Chapter 20
The time he spent with Elowen seemed to disappear.
They’d gone from having a week left, to one day and he didn’t want to leave.
They planned to get in the car by eight in the morning and head home.
That was too early, he wanted to wait until the last possible minute, but they’d driven together, and they should leave together.
“I don’t want to leave in the morning,” Griz whispered.
“I know. I won’t ask you to stay, because I know you have to go.”
They were in her bed, their clothes abandoned hours ago. He’d just rocked her world. No question, he would never find another lover as good as Elowen.
Their connection was soul deep, filled with amazing love that he couldn’t really take in. If he tried to understand it, it was almost too much. When he looked at it directly, it was like looking into the sun.
“When you come visit, I think we’re going to spend all night in bed.”
Her giggle warmed him. “I like the idea of that.”
“I’ll make sure you enjoy the time we’re together.”
She rolled up onto her elbow and stared down at him. “Spending any time with you will be amazing. I know that sounds silly, but I really like doing things with you.”
“Same. I’ve enjoyed this vacation time together. I know you weren’t on vacation, but I’m glad you were able to hang out so much with me.”
“Your friends are great. I really like their wives.”
He nodded. “Yeah, they found good women. I was afraid I never would find someone who fits with my life.”
“Do you think I fit in your life?”
“I do. I’m seriously considering retirement and I think I fit into your life.”
Elowen kissed Griz, wishing they had more time together. At least this time when he left, she would know how to contact him.
“If you moved here, would you really be satisfied?”
“Yes. And I don’t mean just with the sex. I don’t like living in the city.”
“When you all leave tomorrow, I’ll spend the whole day cleaning. A new group shows up in three days. Usually I don’t spend any time with them. If something breaks or goes wrong, I fix it, but otherwise I do stuff around the cabin or in town.”
“What do you do in the evening?”
She shrugged. “Sometimes I sit outside and listen to music and read, or I watch movies. I don’t like TV shows, so that doesn’t take up my time.
I enjoy doing hard work during the day and then sitting with a glass of wine.
Tomorrow evening I’ll be missing you, but I’ll be exhausted and have some wine. ”
“What do you do to get exhausted?”
“Now that both cabins are done, not much. I want to build a woodworking shop. So I’ll probably start that in the next few months.”
“Nice. I’ve never done woodworking.”
“There is this one guy who chops wood on social media. He has a huge following, and honestly, since I finished fixing up the cabin, I’ve thought about doing something like that. I need to wear myself out or I get bored.”
“Chopping wood on social media? What do you mean?”
Elowen threw her head back, laughter spilling out. “Oh, he’s popular. He has a huge following. But it’s a guy. I don’t know how many people would watch a woman split wood.”
“Are you fucking kidding me? Guys would watch anything a woman does.”
She laughed again. “Yeah, but I don’t want gross interactions. This thing with the cameras and someone possibly coming into my house, that has turned me off being in the public eye. Seriously, why are people so weird?”
He held her close so her head was resting on his chest. “I don’t know. If I did, I would fix it.”
She closed her eyes because she was tired, but she didn’t want to sleep. Rest would come after he was gone.
Her hands drifted down his body and the vibration of his moan went straight through her. He was ready for another round, and she welcomed him with open arms. She would miss his touch, miss his love, but she would be in San Diego soon enough.
The next morning, she watched as their cars pulled away. Sadness enveloped her. The tears she’d held back flowed freely now as she entered the cabin and started cleaning. The alarm was set on her cabin, and the door was locked. She felt safe though she was alone.
Griz’s friend, Thario, hadn’t found any connection to the cameras or the men who’d helped her work on the cabin.
Only two of them were still in the area.
The other six had moved to areas with more construction.
None of the guests were candidates, either.
There was no one connected to her past who had placed the two cameras or come to her cabin.
She had ordered a camera for the front entrance, but it hadn’t arrived yet. The idea of having everything on camera made her feel weird. She would be the only one watching, unless someone hacked into the camera.
A shiver slid down her spine. The idea of someone watching her repulsed her.
She’d watched movies where women were stalked, and it was always some very creepy person planning on attacking them.
She was glad she had the alarm, and she knew how to use a gun.
Still, if someone was watching and wanted to take her, she would be at their mercy if they set a good trap.
Cleaning the cabin didn’t take long. They’d cleaned the toilets and vacuumed. They’d also cleaned out the refrigerator, and the grill. The last load of dishes was finishing in the washer, and the towels were already in the dryer. She would be done before two in the afternoon.
There was a level of appreciation for what they’d done, but she also wished she had enough work to keep her busy until after five. The worst group had left a mess that took her until seven in the evening to finish cleaning, but Griz and his friends were nothing like that other group.
After she finished cleaning, she went home and showered, then decided to go into town and fill up her truck and buy groceries to last until the weekend.
She could grill steaks and maybe buy some fish.
Fishing wasn’t an activity she enjoyed, so she didn’t do it often.
Maybe she’d pick up more wine and some ice cream to drown her sorrows over Griz leaving.
It hadn’t even been a full day, and she missed him something fierce.