Chapter 43

“What are you saying?” Bitsy asked.

I reached out and took Thumper’s hand in mine. I hoped that he didn’t look quite as flummoxed to the two people on the porch who were just meeting him as he did to me. Just play along,I willed him. What the hell? We’d be long gone before anyone found out that it wasn’t true.

“Thumper and I came to Iowa to get married.”

Bitsy didn’t even flinch. “Bullshit,” she declared.

“What?!” This from Bob-Gunnar, who I left to his own devices for the moment. He’d catch up

Thumper, for his part, squeezed my hand and smiled.

“You did not,” Bitsy said.

“Of course we did,” I insisted.

“Okay, but you just said you got dumped. ‘I’ve been better,’ you said.” Suddenly Bitsy was Ms. Dictaphone Memory. “That’s how you talk about your wedding trip?”