Archer's Voice(27)

I had left the diner at two and then gone home and taken a quick shower, gotten on my bike and ridden out to Archer's. I had left Phoebe with Anne because I wasn't sure if other dogs should be around the puppies yet or not.

When I had arrived at Archer's gate, I hadn't been able to help the smile that overtook my face when I saw that it was very slightly open.

I made my way over to the rock he had just indicated and sat on the edge of it, watching him quietly for a minute.

Apparently he was a stone mason in his free time? It must have been him who had laid the long driveway and patio in front of his house. The guy was full of surprises, one after the other. I couldn't help but notice the way his biceps flexed and strained as he lifted each stone and set it in its place. No wonder the guy was so cut. All he did was work.

"Okay, so I made a list," I said, eyeing him and scooting my butt higher on the large rock, making myself more comfortable.

Archer looked up at me, raising his eyebrows.

I was using my voice to speak so that he could continue working without having to watch me.

But he sat up on his knees, putting his gloved hands on his muscular thighs, and looked at me. He was wearing a pair of faded workout shorts, knee pads, and work boots. His naked chest was tan and had a light sheen of sweat on it.

A list? He asked.

I nodded, leaving the list on my lap. Names. For the puppies.

He cocked his head to the side. Okay.

So, I said, feel free to veto, I mean, them being your dogs and all, but I thought Ivan Granite, Hawk Stravinski, and Oksana Hammer were top choices.

He stared at me. And then his face did something miraculous. It broke out into a grin.

My breath hitched in my throat and I gaped at him. You like them? I finally asked.

Yeah, I like them, he said.

I nodded, a slow grin taking over my face. Well, okay then.

I sat there for just a little while longer, enjoying the summer sunshine and his presence while I watched him work–his strong body moving the stones around, placing them where he wanted them to go.

He glanced up at me a few times and gave me a small, shy smile. We didn't exchange many words after that, but the silence between us was comfortable, companionable.

Finally, I stood up and said, "I have to get going, Archer. My neighbor, Anne, has an appointment and I need to pick up Phoebe."

Archer stood too, wiping his hands on his thighs and nodding. Thank you, he signed.

I smiled and nodded and walked toward his gate. I rode home with a small, happy smile on my face.





**********





Two days later I drove past Archer's house on my way back from lying on the small lake beach and his gate was slightly open again. A thrill shot down my spine as I got off my bike. I let myself in and I walked down his driveway, carrying Phoebe in my arms.

I knocked on his door, but there was no answer and so I followed the sounds of the dog barks I heard coming from the direction of the lake. When I stepped through the trees, I spotted Archer and Kitty a little ways down the shore. I walked to meet him and when he spotted me, he gave me a small, shy smile and said, Hi.

I smiled, squinting at him in the bright sunshine. I placed Phoebe down and said, Hey.

We walked along the shore for a little bit in easy silence. The more time we spent together, even not speaking, the more comfortable I felt with him. I could sense that he was growing more comfortable with me too.

Archer picked a rock up off the beach and hucked it at the lake. It skipped across the lake again and again and again, barely eliciting any spray from the still water. I laughed out.

Show me how you just did that!

Archer watched my hands and then looked down at the sandy shore, searching for a stone.

He found one he was happy with and handed it to me. The flatter, the better, he said. Now throw it sort of like a Frisbee, so that the flat side of it glances off the surface of the water.

I nodded and lined up my shot. I threw it and watched as it skated over the surface once and then came up and hit the water again. I whooped and Archer smiled.

He picked up another small stone and hucked it at the lake. It hit the surface and skipped… and skipped… and skipped about twenty times. "Show off," I muttered.

I looked over at his amused face. You're good at everything you do, aren't you? I asked, cocking my head to the side and squinting at him.

He looked thoughtful for a few seconds before signing, Yes.

I laughed. He shrugged.

After a minute I asked, Your uncle homeschooled you?

He glanced at me. Yes.

He must have been smart.

He thought about that for a second. He was. Mostly with math and anything science-related. His mind would wander, but he taught me what I needed to know.

I nodded, remembering Anne telling me that Nathan Hale was always smart in school. Before I came out here, I asked about you in town, I said, feeling slightly shy.