Morning Glory(70)

There they are again,” Jimmy says, pointing to the men on Collin’s deck.

“You’ve seen them before?”

“Mama says they’re the police,” he says. “She says that Collin is a criminal.”

“That’s nonsense,” I say quickly, though it occurs to me that Collin has told me so little of his past.

Jimmy shakes his head. “He doesn’t seem like a criminal.”

“I assure you, honey, he’s most certainly not.”

“Then why do these men keep coming to look for him?”

“Maybe they just want to talk to him.” I say. The men notice us then, waving at me and gesturing toward the dock.

A few minutes later, they appear in front of us on the dock. “Excuse me, miss,” one says. “May we have a word with you?”

I stand up. “Of course,” I say, hoping they don’t detect the quiver in my voice.

“I’m Colonel Everett, and this is my colleague,” he says. I recognize military stripes on his jacket. “We’d speak to the others on the dock, but, well, they appear to have had a bit too much to drink.”

I remember the way Dex was slurring his words, and I nod. “How can I help you?”

“You see,” the man says, “we’re looking for a Mr. Collin McCleary. Do you happen to know him?”

I nod. “Yes,” I say honestly. “He is the neighbor on the next dock.”

“You see, miss,” the man continues, “Mr. McCleary is wanted for a serious crime against the US government.”

I gasp. “What do you mean?”

“He is wanted for treason.”

I notice Jimmy’s eyes go wide beside me, and I realize that I can’t let him hear a word more of this exchange. “Honey,” I say to him, “go on inside until I’m finished talking to these gentlemen, all right?”

He obeys and walks inside. When I hear the door close behind me, I turn back to the officer.

“I don’t understand,” I say. “Treason?”

“It’s a serious offense, and we want him for questioning.”

“But what has he done?”

Colonel Everett looks at his partner, then turns back to me. “He defected from his unit in Korea. He’s been living under an assumed name.”

I shake my head. This can’t be happening. “You mean Collin isn’t his real name?”

“No, ma’am, it isn’t.”

I don’t want to know his real name. I don’t want to know any of this. In the period of a minute and a half, these men in their dark suits and their lapels full of military insignia are threatening to change my view of Collin, and I don’t want to hear another word of it.

“Well,” Colonel Everett continues. “If you see him, please call this number.” He hands me a stiff white business card.

I nod despondently, and then they turn to leave. Jimmy tiptoes out to the deck a moment later. He must sense my worry, because he tucks his hand in mine. “Are you afraid?” he asks.

“I’ll be honest with you, Jimmy, darling,” I say, kneeling down so that my eyes meet his. “I am, a little.” I think of Collin’s love for me, and I know that even despite the setbacks—the moment on the dock, the unknown men who seek him so relentlessly—things will be fine. We’ll be fine. I smile. “You see, even grown-ups feel afraid sometimes.” I smooth his hair with my hand. “I wish someone would have told me that a long time ago. When I was a little girl, I thought that perfection was waiting at the end of growing up. But it hasn’t happened that way for me.”

He nods, but I know that true understanding of my words might be years away. I sigh over the painful passage of time and look out to the lake, desperate to move the seconds forward. I’m all but certain that the light brightening the nighttime horizon is Collin, my knight on a white sailboat, coming to take me away.



It takes some persuading, but I finally convince Jimmy to go home. I stay out on the deck, alone. There is no sign of Dex. The sound of music and laughter continues up the dock, so I know the party is still raging on. So I wait. And then, just after eleven, the faint light I’ve been so hopefully tracking is suddenly upon me. I see the sailboat motoring in from the dark water, the dim light of the moon reflecting on Collin’s face. He’s seated beside the tiller, and he kills the engine, letting the sailboat creep in quietly.

I rise to my full height, and wave to him with open arms. Neither of us speaks, but I can see his expression ease. A minute later, he secures the boat to the dock, and he leaps out to stand beside me. The tension between us burns. The slightest touch is certain to generate a spark, or perhaps an electric shock.