Chapter 8 #2
Okay, then. His therapy session, provisioning, and, some mysterious online business. Molly was on alert.
“How are you getting to town?”
“I usually rent Willy’s pickup for the day. You know Willy?”
“Yes, he works for Silas. A very skilled horseman.”
“He works eight to five. I pay him $50 and return it with a full tank.”
“I’ll bet it’s almost empty when you get it.”
“Usually has a quarter tank or so.”
“Can I give you a ride?”
“That would be nice. You have a pickup?”
“The resort has pickups. I drive an open air Jeep.”
“Jeep would do it. Would we take Bear and Shadow?”
“Shadow goes everywhere with me. When I go inside, I find a place for her outside and leave her tied in the shade with water.”
“Will we have room for provisions with both dogs?”
“If you’re only buying stuff that’s going to fit on Beryl, we can make it work.”
“Great.”
“When’s your appointment?”
“11:00 in the morning at the VA offices in the federal building, downtown Omak. A secretary sets me up in a conference room and verifies to Gloria that I’m really there.”
“How long is the appointment?”
“One hour. Would you like to join the session?”
Molly almost spit out her food. “Excuse me?”
“Gloria would like it, and it might help my cause.”
“How so?”
“She’s allowing me to live in the mountains, but she wants me to gradually assimilate back to society. Having a beautiful girlfriend would help the cause.”
“And where are you going to find a beautiful girlfriend.”
“I already have.”
“Oh, you think you have a girlfriend ?”
“I hope so.”
“Oh boy, you really are trying to get laid.” Molly was blushing, but pleased.
“Yes, I am.”
“So, what happens in one of these sessions?”
“We just talk. She’ll want some time just with me, but I think it would be good if you joined the conversation for a while if you’re willing.”
“I’ll think about it.”
Dinner was delicious. The steaks were perfectly cooked and exploding with flavor.
Bart stacked so much stuff on top of his potato that it was hardly visible, and he kept adding as he went.
The sun was heading for the Canadian Rockies, a lovely evening light on Summer Lake.
It was still warm, but a chill would be dropping on them soon.
The dogs had returned to the woods. Molly had a fire waiting to be lit and a bottle of cognac for the late evening. She was as happy as she ever got.
“So where do you provision?”
“Fred Meyer in Omak.”
“Got a list?”
“Yup.”
“So what’s the internet business?”
“Maybe that’s for another day.”
“Okay, then, he does have secrets.”
“It’s possible.”
“Do you think I’m going to find out about the secret business before or after I get to visit your outpost?”
“That assumes you find out both.”
“I’m pretty determined.”
“Good luck with that.”
He was smiling. Her mind was whirring.
The flames from the campfire were shooting three feet in the air, the warmth of the fire combating the chill from falling temperatures on the lake.
They’d both slipped on overshirts. The sun was behind the Rockies, red and gold colors reflecting on the lake.
Molly had just poured two tumblers of cognac.
“Can I ask some questions about your outpost in the wild?”
“I think you’re going to anyway.”
“So, is it a cabin?”
“Yes.”
“How big?”
“Small. The woodshed is bigger than the cabin.”
“It takes a lot of wood to heat a cabin for five months in the winter.”
“I chop wood two hours a day eight months a year.”
“Do you have a chainsaw?”
“Yes.”
“So you’re not a purist?”
“No, and never was. I’m not against modern conveniences if they make life better. It’s about living alone in a beautiful place.”
“So you transport gas.”
“Two gallons a month. I use it sparingly.”
“How do you heat the cabin?”
“A small wood stove.”
“Beryl carried that in?”
“Yes, it’s a three foot tall round top loader. Weighs two hundred pounds. It was her only load that trip. Very efficient stove. Runs twenty four hours a day in the winter. Keeps the cabin toasty. The harder issue is smoke management.”
“How’s that?”
“Can’t have visible smoke. Planes are flying overhead all the time looking for forest fires. Can’t have a little column of visible smoke attracting attention.”
“How do you manage that?”
“It’s quite complicated, actually. The wood has to be very dry. The fire is small but hot. A complicated chimney system disperses the smoke, then it filters through dense, tall trees. Eventually, no smoke is visible.”
“Water?”
“Nearby natural spring.”
“Do you bake? Have an oven?”
“I have an outside stone oven like the Chinese railway workers used. A mound of stones with a fire that heats the stones and creates an oven. Yes, I bake bread.”
“A smoker for meat?”
“Yes, part of the chimney system. The wood smoke from the stove cures meat.”
“Do you hunt?”
“Every day. Rifle and bow.”
“You bow hunt?”
“Yes.”
“Lights?”
“Candles. Kerosene lantern. One battery operated light. The wood stove has a glass panel that provides light, a nice, warm glow.”
“Batteries?”
“I have a small solar station away from the cabin with a southern exposure. It recharges batteries for lights and a Kindle I use for reading.”
“Internet?”
“Not yet. But it would be possible to set up a satellite feed. I could have a satellite phone too if I wanted one. But I don’t. We used them in Afghanistan in remote mountain locations.”
“I’m guessing you’re not going to tell me how long it takes to walk there.”
“Lucky guess.” If Molly knew how long it took to walk there, she could estimate various locations within that distance. She knew he wouldn’t divulge that until he was ready to tell her where it was.
“So how’d you find it?”
“I cheated.”
“How’d you cheat?”
“I used a drone and military satellite maps.”
Molly started laughing. She was giddy from the Scotch, the wine, the cognac, the hot fire, the beautiful setting, and anticipating getting into bed soon with this sexy man.
“You have a drone?”
“Army Rangers learn all the traditional survival skills, and I use all of that. But we received very sophisticated training in electronic surveillance and GIS mapping. I gathered all the satellite data the army had on the Pasayten and studied these amazingly detailed maps. I wanted a tiny nook off the grid that no one would ever find. It had to be beautiful, camouflaged, extremely remote, with water, grazing for Beryl, wildlife for food, and wood for fire. The survivalist basics are water, food, shelter, and heat. When I found several candidates, I hiked as close as I could with my drone. I sent the drone up with a camera and studied the images on a laptop. I spent an entire summer exploring possibilities until I found my place.”
“Impressive. And nowhere near a hiking trail?”
“Correct. We veer off the main route to animal trails. I’m quite confident no one is ever going to find this place.”
“And how long have you had it?”
“This is my sixth year.”
“How much longer?”
“Don’t know. I’m very happy out there.”
They snuggled into bed naked lying side to side facing the other. She kissed him, a short, warm kiss, but it felt so right. His hands were already lightly caressing her. She liked him touching her.
“Thank you for telling me about your set up. It takes quite the mix of skills to pull something like that off. I’m impressed.”
“It’s what I’m trained to do. Survive.”
She kissed him, short, warm, tender kisses.
She liked being naked with him in bed knowing what was ahead.
But she was in no rush. The afternoon sex had taken the edge off.
She felt very close to him after the wonderful afternoon and evening.
Conversation had been so easy and comfortable.
She loved his hands on her, his eyes intensely focused on hers.
“Can I take you out to breakfast in the morning?”
“Sure. Or I could make you breakfast here.”
She giggled, “I want to show you off.”
“Attention. Not really my thing.”
She told him about their being seen on his last visit by fishermen and the ensuing conversations with Evelyn and Betsy, including the condom purchase.
“Sorry about that. Do you understand why I like living off the grid?”
“Yes. But I want to put all that to bed. Showing up with you in the morning as a couple will end the gossip. We’re a couple. No secrets. No big deal. Life moves on.”
“If that works for you, fine with me. Shall we buy some more condoms at the store?”
“Maybe we could do that at Fred Meyer.”
The lovemaking that night was beautiful.
After long foreplay, side to side, light playful kissing, talking, his hands never leaving her, lips close, the intensity grew slowly.
Conversation eventually stopped, the kissing got deeper and more intense, mouths open, hot, passionate kisses, lips and tongues active.
Molly felt her arousal everywhere: the blood was hot in her neck and face; between kisses, her mouth was open and breaths were coming in light pants; her heart was pounding; the moisture had gathered below; her groin was throbbing, her body ready; and the kissing went on and on.
Finally, she reached down. He was crowbar hard and big as a horse.
She rolled out of bed, retrieved a condom, pushed him to his back, and rolled it on, admiring its magnificence.
Getting on top, she snugged her knees against his waist and positioned him at her moist opening, moving in light circles, but not inside.
Before insertion, she leaned down and kissed him, a long, hot, passionate kiss, his hands lightly on her.
Still kissing him, she pressed down, sending him deep inside in one long fantastic groaning stroke.
Once deeply seated, she kept him there, their pelvic bones mashed tight, as they continued to kiss. Molly’s head was light and spinning, her body completely full. She pulled up from the kiss to whisper, “It doesn’t get any better than this.”
Molly stayed on top, moving into a long, steady, cowgirl stroking rhythm, their eyes intensely locked, his hands never leaving her, his fingers expertly working her hardened ends.
She’d been with many cowboys, but she loved the emotional bond.
She felt close to him. She loved being with him like this.
Feeling his finish approaching, she moved into a final frenzy, hard, aggressive closing thrusts, until her first contraction coaxed his release.
She felt their bodies synchronize and move naturally through the final process.
Keeping the connection, she fell down on his body, her breasts tight against his chest, her face on his shoulder, as he wrapped his arms around her back and held her tight.
No words. A beautiful, long, warm aftermath.
When she finally released him, he got up and disposed of the condom.
When he returned, he rolled over and she spooned in behind.
She awoke in the night several times when his body was struggling with bad dreams. She guessed that was remnants from his military service.
She held him tight and whispered, “It’s okay” until his body calmed again.
She woke when the morning sun came streaming through her bedroom window.