Chapter 3: Chapter 3

The day after the shower broke, I found an

old aluminum washtub in the back of the barn, scrubbed it up and

hosed it down and it’s so damn pioneer that I find any excuse to

strip off my clothes and sink into a lukewarm bath of suds. Out by

the barn, the sun hot on my naked body, the soap drying on my skin,

it’s as close to heaven as I’ve come so far, and I can’t understand

why Kent won’t take me up on an offer of a bath. I’d heat the water

for him, on the gas grill like I do for myself—I’d wash him,

thatcould be fun, maybe end up with the two of us entwined

in the sparse grass, rolling through suds and water, when’s the

last time we did anything like that?

Heh, when have we everdone that?

But Kent always says no. “I’ll fix the damn

shower,” he tells me, before I can point out that it’s still

clogged. “Just lay off it already, will you? Can you move back?

It’s hot.”

As if I’m right up on him. But I do as he