Harlan interrupts a walk.

After getting ready and grabbing Cammy, they headed out for Jessie’s walk together.

It was more than just concern for her that caused Leon to do something he’d been trying to avoid since yesterday at the beach. He took a picture of Jessie and checked her happiness meter.

35.

She looked over her shoulder at him and stuck out her tongue as they walked across their front lawn. “I’m not gonna enjoy this walk very much if you stay so far behind me the whole time.”

I thought she’d be at 60, at the least. Am I helping at all?

“S-“

“Hey kid! C’mon over here will ya?”

It was Harlan, standing in front of his open door. Today he had opted for an unbuttoned pair of jeans and no shirt to speak of. A pair of fuzzy black slippers contrasted strangely with his pants.

“Err... hey Harlan! I was just headed out for a walk so-“

“Naw, that can wait. I need to talk to ya about yesterday.”

The frizzy memory of Marlene’s bush paraded through his head. Was she inside, waiting for him to (come inside) show up?

On any other day he would have stayed with Jessie, but he needed to be away from her for a bit. He couldn’t think properly around her sweet smiles and adorably timid moods.

“Sorry, I should probably go see what he wants. Go enjoy your walk, and I’ll see you at the house later,” he said to Jessie.

“Maaaan I wanted to walk with you.”

“I know, I know. I’m disappointed too, but it’s not everyday Harlan has something to say to me. It’s be kinda rude to ignore him.

“I guess that’s true... but I still hate it,” she leaned in to kiss him, and then realized they were in public and settled for a hug instead.

“We’re doing pictures today after I go shopping. You aren’t going to want to miss this,” she promised, and then started to jog away.

“See you tonight, Leon!” she called.

Shopping huh? He walked over to Harlan.

“What can I do for you, Mr. Fairchild?”

Harlan scratched the back of his head and said, “Well, I reckon I wasn’t so neighborly yesterday afternoon. See, me and the missus were heavy in the middle of some kinda action, and you interrupted right there at the good part.”

“I understand Mr. Fairchild. Somethings in life a man doesn’t want to walk away from, right?”

“That’s exactly right! Yer a smart kid,” he patted Leon’s back. It was a nice gesture, ruined by the fact that Harlan could have been touching who knows what with those hands.

“Well anyhow, I’m havin’ Marlene cook up a slab of turkey I picked up yesterday after you came by. I dunno how well turkey goes with eggs, but whaddya say you come on in and we find out?”

Huh. Harlan didn’t seem to want anything to do with him yesterday, but now he was offering him breakfast. Maybe underneath that slug-like appearance he wasn’t all that bad.

Leon almost said no, but then thought of Marlene at the stove, cooking eggs without a stitch of clothes on. “Sure, Mr. Fairchild. That sounds great. Thanks!”

The turkey lie had unexpectedly far reaching benefits.