by Tegan Maher
“It’s all good. You’re doin’ a fine job. I know my hair’s a hot mess.” That wasn’t a self-putdown; it was the truth. I had a wild head of curly red hair that required a whip and chair to tame especially in the humidity. My favorite hairdo this time of year was a ponytail.
“So, when are you and Hunter takin’ the plunge?” Millie asked as Alyse glossed pink polish onto her nails.
I shifted my weight as Coralee’s hands flew around my head, pulling out strands and snipping off ends. This was a question I’d been dodging for the past year or so. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to marry him. Not even close. I’d just had so many changes in the last year that, combined with planning Anna Mae’s wedding, I barely had time to plan what I was going to have for supper, let alone when and where I was getting married.
Plus, I didn’t want to steal a single roll of Anna Mae’s thunder. She’d had a hideous first marriage, and now that she had a wonderful man, it was my goal to make this her fairytale dream come true. Come Hell or high water, she was going to feel like the princess she was.
“We’ve talked about having it around the holidays,” I replied, which was the truth. “But first, let’s get Anna Mae and Matt hitched. Then we’ll think about mine.”
Millie tutted as Alyse popped her hands under the dryer. “Tick, tock, young lady. You’re comin’ up on thirty. It’d be a shame to waste those hips. They’re just made for babies.”
I rolled my eyes, careful to make sure she couldn’t see me in the mirror. “I’ll keep that in mind, Ms. Millie. I’m sure they’ll be structurally sound for a few years yet.”
Coralee took pity on me because she knew the various roadblocks I’d driven around to get to where I was now and changed the topic. Hunter and I were on the same page, though, and in the end, that’s all that mattered.
Suddenly, I was glad he’d jumped on the chance to get the cabin. I’d happily settle in the eye of the storm for a couple of days before jumping back into the tempest that next weekend was going to be.
3
Thirty minutes later, I was on my way to Brew4U, my cousin Raeann’s kitschy little coffee shop. Since the day she opened it, I’d been making the pastries for her.
In the beginning, it was just the two of us, but her brilliant mind and skill with herbs had quickly gotten the shop off and running. And I liked to think my magical desserts had helped, too. And I do mean magical. Everything I made had a touch of my kitchen magic in it, just like Raeann’s coffee and tea blends were enhanced by her earth magic, and our combination of goodies turned one-time customers into regulars.
“Whoa, there!” I said as two kids almost knocked me over as I pushed the door open with my backside. The place was packed, and all I could picture was four cases of turnovers crashing to the floor.
Levana, an awesome witch who’d started working there when she’d arrived in our century through a series of unbelievable events, rushed forward to help me.
“Girl, if you drop those, it would be a true sin.” She rushed forward and slid two of the four pastry boxes from the stack I was carrying, then slid them onto the black faux-marble counter. I carried the two she left me with back to the freezer.
“I wasn’t sure how many you’d need,” I called over my shoulder, “so I made a bunch. I’ll put these in here so they’ll stay fresh.”
“What are you doing here?” Raeann, who was hustling to make a latte, glared at me over her shoulder when I came back out. “You’re supposed to be at a romantic cabin, relaxing and enjoying a couple days off.”
I held up my hands and laughed. “I’m going! I just thought maybe you’d like to have enough pastries to get you through ’til I get back.”
“Well, now I do,” she said, winking at me, then snapping a towel at my butt. “Now get out of here. Text me when you get there.”
If I didn’t know better, I’d have sworn people were trying to get rid of me.
“Will do,” I said, waving at Jimi and Roy, who were sitting in their regular seats against the wall playing chess.
I slipped back out the door and sighed as a little bit of weight lifted from my shoulders. I’d gotten my hair cut for the wedding, finished the vanity, and dropped off enough pastries that Raeann should be good for at least a few days. Three more things off the list.
Now all I had to do was meet Hunter at the farm and leave all my worries behind for a while. I was ready.
Driving up the lane to our farmhouse helped cement the calm that was starting to settle over me. I was in that weird holding pattern that comes when you hit the spot in a project where you’ve done everything you can in advance, but you can’t start on the rest of the list until you get closer to the event. I didn’t like hanging in flux like that, but it was what it was.
The horses were grazing peacefully in the pasture swishing their tails at flies, and the sun filtered through the oaks that formed an archway over the road. I wasn’t a huge Wizard of Oz fan, but Dorothy called it right when she said there’s no place like home.
Hunter was sitting in the porch swing when I got there, his long legs crossed in front of him. He’d traded his usual jeans and boots for jean shorts and flip-flops, and a slow smile curled the corners of his mouth when I climbed out of the truck.
“Hey, beautiful, you ready to go?” he asked as I climbed the steps to join him.
Max, our talking donkey and former sixteenth-century British nobleman, grumbled and raised his head from the giant dog bed beside the front door. “It’s okay, don’t think to ask the donkey if he wants to go.”
I rolled my eyes as I rose on my tiptoes to give Hunter a quick kiss. “I did think to ask and decided not to. Last time you went with us, you hated it.”
He sniffed. “Last time I went with you, it was winter. I hate being cold.”
Pulling in a deep breath, I did my best to hold onto my patience and remember that Max had been living through a lot of change just like I had. “Max, would you like to go with us? I didn’t realize you were interested, but you know you’re always welcome.”
He tilted his furry gray head at me and thought for a second. “No thank you. But it was nice of you to ask.”
I shook my head but couldn’t say much. His weirdness fit in well with the rest of us, and I understood his perspective. A lot of times, it really is the thought that counts.
“Besides,” Kristen, my friend and new tenant, said as she bounded up the porch steps, “if you go with them, who’s going to keep me company?”
“True, and you’re still new. Somebody has to be here in case you have questions.” Max pushed to his feet and shuffled over to her to get his ears scratched.
“Yep,” she replied with a nod that set her blonde ponytail bobbing. “Plus, we’ll have plenty of time for you to teach me chess.”
I smiled at her, and she winked back. She’d only lived on the farm for a couple months, but she’d boarded her horse there forever. She knew the way to Max’s heart was through his ego.
“Good luck with that, you two,” Hunter replied. “Max, take it easy on her, and don’t play dirty.”
“I’d never,” he spluttered, but it was hard for him to pull off righteous outrage when everybody there knew he’d do whatever it took to win.
“Gabi and Will will be here to keep you company, too, and so will Addy,” I said as I pulled the screen door open. “I’m all packed. Just gotta grab my duffel bag and the cooler.”
“It’s all already in the truck,” Hunter replied. “All that’s missing is you.”
I grinned and lifted a shoulder. “Alrighty, then. What are we waiting for? Lemme grab a Coke, and we can be on our way.”
Pulling the fridge open, I snagged the remainder of the six-pack of soda and a bag of Doritos, then traced my steps back to the door. Unlike many folks, I had no problem winging it. If I forgot something, I could do without it, which was why Addy usually hovered anytime I went anywhere. In fact, I was surprised she wasn’t there to see us off.
“Has any
body seen Addy? I’m surprised she’s not here breathing down my neck and making sure I’m actually leaving.” She’d been on me for a couple weeks to get away, and it wasn’t like her to walk away from a chance to boss me. Or make sure I packed my toothbrush and clean undies.
Kristen snagged one of the sodas from the six pack I was holding and plopped down on the porch swing. “She went with Cheri Lynn to a post-living getaway up in Atlanta. I guess it’s a big deal because Cheri said Dixie Carter was gonna be there.”
I raised a brow. If that was the bait Cheri Lynn used to lure Addy away from all the wedding hubbub, I hoped she could deliver. One did not joke about Julia Sugarbaker in the Flynn household.
“That’s awesome!” I exclaimed. Cheri Lynn had been trying to get Addy to go with her on her adventures, but my aunt didn’t like to go too far from home. She’d always been a homebody, and that hadn’t changed when she died.
Satisfied that everything was buttoned down, I turned toward the truck. “If you guys don’t need anything else, we’re outta here. Later, guys!”
“It better be much later,” Max called as Kristen waved. “I don’t want to see you for the next three days. I need some peace and quiet.”
Though he was gruff, I knew he didn’t mean it. Well, much, anyway. He was part of the family, and even though he could be rude and snarky, he cared about me. We’d had a few front-porch sittins lately, and he knew how busy I’d been. Just like Addy, he worried about me.
“Phew,” Hunter said, smiling at me as he put the truck in drive and kicked on the AC. “I was afraid something else was going to come up. Between my work and yours, it feels like a miracle.”
I nodded and pointed the vent at my face. “Nope. Not today. We’re going. I don’t care if an asteroid drops out of the sky and little green men spawn from it. It can be somebody else’s problem until we get back.”
It was at times like these that I missed the old bench seats trucks used to come with. Though the bucket seats were comfier, I couldn’t slide over and sit next to him. Talk to me after I’d been on my feet for twelve hours, though. Then, I wouldn’t trade the heated seats and lumbar support for anything.
Though Old Bessie—my ancient blue Ford rattletrap—had gotten me back and forth to wherever I needed to go for many years, she hadn’t been the most luxurious ride. Two-sixty air conditioning (short for two windows down, sixty miles an hour), cracked seats, and a suspension that had been invented at about the same time as buckboards hadn’t made for a pleasurable driving experience. I’d been grateful for it at the time, though.
Hunter glanced over at me as he turned out of the drive. “What are you smiling about?”
I gave him a wry smile. “Just thinking about the good ole days. Or rather, the days when I was driving a hope-and-a-prayer vehicle. The bench seats beat bucket seats because I could have scooted close to you right now, but I don’t think that one benefit outweighs the lack of AC, suspension, and all the other comforts of new trucks.”
He laughed and reached over the console to take my hand. “No, probably not, but it’s nice to know you’re thinking about sitting close to me.”
I wound my fingers through his and smiled, content to just be quiet and watch the scenery out the window. The cabin was only about forty-five minutes from the house, but the further we went, the rougher the terrain became until we were bumping along on a dirt road barely worthy of the name.
Hunter slowed as a man and a woman about our age stepped off the side of the road, holding hands and waving as we passed. I threw my hand up at them and smiled. They looked like they were having a good time, but then again, it was a gorgeous day, they were presumably not at work, and they seemed to enjoy each other’s company. I understood just how they felt.
Before I knew it, we were turning onto a driveway that was better maintained than the road. That didn’t surprise me much, though, because Harry kept his main house and grounds immaculate.
“Wow, this is nice!” I exclaimed when the cabin came into view. I hadn’t expected much beyond the basics, but the log cabin was adorable even though it was small.
Hunter nodded as he navigated the drive. “Yeah, Harry just built it a few years ago, so it’s relatively new.”
Two wooden rocking chairs squatted on the covered porch just waiting for somebody to plop down in them, and red-checkered curtains gave a nice pop of color to the front windows. A stack of firewood sat beside the front door, and though we wouldn’t need it for heat, it would make for a nice romantic atmosphere once the sun went down.
I sighed in contentment as Hunter pulled the truck to a stop in front of an aluminum barn that I assumed held all of Harry’s toys. He’d made sure to stress that he had four wheelers and kayaks and that we were welcome to use them. Another of the many benefits of living in a small town where neighbors helped neighbors.
Though it was hot out, the shade from the maples, oaks, and pines cut the temperature by at least ten degrees. I was still happy to see the air conditioning unit sticking out of one of the windows, though. Even eighty degrees was still hot.
I stretched and pulled in a deep breath, closing my eyes as my senses filled with the scent of honeysuckle. I glanced around and smiled when I spotted the delicate orangey-peach flowers vining up a trellis on the end of the porch. That was gonna smell awesome when I sat out there tomorrow morning with my coffee.
Hunter grabbed our duffel bags from the back of the truck, and I dropped the tailgate and pulled the blue cooler to the back.
“Holy geez. What’d you bring? Frozen bricks?” I asked as I grasped the handles and lifted it. The thing had to weigh fifty pounds.
“Beer, cheese, wine, and steak.” His mouth curled into a wicked smile and he winked at me. “Chips and the stuff for s’mores and coffee are in the truck, but I’m pretty proud of myself for getting almost all the major food groups into one cooler.”
“I can’t even complain about the weight then,” I said, laughing as I lugged it to the edge of the porch. From there, I jumped up the four steps and pulled up the handle on the end and rolled it the rest of the way inside.
The inside of the cabin was just as amazing as the outside. Sunshine poured through the windows, gleaming gold off the polished hardwood floors. The leather furniture was overstuffed and covered in afghans knitted in blocks of cream, mauve, and gray.
“This does not look like a standard hunting cabin,” I exclaimed. “This place is great!”
Even though I knew the cabin was new, I’d been expecting serviceable but well-used furniture and bare bones everything else, which was the norm. Instead, the place was more of a second home. The cabinets were stocked with matching dishes, and the appliances in the kitchen were new. A large flat-screen TV was mounted on one wall, and a stone fireplace with an incredible hand-carved oak mantle shared a wall with what I assumed was the bedroom.
Hunter dropped our bags beside the couch and looked around. “Yeah, I gotta say, I wasn’t expecting anything quite this fancy, but he did say his wife likes to come here with her girlfriends, so my guess is that it’s half man-cave hunting cabin, and half oversized she-shed.”
“You nailed it.” I smiled when I spotted the stocked, under-the-counter wine chiller. Harry’s wife, Luna, was a wine drinker. Harry, not so much. He was more of a light beer sorta guy.
I couldn’t help but step closer to examine a large bookshelf that held dozens of books ranging from comics, westerns, and thrillers to historical bodice rippers and paranormal mysteries. It was pretty clear that more than one reader had contributed, and if I had my say, I’d be taking advantage of the perk. It seemed like forever since I’d lost myself in a good book.
I sighed as Hunter wrapped his arms around me from behind and nuzzled my ear.
“I’ve been waiting to get you away for days,” he said, giving me a squeeze. “Wanna start our getaway off with a walk? I thought maybe we could take a bottle of wine and a couple fishin’ poles over to the river. Maybe you could pick a book off
the shelf, and we can just while away the afternoon doing various forms of nothing.”
I rolled my head back against his chest and could feel the tension draining from my shoulders. “I’m all in. I’ll make us a couple sandwiches while you get the poles ready. Do you wanna walk or take the four wheelers?”
He kissed me on the cheek and released me, then swatted me on the rump. “Make me a sandwich, woman, and I shall ready the poles.”
I pushed him toward the door, laughing. “Just go make sure the four wheelers have enough gas that we can make it there and back. I don’t feel like walking a mile because we run out.” I lowered my brows at him, playing, or at least, sort of. “Should that happen, your situation shall be dire.”
“Noted. Extra meat!”
The screen door slapped shut behind him, and I turned to pilfer the kitchen for utensils. Within a few minutes, I had the sandwiches made and decided to walk on the wild side—rather than putting them into the mini cooler, I just stuffed them into my backpack on top of the bottle of wine. If I was destined to die a horrible death from mayo-induced food poisoning, so be it.
On a whim, I grabbed a paranormal romance and stuffed it into my bag, too. After all, I was on a romantic getaway with a super-hot, amazing guy, so why not? I skipped out the door and down the steps, my heart lighter than it had been in months. I hadn’t even realized how much I needed some breathing room until now.
Hunter looked up from where he was strapping the fishing poles and tackle box to one of the four wheelers and smiled at me. “All set?”
“All set,” I replied, slinging my backpack over my shoulders and shrugging into it as I climbed aboard the ATV. Not surprisingly, it fired right up as soon as I hit the button, and we were off.
With the power of the machine beneath me and the wind in my hair, our vacay was off to a strong start.
4
We spent a couple hours fishing and messing around, then decided to take the long way back and hit some of the ATV trails that folks had worn into these hills. Several access roads maintained by the utility companies crisscrossed the area, and for the most part, outside of hunting season, people were good about allowing folks to cross their property as long as everybody followed the rules of courtesy by closing gates and abstaining from cow tipping. Yes, that really is a thing.