Free In Plain View by Olivia Newport Page B

time to sit for the sermon came as some relief. And at least the sermon would be in English. She would not have to strain to follow High German.
    This was a church week for the Amish in the hills around Westcliffe. Annie wished she had missed an off weekend instead. The congregation would sing hymns. Long hymns. Slow hymns. Time-to-think hymns. And then two of the men would give sermons.
    Brushing aside the image of Rufus sitting among the men, Annie reached for a Bible in the rack in front of her and found the passage listed in the bulletin. Wedged between her mother and her sister, she felt both of them looking at her out of the side of their eyes. Annie did not give them the satisfaction of turning her head. She had a lot to learn about the Bible, and she might as well take advantage of an English service. Rufus often referred to a Bible verse and Annie hardly ever knew what he was talking about. She could change that if she tried.
    They stood for one last song, and that was when Annie saw him. Randy Sawyer. What was he doing here? Across the aisle, he turned his head toward her and smiled. Annie jerked her head back to the large screen displaying the words of the song. When the music ended, and the pastor gave a final blessing, Annie stretched out the process of returning the borrowed Bible to its place. If she had been alone, she would have exited the pew at the far end, but with no escape from the path her family was taking toward the center aisle, she was face-to-face with her college boyfriend ninety seconds later.
    “Are you visiting Colorado Springs?” She shook Randy’s hand awkwardly and stepped away from her family. Thankfully, they continued greeting other people down the aisle, and would not hear her awkward fumbling.
    “I live here now,” he said. “New job.” He named a technology firm she knew well and pulled out a business card.
    “Oh. The Springs is a beautiful place to live.” She could not help looking at the fingers of his left hand. No ring. She hated that she did that.
    He nodded. “You look beautiful yourself.”
    Annie flushed and moved one hand down the silky skirt. Randy Sawyer had never needed a silk dress to want to kiss her— and much more. She moistened her lips, unsure what to say next. The crowd thinned around them.
    “I’ve heard that you’ve done quite well since college.” Randy put one hand in a pocket.
    Annie nodded. Randy did not seem nearly as unnerved by this encounter as she was. Had he selectively forgotten their frequent furtive quests to find some place on campus to be alone, and what they had done when they found those places?
    “I read that you sold your business last year,” he said, “but I lost track of what you went on to next.”
    She lifted her shoulders slightly. “I’m slowing down. Trying to enjoy life.”
    He smiled. “If the reports I heard are anywhere close to true, you should be able to enjoy life quite comfortably.”
    She had no response. What was she supposed to say? I gave away my fortune and despite what this dress might imply, I’m thinking of becoming Amish?
    “Annie,” he said, “I want you to know that I’ve grown up since college. I know we didn’t always make the best choices in our relationship, and I’m sorry.”
    She put her hands up, palms out. “We made those choices together.”
    He nodded. “It’s good to see you, Annie. Be happy.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek.
    Buried sensations stirred. Annie’s breath caught as she watched her first love turn and walk up the aisle of the church. She closed her fingers over his card.

    Rufus sank into the Adirondack chair on the front porch, closed his eyes, and inhaled deeply. The spring mountain air heralded late-afternoon rain. If a storm rolled through, Rufus wanted to be right in that spot to watch it. The porch was deep enough and the overhang broad enough to keep storm watchers dry.
    He opened his eyes to conduct his daily study of vegetation on the slopes of the