Page 21 of The Hero
After a moment, she looked up and frowned. “I’m hogging them. Sorry. Here,” she said, holding out the fork with a huge bite of noodles twined around the end. She had one hand under the fork to catch any noodles that might fall and smiled at him.
Bob couldn’t resist. He reached out for her wrist, just as she’d done with him, and leaned forward slowly, holding eye contact with her the entire time. He slid the food off the fork, chewed, swallowed, then said, “Delicious.”
“Right?” She beamed. “Best meal ever,” she declared as she returned her attention to the bowl in front of her and twirled the fork to scoop up more.
Once again, her enthusiasm struck Bob hard. This woman had no reason to be so happy. She’d been incarcerated on bogus charges and abused, was now on the run with a stranger, and had been forced tomarry, for God’s sake. And yet, she still found pleasure in a bowl of noodles.
Bob was humbled. Just being around her made him want to be a better person.
When they’d eaten as much as they could, their host was right there to take the leftovers and dishes away. The sun had risen a few hours ago, and it was time for both of them to get some rest.
They followed their host to what looked like a home office and watched as she moved a rug to the side, gesturing toward what was literally a trapdoor in the floor. Bob lifted the square wooden door and studied the space with a frown.
He and Marlowe had slept in some tight spaces over the last few days ... but he understood for the first time why the woman had insisted they had to be married.
The space beneath the floor was literally only big enough for a narrow pallet. It didn’t even look to be twin size. Morbidly, he figured it was a foot or so wider than the average coffin. It wasn’t really ideal foroneperson. For two? They literally would have to wrap around each other to fit.
The woman began speaking again and gestured to the clothes they’d been wearing when they arrived. They’d obviously been cleaned and were now folded neatly on a desk nearby. She pantomimed putting them on and leaving what they currently wore on a chair. Then shepicked up the backpack with the few supplies they’d gathered along the way and dropped it in the hole, along with Marlowe’s blonde wig. She smiled once more and left the room.
Throughout it all, Marlowe hadn’t moved. She was staring down at the hole with a blank look in her eyes that Bob didn’t like.
“Marlowe?”
“I can’t,” she whispered, sounding terrified. The woman who’d been so happy about ramen noodles was gone.
Alarmed, Bob took two strides until he was standing in front of her, blocking her view of the hole in the floor. Because that’s all it was. It wasn’t a room. Didn’t have a real bed. It was literally just a small space under the floorboards. This might be the largest house along the network so far, but it was the smallest space they’d slept in yet.
“Look at me, Punky.”
It took a few minutes, but he didn’t rush her. Finally, she lifted her chin and met his gaze.
Bob wanted to tell her that they didn’t have to stay. That he’d find them somewhere else to go. But it was already well into morning, too dangerous to take her anywhere. Not with her picture being broadcast across the country. Besides, they’d gotten married just so they could stay here. He didn’t want her sacrifice to be for naught.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“I can’t,” she repeated, shaking her head. “The hole ... it’s too small. I ... when I was first brought to the prison, I was put in solitary. It was so small. And dark.”
“You can do this,” Bob insisted.
She shook her head violently.
“Marlowe, you won’t be alone this time. I’ll be there. And I’m not going anywhere. Understand? I’m not leaving you. You’re safe. For better and worse, for rich and poor, when sick and healthy, to love and protect, cherish and honor, respect and nurture ... that’s what I promised, right?”
She blinked, and Bob saw her gaze focus. She lost that blank look that worried him so much. “You remember our vows word for word?”
“It’s not every day a man gets married,” he told her. “Of course I remember. I’ve got you, Punky. That hole isn’t going to be terribly comfortable. It’s going to be hot and cramped. I’m not all that thrilled about small spaces myself ... but we can do this.”
“Why?” she asked.
“Why what?”
“Why don’t you like small spaces?”
Bob grimaced. He didn’t like to talk about the time when he was a prisoner of war. Didn’t like to think about what he’d been through, what his friends had suffered. He preferred to put it behind him and move forward. But he’d do whatever it took to help Marlowe through this.
“I’ll tell you when we’re settled,” he bargained.
She stared at him for a beat, then took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay. We need to change.”
