Last Flight from Flagstaff (Choices: Story Two)

by Beth Carpenter

The best laid plans of Mice and Men

  often go awry.

  -Robert Burns, To a Mouse

  Family Planning, Chapter 1

  Donna glanced at the peach-shaped desk clock, a gift from her daughter years ago. She needed to finish up and get changed. Once more, she typed the username and password into her computer and clicked through the various screens. Donna frowned. The account inquiry still showed no balance owing.

  She picked up her phone and called Rachel. The call went straight to voicemail. “Hi Honey, it’s Mom. I tried to pay your tuition bill today, but it is showing no balance. If you haven’t registered yet, you’d better get on it before all the classes are full. If you have, you need to contact the bursar, because there’s something wrong with the account. Let me know. Good luck with finals, and I can’t wait to see you next week. I love you.”

  Donna ended the call and powered down the computer. “Quitting time, Henry.” The dog rose from his comfortable dog bed and stretched, wagging his tail gently. Donna locked up everything in the office and then she and Henry made the half-minute commute across the hallway to her house. That was one of her favorite things about her new home in Flagstaff. She had planned to rent an office and a home but when she saw the for-sale sign on this two-story cottage, near the downtown area in a block of mixed homes and businesses, she knew it was perfect.

  Donna stopped by the kitchen to give Henry a milkbone, and then trotted up the stairs to her bedroom. She pulled her new thermal underwear out of her dresser, stroking the soft fabric. She added thick wool socks and moved into the closet. “What is the proper attire for snowshoeing, Henry?”

  Henry cocked his head, seeming to consider the question. Donna laughed. Henry was a relatively young dog, only four years old, but he had the demeanor of an elderly professor. Donna could almost picture him with spectacles and a pipe, reading the newspaper in front of the fire.

  Perhaps it was because he had always spent his time with older people. He came with the house, so to speak. Helen, the previous owner, needed to move into an assisted living facility but Henry couldn’t go. Once Donna heard the story and volunteered to adopt Henry as well as the house, Helen had breathed a sigh of relief and moved out. Henry and Donna occasionally stopped by the facility, where the staff pretended not to notice the spaniel slipping into Helen’s room.

  Today, however, Donna was getting ready for her standing Wednesday night date with Blake. They often planned outings on weekends or other times, but Wednesday evenings were set aside for relaxing together. Usually she and Blake took turns cooking, but tonight he had suggested that she leave work early to go snowshoeing with him. Afterwards, he’d take her for pizza. She was looking forward to it.

  She finally decided on stretchy fleece-lined pants and a Nordic sweater over her thermals. Thick gloves and a wool hat went into her backpack with her cell phone, keys, and wallet.

  Donna fed Henry his dinner and double-checked that everything was turned off and locked up. She was digging her ski jacket out of the coat closet when she heard a car pull up into the small parking area in front of the house. She threw open the door as Blake reached the front porch. “Hi there!”

  As always, Blake looked delicious. The gray fleece jacket hugged his broad shoulders and tapered to his narrow waist. His brilliant blue eyes lit up when he saw her. “It looks like you’re all set.”

  Donna stepped out on the porch to give a welcoming kiss. Henry added his greeting, wagging his stubby tail and nuzzling Blake’s leg. “Hello, Henry.” Blake bent over to fondle the spaniel’s long ears. Henry accepted the token of affection with dignity before moving on to take care of his business.

  After putting Henry back in the house and locking up, Donna climbed into Blake’s truck. “So where does this snowshoeing expedition take place?” she asked.

  Blake smiled. “Wait and see.” Donna expected him to stop at one of the several nearby parks in town, but he continued to drive uphill. They were on a road Donna had never seen before, in a heavily wooded area. Finally, he pulled into a small trailhead parking lot and stopped. “We’re here.”

  Donna slipped out of the truck and breathed in the crisp, cold, still air. The snow was deeper here than it had been in town. The parking lot had been plowed, but the surrounding area was completely blanketed with snow, clusters of snow clinging to the tree limbs. It muffled the sound of traffic on the nearby road, giving the impression that they were alone in the world.

  Blake took two pairs of snowshoes and poles from the back of his truck. “Leave your jacket here,” he suggested. “You’ll stay warm from the exercise.”

  He was right. Snowshoeing turned out to be both much easier and much harder than Donna had expected. Easier, in that it was basically walking with feet spread far enough apart to avoid tripping. Harder, because it turned out to be very aerobic, and soon Donna was unzipping the neck of her sweater to cool off.

  Donna had been running for years, but when she first moved to Flagstaff, it took her a few weeks to acclimate to the seven thousand foot altitude. Now the thin air no longer bothered her when she ran. However, snowshoeing turned out to be an entirely new exercise, and soon she was panting.

  Blake stopped to let her catch her breath. She looked around at the surrounding snow-covered forest. A few wrens and nuthatches busied themselves overhead in the trees. Otherwise, it was perfectly quiet and still. “It’s so beautiful,” Donna said.

  “I know. I love the snowy woods. Are you ready to move on?”

  “I’m getting tired. I’m using muscles I didn’t know I had. Maybe we should head back,” Donna suggested.

  “Only a little further,” Blake coaxed. “There’s something I want to show you.”

  “What is it?”

  “It’s a surprise. Come on, it’s not far.” His blue eyes sparkled and she noticed the dimple in his cheek.

  “Okay,” Donna said doubtfully, “but you may have to carry me back.”

  “I’ll risk it.”

  Blake led the way forward along the trail. It was narrower here than it had been before. A stray branch from a bush snagged one of Donna’s snowshoes. She lost her balance and grabbed a nearby limb from a pine tree. It kept her from falling, but dumped a load of snow on top of her head.

  Laughing, Blake hurried back to brush the snow off her face and hair.

  She looked down at the snow sticking to her sweater. “I look like the abominable snowman.”

  Blake brushed away a bit of more snow from her forehead and kissed her cheek, his lips warm against her cool skin. “You look beautiful, as always. Come on, it’s just around the corner.”

  Donna followed, wondering what it was he wanted to show her. When they reached the next clearing, she gasped. “Oh, Blake.”

  The snow-covered meadow looked like a Christmas card. Right in the middle was an old-fashioned sleigh. A driver in a top hat stood beside a bay horse, holding its bridle. “What is this?” Donna breathed.

  “It’s a one-horse open sleigh. Come on.”

  The smiling driver greeted them. Blake helped Donna remove her snowshoes and climb into the sleigh before following her. He snuggled up next to her and pulled a heavy blanket over their laps. “Ready.”

  The driver shook the reins and the horse broke into a trot. Bells on the harness began to chime in time to the muffled clip-clop of the horse’s hooves. Donna’s eyes shone in delight. “Blake, this is wonderful.”

  He smiled at her and pulled her closer. She leaned her head on his shoulder as they glided through the woods. The sun was low in the sky, giving a pinkish cast to the snow. She felt as though they were characters in a storybook, somehow moving back in time on their way to some wonderful fairytale destination.

  They crossed a wooden bridge and followed the path around a hill. The trees parted, and a rustic gazebo came into view, decorated with bunches of evergreen and red Christmas bows. Candles in hurricane shades il
luminated the scene. As they drew nearer, Donna could see a table in the center of the gazebo set for two. A log cabin nestled into the woods behind the gazebo.

  At the sound of their sleigh bells, a woman stepped out of the door of the cabin and came to meet them. ‘Hello, I’m Janice. Did you enjoy your ride?” She helped them down from the sleigh and led them toward the gazebo.

  “Hi, Janice. It was wonderful,” Donna said.

  “Good. Have a seat and I will bring out your soup course.”

  They sat at the table, surrounded by the snowy landscape. Donna soon realized that there was some sort of infrared heater built into the roof of the gazebo, keeping them comfortably warm. The flickering candles were actually LED lights. It was a fairytale setting with all the modern comforts. “Blake, this is incredible. I thought we were going out for snowshoeing and pizza.”

  “That’s why they call it a surprise.”

  The soup was portabella mushroom laced with brandy along with a basket of homemade butterflake rolls. Donna tasted a spoonful of the warm rich soup. Blake was watching her, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

  “Mmm,” she said as she savored the subtle mix of flavors, the meaty mushrooms, the warming brandy, the salty rich broth. “This is terrific.”

  They had almost finished their soup when Blake whispered, “Turn slowly to your left and look over at the edge of the woods there.”

  Donna did as he asked, and was rewarded with the sight of a fox staring at them. Its gray body was broken up with reddish patches around a white throat and chest, like the shirtfront under a tuxedo. He cocked his head and watched them watching him until Janice came out to clear the soup bowls, when he vanished into the woods.

  The soup was followed by a main course of prime rib, garlic mashed potatoes, and butternut squash. “Yum,” Donna said, savoring a forkful, “I love the taste of a good butternut. It tastes like winter.”

  “Is that a good thing?” Blake laughed.

  “Definitely. It’s wonderful living in a place with a real, honest-to-goodness winter with snow and ice. Every season has its own charm, but I think winter is my favorite.”

  “You said that about autumn, too.”

  “And I’ll probably say it about spring when the time comes.”

  Dessert was hot apple pie. Janice brought one big piece with two forks. Donna thought she saw her wink at Blake before she left.

  Blake picked up a fork and fed her a bite of pie. Then, as she savored it, he kissed her. She laughed and did the same for him. They continued until they had had their fill of pie and kisses.

  Blake took her hand and led her to the edge of the gazebo. He put his arm around her shoulders and she leaned her head against him. The sun had set and the moon risen, bathing the clearing in silver light. The air was still. Donna felt the coziness of Blake’s arm around her as she drank in the peace of the place. They stood gazing out onto the magical scene.

  Blake turned to face her. “Donna, I’d like to ask you something.”

  Donna nodded, and her heartbeat quickened. He looked so serious. Was this what she thought it was?

  Blake took her hand. “We haven’t known one another that long, but I know I love you. I want to spend my life with you. Will you marry me?”

  She looked into his eyes. It was too dark to see the color, but she knew the exact shade of blue. She knew every feature, curve, and plane of his face, from the dimple on his cheek to the tiny scar beside his eyebrow. She reached up to touch his face. She felt she truly knew him all the way to his core, and she knew in her heart that he was the man for her, the man she could love and cherish until the day she died. “Oh yes, Blake, I would love to marry you.”

  He pulled her close and kissed her, and Donna forgot about everything else. He tasted of apples and cinnamon, and that wonderful taste that was simply him. Finally, Blake lifted his head. “So we’re engaged.”

  “Engaged.” Donna savored the word.

  “Oh, shoot. I forgot about the ring.” Blake fumbled open the zipper of his jacket pocket and pulled out a ring box.

  Donna laughed. Blake dropped on one knee and opened the box for her inspection. It was really too dark to see the details, but Donna could see the marquee-cut diamond sparkling in the candlelight. “Blake, I love it.”

  “I know. I saw your face when you saw it in the store window.”

  Donna laughed again. “I didn’t know you noticed.”

  “I always notice you.” He slipped the ring onto her finger. It was a perfect fit.

  After they returned to the table, Janice appeared with a tray bearing two champagne glasses. “It looks like it’s time for the champagne. Congratulations.”

  “Thank you, Janice.”

  Once they were alone, Blake lifted his glass. “To my lovely fiancée, my one true love.”

  Donna’s heart swelled until she felt her chest would burst. Up until a few months ago, she had no idea she could feel this measure of love for a man. “To my fiancé, the most wonderful man in the world. How could I be so lucky?”

  After they finished the champagne, Blake put his arm around her shoulders and steered her toward the cabin, carrying the snowshoes under his arm. For the first time, Donna wondered how they would get home. To her surprise, Blake’s truck was waiting in front of the log cabin. “You think of everything. This evening could not have been more perfect. I loved it.”

  He pulled her tighter to him, kissing the top of her head. “I love you.”

  Family Planning, Chapter 2

  “Look at this, Matt.” Kristen held her iPad where Matt could see it. “This is what our baby looks like. He is only about three inches long, but he has arms and legs and even fingers and toes. Isn’t that amazing?”

  “So the baby is a he? Yesterday you thought it was a girl.”

  “I don’t know, but I can’t call the baby it.”

  Matt slid closer on the couch so they could look at the webpage together and examined the picture. “Really, three inches? Play the video.”

  Kristen clicked on the video and it played a segment explaining the development of the fetus at twelve weeks.

  “Look, I can even see ears,” Matt pointed out. He reached over to pat Kristen’s tummy. “Hey, in there. Can you hear me yet? Your mommy and daddy are looking forward to meeting you.” He nuzzled against Kristen’s stomach, causing her to giggle.

  “Hey, that tickles.” Kristen pushed him away playfully. “I can’t wait to tell everybody.”

  “Let’s wait until Mom comes to town for Christmas and we can tell them all at once. That way nobody’s feelings are hurt.”

  “I’m not sure I can wait that long. Can I at least tell Jen?”

  Matt laughed. “Sure, Jen will keep your secret if you ask.”

  “Good, because I already told her.”

  Matt grinned and shook his head.

  “I didn’t mean to. I was visiting Jen and Cody, but when I held that sweet little baby in my arms, it just slipped out. Have you ever smelled a baby, Matt? I didn’t know they had such a sweet smell.”

  “So this sweet baby smell is some sort of truth serum?”

  Kristen laughed. “Evidently so. At least when it comes to pregnancy confessions.” She looked at an advertisement on the iPad. “I need to get a book of baby names. What do you think of Sophia?”