Too antsy to get anything done after talking to Dougie, I headed for the stream quite a bit earlier than the assigned time. The sun was fighting off puffy gray clouds, so I unbuttoned my shirt and whipped it off as I rounded the corner to the bridge where the water first cut through the rocks. I wanted as much of its warmth on my skin as possible before the clouds took victory.
“Oh. You’re here already.”
“You are, too.” Archie stood up out of the water.
“And you’re naked.”
“Yeah.” He covered himself with both hands. “Sorry. Don’t be scared.”
“Scared?”
“I would have put something on before you got here…if I’d had time. What’s that?” Archie had to move one hand to point. He’d moved both, and also came closer.
“Nothing.” I had never shown him where the bullet had sliced its way into my
