by AJ Adaire
Zeke laughed. “I’m a pretty good woodsman. I’ve been watching the cabin for over an hour. Must have been after you left, though. I didn’t see you, just the lovebirds.” He gestured in the direction of Peri and Kim. “These two were too busy necking to notice me sneaking up on them.” He chuckled. “I thought Villy really got lucky.”
Paige’s eyes narrowed. Her eyebrows arched in question, as she turned to look at Peri.
“Hey, I could use a beer,” Kim said, changing the focus of the conversation. “We can toast Villy. How about you, Zeke?”
“Thanks. I could use one. This is a lot of information to process.”
“I’ll get them.” Paige hurried up the steps past Zeke.
By the time Paige returned to the porch, she found everyone had taken a seat. She handed out the drinks and settled into the remaining rocking chair. “If it’s any consolation to you, Zeke, we gave Villy a proper burial. We said a prayer for him, too.”
“I’m glad to hear it. I’ll go say my goodbyes to him in a bit.”
Paige again expressed her sorrow. “His place is very comfortable. You said Villy helped you. Is your place like his?”
“My cabin is smaller. Built it myself. It’s not as fancy as Villy’s place. I’m not done working on it.” He smiled. “Despite being tiny, it’s still home, and it meets my needs.”
They fell silent. Zeke took a swig of his beer. “I’m going to miss him. I seldom go into town. He always cut my hair for me every time I saw him.” He stroked his beard.
“Hey, I could do that for you,” Peri offered.
“Really?” Zeke appeared a bit doubtful. “Maybe I should shower first and give you something clean to work on. Villy has warm water in his shower. I have a shower too, but it’s only cold water. Although it’s quite pleasant in the warm weather, it takes some intestinal fortitude to use it in the winter.” He shivered and laughed. “Villy let me use his shower sometimes. It was a treat. He’s been bringing solar panels up for me. We’d planned to hook up a couple of panels for me this trip, so I could heat water.” He turned to Peri. “Were you serious about cutting my hair?”
“Sure. Don’t shower yet. You’ll only get covered in hair when I cut it. Let’s just do it.”
“I think he has scissors in the kitchen drawer. I’ll go get them.” Zeke lumbered off, returning a short time later with the scissors and a comb.
Peri had a chair set up in the yard by the time he came out of the cabin. He removed his shirt, and she went to work on the mound of hair on Zeke’s head and face.
Peri stepped away and admired her handiwork. “All done, Zeke.”
“Thanks.” He ran his hand over his hair and beard. “I’ll go shower and shave the rest of this off. Be back in a bit.” He walked to the edge of the yard and retrieved his pack, removed some clean clothes, and headed for the outdoor shower.
Zeke came around the corner half an hour later. There had been a dramatic transformation from Rip Van Winkle to a reasonably attractive man. Clean-shaven and well-groomed, Zeke looked ten years younger.
“I wouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t seen it,” Kim said.
After putting his dirty clothing in his pack, he approached Peri and wrapped her in his big arms. He kissed her on each cheek, leaned over, and whispered in her ear. Peri’s eyes darted to Kim. She stepped back and smiled. “No, sorry big guy. That’s not going to happen.”
“Can’t blame a man for trying.” His jovial laughter rang out.
Before dinner, they got out a map. Zeke put a beefy finger on the page. “That spot right there is my cabin. You’re here.”
Kim pointed to a general area due north of their current location. “My friends are here somewhere. I was there only twice. I’m hoping I can find the right trail when we get up in here. We met them in this town here.” She tapped the map. “Then we transferred to ATVs. We headed out this logging road here and took a right. So, I figure they’re somewhere in this area.”
“There’s a group of people in a little survivalist community up here.” He pointed. “They live off their land, and swap things among themselves a couple of times a year. Each seems to have a different skill set. I go there and trade with them, usually in the fall. I plant a garden for both Villy and me. There are a few things I don’t plant, though. So, I travel for their trading time and give them skins for fresh fruit and the few vegetables I don’t grow in the garden. I get some jerky there too. They’re pretty nice people. They all have separate homesteads. About six or seven farms, I think.”
“Yes! That sounds like them. Can you show us how to get there?” Kim gave him an imploring look.
“Sure.” He directed them to follow the path that led by his place. “Stop in for a visit and I’ll take you to the shortcut that leads to them. It’s not marked on this map. You’ll save several days of hiking, if you take the trail I’ll show you instead of the snowmobile path or the road.”
“We’d appreciate that,” Peri said.
“Of course, you could take Villy’s pickup, or the ATV, and just drive there. It’s got all wheel drive. That’s how I usually do it. It only takes me a couple of hours. It’s about forty miles.”
“We’re still cautious of being on the roads,” Paige replied. “I’d encourage you to exert more caution than usual, as well.”
“I will, I promise.” He glanced out the window. “I’d better get a move on, so I can make it home before dark. How soon you coming to me?”
“As comfortable as this place is, we need to be moving on,” Paige said. The others nodded their agreement. Paige checked her watch. “We’ll come to you Friday afternoon. That’s two days from now. You can show us the trail the next day. Will that work?”
Zeke shrugged. “One day is as good as any other day for me. I’ll see you Friday. I’ll make some dinner. Try to get there by dinnertime.”
“It shouldn’t be a problem.” Paige folded up the map.
“Use his quad.” Zeke cleared his throat. “Villy has some comfortable cots that he keeps in the shed up on the rafters. I’d like to have one of them if you don’t need them.”
“They’re not ours to give. We’ll toss it on the quad when we come and bring it with us. Then we’ll take the trail you show us through the woods. You won’t mind returning his quad?”
“Technically, I guess, it’s my quad now. Villy had nobody. He told me he planned to make me his heir if anything happened to him.” He looked at each of them in turn. “Sure you guys don’t want to stay? I’d love having good neighbors.”
Paige smiled. “Thanks for the compliment. We’ll take it into consideration.”
They stood on the porch and waved, as Zeke shouldered his pack. “I’ll see you on Friday,” he said, before he faded from view into the forest.
The space seemed empty without Zeke’s presence. He had a way of filling the room, and not only with his size. His upbeat and generous personality made him memorable, as well. They set about cleaning up the cabin after Zeke’s visit.
Paige called Murdoch to her side and stopped at the door to say, “I’m going out to find the cots for Zeke. He says there are two of them. I’ll bring one in here for tonight.” She left Peri and Kim to finish up.
The morning of their departure for Zeke’s place, they made a final raid on Villy’s pantry. They divided up the food supplies they could carry between them, balancing out the weight of the packs. When they were done, there were enough supplies left on the shelves to feed at least two people for several months. That was in addition to all the dry goods like pasta, flour, baking soda, salt, and sugar all stored in tins. Paige returned to the cabin, leaving Peri and Kim to organize their gear.
Chapter Seventeen
FROM HER POSITION IN front of the sink, Paige studied Kim and Peri through the cabin’s window. As she observed them, she tried to hear what they were saying. It was apparent they were having a serious discussion. Wish I were a better lip reader. The conversation finally ended. Peri held open her arms and Kim st
epped into the embrace. They gave each other a quick kiss on the lips.
So, what Zeke said is true. They were necking when he found them. With her palm, she rubbed her heart, trying to massage away the actual pain she felt there. She closed her eyes and turned away. Why did I give my word I’d see them to their friends’ place? It’s clear that I’m not needed. They’ve found each other. How could Peri let me think we had a connection when she’s already involved with Kim?
Paige gave a final glance around the little cabin. I’m going to miss it here. Maybe I’ll come back here after I see them to their friends’ place. Zeke’s a good guy and would make a good neighbor. If he moves in here, maybe I could trade him some work for use of his cabin. Or, if he stays put at his place, maybe I could arrange with him to use Villy’s place. With her mind made up, Paige picked up her pack and approached Kim and Peri.
“You two can ride.” Paige tapped her leg to call her dog to her. “Murdoch and I’ll walk.”
“That’s not necessary.” Peri called for Murdoch and patted the pile of neatly folded soft blankets in the back of the vehicle. Murdoch complied and hopped up on the top of the pile. “Zeke said that all of us could ride. We don’t have that far to go and there’ll be enough power in the ATV. It’ll be a treat and fun. Come on.”
“I call dibs to drive first.” Kim dangled the keys on her index finger. “We can switch off and take turns.”
“I’ll flip you for who sits on whose lap.” Peri shared her dimples, as she pulled a souvenir silver dollar from her pocket. She balanced it on her thumb, prepared to flick the coin into the air.
“Put it away. You’re a lightweight. I’ll provide a comfy seat for you. If I sat on your lap, you’d last maybe five minutes.”
With everyone loaded, Kim turned the key and pressed the accelerator. The combination of the unmaintained trail and their precarious load on the ATV forced her to go slow. “We could probably walk this fast. Still, at least we can enjoy not lugging all this stuff to Zeke’s place.”
The trail was rough, causing Peri to jiggle on Paige’s lap. Peri leaned against Paige. She had to wrap her arm around Paige to anchor her against her chest and keep her from flying out of the seat. As Peri’s breast brushed against her own, Paige could feel perspiration form along her hairline and a response grow between her legs. Her nipples contracted making the next contact of Peri’s body with hers even more electric. She could smell Peri’s sweet breath as she exhaled a burst of air when the vehicle jerked.
Paige wrapped one hand around Peri’s legs and adjusted her position a bit to relieve the pressure from the seam of her pants.
Peri turned her face and whispered into Paige’s ear. “Sorry, I must be killing your legs,”
Paige looked into Peri’s eyes, smiled, and shook her head. It’s not my legs that are giving me fits. “I’m fine, I didn’t want you to fall. That’s all.”
Kim hit a rut that caused Paige to again pull Peri tight against her. In response to the groan Paige made, Kim slowed the pace a bit. “It’s a bit rough going here. Zeke said the trail should smooth out in a little bit.”
Zeke proved to be a man of his word. They were soon able to pick up a little speed and made better time. After half an hour on the trail, Kim stopped. “Ready to switch drivers?”
Peri brushed her fingertips along Paige’s hairline at the back of her neck. Paige shuddered as Peri slipped from her lap. She closed her eyes against the sensation and had to clear her throat to say, “I’ll take my turn now.” Paige didn’t make eye contact with Peri, as she walked behind the vehicle and got into the driver’s seat. She left Kim and Peri to work out their seating arrangement.
Peri said, “I think I’ll join Murdoch here in the back.”
Paige struggled to keep her expression neutral while she wondered why Peri chose not to sit with Kim.
As they pulled up in front of his cabin, Zeke greeted them with a huge grin and a big wave. He jumped from the porch and gave each a warm hug. “This is so exciting. I’ve lived here eight years and, other than Villy, you guys are the first company I’ve had.”
While they settled on his porch, he got them a drink of water. “Sorry I don’t have any beer. Villy used to get some for me.”
Paige leaned against the porch rail. “Do you ever go in to town?”
“To Rockford, you mean?” He shook his head. “Nah, maybe once a year. I go in to buy whatever supplies I can’t trade for and maybe a shirt, a pair of pants, or boots. That’s all.”
“You like it out here all alone?” Kim asked. “I’d definitely get lonely.”
“I do.” He scratched his chin. The stubble of a couple of days’ growth of beard was apparently already starting to itch. “Hey, I’m not saying I wouldn’t mind some company.” He looked away and sighed. “I was a car salesman. Had a good life…a wife and a kid. One morning, I kissed them goodbye and left for work. I’d barely settled in my chair when I got the call. Both gone.” His eyes filled. He quickly blinked the tears away. “Beth was taking Katie to school. Freak accident.”
Paige looked around and spoke for all of them. “We’re sorry for your loss, Zeke. It seems that we’ve all lost someone important to us. It’s hard to live through.”
“To say I fell apart would be an understatement.” He lowered his head and studied his fingers. “I was drinking too much and lost my job. Villy took me in hand. Even though I had money from the sale of the house, he wouldn’t take it. He gave me the land here to build my cabin on. This piece of property had been in his family for years.” He gestured at the buildings. “I sobered up here. Built the cabin and sheds. Villy helped me install the solar panels. He made me buy gold coins with the money I had left from my house. I thought he was nuts. I guess with all that’s going on now, I should be happy.”
“That’s true. Paper money can’t be worth anything now. People would more likely trade for sugar, flour, and salt than accept cash.”
“Villy was still working full time. He didn’t get up here as much as either he or I would have liked.”
“He sounds like a great guy.” Peri, who was sitting next to Zeke on the bench, wrapped an arm over his shoulder and gave him a squeeze.
“Anybody hungry? How about some roasted rabbit for dinner? I got a couple earlier today. Maybe one of you can get a fire going in the pit there, while I go get them. I also have mushrooms I picked this morning, and some wild asparagus. If one of you wants to peel them, I still have some carrots left from the cold cellar.” He pointed beyond the shed. “Back behind the shed is my garden. I’ve gotten pretty good at growing things. I have blueberries and apples. Villy brought me two apple trees when I first came here. Now I grow beets, carrots, broccoli, onions, different lettuces, and some herbs.” He laughed. “I eat a lot healthier here than I ever did before I came. I’ve lost weight and am in much better shape.”
Paige looked around. “It seems you have everything you need.”
“Yeah, I do. I’ve been lucky, I guess.” Zeke stood up. “Let’s get dinner started. I’ll go pick some fiddleheads. There’ll only be a few for each of us. Still, worth a taste.”
Paige started down the steps. She turned to Kim. “If you’ll help me gather some wood from the woodpile, we can get the fire going.”
“I’ll go peel the carrots and cook the veggies,” Peri volunteered. She went inside and looked around the small, neat and organized space. The living room was the largest area, open to the small, functional kitchen. His furniture was made from limbs and branches from the forest. Pillows functioned as cushions for the seating. A partitioned space in the living room served to separate off a small bedroom from the rest of the living area. The double bed almost filled it. She imagined Zeke’s feet hung over the bottom of the mattress by several inches. There were no dressers. Several sets of neatly folded clothing sat on what looked like bookshelves that lined one wall. The opposite wall had several sets of pegs drilled into the logs. On them hung several pairs of pants and jackets of various weight
s.
Dinner was an enjoyable experience. The result of the group effort left everyone smacking their lips. They sat around the fire. As the coals of the fire glowed in the night, they chatted about everything and nothing, as if the world were still all right.
Talk turned to their upcoming hike. They moved inside where Zeke got out the map and pointed out the route he recommended. The women leaned over the table, as he stuck his beefy finger on a point he was talking about.
“I don’t get colds.” His deep chuckle was contagious. “I try to be extra careful in the woods. A broken leg could be fatal out here alone. I’m lucky, though. He pointed to a spot on the map. Here, there’s a couple that serves as doctors of sorts for the few of us in this area. Heather Heartpence was a hospital emergency room nurse before she came here. I’m not sure about Hector’s background. Rumor has it he was some sort of pharmacist. Together, they can manage to sew you up if you need stitches and can’t do it yourself. They brew up salves and ointments for pretty much everything that ails you.”
Peri warmed to the topic of medicine. “We should look them up. We’ve had a few scrapes and cuts and have used up the little tube of antibiotic cream we brought in the first aid kit.”
Zeke fell quiet for a few seconds. He poked his finger at the map. “Look, I have an idea. You were planning to make the trek over here, not too far from them, by heading through the woods on foot.”
“We opted for the woods because we wanted to stay off the roads as much as possible.” Paige sat opposite Zeke at the table. “Although we were glad to use Villy’s ATV on the snowmobile track to come to you, it saved us some time, we’re still leery of traveling on the logging trail.”
“What if I take my vehicle, it’s a bit larger than yours, and run you over to Heather and Hector’s? It’ll save you a day or two of hiking.” Idly, he scratched Murdoch’s ear.
“That would be great. You sure you don’t mind?” Peri said.
“It would be my pleasure. Besides, I get to spend another day or two with Murdoch. I might decide to get a dog. I’ve enjoyed having him around.”