by Donna Kunkel
Alex got up and walked around the table. Steve stood and pulled her into his arms.
Alex kissed him before saying, “This is just special.”
Steve picked her up and carried her into the bedroom. “You’re special,” he whispered before kissing her all over.
****
With each passing day, they became more restless. They took every opportunity to enjoy each other before their time ran out. Every morning, every evening, and even a couple of times during the day were spent making love. A shower was never taken alone, and even when they were reading, they curled up together on the floor in front of the fireplace. They never missed a moment to remain in contact with each other.
Alex made sure to take some oats out to the unicorn every few days and Steve promised to make sure he had enough hay so he wouldn’t go hungry. Would the unicorn stay until the eggs were taken away to safety? Or would he leave now that she had found the eggs?
The day before Alex left, Peter threw another party for her. Again, everyone brought a dish to make it potluck. Alex helped Steve fix some deviled eggs, his specialty since he owned chickens. She packed them and eggs for the others in straw so they’d arrive safely. Once the packs had been loaded on the snowmobile, Alex stopped and took a slow look around the valley.
“What’s up?” Steve asked as he stopped next to her.
“I think I’m actually going to miss this.” She swept her arm across the area. “I never thought the snow would ever stop and now I wish it hadn’t.”
“It grows on you.”
Alex nodded.
Steve helped her onto the snowmobile, and they took off to Peter’s. The dragon snow sculpture was a lot smaller, but now the sides glistened with ice. Alex shuddered when they walked into the gaping jaws. She had to wonder if Peter had any idea about the two dragon eggs nestled in the cave or if he just liked the idea of dragons. After all, he did write computer games for a living. She could see him writing one where the valiant prince had to rescue the helpless damsel from the wrath of a menacing dragon. Someday, she ought to find out what type of games he did come up with.
Steve took the eggs while she went to talk to some of the other guests. As soon as Caroline spotted Alex, she dashed over.
Alex asked, “Have you seen anything else?”
“Nah,” Caroline mumbled as she shuffled her feet. “I did see the unicorn a couple more times. Mom doesn’t believe.” Caroline looked directly at Alex. “You believe me though. Don’t you?”
Alex knelt down on one knee and placed a hand on Caroline’s shoulder. “I believe you. I’m afraid no one else will though, so let’s keep this to ourselves.”
“Like a secret?”
Alex nodded. “A secret just between us.” She motioned to her and Caroline. Alex looked over to Steve, and Caroline followed her gaze. “Mr. Davis might listen to you if I’m not here.”
“Where’re you going?”
“I’m going home tomorrow.” Alex watched Caroline’s face.
“Denver, isn’t it?” Caroline looked back to Alex.
Alex nodded.
“You coming back?”
“I don’t know. Would you want me to?”
Caroline’s face brightened. “Yeah.”
“Then I’ll just have to come back in the spring or summer when the roads are better. Maybe Mr. Robertson will have another party.”
“That’d be fun. Then you could come to my house and we could play a game or something.”
“I’ll do that.” Alex looked back over to Steve. “Until then, you could tell Mr. Davis if you see the unicorn again or anything else interesting.”
“He’d believe me?” Caroline quickly glanced at Steve.
“He’ll believe you.”
“Okay.”
Alex stood up. “Would you show me where you last saw the unicorn?”
“Okay.” Caroline took Alex’s hand and led her over to a back window. She pointed to the trees on the far side. “Usually I see him strolling among the trees. He’s really hard to see unless the moon’s out.”
Alex relaxed. Caroline had pointed out an area away from where the cave was. Obviously, she’d spotted him before he’d located the eggs. “Have you seen him recently?”
“No. Not for over a week now, but I keep watching.”
Emily and Vincent, Caroline’s parents, walked over to join them.
Emily said, “Is she telling you about the unicorn again?”
Emily spoke to Caroline, “What did we talk about?”
“It’s okay,” Alex said. “We were talking about the moon highlighting the trees.” She smiled at Caroline.
“Yeah,” Caroline answered.
Emily put her hands on her daughter’s shoulders. “She loves to read anything about magic. Witches, unicorns, fairies—anything even remotely related.”
Alex looked at Emily. “I enjoy those books too.”
Emily pulled out a piece of paper from her pants pocket. “I mentioned you to my editor, and she said to give her a call as soon as you get back to town. She might have something that you might be interested in considering.”
Alex took the paper and unfolded the note, checking the name inside. “I’ll do that.” She refolded the note and put it in her pocket. “I don’t know how I’ll ever thank you.”
Emily blushed a little. “It was nothing. You took the time to listen to our Caroline. She doesn’t get the chance to play with other kids much with us living here.”
Caroline looked up at her mom. “Ms. Klein said she’d come back this summer and play with me.”
“We can’t expect you to do that.” Emily looked at Caroline. “She might not want to risk coming back here again.”
“No. I was already planning on coming back.” Alex glanced at Steve. “I’ve actually had a good time while I was here, even with all the snow.”
“We don’t usually get this much. You hit a bad set of storms.”
Vincent touched Caroline’s shoulder, “We’d better go visit with the others before we have to take off.” He steered his wife and daughter off.
Alex looked back out the window. She knew she’d be back again at least one more time to bring Principal Vale to meet with Steve. If Steve wanted her to stop by after that, still remained to be seen. At least these last few days made her believe he might.
Steve came up and rubbed a hand down her arm. “A penny for your thoughts,” he whispered.
“Just enjoying the view one more time.”
He moved closer. “It’s something else in the spring with all the wildflowers in bloom. Then there’s the summer when the meadow grass is deep and lush. In the fall, the aspens pepper the firs with yellow and red.”
Alex put her arm around Steve’s waist. “So what’s your favorite season?”
“I never could decide before.” He placed his arm around her shoulders. “Now it’ll be the winter. I’ll always think about you whenever I see the snow.”
Peter interrupted their thoughts. “Come on you two. You can’t keep her all to yourself. It’s a party for her after all.” He pulled Alex away.
She enjoyed getting to visit with everyone one more time. No way around it—she wanted to come back. The party only lasted a couple of hours so everyone could get back home while the sun was still out. Alex arranged with Peter when they’d call so she could stay in touch. At least with Peter’s radio, she could still get through to Steve and Peter, even if the phone lines were down.
After Alex and Steve got back, Alex went out on the front porch to watch the sun set behind the mountains. She sipped a hot chocolate as she watched. Steve joined her.
“I forgot to mention, Caroline saw the unicorn. She told me about seeing him at the other party. Her parents don’t believe her, but I told her that you would,” Alex said, cradling the warm mug between her hands.
“Thanks.” Steve wrapped his arms around her and snuggled up against her back. “Now she’ll be pestering me continuously. What did you say?”
“I was beginning to wonder.” He laid his head against hers. “What are you doing out here in the cold?”
“Watching the sunset.”
“Could you picture yourself living out here in such a remote place now?”
Alex took a deep breath. Was he going to finally say something? “Actually. I never thought I’d ever enjoy being away from a big city, but I love it here. It’s so peaceful.”
“Even with all the work?”
“Even then. Why?”
“Just wondering.” He let go of her and headed back inside without saying another word.
“He’s still afraid to take a chance,” she whispered to the empty porch. “All I can do is keep trying.” She took several more sips before she went back inside.
They spent her last night making love. She wanted to remember every moment in as much detail as possible, especially every plane and angle of his body.
Chapter 24
Alex finally dragged out her suitcase and started packing her clothes and toiletries. Mandy kept trying to pull the clothes out as fast as Alex could put them in. Steve stretched out on the bed and held Mandy’s collar so she couldn’t interfere. Alex held up one of Steve’s dirty flannel shirts. “Would you mind if I took this with me?”
Steve had been watching her every move. “You could take one of the clean ones. Why the dirty one?”
“It smells like you and it’s my favorite.”
Steve looked down at Mandy. “Women.” He looked back to Alex. “Go ahead.” He reached in her suitcase and held up a black silk and lace nightgown she’d worn the last few nights. “As long as I can keep this.”
She started to take it out of his hand, but he pulled it out of her reach. “That’s just a nightgown.”
“Maybe to you, but not to me. Whenever I see you putting it on, I know you want sex, and it isn’t just me tempting you.”
Alex blushed. “Did I really do that?”
He nodded. “And you’ve put it on every night since Peter told us we could get through the pass.” He got up and carried the gown over to her. “Put it on once more.” He held it out to her.
She looked at him, “Do we have time?”
“We have all the time we want.” He flung the gown across his shoulder and pulled her sweater off. Without hesitating, he went to work on the clasp on her bra. The moment her breasts were free he wrapped a hand around one while he took possession of the other with his mouth.
She had barely undone a couple of buttons on his shirt. She gasped and tried to hurry with the others, but her fingers kept fumbling.
He broke away and yanked his shirt off over his head. He took her breast back in his mouth and slid his hands down to unfasten her jeans.
She ran her hands over his chest then around to his back. When he slid her jeans and underwear down, she unfastened his.
He pulled away and quickly stepped out of his pants and briefs. He retrieved the gown and slipped it on her. As he kissed her neck, he inched his hands up her legs, sliding the edge of the gown up. He eased a finger inside her. She was already wet and clamped down on his finger the moment it entered. He slipped his finger out, then back in, and she gasped. He backed her up to the bed and shoved her suitcase onto the floor. Mandy jumped down and took off for the other room.
Alex wrapped her fingers around him and slowly slid them up and down.
He broke away and quickly reached for a condom that was lying on the bedside table.
She took it, ripped it open, and slid it on him.
He paused and looked deeply into her eyes as he positioned himself between her legs. “I love you,” he whispered.
She ran her fingers across his forehead, pushing a strand of his hair back. “I love you.”
He pushed himself in as he watched her eyes. “I wish you could stay.” He started moving faster.
“Me too,” she managed to say before giving herself over to her increasing desire.
They climaxed and he held her for only a couple of minutes. He got up, quickly pulled the condom off, and got dressed again. He pulled her up and slipped the nightgown off. After folding it carefully, he placed it in the drawer of the bedside table.
She gathered her clothes and started to head for the bathroom when he stopped her.
“Don’t shower. I want to think about you this way when we have to part.”
She paused a moment then started dressing.
Steve placed her suitcase back on the bed and started folding up her clothes, placing them in. “Peter should be here any minute, we’d better hurry.”
“Do I look okay?” she asked after pulling her sweater back on.
Steve ran his fingers through her hair. “Never better.” He gave her a quick kiss and went out to the living room.
Alex took one last look around and didn’t see anything else. She wedged her toiletries in and zipped the case. She wrestled the case out into the living room and placed it with her purse and computer. “Do you see anything else?”
Steve took a look around the room. “Do you want to borrow the book you were reading?”
She shook her head, “I’ll check out a copy after I get home.” What was she doing? Talking about a book instead of saying goodbye? How could she say goodbye to him?
They could hear a snowmobile approaching.
Alex walked over to Mandy and gave her a hug. “You take good care of him.”
Mandy barked.
“Sometimes I swear she understands me.”
Steve placed a hand on her shoulder. “I know what you mean.” He draped her purse across her chest.
Peter knocked.
The men tied Alex’s suitcase onto Peter’s snowmobile. Peter slipped the computer across his shoulder and climbed on. Steve helped Alex on behind him and they took off. Alex clutched Steve, holding on tightly as they made their way up the driveway. They had to squeeze past the mound of snow that was her car and pulled out onto the road. The snowmobiles tilted as they clung to the snowy slope that had once been level. The mountains loomed up and narrowed as they got closer to the pass. Alex squeezed her eyes shut not wanting to see their precarious position. After what seemed like forever, they broke through to a level area. Alex squinted open one eye and saw the narrow opening behind them. They’d made it through. She opened both eyes and could see the highway looming ahead in the bright sunlight. From this side it looked like another world. The snowmobiles stopped before reaching the bottom of the ramp.
Steve helped her off and went to help Peter untie her suitcase. Cars and trucks zoomed by on the highway and the hotel glinted in the bright sunlight. It was hard to imagine that she had once been sitting right there trying to decide which way to go. If she’d gone left, she would have reached the hotel. But she’d turned right and ended up in the valley with Steve.
Her wrong choice turned out to be the best thing to happen to her. She didn’t regret a moment. The world had continued to go on without her and she didn’t mind.
Steve took her hand and pulled her suitcase as they walked over to the hotel.
Alex spotted her parents’ car moments before they came rushing out of the hotel’s front doors. Her parents grabbed her the moment they got close. “Mom. Dad. You need to let me breathe,” Alex struggled to say.
They let go, but her mom kept fussing. First, she straightened Alex’s coat then she pushed back Alex’s hair.
Alex pulled away and motioned to Peter. “This is Peter Robertson. He’s the one who was able to contact you. Peter, these are my parents, Joy and Thomas.”
Her father and mother clasped his hand and gave it a hearty shake.
Alex motioned to Steve. “This is Steven Davis. He rescued me from the snow and gave me a place to stay.”
Dad clasped his hand and shook hard. Her mother flung her arms around Steve. “I’m so glad you took care of my baby.”
A
lex shook her head while Steve gave her a pleading look. Peter giggled and tried to stop.
Alex’s father, Thomas, stepped up and pulled on one of his wife’s arms. “That’s enough, Mother. He doesn’t know us.”
Her mom, Joy, broke away and straightened Steve’s coat. “I don’t how to thank you for taking care of our little girl.”
Steve mumbled, “It was a pleasure.”
Thomas eyed Steve.
Joy interrupted. “Have you eaten? Why don’t we all go in the hotel and get a quick bite before you have to leave.”
Peter answered, “It would be a pleasure, but I insist on treating.” He took Joy’s arm and escorted her toward the hotel doors. Thomas followed, with Steve and Alex bringing up the rear.
Steve whispered, “What’s he up to?”
Alex whispered back, “Probably going to embarrass the hell out of you.”
“He wouldn’t dare.”
Alex giggled and squeezed Steve’s free hand.
Peter carried the conversation over lunch, while Steve and Alex remained quiet. Alex picked at her food, leaving most of it on the plate. Peter and Joy argued over the bill and they got ready to leave.
She only had minutes left. What could she say? Do? Anything to let him know how she felt.
Her parents and Peter took her suitcase to the car giving Alex a chance to say goodbye.
Steve slipped a rock into her hand holding her fingers around the stone. “Whenever you look at this, remember your time here with me. I hope we get a chance to get together really soon. We can meet here at the hotel.” He released her hands and slid his arms inside her coat to clasp her to him. He gave her a long passionate kiss, then he dashed off toward the snowmobiles where Peter was waiting.
Alex couldn’t blame him for leaving so quickly. The last thing she wanted was a drawn-out goodbye. Uncurling her fingers, she looked at a snow-white piece of quartz. The rock would definitely remind her of her time spent with him.
She wanted to run as fast as she could and catch him. But then what? Stay here? No. She had to get a job. She needed money and he’d never hinted at wanting her to stay with him forever. Forever? Now that was a new thought for her. She’d never developed the forever kind of feelings for any other man. Was he the one she was meant to be with? Maybe she would find out more in the spring when she would be able to travel more freely. Everyone always said that time would tell. Even so, she was going to miss him.