Page 65 of The Wild Man

“In my world, it’s not normal to walk around naked,” I tell him. “You could actually go to jail if you did it in public. Only in someone’s home are they allowed to go without clothes.”

I’m not sure if he truly understands or not, but after a moment, his chin jerks up.

He looks back at the man. “Shirt.”

The man seems momentarily surprised as his eyes flicker from Wild Man to me. He slips a pack that looks too big for him to carry on his frail shoulders from his back and shrugs off the flannel shirt before he tosses it to Wild Man, leaving him in a black t-shirt.

I try to keep myself hidden when Wild Man turns around to face me. My cheeks warm because I know the old man must have at least gotten a peek.

When Wild Man slips the shirt up my arms, it smells like tobacco and earth. It feels weird to have the material covering me. Thankfully, the man is tall, so the tail of the shirt goes to mid-thigh.

Once I’ve finished buttoning up the shirt, Wild Man turns back to the man.

“I see you found a lady,” the man says, interest lighting his eyes. Wild Man doesn’t say anything to that.

I step to Wild Man’s side to get a better look at the old man.

“I’m Ben.”

I don’t know why, but I’m nervous. Besides Wild Man, this is the first person I’ve seen in weeks.

“Everlee.”

Ben smiles. “Nice to meet ya.”

I don’t say it back. I’m not convinced yet that this meeting will be a good one. It’s apparent the two know each other, but the question is how? And why is he here now? Wild Man seems to be comfortable around him, so that’s something.

“Come,” Wild Man says, grabbing my hand and turning us toward the tree hut.

Ben follows. I can feel his eyes on the back of my head and it makes me want to rub my neck. For Wild Man to have his back turned to the man must mean he really trusts him.

When we make it home, Wild Man lets my hand go, and I stand off to the side, feeling weird having someone else in our private space. Teeja and his family have been here a few times, but this is different.

Ben takes a seat on the opposite side of where Wild Man and I usually sit, like he’s done this a dozen times. I watch the man with wary eyes as he sets the pack beside him on the ground.

Wild Man brings him a bowl and he trades it for the pack. Then he comes to me, grabs my hand, and brings me to our usual seat where he pulls me down on his lap. I make sure the shirt fully covers me.

With his arm wrapped around my waist, his hand laying possessively over my stomach, Wild Man says, “My woman.”

Ben looks up from his bowl of meat, his bushy brows raising. “I see she got you talkin’, so that’s good.”

Wild Man grunts.

“How do you know each other?” I ask.

“Oh, boy here and I go way back.” He pops a chunk of meat into his mouth and doesn’t wait to finish chewing before he continues. “Gotta be ten years now.”

I lift my brows, surprised at his answer.

“I bring him supplies when I’m in the area.”

“How did the two of you meet?”

Ben’s chuckle is rusty. “Purely by accident and divine intervention. I was out trekking in these parts and stumbled across a coyote. He was a mean sumbitch. Saw my life flash ’fore my eyes. Right before the animal attacked, this hulkin’ man comes running out of nowhere, naked with his dick swingin’ in the breeze, and took that coyote down. Slit his throat from ear to ear.” He grins, the teeth he flashes behind his thick beard are surprisingly bright white.

“Wow.”

“Yup. I was grateful to the boy for savin’ my life. I tried talkin’ to him, but I couldn’t get nary a word from him. He just tied a rope around the coyote’s neck and started dragging him away. I followed ’cause I was curious about him, and he didn’t seem to mind. Took me here, cooked that coyote, and shared it with me.”