Free Stay a Little Longer by Dorothy Garlock Page A

leaves. Ever since his encounter with the two assailants in
     Wisconsin, his bouts of queasiness seemed to be coming more and more frequently. Closing his eyes tightly, he waited for the
     world to stop spinning and was finally rewarded.
    Slowly at first, then gaining stride, Mason made his way toward Carlson. The densely packed forest on the outskirts of town
     soon gave way to gently rolling farming fields already stripped of their recent harvest. He passed a farm where a man and
     his son were both atop ladders, picking apples from trees and dropping them into baskets hung from their shoulders. Somewhere
     in the distance, someone was burning brush.
    Eventually closer to the town itself, Mason was surprised to see that houses had sprung up much farther from Carlson’s center
     than he remembered. Sturdy homes covered with fresh coats of paint were aligned in orderly blocks with new streets spurring
     toward Main Street. Trees he recalled as saplings were taller, their branches reaching ever higher. Much remained that he
     recognized, but much was different.
    Easily jumping over first one fence and then another, Mason cut across yards as he headed toward the northern end of town.
     He kept his head down, moving quickly, not wanting to be noticed and ever watchful that he not draw too much attention.
    The last thing I need is a barking dog!
    When he had finally decided to return to Carlson, he had known in his heart where he would go first; the loving house that
     he and Alice had shared in the days just after their wedding. Dashing from the cover of a tree to the safety of a woodpile
     and then across yet another fence, he found himself close enough to see the house clearly and his heart began to pound furiously.
    Back when the house was built, Mason hadn’t been particularly comfortable working with his hands; he was much more within
     his element in his father’s bank. But a wise choice had been made in hiring out the home’s construction; even eight years
     later, it was still a work of beauty. A two-story Victorian with a gabled roof and large, multipaned windows, it looked almost
     exactly as he remembered it. He smiled as he recalled the nights he and Alice had spent on the wraparound porch with its latticework
     runner and sparkling white columns.
    Crouching in the deep shadows, Mason was suddenly filled with doubt about his decision to return. He felt nervous, fearful
     that Alice would see him and be disgusted by what he had become. A shaking hand reached up to touch the scarred side of his
     face. The memory of what had once looked back at him from a cracked mirror sent a shiver of revulsion racing down his spine.
    No matter what, he would never let Alice see the truth.
    Movement at the front of the house shook him from his unkind thoughts. The front door swung open and a well-dressed man stepped
     down from the porch and momentarily reveled in the sunshine. Whistling to himself, the man shot his cuffs and smiled confidently.
     Just the sight of him caused Mason’s heart to sink like a stone.
    What did you expect to find, you fool?
    During the long years that he had been traveling, Mason had often wondered what had taken place when Alice had learned of
     his passing. As a young widow, she would have had no shortage of suitors. After so many years, she would have moved on… found
     a new husband… found a new life. Though he had wanted her to be happy, the sight of her new man was like a blow to his chest.
    But as surprised as he’d been to see the man step from the door, Mason was even more shocked when a young woman followed her
     husband outside. She wasn’t Alice. With her dark hair cascading down over her pale yellow blouse, the woman rose up onto her
     tiptoes to plant a tender kiss upon the man’s cheek. They both laughed before heading down the street toward the center of
     town. In moments, they were lost to his sight.
    What… what is going on here?
    Mason was utterly perplexed. Stepping from the