Page 88 of A Brother's Secret

“Okay.” Mali and I both froze.

“Do you know whose property you’re on?” he demanded.

“Yes,” I answered evenly.

“Oh, yeah?” he said, like he didn’t believe me, “Whose is that, now?”

“Mine,” I said evenly. “If you come around to our other side, my wallet and the deed to this property are in the picnic basket, along theside. “

Mali’s eyes fixed on mine and she asked levelly, “Yours?”

“They were going to cut down our tree, I couldn’t let that happen, so I bought it,” I said with a shrug. Right now, I was more interested in getting this cop to put away the gun he had pointed atus.

He flipped open the basket, and the gun still trained on us, which we sure as hell weren’t moving, he shone his light down inside.

Wine, cheese, crackers, some fruit, and the wallet and deed should be in there. He came up with the wallet and opened up, squinting. Then he unfolded the paperwork. He looked from it to us, and demanded, “What’re you doing out here, exactly?”

“Romantic picnic?” Mali said, and I’d definitely grownsoft.

“Sounds like you’re asking, not tellingme.”

“She didn’t know what the plan was. I did a scavenger hunt… can I put myself away, now?”

“I don’t know if you have a weapon.”

“Oh for fuck's sake,” Mali said, and lifted her tiny scrap of skirt. We were pretty much hidden by our bodies being joined but the cop could clearly see there was no gun. She dropped the skirt and he nodded.

“All right now, you have to understand it’s dangerous forme –“

“We get it”, she snapped and lifted herself up onto her knees. I tucked my hands beneath her skirt and got everything buttoned up. She waited and I patted her thigh.

“I’m standing up.” She did so and I followedher.

The cop asked a bunch of questions and blustered a minute about indecent exposure. I rolled my eyes and asked, “At one-thirty in the morning on a Tuesday morning? Would you have even known we were here if it hadn’t been for the lights?”

“Look, we weren’t doing anything wrong and we’re on his property.” Mali added when the silence stretched on toolong.

“Right, um…”

“Just call in the all-clear, and we’ll clear out.” Isaid.

He cleared his throat, blushing hotly and asked, “Anything I can do to help? Uh, any place I can call a cab and have them takeyou?”

Mali looked me right in the eye and said, “No, officer, we’re fine. We’rehome…”

I smiled, and peace settled over me and in my heart. She was right. We were home, and I was never letting her out of my sight again.

TheEnd