Free The Border Part Four by Amy Cross Page B

something about how you didn’t want to go back to the Border, and about how you were done with it, and about how you weren’t that kind of person anymore.” He paused, waiting for a reply. “I guess you were having a dream, but it seemed very specific.”
    She opened her mouth to reply, but no words came out.
    “Jane?”
    “Huh,” she replied, forcing a smile. “I have no idea.”
    “You don’t remember the dream?”
    “Sorry.”
    “You’ve…” He paused again. “You’ve talked about the same thing before, actually.”
    “I have?”
    “It seems like you dream about it quite a lot. I never said anything before, I guess I didn’t think it was important, but now…” Again, he waited for her to offer an answer. “Even if you don’t remember the specific dream, maybe you know what it was about?”
    “The Border?” she replied, swallowing hard. “No, I really don’t know what that means.”
    “You don’t?”
    “Would I lie to you?”
    He paused. “No,” he said finally. “Of course you wouldn’t. You couldn’t.”
    “I couldn’t?”
    “I know you,” he continued. “Don’t take this the wrong way, Jane, but I can see right through you. I’d know if you were lying to me. Sorry.”
    She smiled. “Well, that’s… good to know.”
    “I guess I’m just a good judge of character,” he continued. “Plus, you know, one of the reasons I fell in love with you is the fact that you’re so open. These days, everyone seems to have secrets. I love that you’re…” He paused, before starting to laugh. “I’m trying to think of a synonym for ‘simple’ that won’t sound wrong.”
    “Let’s stop worrying about silly nightmares,” she continued, leaning closer and kissing the side of his face, breathing in the scent of his aftershave, “and let’s start having some fun. Come on, we never get a chance these days. Does everything have to end up as some kind of super-serious interrogation?” She kissed him again. “I’m not a story you’re chasing for your newspaper, you know.”
    “Mr. Crutchlow says hello, by the way.”
    She flinched slightly. “He does?”
    “Yeah. He said he’s seen you around town. He says hello.”
    She paused. “Well, that’s nice of him. Considering I’ve never met him.”
    “You seem tense.”
    She shook her head.
    “Are you sure nothing’s wrong?” He frowned, as if for a brief moment he was seeing a flicker of something unusual in his wife’s expression. “Are you -”
    “Do you want me to do that thing?” she asked quickly, as if she wanted to shut him up.
    “What thing?”
    “The thing I don’t really like doing, but that you like a lot.” She stuck her tongue out for a moment.
    “Oh. That thing.”
    “Maybe I’ll learn to like it,” she continued. “If I try it enough.”
    “Maybe you will.”
    She took a deep breath, before starting to make her way slowly down to the lower half of his body.
    Leaning back, Jack closed his eyes as he felt her getting into position. He’d been worried for a moment when he’d seen that glimmer of fear in Jane’s expression, but he told himself that he was worrying about nothing. Jane truly was an open book, someone who couldn’t keep a secret if her life depended on it, and he was glad about that. The last thing he wanted was to have to deal with complications. As he waited for her to get started, he reminded himself that he was the luckiest guy in town, and then he let out a gasp as he felt Jane’s tongue against his bare skin.
    ***
    After pulling the door shut and turning the key in the lock, Mac Crutchlow stepped back and looked up at the night sky. It was almost midnight, and as usual he’d stayed late to finish off his latest editorial for the newspaper. Once he was satisfied that the rain was only light, he turned to head across the town square.
    “Hey, old man.”
    Stopping, he looked along the sidewalk, just as a figure stepped out of the shadows.
    “Huh,” Mac said with a smile, “I