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up thermoses and the food. Becca looked at him curiously. “I’m going to put this stuff in Dirk’s truck. They want to hunt awhile longer. I’ll take you back to town.”
    “You don’t have to do that,” she said. “I’m fine.”
    “Well, you’re not hunting, so I’ll take you back.”
    “I’m fine.”
    “You’re just sitting in the truck.”
    “So? Am I bothering you? I can sit in Dirk’s truck if you want to go.”
    “Becca,” he said in exasperation, “let’s just go back to town.”
    “I don’t need to go back to town,” she said. “But if you need company so you can go back to town, by all means. Let’s go.”
    He frowned at her but held his tongue. Instead, he moved the coffee and sandwiches to Dirk’s truck. When he was walking back, he noticed his friends standing on the bank of the lake, just watching him. He smiled at them and waved, then got in the truck and got the hell out of there before he had company.
    They drove for about five minutes of stony silence before Becca said, “Well, that was a fast getaway, Denny. What’s eating you?”
    “Nothing’s eating me, Rebecca!” he snapped. “I thought you were done hunting and so we’ll leave!”
    She just laughed softly and for some reason that lit a fire in him.
    “Is something funny?” he asked. “I thought you said you had a serious guy in your life. It makes me wonder what he’d make of the way you cozied up to Troy.” He glanced at her.
    “You’ve completely lost your mind,” she said.
    “Wouldn’t you say you’re a little overly friendly?”
    She shook her head. “No.”
    “If I were the guy, it would look that way to me,” he said, totally amazed by how childish he sounded, even to himself.
    “If you were the guy, you’d be studying for finals at UCLA and would’ve said, ‘Have a good time and be careful.’”
    “Must be a freaking god,” Denny muttered.
    “Jeez, what is up your butt?” she asked.
    “I just thought a stand-up guy would get you out of what could be a bad situation. If you’re practically engaged, you probably shouldn’t be messing around with Troy.”
    She shook her head. “I wasn’t. Unless you call having a cup of coffee and talking messing around. If so, I mess around almost daily.” She smiled indulgently. “I’m very loose that way.”
    “Damn it, Becca, don’t you get what I’m saying?”
    “No, Dennis, I’m completely lost. I don’t know what your deal is. You almost act like you’re jealous or something…”
    “Don’t be ridiculous,” he said. “Why would I be jealous?”
    “I can’t imagine,” she said.
    “I guess I just don’t get it, why you’d go hunting with a bunch of guys if you have a serious boyfriend. It makes no sense. Maybe I can do the guy a favor by a little intervention…”
    “Intervention?” she asked, frowning.
    “Well, you get a little flirty. And that’s not smart.”
    She inhaled sharply, not sure if she was more offended by being called flirty or not smart. Her mouth formed a thin line, her nostrils flared, her eyes glittered and she said, “Stop the truck.”
    He looked over at her. “What?”
    “I said, stop the truck!”
    “This is a bad place to stop!”
    “Stop anyway!” she yelled back.
    There wasn’t much of a shoulder, but he pulled over. The road was built up about three feet and ran between drenched fields that were probably lush with grain and corn in the summer. He stared at her.
    “I made a big mistake here and I’m going to cut my losses,” she said. “I thought if we spent a little time together, we might get some closure so we could both move on, but it’s impossible if you’re going to be such an ass! I’m going back to where we were hunting. I’ll either sit with the guys or in the truck, but I’m not putting up with this bullshit anymore. I haven’t heard a word from you in years. You have no right to judge me or my behavior.” She opened the door.
    “Becca, wait a sec,” he said, reaching