Chapter 26 #2
They settled in their chairs in front of the stove eating oatmeal.
The cabin was warm and cozy. Bart was stronger.
He’d walked slowly from the bed to the chair without assistance.
The morning light on the natural wood interior created a lovely glow.
The smells were oatmeal and fresh burning pine.
Molly was clean and alive from her cold shower.
Her all night snuggle with Bart had her libido talking to her, but Bart’s body needed more time, so she just let that simmer like the oatmeal.
Every time she looked at Bart, she wanted him more, but that would happen in due time.
He had her thinking about carrier pigeons.
Carrier pigeons? Really? She already had an image of a carrier pigeon flying into the stables to Becky’s tech center, Becky downloading the chip into her computer and launching Molly’s emails an hour after she’d written them.
Then Becky would put a tiny chip of new data in the pigeon’s pouch as she shooed the bird out the window.
Really? Molly wasn’t ready to admit that could work.
But she liked the idea of the two of them sitting quietly at a table in Bart’s cozy cabin working on their own projects.
He’d be writing an adventure novel. She’d be reviewing financials and planning Summer’s End improvements.
Dark Hollow was getting into her head. But she wasn’t going to admit any of this to Bart.
She was in a negotiation. Not time yet to show her cards.
“How were you thinking of dividing our time between Dark Hollow and Summer’s End?”
“Most of our time here. The occasional visit to Summer’s End. How about you?”
“Most of our time at Summer’s End. The occasional visit here.”
Both were keeping straight faces, but the negotiation was on.
She continued, “So, are you thinking about a test plan to see how it goes?”
“Whatever works for you.”
“Like six months?”
“Sure.”
“Part of the time here, part of the time at Summer’s End?”
“Something like that.”
That was enough for Molly. Her mind was adjusting to the possibility. She needed to think about what she could live with. She changed the subject.
“How are you feeling?”
“Better.”
“Would you like to watch me chop some wood?”
“Only if I can also watch the shower after.
Molly gave him her best one hour show chopping wood. He adjusted the fire pit chair to watch. Taking big sweeping swings of the heavy axe, she split the rest of the rounds, cutting them into eighths, and hauling them to the wood shed for stacking.
She also gave him her best ten minute shower show.
She set up a wood chair for him by the shower.
He watched her strip, soak herself, soap up, shampoo, and rinse.
After, she walked up to him naked and dripping wet, standing before him with legs spread, an invitation.
Her skin wasn’t the only place she was dripping wet.
He accepted her invitation and it started as a fun, sexy gesture, but his hand felt so good.
She spread her legs further, leaned forward with her hands on his shoulders, and let him take a firm grip.
She ground her pelvis against his hand until she shrieked and the convulsions shook her body.
Oh my God. She needed that. She really needed that.
She looked around and saw Bear and Shadow watching on their haunches.
“Don’t get any ideas, you two. Your time will come, but it’s not now.”
That night, they built a fire outside in the pit and pulled both chairs up close.
Silas had packed a bottle of Jack Daniels, and Bart indicated he could use a drink.
He’d had three pretty good meals. His stomach was managing the food, his strength was increasing, and he was moving about slowly on his own.
She poured two fingers in each glass.
She raised hers for a toast. “To Dark Hollow.” They clinked and drank.
“You might want to put Shadow in the cabin for a few minutes. Bella likes to come down when we build a fire. We’ll introduce Shadow to Bella and her family later. If you put out a bowl of something, I think she’ll show up.”
Molly took Shadow inside and leashed her to the bed.
“It’s okay, girl, we’re going to be outside meeting Bella.
You can meet Bella later. I know you don’t understand why Bear gets to go outside and you don’t, but we’ll work this out later.
It’s okay, girl. Love you.” Molly gave her a warm, reassuring scruff and slowly walked away.
She didn’t look back to see the look in Shadow’s eyes.
She took a big bowl of the tuna noodles and set it down away from the fire where Bart recommended. When Bear immediately moved to it, Bart called him back. “That’s for Bella, big boy. You stay right here.”
Bear came to Bart, lying down next to him, letting Bart work his neck and back with his hand.
The fire was hot and beautiful. The evening air cool and fresh.
The scent of pine tickled her senses. The Jack Daniels created a nice high.
Molly and Bart hadn’t completed their conversation about the future, but Molly was feeling better about it.
The most important parts were that he’d originated the idea and was negotiating in good faith.
And the goal was spending more time together.
After about twenty minutes, Molly saw cat eyes moving toward the fire until Bella came into view.
She was moving slowly, three kittens at her feet, her partner holding back behind.
Bear got up and went over near the bowl of food and lay down.
The kittens immediately piled on Bear, crawling all over his head and body.
He was a friendly, safe toy. Bella ate part of the bowl, then sat back as her partner crept forward and ate his share, leaving a final portion for the kittens, who licked the bowl clean before returning to Mount Bear.
“This is amazing.” Molly was moved. Having beautiful, wild animals as friends was special. She watched as Bella and her partner lay down away from the fire and let the kittens play on Bear.
She said, “So, are you trying to get to fifty-fifty?”
“I’m thinking about thirds.”
“Thirds?” Molly had no idea what that meant.
“Yeah, you spend two thirds of your time at Summer’s End. I spend two thirds of my time at Dark Hollow. We spend two thirds of our time together.”
Molly thought about that. He was proposing that they be together two thirds of the time but also leaving time when they’d be on their own. That allowed them to spend most of the time where they wanted to be and also spend most of the time together. Very creative.
He continued, “Like, we spend a month together at Summer’s End, a month together at Dark Hollow, then we each spend a month at our own places.” He paused. “Or something like that.”
He was being reasonable, and the negotiation was proceeding. It would give them time to live together to see how that went. And, they would only be apart one month at a time.
“Are you open to the idea that we’d eventually settle at Summer’s End, using Dark Hollow as a retreat?”
Her heart was in her throat as she waited a long time for his response. She couldn’t look at him, her eyes focused on the fire. She took a drink of Scotch, the soothing warmth in her throat calming the tightness there.
“At some point, if we decided to have kids, we’d need to be close to schools.”
And that was the fourth bolt of lightning. Molly was speechless. He was talking family. Oh, boy. She needed to think about that. She took a deep breath and a longer drink, the fire hot on her face, the Scotch burning her throat.
Unable to say anything, she simply offered her glass for a toast.
Molly was aroused when she got into bed and snuggled up tight to Bart’s body.
He’d lost weight and was at least ten pounds lighter than before.
She didn’t want to initiate sex, thinking that he needed more time, but when she brushed her arm over his privates, she felt his arousal.
Okay, then. Maybe he was ready. She snuggled up tighter, and moved her hand below. Oh, boy. He was definitely ready.
Holding him in her hand, she said, “What do you think?”
“Let’s give it a try. I’ll let you do the work.”
She pulled back the covers and crawled between his legs, wrapping both hands around the shaft and putting the end in her mouth. His body responded immediately. He was aroused. She took her time, working until he was ready. She had a condom on standby, opening and rolling it on.
She crawled on top and pulled him inside.
Holding steady, she leaned forward for a kiss that lasted a long time.
At first, soft and warm, lips together, tender, sweet.
Having him hard inside and gently kissing was perfection.
She felt the warmth of the wood stove on her back, saw the flickering yellow light playing off the log walls, smelled the Jack Daniels on his breath, and felt him pulsing inside.
Looking down at her man, Molly was moved.
She always loved having him inside, but this felt different.
It wasn’t because it had been a few weeks, or that they were in Dark Harbor, or even because of the emotional trauma from his illness.
She felt a warm contentment that was new.
Before, there’d been issues. Unknowns. Questions about his commitment.
Was it just a fling? When was he leaving?
But, now, he’d done everything she’d asked.
He shared his secrets. He invited her to Dark Hollow.
He was preparing his home for her. He proposed that they spend forever together.
He was negotiating a living arrangement.
He was listening to her, while protecting his own values.
That’s what committed couples did. They honored the other while working through their differences.
The kissing grew more intense, mouths opening, more moisture, more pressure, their mouths fitting perfectly, his tongue against hers.
She was lightheaded, euphoric, the kissing heavenly.
She felt so close to him like this. And, he wasn’t going away soon.
He wanted to be with her. He was hard, and she felt him working his muscle.
She pressed deeper so her pelvis was hard against his, her place getting perfect pressure. She wanted to talk.
“This is so beautiful. I know you don’t like to talk like this, but I do.”
He smiled, his blue eyes locked on hers.
“This is just the best. I love having you inside. I know you’re still recovering.
Maybe we’ll just take it easy tonight.” She paused, the heat pulsing in her groin and up her neck into her face, her arousal intensifying, her emotions on the edge.
She whispered, “Thank you for making your home welcoming for me.” No words, but he bobbed his eyebrows.
She put her hands on his shoulders and started a gentle riding motion, pulling up so just the end was barely in, then all the way down, and repeating.
She’d had sex with a lot of men. But, she’d never made love like this.
So tender, so beautiful. And that warmth deep inside.
She worked slowly, her body now completely relaxed, the connection perfect, gradually increasing the speed, never taking her eyes off his.
She needed to know he was comfortable. He was still weak from the sickness, but his erection was as powerful as ever.
Maybe he’d liked watching her bathe and the after party.
Molly lost track of time--like reality had been suspended and she was floating on a cloud.
He was inside, and she was riding him as gently as she could, and the end was approaching, but it felt more like a beginning.
Was she really going to make love with this man for the rest of time?
Had anything ever felt this good before?
The end was near but she fought it off as long as she could until the first contraction caused her to sputter and gasp, and the natural forces took over, causing his release and their bodies to work in tandem.
That’s what partners did: they worked in tandem, together, as one.
After, she left him inside, lying down on his body, her head against his shoulder. She needed that amazing connection. She felt the final pulses before finally pushing him out and sliding to his side, snuggling tight, her leg over his, her moist place against his thigh.
She didn’t remember him pulling the covers over or drifting into sleep. But when she woke in the morning, she was under the covers and tightly snugged into him.
That was how she wanted to wake up every morning.