Bentley Little: The Walking

Claire gave Hal a hug. 'thank you," she said. "For believing me, for coming with me, for all of it. I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't been here."

"Or you, either," he told her.

Miles put an arm around her. "Thanks both of you." "What are friends for?"

They got into their respective cars, and Miles and Claire waved to Hal as he started off in the opposite direction.

They hit the highway themselves. It seemed suddenly silent, with just him and Claire---it was amazing how quickly

one got used to being part of a group---and Miles turned on the radio as they headed over the bridge that traversed the [ river and headed into the desert. The radio dial was white [. noise save for a Mexican station, a right-wing talk program out of Albuquerque, and an all-news station from Las Vegas.

Miles kept it on the Las Vegas station. According to the weather report, a storm system was covering most of the four corners states and heading west, toward Nevada and

California. Whether that was from the same dark cloud cover [ that had started over Wolf Canyon, he did not know, but it would not surprise him.

He glanced over at Claire. He remembered when they'd gotten married.

Or when they were supposed to have gotten married. For the wedding had been postponed a day. There'd been a huge thunderstorm, a freakishly out-of season El Nifio downpour, that triggered a mud slide which engulfed the -p, ark where the ceremony was to take place. Although they d been able to laugh about it later, it had been hell at the time and they'd rushed around all morning phoning friends and relatives, telling them about the postponement, while desperately searching for some inside location to host the wedding.

Miles cleared his throat. "How about we get married?" She looked at him. "What?" "Will you marry me?" "No."

"No?" : "Are you crazy?" "I'm dead serious."

"This isn't a movie, where two people fall in love just because they're thrown together under extreme circumstances. It's us. Me. You.

We're together again, yes, but we still have to give this thing time.

Who knows where this is -going to lead?"

"I do."

'there still a lot of water under the bridge, a lot of things we haven't talked about, and and it's just too soon, Miles." She put a light hand on his arm.

"What do you say we go to Las Vegas and just play it from there?"

"Why not?"

"I'm not into those quicky chapel things, if that's your scheme. It's not cute or kitschy or any of that stuff to me."

"I thought you didn't want to get married. If you're not even going to be tempted, then, why not go?"

She smiled at him. "Okay, smarty pants. Las Vegas it is." He grinned. "Las Vegas it is."

She reached over, shut off the radio, then snuggled close to him on the seat. He put his arm around her as he drove and casually pressed down on the gas, accelerating. He wanted to reach Las Vegas before the storm.

The forecast was for heavy rain by nightfall.