Should we call the police?”

“And what? Tell them I found a little shelter in the woods? They’d think I was nuts.”

“Not if we explain what it could mean.”

He propped her pillows up behind her. “Even I think I’m overreacting. Imagine how they’ll look at a pair of out-of-towners. Look, it’s nothing. This is what happens to your brain on low-grade whisky. I’ll stick to beer from here on.”

Kate said, “Do you think an animal could have built it? It could have been a bear den or something.”

Andrew ran his hands over his face. “What’s with you and bears? The only bear we’re going to see out here is Yogi Bear if you find an old cartoon show.”

“I did hear that animal outside.”

“Which was probably a passing moose. And neither animal knows how to build a wooden shelter that looks like a tepee. That I can guarantee you.”

Now that he had relaxed and they’d talked it out, the balloon of anxiety in Kate’s gut started to deflate. Andrew wasn’t the most observant person, especially on his runs. He didn’t know that she sometimes watched him, nervous that he’d hurt himself with the way he recklessly sprinted around the neighborhood. That little shelter could have been there for weeks, months even.

“Promise me one thing,” she said, taking a blood pressure pill and her prescription iron supplement.

“Yeeessss,” he said, cautiously.

“Next time, before you run off into the woods, tell me what the deal is before you leave.”

He smoothed her hair from her forehead. “I promise.”

“Oh, and one more thing.”

“What’s that?”

“Change your shorts.”

Chapter Thirteen