Magic in the Mountains

by Donna Kunkel

  “Why don’t you pick out some ice cream for us,” Peter said.

  “Where is it?” Alex asked.

  “Out in the freezers with the rest of the food.”

  Alex went out to get some. The first freezer she opened was packed with all kinds of frozen dinners. The second freezer contained the meat, milk, eggs, and other ingredients. She pulled out a tub of chocolate chip and brought it back in. She opened the tub, and Steve reached around her with the scoop.

  “Let me,” he whispered, his breath teasing the side of her face.

  She ducked under his arm and collected the bowls that were already set out. She held one up as Steve transferred the ice cream.

  “Chicken,” he whispered.

  “You bet…I’m not sure—” she whispered back.

  “Not sure that you’ll enjoy it?”

  “It’s not that.”

  “I know it isn’t.” He paused for her answer.

  She held up the second bowl.

  “You’re stalling.”

  She nodded, “I’m not sure that we should when we’re living together.”

  “When then, if not now?”

  She shrugged and held up the third bowl.

  “Stalling again.”

  She nodded and took the bowls back to the table.

  Peter returned carrying a folder and laid it on the table. “Here’s the information I have on the solar panels. It’ll give you an idea of how much it’ll cost.”

  Peter and Steve leafed through the information and Alex savored her ice cream. Maybe he was right. Why not? She was attracted to him, had been all along. She had been looking for someone normal. Maybe he’s the one? She glanced around Peter’s house. Would she really want to give up all the comforts and live in a cabin like Steve’s? She paused with the spoon half-way to her mouth. If that’s where he was, then yes. The comforts weren’t all that important. She’d lived most of her life without electric. But could she keep her magic a secret? She took several more spoonfuls. If it means being happy, you bet. She set her spoon down in the empty bowl. When she looked over at Steve, he quickly glanced at her and smiled. She’d have to see how it went.

  Steve interrupted her thoughts, “We need to get back. A storm looks like it might be moving in.”

  Alex nodded and carried the bowls out to the kitchen sink.

  “I know. Why don’t I have a party?” Peter looked at Alex. “You could meet everyone and they might have some ideas on a new job.”

  “That’d be great,” Alex answered.

  “I’ll get everything set up. Next week we’ll have a lunchtime potluck,” Peter said. He helped Alex get her coat on and handed her her bag. “Come back whenever you want to get another shower.” He smiled at her. “I like having company.”

  “Especially when it’s young women.” Steve nudged Peter’s shoulder.

  “Well, it doesn’t hurt. I like women.”

  “I know you do.” Steve looked at Alex. “He wouldn’t mind having you stay here so you could get to know him.”

  “Of course I would,” Peter added. “You’d be more than welcome anytime.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” Alex said, “but I’m fine for now.”

  Peter touched Alex’s arm to get her to stop while Steve headed out. Peter whispered to her, “Watch yourself. Don’t get too involved, he’s a heart-breaker. I’ve never known him to date anyone more than a dozen times.”

  “I’ll be careful,” Alex quietly said. She headed out to the snowmobile.

  “My offer is always open,” Peter called from the door. “I put something special in the pack for you.”

  Steve helped Alex on the snowmobile. “Over my dead body,” he mumbled.

  “I heard that,” Alex said into his ear right before Steve started the engine.

  When they got back to the cabin, Alex was hanging up her gear when Steve entered. He moved closer, then closer still. Alex backed up until she was against the wall. He put an arm on each side of her, pinning her there. “You didn’t answer my question.”

  Alex tried to look oblivious, “Which question?”

  “The one about us.” He moved his body against hers. “About if we should or not.”

  “Oh…that one.”

  Steve moved his face within inches of hers, their mouths almost touching. “Think about this.” He kissed her, tenderly at first then with his heart and soul. She slid her arms under his coat and encircled him, pulling him closer. He let out a low growl in his throat and kissed her even more intently. His tongue searched and claimed hers. She could feel her magic curling around his, something—like a type of flame—pulling her in even closer, igniting a fire inside her. Her whole body craved for him to take her, claim her. He stopped after a few minutes and leaned his forehead against hers. Her heart pounded as well as his. “I know you want me. Why are you resisting?”

  “I need more time,” Alex said. “I’m just not sure.”

  “You’ll let me know when you decide?”

  “Definitely.”

  Steve pushed himself away. “Anna Belle’s probably waiting to be milked.”

  Alex nodded. Steve hung up his coat and headed for the barn. Alex leaned against the cold wall for a few minutes until her heart slowed down. She did want him, but she couldn’t decide. She felt comfortable with him and trusted him. What else could she want? She wandered over to the fireplace and added more logs. When the fire crackled merrily, she curled up in the chair and wrapped a blanket around herself. She pretended to be engrossed in her book when Steve returned. He didn’t say anything but read for a while before going to bed. Alex got as comfortable as she could in the chair. No way was she sleeping in the bed tonight, or she wouldn’t be able to resist him. His smell and warmth made her feel like she’d found a home. And she didn’t want to go there until she’d decided to.

  Chapter 12

  The next morning, Alex unloaded the pack. She placed the canned goods on the shelves in the storage room and pulled out a bag from the bottom, containing those heavenly drops of chocolate wrapped up in silver. She couldn’t remember how long it’d been since she’d even had a hot chocolate. The chocolate had taken away some of her cravings for a soft drink. Then she had become obsessed with chocolate. She’d dreamed about sinking her teeth into a luscious candy bar for ages. She wouldn’t be picky, any would do, and now she had a bagful to savor. Steve didn’t have any type of candy, especially not chocolate. Who could go months without savoring a bit of candy melting in your mouth? It wasn’t normal. The longer she spent here, the more accustomed she’d become to the quiet, but she would fare even better with chocolate. She carefully opened the bag and ate three pieces. Heaven. She gently placed the bag on a shelf and sighed. By pacing herself, she could last a long time on the bag.

  For the next few days, the snowstorms picked up again. Alex stared out the ice-covered glass. If only she could get outside for a few minutes to get a lungful of crisp clean air. Snow had fallen all day, only stopping when night fell. The landscape consisted of dark gray shapes. There was a sliver of light far off down the valley. She didn’t think she could see Peter’s house from here.

  She waited, watching for any movement, any animals, anything, any signs of life. The light started to climb into the sky. It was only the moon.

  She watched for several more minutes, enjoying the way the moonlight lit up the scenery. Everything turned golden as a large harvest moon slid up above the trees. The moon would be full within the week. A winter wonderland filled the valley, like something out of a fairy tale. She watched, half expecting a unicorn to wander out of the trees. She was going bonkers. First it was the crazy hen, now unicorns. Really? Bears, maybe. She’d been spending too much time inside. She took one last look as the moon shrank when it climbed higher in the night sky and went back to read.

  The next morning, she trudged out into the barn to get her chores done. For several days now, she’d been accidentally changing the chicken’s corn into popcorn. They loved
the stuff. While they chased the white puff balls, she could easily collect all the eggs. Even the demon hen wasn’t giving her as much grief lately, but it still stalked her whenever it got the chance. As if on cue, all the hens flew down off their perches and clustered around her feet when she entered the coop. She slid her fingers into the bucket of corn and took a deep breath.

  Nothing.

  Not even a single pop.

  What could be wrong? She should know better by now. When had anything gone as she’d expected? Everything she tried ended up being a comedy of errors. All the hens stood there without uttering a single cluck, turning their heads this way and that on the chance they’d missed something.

  She slipped her hand out and tried again. She concentrated. Why couldn’t she figure out how to do this? It wasn’t exactly a difficult piece of magic. She never did it on purpose, but her magic sometimes erupted without being summoned. The slick kernels slid between her fingers. Still nothing.

  “Oh well,” she told the hens. “Sorry, girls.”

  She grabbed a handful and scattered the grain around the floor. All the chickens eyed the kernels but didn’t move. They looked up at her again. She tossed more handfuls out. They looked at the kernels again, then wandered away.

  “Now I’m disappointing the chickens.” She emptied the rest of the bucket and left.

  After getting done in the barn, Alex started shoveling the front porch. When she finished, she leaned on the shovel and looked around at the vast white space and shuddered. The absolute silence unnerved her. Not a single car, dog bark, or snow blower to break the quiet. It was unreal, like she’d stepped onto an alien planet devoid of life. Great. Now she was thinking about alien planets. It was bad enough that she’d been thinking about unicorns last night. At least she knew that unicorns did exist, but alien planets? Maybe they existed too, after all, there were authors who spent their days dreaming up these possibilities. She’d be content to read about it all, tucked in a comfy blanket in front of a blazing fire. Tomorrow she’d get to talk with her mom again. At least that would vary her day.

  The next day it only drizzled a few flakes, so they took off for Peter’s. As Alex rode with her arms around Steve, she realized how much more comfortable she felt around him. They were talking more now that they’d fallen into an easy friendship. Maybe there was even more, if his kisses were any indication, but she didn’t want to go there yet. She needed time to sort out her feelings. So many changes were happening in her life, but he felt so right. Maybe she should take a chance and find out. He’d been touching her more often and so was she, as if they had a connection they didn’t want to sever. And he was always nearby or at least watching. She shifted her hand on his chest and he put his gloved hand over hers as they traversed a flat stretch. She settled a little closer to his back and tightened her arms around his chest. When they reached Peter’s, he took her hand to help her off and kept hold of it as they walked to the door. He paused and brushed some snow off her coat and knocked.

  Peter opened the door moments later. “Glad to see you again. Hey, why don’t you fill up your snowmobile while Alex and I get set up?” Peter said to Steve.

  “I should be okay.” Steve shuffled.

  “Come on, you’re feeding her and giving her a place to stay. Let me do this to help out.”

  “Okay.” Steve headed back to the snowmobile.

  Peter helped Alex out of her gear, and they headed back to the radio. “I’ll be ready in a few moments,” Peter said to Alex.

  Alex nodded while he contacted his friend. When her mom got on, Alex said, “How is everything?”

  “I picked up your last check and cleaned out your desk. That boss of yours isn’t too bad of a fellow,” her mom answered.

  “He’s a good man, just couldn’t do anything more.”

  “Well, your last check was big. It should cover your part of the rent for a good six months. So I don’t want you to rush getting back. How’s this person you’re staying with? Is he a good man?”

  Alex looked over to Peter, who was busy sorting through some files. She answered, “Steve’s a good man…he’s been taking good care of me.”

  “I recognize that tone. Be careful, I wouldn’t want you to break your heart. He might not be the right sort of person for you.”

  “That doesn’t matter and you know that.” Alex shifted in her chair.

  “You know I’ve never agreed with this experiment of yours. You shouldn’t deny who you really are.”

  “I know, Mom. You’ve made your position perfectly clear.”

  “Okay. I just want you to be happy.”

  “Even with a normal, everyday sort of man?”

  Her mom paused. “Even then. But take your time and be sure.”

  “I will,” Alex answered.

  They talked for a few more minutes about the rest of the family. At least everyone there was going on with their lives.

  As they closed and said their goodbyes, Alex added, “No birds. I don’t want to see a single pigeon. We’ll talk later.”

  Peter thanked his friend and disconnected. “I have to ask about the birds.”

  “It’s a joke between my mom and me,” Alex said.

  Peter nodded and leaned back in his chair. “So what did you do for work?”

  “I used to do technical writing. The company got contracts with other manufacturers to write their manuals for them.”

  “And now you spend your days taking care of livestock and reading. Do you like to read?”

  “I love to read, but I couldn’t do as much as I’d like with all the hours I worked.” She settled back in the chair. “Guess I have time now.”

  “I’ve got an idea. You need to talk with the Gibsons. They work for a book publisher. As long as they have power, they write their own books or help edit others. Maybe they could put in a good word for you.”

  Was this too much to hope for? “Do you think they might be able to help?” A glimmer of hope lifted some of her worry about finding a new job.

  “Can’t hurt, they’ll be here for the party. As long as we get a clear day so everyone can travel,” Peter said.

  “Does the snow ever stop out here?”

  “Yeah, eventually. The forecast looks like it’s starting to break up and we should get more sun.”

  “I can’t wait.”

  They both got up and walked back out to the kitchen.

  Peter nodded. “You’re not the only one.”

  Steve put his magazine down and strolled over to join them. “What’s up?”

  Peter said, “We were talking about the Gibsons. They might be able to help her get a better job.”

  Steve reached over the counter and snagged another vegetable. He pointed a celery stick at Peter. “That’s a good idea.” He moved the celery around to point to Alex. “Have you ever considered editing manuscripts for a job?”

  He had to be kidding. Of course she had. Just the thought of becoming an editor was beyond her wildest dream. What a job that would be! How could she approach them? A short story. She’d write a story to ask them to read after the party. She grabbed Steve’s arm. “I’ve got an idea. We need to get back.” She rushed to put her coat on.

  Steve looked over to Peter. “Something you said must have inspired her. I haven’t seen her look this happy since she got stuck here.” Except after they’d kissed, she sure smiled then. He snarfed the celery down before she left without him.

  Chapter 13

  As soon as she got back in the cabin, Alex hurried over to the bookcase where her computer bag was being stored. She started to pull the computer out, paused, then slid it back in. There wouldn’t be enough time to get done before the battery died. Instead, she removed a pad of paper and pen. It felt so odd to be using pen and paper. She started jotting down possible story ideas. A man and woman, snow, love, hens, and several other random words. She scratched through half and then pondered the rest. For the rest of the night, she added and subtracted ideas.

 
The next morning, she still hadn’t settled on anything as she headed out to the barn to get the chores done. The demon hen wandered out of the door the moment she’d opened it. It strutted back and forth in front of the door, looking for something to pounce on. Without thinking, Alex waved her hands to shoo the hen back into the henhouse. There was a slight pop and the hen disappeared. Now what have I done? Steve looked over from his milking, and Alex pretended she hadn’t heard a thing. She carried the bucket over to fill it with corn. Trying to ignore Steve’s looks, she entered the henhouse and looked around. The demon hen wandered around with the others as if nothing had happened. “Man, that was lucky,” she said. The hens all waited for their popcorn which Alex still couldn’t produce. “Sorry girls, only kernels.” Convinced that they weren’t getting anything special, they hopped back into their nesting boxes.

  Alex approached the nicest hen and reached in. The hen ignored her. She tried some of the other nice hens with similar results. Alex worked through the nice birds to the meaner ones. None of them attacked. “At least some good came out of the popcorn. You don’t mind me now.” Only the demon hen remained. She moved over to its box and looked at the hen. The hen’s beady eyes were watching her every move. “Should I trust you, or should I get the oven mitt?” The demon hen continued to eyeball her. Alex reached her hand in and the hen didn’t peck. She closed her hand around the egg and eased it out. The hen continued to watch her. Alex held up the egg. “Thank you.” The hen gave a single cluck, but still watched her every move. The moment Alex got through the door, she leaned against it and let out a sigh of relief.

  She proceeded to fill the water buckets and clean. A faint pop sounded and the demon hen was wandering around in the barn. Alex shooed the hen back into the henhouse and got back to her chores. Moments later she heard another faint pop. She shooed the hen back again. “You”—she pointed her finger at the watching hen—

  “stay in here.” She went back out to the barn and rushed through the rest of her work before the hen decided to make another appearance.

  Alex worked the rest of the day on her story and took a break when Steve went out to do Anna Belle’s evening milking. She stroked Anna Belle’s neck while Steve milked. “I was wondering how Peter can afford all the gadgets and gear he has. Is he really that good?”