6 Maple Leaf Hunter

by Maddie Cochere

  I hoisted the canoe up and tried to get a better grip. This wasn’t the idyllic morning I had envisioned.

  The alarm went off at four thirty as expected, and Mick and I had no trouble getting up and dressed for our fishing trip. When we arrived in the lobby, Darby and Nate were already having coffee in front of a roaring fire. Nate was more than a little bleary eyed.

  I tried to hide a smile as I asked, “How’d you guys sleep last night?”

  “I slept like a baby,” Darby said.

  Nate shook his head and said, “I think I only slept for an hour. I wasn’t trying to listen for the Sasquatch, but every time I’d start to drop off, I was sure I heard it. I’m going to have to wear earplugs and take sleeping pills if I’m going to get any sleep while we’re here.”

  Darby threw his arm around Nate’s shoulders and gave him a sympathetic hug. I couldn’t help smiling, but I did feel sorry for him.

  “Breakfast is ready,” Emily called from the dining room.

  The table was loaded with food. There were pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, breakfast sausages, fresh fruit, and toast. The guys made appreciative noises and prepared to dig in. I couldn’t imagine eating such a heavy meal at this time of morning.

  “I’ll just have orange juice and coffee,” I said to no one in particular.

  Dan came into the room from the kitchen. Another man followed, and they both sat down at the table.

  “This is Harvey,” Dan said as he stabbed a stack of pancakes and flopped them over onto his plate. He poured maple syrup liberally over the stack before saying, “He’s your driver today.”

  Everyone greeted Harvey as he stabbed his own stack of pancakes. Darby asked, “Why do we need a driver? Don’t we just take a boat from your dock?”

  Dan had just stuffed his mouth full of pancakes, but he managed to say, “Not today. You’re getting the full treatment. Harvey’s going to drop you off at one of the best spots around for muskie fishing.”

  Emily noticed my juice and coffee and said, “Susan, you need to eat something solid. You’d be surprised how much energy you use out there, and you’ll be sorry in a couple of hours if you don’t eat now.”

  I didn’t think it would matter, but I didn’t want to offend her, so I grabbed a piece of toast to nibble on.

  Now here I was, two hours later, struggling with the canoe and wishing I had listened to Emily and eaten a stack of pancakes.

  Harvey had dropped us off at a location about twenty minutes from the lodge. He handed a map to Mick and sent us on our way. We had already paddled across one lake and portaged across one stretch of land. That huge drain on my energy was followed by paddling across another lake. We were on our final portage, which would supposedly take us to the best fishing spot with the muskie.

  “Here we go, Susan,” Mick said.

  The lake was only a few feet ahead of us now. Relief swept through every muscle in my body as I set the canoe down.

  Nate climbed into their canoe first with Darby jumping in after and pushing them off.

  Mick turned to me and wrapped his arms around me in a big hug. “I know that wasn’t easy,” he said. “You did great.”

  I appreciated his words, but I appreciated more the deep kiss that followed them.

  “Are you ready to catch some fish?” he asked.

  “I sure am,” I said cheerfully.

  I positioned myself in the front of the canoe and held on tight while Mick pushed us off. I had never been in a canoe before, and I was nervous when we crossed the first lake. I was afraid if I moved, I would tip us over. Mick was skilled with a paddle and didn’t need me to assist, but I picked mine up now to help us catch up to Darby and Nate.

  As we made our way, I noticed we were in a truly isolated area. We hadn’t seen any other fishermen or hunters all morning. It was a little unsettling, but with such beautiful surroundings, and three great guys to watch out for me, I set my unease aside.

  We soon rounded a bend and found ourselves at the mouth of a cove.

  “This looks like a good spot,” Mick called over to the guys. “We’ll go to the right. Why don’t you try the left side?”

  Darby nodded and guided their canoe into the cove.

  The shallow water here surprised me. Although greenish in color, it was easy to see plant life and small fish all the way to the bottom.

  While Mick dug around in the gear to ready our rods, I pulled a pair of binoculars out of the bag by my feet. I wasn’t entirely certain why I had asked Dan for a pair before we left, but I was glad I had them now. Looking at our surroundings through the binoculars was amazing. A brace of ducks in the distance was gorgeous through the lenses. I gave scrutiny to the shoreline, the uppermost parts of trees, and I swung around to look at Darby and Nate. The detail was amazing, and I saw the blue of Darby’s eyes as he waved to me.

  “Here you go,” Mick said.

  I set the binoculars down and took the rod from him.

  “Yuck!” I cried. “Where’s my lure? Or my fake worm? Is that real?” I was disgusted to see a frog on the end of my line.

  Mick couldn’t help laughing. “Yes, it’s real,” he said. “They’re good bait. You’ll see. Give it a little squeeze before you cast. It won’t have so much air in its lungs, and it’ll sink.”

  My mouth hung open. “You can’t be serious. I don’t want to fish with a frog. Nate will die if he sees this. He’ll think we’re killing Kermit.”

  He laughed again. “Here. Swing it back over to me.” I did as he said, and he gave the frog a squeeze. “Now hurry up and cast,” he said.

  My first cast didn’t go out as far as I had hoped. I slowly reeled in and tried again.

  “Give your line a couple of quick jerks, and then reel in a little bit,” he said. “You want the frog to look natural underwater.”

  I had always bobber fished with my dad. This was an entirely different experience of continually working the line.

  When my line came in, my frog was gone. I was secretly glad he had made a getaway.

  “Mick, I want a worm this time,” I said.

  “One more frog,” he said. “Try it this way one more time, and if you don’t catch anything, I’ll put a lure on for you.”

  He was so convincing, it was hard to argue with him. It didn’t help that he hadn’t shaved since Sunday, and he looked incredibly sexy with the light growth defining his strong jawline. A wave of desire for him swept over me. If Darby and Nate weren’t here with us, I would have talked him into taking shore leave.

  The look on my face, and the flush creeping into my cheeks gave me away. He simply smiled and said, “Later. Maybe the bearskin rug in the lobby.”

  It was silly my own husband could make me blush, but I felt my face go red hot at the thought of having sex in the open at the lodge. “You’re bad,” I whispered as I swung my hook around to him.

  He laughed, and I saw the wonderfully amused look in his eyes I loved so much. All signs of stress and fatigue were gone from his face, and I knew he was happy out here on the lake.

  With a new, freshly squeezed frog on my hook, I cast my line. It was a beauty this time. I worked the line and hoped for a big fish or another frog escape. When I reeled the line in, the frog was still on the hook. It gave me the creeps, but I told it I was sorry as I gave it another squeeze and cast again.

  I forgot about making little jerks. I simply reeled my line in slowly as I daydreamed about Lizzie and taking her fishing one day.

  Nate began making whooping noises across the cove, and I knew one of them had caught a fish. I looked over to see Darby holding one up, but it didn’t look very big to me. I knew I could see it better with the binoculars. I reached down to pick them up.

  Before I could get a hand on them, my line went taut and the rod jerked out of my hand. It crashed against the front of the canoe. The reel caught on the edge.

  I snatched it up with my heart racing. I was more concerned I had almost lost fishing equipment belonging to Dan and Emily t
han I was that there was a fish on my line.

  Mick was excited behind me. “Don’t reel too fast. Just a little at a time. Release your bail and give it more line if you have to.”

  I didn’t know what I was doing. Bluegill never put up a fight. This was definitely not a bluegill. I was terrified it just might be a muskie.

  Mick scooted up directly behind me with a net. He continued to offer encouragement while I worked the fish closer and closer to the canoe.

  When it came into view, I squealed. It was a big one.

  “That’s a largemouth bass,” he said excitedly and leaned down to scoop it up with the net. “It’s at least fifteen inches. What a great catch, Susan.” He clapped me on the back like he would one of the guys.

  I was proud of my fish. The poor little frog did a fine job of finding an especially good one for me. I was going to be telling this story for a long time.

  He held up the fish for Darby and Nate to see. Sounds of approval echoed across the cove. He put the fish on a stringer and hung it in the water.

  “Aren’t you going to let him go?” I asked.

  “Let him go? He’s lunch,” he said. We’re going to eat what we catch.”

  “How?” I asked.

  “We’ll make a fire,” he said. “We’re living off the land today.”

  The thought of eating fish for lunch was appealing. My stomach rumbled, and once again, I regretted not eating breakfast.

  We continued to fish for another couple of hours. I didn’t know how many fish Darby and Nate caught, but Mick and I only added one more small fish to our stringer.

  I put my rod down and picked up the binoculars. I surveyed the lake again and was just as enthralled with the beautiful scenery as I was the first time I looked.

  I turned around in my seat to face Mick. He had just cast his line and was slowly reeling it in. I scanned the shoreline of the cove through the binoculars. As much as I loved the setting, I couldn’t imagine living here. I was definitely a girl who wanted to be close to grocery stores, malls, and civilization.

  Movement in the trees caught my eye. I thought it might be a bear or a moose. I made sure the binoculars were in focus, and I scanned the area again. Sure enough, there was movement, and suddenly, the animal was in an open space between two trees. I yanked the binoculars down to look with my naked eyes.

  My peripheral vision caught a long, dark shadow passing by on my left, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the shoreline.

  I peered through the binoculars again, but it was gone. I continued scanning, hoping for another glimpse. Just as I was ready to give up, it came into full view at the edge of the water, and I could see it clearly. It was looking directly at me.

  At the very moment the Sasquatch and I made eye contact, the canoe lurched violently to the side, nearly dumping us into the water.

  My short, shrill scream alerted Darby and Nate to our rocking canoe and splashing water around us. They quickly paddled in our direction.

  “What was that?” I screeched.

  The canoe had righted itself, and Mick began grabbing gear out of the water. The look on his face was one of humor rather than fear.

  “That,” he said with emphasis, “was a muskie.”

  “A muskie attacked us?” I asked.

  “Not us,” he said. “He made off with your fish.”

  He held up the stringer. Only a small part of the body and the head remained on the stringer with the other smaller fish. It completely unnerved me. I dropped to my knees and gripped the sides of the canoe. I was terrified of being in the water with something that could take a chunk out of me.

  Darby and Nate pulled alongside.

  “What happened?” Darby asked.

  “Were you trying to stand up? You know, you can’t stand in a canoe,” Nate said.

  Mick beamed as he held the stringer up for them to see. “A muskie hit it,” he said. “I saw him, and he was huge. Had to be at least four feet.”

  “That’s awesome!” Nate crowed.

  “Unbelievable,” Darby said with excitement. “It nearly took you over.”

  “I’ve had enough,” I told them. Tears were near the surface. “I’m done fishing, and I want out of here.”

  They all laughed at my fright over the fish, but it was more than the fish. I didn’t dare say anything about the Sasquatch in front of Nate. He would be far more frightened than I was.

  “Let’s pull in to shore and have lunch,” Mick said.

  “Not here,” I said. “I don’t want to stay in the cove.”

  Nate laughed and said, “The fish don’t go up on shore, Susan.”

  Mick pulled the map from his pocket to look it over. “The fire pit is on the east side of the second lake.” He looked at me and asked, “Can you handle a portage to get there?”

  I nodded my head. I could carry both canoes by myself if it meant leaving the cove.

  I let go of the sides of the canoe, but I refused to sit on the seat. I stayed where I was until it was time to carry the canoe to the next lake. My heart raced the entire time we crossed the portage trail. I continually searched the woods on both sides of us for movement.

  When the canoes were launched again, I used the binoculars to scrutinize every inch of the shoreline, but I didn’t spot the creature again.

  We put ashore at the fire pit, and Darby and Nate went right to work making a fire. Mick instructed me to locate a large wooden box. It would contain our cooking and eating utensils. He then set about cleaning and filleting the fish.

  I found the box wedged between two boulders and opened it. A large, waterproof, plastic container held everything we would need to cook and eat our meal. I placed the items on a long, flat rock.

  I was more relaxed here. I climbed atop a large boulder and watched the guys work. I tried to convince myself I hadn’t really seen a Sasquatch, but there was no mistaking what it was when I saw it through the binoculars. I wasn’t sure if I should tell Mick about it or not. I knew it would be hard to believe, especially when I didn’t say anything to him right away.

  Nate used a spatula to turn the fish over in the skillet. The odor of the frying fish was mouthwatering. I wondered if it would draw bears.

  Mick prepared the forks and plates by washing them with hand sanitizer and water from our bottles. There was something about watching him work with his hands that touched my heart. I loved to watch him draw blueprints, plant flowers, hold Lizzie, or even do something simple like washing tin forks. There was an assuredness and an ease. You knew they were capable hands.

  I shook my head as my body tingled and a flush crept into my face. It had to be the fresh air that was making me so turned on for him. I turned away before he could look at me and read the lust in my face again.

  I should have looked away sooner. I might have been able to warn Nate not to wet a wad of paper towels before using them to pick up the hot skillet. Unfortunately, I only saw him grab the handle, pull the skillet from the fire, and stand up to move it to a nearby rock. The wet paper towels quickly transferred the heat to his hands. He only took two steps before howling with pain and dropping the skillet upside down on the ground.

  All three of the guys were horrified at the fish destruction. I howled with laughter. Between their looks of dismay, the muskie attack, the Sasquatch, and now the fact that I was starving and there was no lunch, the day had become a memory for all time.

  One by one, the guys began to laugh. If anyone had come upon us at that moment, they would have thought we had all gone off the deep end with crazy laughter.

  Darby made a quick run over to his canoe. He came back with four brown sacks and handed one to each of us.

  “There was a backup plan,” he said.

  A bologna sandwich and a bag of potato chips never tasted so good before.

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  I toweled off from my shower, and slipped into a silky robe. Mick would be back soon, and I planned to have my way with him. I struck a sexy pose on the bed. The p
osition was uncomfortable. I tried a different pose, but it wasn’t any better. I giggled at how silly I must look. I rolled over onto my side and closed my eyes to rest – just for a few minutes.

  My eyes flew open when an alarm clock went off.

  I saw Mick stirring beside me. The clock on the nightstand indicated it was seven fifteen. I had been sleeping for over an hour.

  “I didn’t hear you come in,” I told him. “Why didn’t you wake me?”

  He smiled and slid closer to kiss my forehead. “We were up early, and I knew carrying the canoe wore you out, so I wanted to let you sleep. Besides, I’m waking you up now.” He slipped a hand inside my robe and let his fingers glide over my skin. A mischievous smile crept over his face as he said, “We have forty-five minutes before we’re expected downstairs.”

  My smile matched his, and my tingles returned.

  Harvey had picked us up from our fishing adventure and dropped us off at the lodge at five-thirty. We all tiptoed past a napping Beau and entered the lodge. We were excited to tell Dan and Emily about our day, but they weren’t anywhere to be found. A chalkboard in the lobby indicated we were to be on the patio at eight o’clock for dinner.

  Darby and Nate went to the RV to clean up and relax. Mick went to check on Alex in his cabin. I ran up to our room to take a shower.

  The nap and an extra forty-five minutes to enjoy Mick were welcome, and I felt rested and completely satisfied when we joined the others.

  There were several picnic tables on the large patio. Two outdoor fryers were already heated for whatever Dan and Emily had in store for us.

  The four hunters staying in the cabins occupied one of the tables. I had seen them earlier in the day when Harvey dropped us off. One of them had shot a bear, and the men were at a staging area below the parking lot having their picture taken with it.

  The proud shooter was now talking about freezing the meat for winter and having the skin made into a rug. All four were drinking beer and getting louder by the minute.

  We joined Darby, Nate, and Alex at the largest table. I said hello to Alex and asked, “Did you have a good day?”