6 Maple Leaf Hunter (4 page)

I smiled and agreed to go along. “Let me get my purse,” I said.

I walked into the living room and found the contents scattered across the floor. All of the change that had been making my purse so heavy was in small plastic bowls from the kitchen. Darby and Nate kept a cupboard of items for Lizzie to play with, and the small bowls were her favorite. I laughed to see how much change I had been hauling around with me. I stacked the bowls and set them on the coffee table. I would deal with the money later.

Joe had been asleep on the sofa, but I noticed he was watching me with one eye open. Alex’s coins were in a pile beside him. I gave his head a couple of quick rubs and slipped the coins into the pocket of my jacket. I would put them on Alex’s dresser later. As I gathered the other items and double-checked my passport, I could only hope Joe hadn’t eaten anything.

When I walked into the kitchen, Darby handed his car keys to me. We went out through the garage, and I slipped behind the wheel of his recently purchased bolero red ’67 Chevy Chevelle.

The RV was awesome. Nate’s boss had spared no expense with his purchase, and all of the furnishings and appliances were top-of-the-line. I couldn’t believe it when I saw there were three flat screen televisions installed. Nate said the vehicle was five years old, but everything was spotless and appeared to be in new condition. 

Alex was quick to throw his bag into the cozy sleeping compartment above the large driver and passenger cockpit area. Darby was quick to toss the bag out of the compartment and inform him he would be sleeping on the pullout sofa.

Lizzie was jumping on the king-size bed in the bedroom at the back of the vehicle. Nate was jumping with her on his hands and knees. They were both squealing and laughing like little kids.

There was a happy chaos about the entire scene, and I tried to capture the image in my mind for all time.

Darby slid his arm around my shoulders to watch Nate and Lizzie
with me. “Who do you think is having more fun back there?” he asked.

I laughed. “Isn’t that the funniest thing?
He’s never at a loss for ways to entertain her.”

“They jump on our bed, too,” he said. “I’m headed back over to the house to grab the groceries. Want to give me a hand?”

“Sure,” I said. “But I can’t lift anything heavy. I don’t have any pain or spasms this morning, but I’m still pretty stiff and sore from the fall.”

“You can carry the chips and crackers. And the bread. And the cereal. And the spaghetti and macaroni. And-”

I cut him off. “Why are we taking so much food? There are restaurants in Niagara Falls and Toronto, and I’m sure there will be food at the lodge. I’m not planning to cook and eat meals in here, are you?”

He smiled and said, “I’m doing it for Nate. He watched a television show where some guy was driving on a remote Canadian road, and a freak snowstorm came up. He was stranded with no food or water. It was two months before anyone found his camper, and, of course, he didn’t live. He wrote letters of his ordeal every day. Nate was pretty horrified by the entire show, so I’m making sure he has peace of mind by having enough food in here for an army.”

I couldn’t help laughing. Nate had such a big personality. He was sensitive and felt things deeply. His outlook was always on the sunny side of life, and it was rare to find him unhappy about anything. Right now, he was helping Lizzie do slow motion backflips on the bed.

Darby and I stepped out of the RV and saw that Mick and his dad were wrangling suitcases. Everyone had packed too m
uch, but Nate said there would be plenty of storage in an exterior compartment.

As Darby and I walked across the stone walkway to his house, I looked out across the property and down the hill toward the road. It was a lovely view, and it always delighted me. The pear trees blocked most of the view of the road, but there was a small section where an occasional passing car could be seen. Today, there was a black SUV parked off the road in the small space.

My intuition told me this something out of the ordinary. It was the only place our house could be viewed from the road, and it was too much of a coincidence that someone would have actually broken down in that exact spot. A cold shiver ran down my spine.

I poked Darby’s arm and said, “What do you make of that car down there?”

“Nothing,” he said. “It’s probably just someone who ran out of gas.” He continued walking without giving the car another glance.

But
it didn’t feel right. I wouldn’t have noticed if anyone followed me home from the MediCare last night, and I wasn’t entirely certain if I had looked down the hill earlier this morning, so there was no way to know how long the car had been parked there.

I couldn’t help looking at the vehicle a few more times as we carried groceries to the RV and
then took our time saying good-bye to Lizzie and Mick’s parents. Evelyn handed Nate a large tin of homemade cookies for us to snack on, while Bennett pressed a few twenty-dollar bills into Alex’s hand for some extra spending money on his trip.

Lizzie was happy and waving as we pulled away from the house, but I was near tears at leaving my baby alone for the first time. Mick gathered me to him in a hug and said, “You know she’ll have a wonderful time with Grandma and Grandpa. They’ll spoil her
rotten, and she won’t even miss us.”

I sniffed. “I know,” I said. “It’s just hard to be so far away from her. What if something happens?”

“It won’t,” he said. “Come on. Go blow your nose, and let’s get this show on the road.”

I smiled through watery eyes and went back to the bedroom to grab a tissue from my purse. While I was straightening the bed, Nate made the turn from the driveway onto the main road. I held onto the doorframe to keep my balance and glanced out the back window. Before we were out of sight from it, I saw the black SUV pull out onto the roadway behind us.

Other than Alex, everyone was cheerful and in vacation mode. Laughter rang out from the cockpit often. I tried to join in, but couldn’t stop watching as the car continued to follow for miles – even into Pennsylvania.

Just when I was thinking about telling Mick or Darby about the car following us, an odd noise followed by a rumbling sound and some vibration
s of the RV occurred. Darby, Nate, and Mick all called out at the same time, “Flat tire!”

Nate had no trouble maintaining control, and he easily pulled off the road. I watched as the black SUV passed us by without slowing.

I couldn’t imagine it would take all four guys to change the tire, but they all piled out to have a look. When they weren’t finished after ten minutes, I stepped out to see what in the world they were doing.

Nate and Alex were off in a nearby ditch, so I assumed they were looking for rocks. Darby was putting the flat into a storage compartment, and Mick was tightening lug nuts.

It wasn’t long before we were back on the road. I continually looked to see if the car returned to follow us, but I never spotted it again – all the way into Niagara Falls. Darby was right. It was nothing. I was mad at myself for letting my imagination take away some of my joy on the first leg of our trip.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I clutched the poncho tighter to me, but I couldn’t keep water out. Darby and Nate were already up on the Hurricane Deck, and Alex was contemplating joining them as he slowly climbed the stairs. All three of them had given up fighting the mist and water a long time ago.

I was on sensory overload from Niagara Falls. The rumbling under my feet, the thunderous sound, the smell, the views; it was more exciting than I ever imagined it could be.

We were at the base of the American Falls. We made the trip down in an elevator and exited to the Niagara River. Wooden walkways and stairs guided us up alongside the Bridal Veil Falls. The final landing was the Hurricane Deck. The conditions on the deck were the same as a tropical storm, and the adventurous people already there reminded me of television weathercasters who broadcast in the midst of a hurricane.

“Let’s go up,” Mick said. The smile on his face let me know he was enjoying himself immensely, and even though I didn’t relish the thought of wet underwear, I also didn’t want to be a stick-in-the-mud.

“Ok. I’m game,” I said with a smile.

We took the final set of stairs to join the other guys. Wind whipped my poncho and threw the hood back. My face and hair quickly became soaked. Water ran down the back of my neck. We were only a few breathtaking feet from the torrent of water crashing onto boulders behind the wooden structure. Water poured onto the deck.

Darby and Nate were at the corner closest to the Falls. Nate leaned over the rail with his arms outstretched and performed his
I’m king of the world
imitation. Both guys were giddy with laughter. It was hugely entertaining to watch them. Alex couldn’t help smiling, but he kept to himself along an outer rail. I walked over to stand beside him, while Mick joined the antics of Darby and Nate.

A man walked across the deck to stand on the other side of Alex. I had seen him earlier as we walked around Goat Island. He appeared to be visiting the Falls by himself.

“Powerful, isn’t it?” he yelled to Alex over the roaring noise.

Alex yelled back, “Yeah. I wonder about the rate of erosion.”

Still hollering over the sound of the water, the man replied, “It’s a foot per year at the crestline.”

Alex nodded at hearing the information. I should have known he would be more interested in the geology of the natural wonder than the fun aspect.

Mick, Darby, and Nate came out from the heavier sprays and stood before us like three kids who had just finished riding a roller coaster.

“That was fantastic,” Mick exclaimed.

“So cool,” said Nate.

Darby simply smiled from ear to ear as he tried to shake off water and wipe his face.

I was ready to get off the deck and go topside, so I could dry out. I led the way down the stairs, onto the walkway, and I didn’t stop until I reached the elevator.

“Where to next?” Mick asked as we waited our turn to ride up. “Are we ready to head over into Canada yet?”

“I want to go out to Terrapin Point at the edge of the Horseshoe Falls,” I said.

“Nate and I want to go up in the observation tower,” Darby said.

Alex was done with attractions and said, “I’ll sit on a bench and wait for you guys.”

A few minutes later, we disposed of wet ponchos and went our separate ways. Alex promised to stay in the general vicinity of the bench he had parked himself on, and we all agreed to meet up again in an hour.

Mick and I held hands on the walk down to the point. The sun beat down on us. It wouldn’t take long to dry out. As usual, I couldn’t help noticing the glances cast Mick’s way by other women - young and old alike.

All three of the guys were attractive. Nate was tall and lanky with wavy, reddish-brown hair and a smattering of freckles across his tan face. He was good-looking in a more cute than handsome way. Darby garnered his fair share of flirtatious females. He was adorable with always tousled, sandy-colored hair and a lean but muscled body. He could have easily had a career in modeling.

But Mick was gorgeous. His eyes drew everyone in, but his dark look wasn’t brooding. It was approachable and friendly – and yummy. I felt a surge of happiness as we stepped up to the railing.

The up-close view of the Horseshoe Falls was spectacular. There was no possibility of coming here and being disappointed. I knew I would be talking Samantha and Larry into coming up with us next summer.

Mick moved to stand behind me and slipped his arms around my waist, pulling me close to him. I leaned back into his hard body. Tingles of excitement raced through mine. My desire for him never waned.

“Hmmm,” he murmured into my ear. “As amazing as this place is, I think we’re going to have to check into our hotel room soon. I don’t think I can keep my hands off you much longer.”

“Did you know it would be like this?” I asked. “I can see why people come here for honeymoons. It’s powerful, and magical, and amazing.”

“You’re amazing,” he said as he nuzzled my neck.

My tingles increased exponentially.

We stood snuggled together in the heat and watched mesmerized as water poured over the edge and pounded the riverbed below. We were completely under the spell of Niagara Falls.

Mick finally said, “It’s been over an hour. We should probably head back. I’m sure Alex isn’t happy he’s been sitting on a bench for so long.”

I couldn’t believe so much time had passed. I had been content and happy in Mick’s arms and could have easily stayed there for a few more hours.

Approaching the bench, I saw Darby on one end with his arms spread out along the back. His eyes were closed, and his face was turned upward to the sun. Nate was lying down on the rest of the bench with his knees drawn up. He, too, had his eyes closed. Alex was nowhere in sight.

“Hey, wake up,” I said. “Where’s Alex?”

Both guys perked up. “Don’t know,” Darby said. “He wasn’t here when we showed up about ten minutes ago. We thought maybe he walked down to meet you.”

Mick frowned and shook his head. “We haven’t seen him.”

“Should we wait a few minutes?” I asked Mick. “Or do you want to go look for him?”

He pondered the situation for a moment before saying, “You guys stay here in case he comes back. I’ll look around.”

Nate jumped up from the bench and said, “I’ll help you look.”

“Me, too,” said Darby. “He couldn’t have gone too far.”

I sat on the bench and dug my phone out of my purse. “I’m going to call home and check on Lizzie. I’ll stay here.”

The guys took off, and I punched Evelyn’s speed dial number.

After twenty minutes of listening to Lizzie talk about baking cookies, Joe barking into the phone, and Mick’s mother assuring me everything was going swimmingly, I closed my phone. We hadn’t even been gone a full day yet, and I was already missing Lizzie and feeling pangs of homesickness.

I looked around but didn’t see any of the guys. I pushed Samantha’s speed dial number and waited.