by Cari Quinn
He turns to walk backward, which is no small feat in snowshoes. I see the twinkle in his eyes. “Happily, but you have to go first now. I hear the view is something I shouldn’t miss.” He starts to laugh and stumbles. He lands in the snow with a plop.
I walk over and look down at him as I let the backpack fall off my arms.
“Help me up?” He reaches out a hand.
I know better, but grab it anyway. Within seconds I’m in the snow next to him. I lay back and let it cool my body. “Thanks. This feels great.”
“Really? Are you that hot?” He looks down at me with an evil grin on his face.
I reach up and pull him by his fleece to bring him closer. “I believe I am. Should I prove it?” I don’t wait for an answer as I lift my head to kiss him. His tongue meets mine and we melt into each other.
Jason pulls away and takes off a glove. He grabs a handful of snow, and cold water spread as he rubs it downward on my neck. “You most definitely are hot.”
Shivers run down my spine, but not from the cold. The snow under my head starts to get uncomfortable as the chill seeps through my hair. I sit up. “We need to keep moving. I want to find that clearing you showed me last fall.”
Jason’s face lights up, and I know he remembers the magical place. “Do you have any idea how to find it? I’m aware of your sense of direction. I think it’s for the wrong planet.”
“Very funny. I can’t believe you doubt me.” I give him a sly smile and unzip the outer pocket of my pack. I pull out a map. Paper rustles as I unfold it. “I come prepared. Look at this.” I show him the topographical map with a penciled route and notes. He studies it. I reach down to my fleece zipper and hold out the small compass attached. “And this is my secret weapon.”
“Nice. I’m impressed.” He nods and I can tell he means it. “Let’s get going, then. I can’t wait to see what else you packed.”
The swishing of nylon is the only sound I hear as we move. The beginning of our hike was easy compared to what we’re doing now. In thick woods, we part trees and maneuver our feet through low branches and fallen logs. Fortunately, I hiked back here a few times last summer and know the trees thin soon. I also know we’re about to come to a small pond. This time of year I expect we should see animal tracks near the water.
I stop and turn back to Jason. “It’s about to clear, and there’s nice spot for a break. Sound good to you?”
“Yes. Want water?” He has taken off the pack and pulls out our bottles from the side pockets. His smooth locks are a stark contrast to the rough stick I remove from his hair. My skin longs to feel more.
“It’s pretty out here. If we didn’t sound like a couple of elephants, I’d bet we’d see some wildlife.”
“I know. We can try to be quiet when we rest, and maybe we’ll have a sighting. There are deer and elk in these woods.” I put my bottle back in the pack he has returned to his back. “Do you ever wonder what it must have been like to live in the woods during the 1800’s? When I was a little girl, I read the Laura Ingalls Wilder series a few times. She made it sound fun and fascinating. Part of me wishes I could experience it.” I hold a branch back for Jason to grab so it doesn’t hit him as he goes by.
“I do. I’ve thought about what it would be like to build a house using trees I cut myself. I think we would have been great pioneers.”
“If I had you, then I think you’re right.” I look back at Jason to see his reaction. He’s smiling.
“Want to live off the grid with me?” He has a joking tone, but I sense he’s considered it.
“I don’t know. I’m not sure I could live without getting to be girly from time to time. I kind of like heels, makeup, and pedicures.” I duck under a thick branch and it catches my hair. I yank, leaving some behind.
He snorts. “If you help gut the deer, I’ll massage your feet and let you prance around the cabin in sexy clothes. Deal?”
I giggle. “Gosh, that sounds too good to resist.” I look over my shoulder at him and he winks.
“Yeah, you in a tight dress and heels is too good to resist.”
I flash back to the night he drove me home, and my insides get tingly. Note to self—wear that dress again sometime soon.
Up ahead is the clearing. As we approach I notice tiny rabbit tracks and bigger prints that look like deer. This must be the local watering hole. “Let’s go sit over there by that fallen tree.”
Jason walks ahead of me and swipes snow off the log. The backpack lands with a thunk. “Do you have anything in this we can have for a snack? I’m hungry.”
“Sure.” I walk over and unzip the backpack. “How about some cheese? And we can share an apple.”
“Sounds good to me.” He takes the hunk of cheese I hand him. “Doesn’t food always taste better in the woods?”
I chuckle. “I’m not sure I’ve ever thought about that, but I suppose.”
“Seriously though, it just does.” I can tell by the look on his face he believes it.
“Maybe when we live off the grid we should have an outdoor café. No one will know why they can’t resist coming back for more. But we’ll both know the secret. Food tastes better in the woods.” I snort.
“Yeah, yeah, you’re just humoring me. It’s okay. You’ll discover the truth now that I’ve brought it to your attention.” He’s grins and takes a big bite of the apple.
We sit in silence as we eat. I hear birds chatter as they flit from branch to branch. An occasional plop sounds as heavy, wet snow melting in the sun drops from branches. Jason touches my arm and he points to the small hare hopping toward the pond. We watch him take a quick drink of water and bounce away.
I pop the last bit of cheese into my mouth and peer into the pack. Seeing the chicken salad, bread, and cookies, my stomach clenches in anticipation. “Oh man, I wish we could eat everything right now.” I stand up and prepare to leave. “I don’t think we’re far from the magical place. Did you get enough of a snack?”
“Yup. Which way do we go?”
I look down at my compass and point toward the direction we should head. “That way.”
Chapter Fifty-Five
We hike for less than an hour before we reach it. Jason is in front of me, and stops when he sees the clearing. He speaks in a low voice. “We found it.”
I nod and walk ahead of him. I pull branches apart with care to allow us to enter. There’s much less snow on the ground except for a mound in the center of the clearing. The branches don’t quite meet at the top, and snow has fallen through the circle.
A serene silence envelops us. Jason sets the pack down and walks to the mound. He begins to carve at it with his hands, and I realize he’s making us a table. The sound of the zipper on my pack is loud when I open it. I pull out the tablecloth and watch as he finishes. I think about what it would be like living in the woods with him. He’s the most capable man I know. He could make us everything we would need. I let myself drift away in the fantasy of pioneer life with Jason.
“I’m ready for the tablecloth now.” He takes two corners from me, and we lay it out over the snow table. Snowshoes whoosh as Jason stomps the ground. “Help me pack down the snow around it.”
Once we have flattened the area around the table, I take off my snowshoes and begin to unpack lunch. I put out two plastic plates. Jason removes his snowshoes too and lays his coat down on the ground by the table. He sits on it and takes the French bread to slice it for sandwiches. I hand him the chicken salad too. Seltzer fizzes into two plastic wine glasses. I set them down by our plates.
“This looks great.” Jason lifts his glass in a toast. “To roughing it.”
I snort. “To roughing it with you, mountain man.”
We don’t speak until we’ve devoured our sandwiches. “I know the reason food tastes better in the woods.” I smirk at Jason.
“Oh this should be good. Why?”
“Because you usually have to work hard before you eat it. Did you even taste lunch?”
“Yes
, did you?” His eyes dance with laughter. “Because for a minute there, I thought I heard a wild boar.”
“You say the nicest things to me.” Okay, so I did eat quickly. “I moaned in pleasure, that wasn’t snorting. You, on the other hand—Hey!” A hand has snatched my cookie. “If you value your man parts, you’ll give that back.”
“Actually, my valuable man parts think you need this cookie. Here. Fatten up.”
Happy to have the cookie back, I don’t reply and take a big bite.
Once I’ve taken the last bite, I speak again. “I’m so full now I can barely move.” I pack up the remains.
Jason removes the vinyl cloth and lays it out on the ground with the cloth side up. “Come over here and we can rest a bit.” He falls back and faces the sky.
I cuddle up next to him and close my eyes. I take a deep breath through my nose to smell his sweaty musk. I shiver from eating and inactivity. Jason sits up and reaches for our coats to cover us as blankets. “There, warmer now?” He’s pulled me to his chest, and the soft flannel of his shirt collar is against my cheek.
“This is perfect.” I turn away so I’m on my back and looking up at the sky too. I hear the cheep, cheep, cheep of a nuthatch. “Why do you suppose this place was created? It has to be man-made.”
“I don’t know, but this reminds me of being a kid. My grandparents had a farm, and in their woodlands was a little outdoor chapel. At least that’s what my grandmother called it. There were two benches made out of logs, and the trees had been cleared in a rectangle shape. Over time, the branches all leaned in, creating something similar to this. Gram used to bring my brother and me out there to play. She would sit and knit while we fought off the bad guys.”
“That sounds wonderful.”
“It was. My grandparents were a big part of my life after my father died.” Jason sits up and I hear rustling. A pocketknife clicks open as he stands. He walks over and snaps a branch off a dead tree. He breaks it down to a small piece and comes to sit next to me. I see him start to hack at it with the knife.
“Are you whittling?”
“I am. My grandfather taught me how to do this, and I haven’t in years. I used to sit with him at night, and we would make tiny animals. If I remember right, you may even know what it is when I’m done.” He moves on to more delicate carving. “My grandfather is the one that taught me how to build. There was always something that needed to be made or repaired on the farm. I think I’ll always want to work with my hands. It’s in my blood.”
I listen to the scraping of his knife. “You really are a mountain man. I used to help my grandmother can vegetables from her garden and make jam. It’s a satisfying feeling to look at all those jars on a shelf.” The taste of her blueberry jam is vivid in my mind, and the memory tugs on my heart. “She’s the one who taught me how to knit. We would sit together after dinner and make mittens or socks while watching TV. I loved staying at her house.”
I sit up to see how Jason’s figure is coming along. He puts the finishing touches on it. Taking the sharp point of his knife, he pokes tiny indents for what I assume are eyes. “It’s a bunny, isn’t it?”
“It sure is. This is the little guy we saw at the pond.” He places it in my hand. “Here, it’s for you. I still need to sand it, but you keep it for now.”
My fingers wrap around the rough wood. “He’s adorable. Thank you, I love him.” I look into Jason’s eyes and see he’s proud of his handiwork. “You’re amazing.” His smile is radiant, and it warms my heart that my adoration makes him so happy.
I get up on my knees and reach over for his hand. I pull it up to my mouth. I kiss his palm and murmur, “These are magic hands you have.” I breathe in the scent of pine.
Jason licks his lips and gets up on his knees too. He takes my face in his hands. He brushes his thumb over my lower lip, and I start to come undone. Trembling, I reach up to touch his bottom lip with my finger. He gently sucks it in and I sigh. I bite my lower lip and realize what I’ve done. I watch his reaction. The look on his face sets my juices flowing, and I pull him to me. His kiss burns with desire as his hands move down my body to cup my butt. We have on way too many clothes. I would love to peel them off, but I’m letting Jason lead. He pulls away and takes a deep breath.
“We should get moving again.”
I nod and get up. I put the little rabbit in my inner jacket pocket and zip it up to keep him safe. “Someday, I want a place like this.”
“Me, too. Thanks for bringing me here.” Jason straps on his snowshoes and puts on the pack. He sweeps his arm toward our trail. “Lead the way.”
I glance around the circle and pat the pocket that holds the bunny; it’s right next to my heart.
Chapter Fifty-Six
Jason and I are headed over to the Kids’ Castle. He’s nervous, and I try to convince him it’ll be fun. “Just be silly. You’ll have a good time. They’re little people who love to laugh.”
“Right. Little people that can get hurt, eat, and pee at any time.”
I roll my eyes at him. “Try to focus on the best.”
We enter into a room full of chaos. High-pitched voices strike above the din. I spy Heather and lead Jason over to her. “Tell us what to do.”
“I made it easy for you two. This way you’ll want to come back.” A pencil taps on her clipboard. “You have upper-level kids, and I divided them into a boys’ group and a girls’ group. You can ski with all of them as a team and break away if they want to ski different terrain.”
Fear has progressed to terror on Jason’s face. “What do I teach them?”
“You don’t. Just ski well, one level above them, and make sure they each spend time following you. Kids learn by watching and doing. The most important thing is to make it fun. Make them love skiing as much as you do.” She pats his shoulder. “You’ll be just fine. Your groups are outside by the Level 7 sign.”
Level 7s can ski a majority of the mountain. With kids, I know some will be 8s by the end of a week. We’ll get some good skiing in. She’s making sure we’ll come back. “Thanks, Heather.”
I try to see this through Jason’s eyes. Our students look like a sea of helmets bobbing. On each one is a piece of masking tape labeled with a name in Sharpie. I smile at the efficiency. I whisper to Jason, “The names, I wish we could do that with adults.” He cracks a smile.
“Hey, guys. I’m Casey, and this is Jason. We’re going to start as a group. Does anyone need to go to the bathroom?” Nobody raises a hand. “Excellent. Okay, equipment check. Yell “check” after each thing I say, unless you don’t have it. Helmet?” Jason puts his hand on his helmet, and I hear a chorus of “Check!”
“Skis?” Jason bends over and touches his skis. A few kids do the same.
“Check!”
“Boots?” Now most of the kids touch their boots like Jason.
“Check!”
“Poles?”
“Check!”
“Underwear?” This gets a few giggles, and when Jason pulls out his pants as if he’s making sure, they all chuckle. He looks at me in mock panic. Tapping my shoulder, he pretends to whisper in my ear that he doesn’t have his. The kids squeal with laughter. He’ll be great.
Jason’s a natural. We play off each other, and he has everyone entertained with his antics. He steals my cookie, wears my jacket claiming one of the kids must have shrunk his, and makes faces behind me when I talk to the group. I knew he would be good, but even I’m surprised at how well he gets their humor. This should be a fun week.
Chapter Fifty-Seven
It’s Christmas Eve and I’m so excited. Lori and Kaleb will be joining us for dinner. Megan asked us to dress up a bit, and I’m in a plum crushed-velour dress that hugs my body. Wearing my Bean boots, I have my heels in a tote along with the gifts, wine, and Jason’s socks. I also have little gifts for everyone tonight. I found dainty snowflake earrings for the girls and a do-it-all gadget pocketknife that hooks onto a keychain for the guys. Snow is predicted toni
ght, but right now the sky looks crisp and clear. While I love falling snow on Christmas Eve, the stars are a close second. I let the Colorado sky mesmerize me.
Approaching Jason’s house, I see the guys have hung lights on the eaves of the front porch. They even strung them on two rocking chairs. I smile to myself as I walk up the path. Jason must have been watching for me because he opens the door as I get to it. He has a navy sweater over a white button-down shirt. Instead of his usual jeans, he’s wearing khakis.
“You look handsome.” His woodland scent floats toward me.
“Thanks. Come on in while I get my jacket.”
Breezing by him, a decorated interior greets me. There’s a tree and garland on the mantel. Someone hung old ski socks over the fireplace. I grin. “Who hung those?”
“Bill. He’s going to make someone a great wife.” Jason is teasing. I know he’s grown to like Bill. He was the one that suggested Bill move in when one of the guys bailed on them. Besides, I guess the bathroom and kitchen stay clean.
I wander to the kitchen and notice a plate full of cookies. “Someone in this house has a thing for Christmas, don’t they?” I snitch a cookie and put a little sugar explosion in my mouth.
“They all do. I had no choice but to like it this year.” He reaches over and breaks off a piece of my cookie. “I’m ready.”
Snow crunches under our feet. “You’re great with kids. I’m having a good time teaching with you.”
“You think? They do laugh at my jokes.” He snorts. “Of course, picking on you makes it easy. I’m already good at that.” Christmas music greets him as he opens the car door.
“It’s more than that.” I slide in behind the wheel and turn down the music. “You’re patient and kind. I think half the girls have a crush on you.”
“I’ll admit I like it more than I thought I would. Who knew?” I look over and see his genuine smile.
* * *
Nick greets us at the front door. He gives Jason a half hug. “Hey, guys.” He points at the mistletoe above the doorway and winks at me. “I get to kiss all the girls tonight.” His lips brush mine. “Megan’s in the kitchen.” Jason hands me the bag, and bottles clink when he removes them. He heads to the fridge. Retrieving my shoes, I slip them on and walk to the dining area. Megan has the table set and it’s beautiful. A white tablecloth is topped with six place settings, and each has a red napkin in a silver ring. The centerpiece is holly with red berries, and green candles are lit. I set the presents at each seat, alternating male and female.