Chapter 40
Griz woke when Elowen whimpered in her sleep. He held her but didn’t wake her. After a moment, she calmed and dropped back into deep sleep.
How often was she waking when she was on her own? He needed to make sure she had a therapist. She was doing okay, but because she was having some bad dreams, she probably had more going on inside than she was willing to admit.
Close to five thirty, he got out of bed, showered, and started making breakfast. Elowen shuffled into the kitchen about twenty minutes later.
“Good morning.”
She groaned. “Good morning. I need coffee.”
“You got it. I need to leave for work in a bit.”
She nodded. “I’m going to rest, and I…”
She’d trailed off, and he turned to look at her. “What else?”
“I have a video appointment with a therapist. I don’t know, though. I’m not sure if I need to do that.”
He turned off the burner and moved to stand in front of her. “Last night, you were whimpering in your sleep. I think you’re having bad dreams.”
She frowned and then nodded. “I guess I’ll keep the appointment.”
“If you like, I can get you set up on my computer.”
She shook her head. “No, I brought my laptop.”
“Cool. Do you want something to eat?”
“Not yet. I need to drink some coffee and sit for a bit.”
“Sounds good.”
Griz ate his food, and she sat, sipping her coffee. “I’m glad I came here. Even though you’re at work, I’ll be here when you get home tonight.”
“Yes. And we’ll get to spend the weekend together.”
“I’m excited about that. Though I do have to drive home on Sunday.”
“Yeah, but then we’ll see each other in a few weeks.”
“And you’ll come out when you can.”
“Yes. And before you know it, I’ll be retired.”
She took his hand and squeezed. “We can do this.”
“We can.”
Sadness hit soon after Griz left for work, but she didn’t let it take over.
She read a few articles on woodworking shops and equipment she might want to buy, then logged on to her therapy session.
Telling the therapist what happened had been hard.
She didn’t like talking about it, but she got through it all.
The therapist wanted her to keep a journal of her feelings and thoughts. All of it.
Elowen also had a few exercises to do to help calm her.
The therapist thought yoga would be something good for her to practice.
It would give her some time to clear her mind.
She found one yoga instructor online but didn’t like her style.
The women had given her their phone numbers, and she texted Danika asking for the name of the yoga instructor they’d done at the cabin.
The reply came back fast, and she downloaded a few free classes and began one. It wasn’t as long as the session they’d done at the cabin, but it was good. The woman was positive and discussed how healing yoga had been for her. She didn’t say what happened to her, but the message was uplifting.
At the end, Elowen lay in savasana, thinking about Griz and how lucky she was to have him in her life. There were some tough things they would go through with both of them living in different parts of the state, but they would be able to get together at least every few weeks.
She’d showered and was wearing a sundress when Griz got home. He pulled her into his arms and held her tight as he buried his face against her neck. After a long moment, he pulled back and held her gaze before pressing his lips against hers.
She hadn’t been expecting sex but was up for it. Again, Griz let her lead them, this time with her riding him on the bed. He came right after he brought her to orgasm. Honestly, it was the most orgasms she’d ever had while a guy had his dick in her.
“I’m liking this,” Elowen said.
“What do you like about it?”
“You know how to get me off, and your cock feels so good inside. I love the thickness.”
He kissed the top of her head. “I like how you feel wrapped around me. I also enjoyed watching you ride me. That was freaking hot.”
Griz tossed the condom and came back to stretch out beside her. “Are you ready for food?”
She shrugged. “Do you usually eat this early?”
“Early mornings mean I have to shift everything earlier. Once I retire, I don’t think I’ll be eating this early, but that’s only if I don’t have to get up so early.”
“Working construction, I spent my life getting up early, but not as early as you do. We had to wait for the sun, or if we were in a neighborhood, we had to wait until restrictions lifted. Do you think you’ll be able to adjust?”
He nodded. “I think so.”
“So tomorrow morning, we’re meeting Thario.”
“Yes.” Griz pulled her up, and they headed into the kitchen after she pulled on her underwear and one of Griz’s T-shirts.
“I want to talk to him about getting a dog,” Elowen said.
“Really?”
“Yes. I was sitting outside the other night, and I realized I would feel better if I had a dog. I have enough money to go to a good breeder. I need a dog who will listen and never attack one of the guests. So It has to be a good dog.”
“We’ll find you a good dog. If Thario doesn’t know who to go to, we’ll find someone who does.”
“Thank you. I think I’ll feel safer with a dog by my side.”
“Frog is amazing. I’m sure we can find you a dog who will be great.”
“I feel more hopeful now. I started doing yoga. I’d never done yoga before I did with it with Danika and the group. Now I think I’ll be doing it most days.”
“Good. I do stretches, but most of them are based on yoga. I like some yoga sessions I’ve done.”
“This instructor is hopeful and uplifting in their approach.”
“That’s good.”
That night she slept better than she had in a while. It was great being with Griz. It wasn’t just that she felt safer, she could tell he had a calming effect on her. The next morning they ate breakfast together, talking about yoga, exercise, and the woodworking studio she wanted to build.
The drive to Thario’s place was fast, and when she stepped out of the car, Frog ran over and greeted her like she was one of his friends. After giving Frog a good scratch and a kiss on the head, she moved to Thario’s porch.
“Hey, it’s good to see you,” Thario said. “Do you want a handshake or a hug?”
“You know what, you saved my life. How about a hug?”
He wrapped his arms around her, and she squeezed him back. When they separated, she felt tears fill her eyes.
“Really, you saved me. Thank you.”
He chuckled. “I would do it again in a heartbeat. I’m only sorry I wasn’t there the night before.”
Griz shook Thario’s hand. “Hey, man, it’s good to see you.”
“It’s good to see you, too. Come in, get comfortable.” Thario led them inside.
Elowen took a seat on the couch, and Frog came over. She talked to Frog, telling him she thought he was a good boy. His tail wagged furiously and then moved to Thario, then back to her.
“I think your dog is brilliant,” Elowen said.
Thario laughed. “He’s special but also a dufus at times.”
She scratched Frog behind the ears as she chuckled. “I want to get a dog. It would have to be one that would never attack guests but would alert me to strangers.”
Thario nodded. “I think you could find that if you got a German Shepard who was well trained. I know of a few people who raise Shepards, and I know a few trainers. I can contact them if you like and get a rundown of what is available.”
“Thank you. I just think having a dog that would tell me if I’m in danger without having to install twenty spotlights shining out into the forest so I can see into the deep woods would be best. Even with lights, there would be a limit to how far they would show what was out there.”
Both Thario and Griz chuckled. Thario scratched his chin, and his lips twisted to the side. “Putting in lights would ruin that place.”
“Totally.”
“A dog would be a good companion.” Frog got up and moved to Thario, putting his head on Thario’s lap.
Thario scratched Frog’s head and sighed.
“He’s getting older. He recovered from being shot, but I know he’s not going to live for another five to ten years.
He’s probably got another good year, maybe two. I’ll need to get another dog.”
“That’s one of the reasons I currently don’t have a dog.”
Thario nodded. “But knowing Frog has made my life better. I went back and forth on the issue for a while. When he passes, I’ll be sad. I know I need to have another dog before then because I need that level of support.”
She understood. Thario needed Frog. She didn’t need a dog in the same way, but she would feel safer with a dog on her property.
“Thario, are you working on anything special?” Griz asked.
“It’s quiet right now. I’m going to San Francisco at the end of the month to speak at a conference.”
“That’s cool.”
Thario shrugged. “It might be. It’s a veterans group talking about the importance of having a support animal. So it’s something I’m intimately involved in, but sometimes I wonder if I’m qualified to speak at something like that.”
“Dude, you’re smart, and you don’t talk out of your ass. You don’t just say stuff to say it.”
Thario chuckled. “Well, hopefully, I don’t screw this one up.”
“You’ll do great.”
They stayed for lunch, and Thario promised to get a few names for Elowen so she could check out their dogs.
Soon, she would have Thario up for a visit.
He seemed like a good guy who would do anything for his buddies.
She liked that Griz had people in his life willing to help him.
It wasn’t how she lived, but she really liked his friends.