Love on the Horizon (A Northern Woods Novel) (24 page)

That evening Nick and Mariah
together bathed the twins, and then Nicky took his first shower by himself.

“I’m old enough to take one by
myself, Mommy. I’m in school.” Nick stood outside the shower door, in case he
needed any help. When he finished he stepped out, with a happy smile on his
face. I’m all grown up now,” he said, and Nick helped him dry off with the
towel.

When the children were down for
the night, Nick told Mariah about Jake going on vacation.

“He said he needed time alone, to
think. After everything he went through with Anya, he hasn’t been himself. I
wish he’d find a nice, decent woman to settle down with; someone just like
you,” he added, and placed a kiss on her forehead. “Although I doubt there is
anyone quite as perfect as you are.” He kissed her cheek. “You smell like a
clean little baby.”

“What do you expect, after you
shook the baby powder all over me?”

He laughed and kissed her again,
on her neck, below her earlobe.

“I’ve been thinking the same
thing, Nick.”

“Thinking what? That you smell
like a baby?”

She swatted him on the shoulder.

“Sarah and I were talking. We
came up with an idea yesterday and now that he’d be gone for a couple weeks,
we’ll see if we can plan something.”

“And what do the two of you have
up your sleeve this time?”

“I’m not sure. Perhaps a party
when he returns. On the other hand, maybe an old-fashioned barn dance. We could
invite all of the ranch hands and their wives. They might know of a single
woman to bring along, or a friend or relative.”

He looked at her. “There must be
an eligible female around here somewhere.”

“I’ll give Sarah a call in the
morning, and we’ll start planning. We haven’t had any type of get together for
ages. Everyone would look forward to it. If there are any single girls who’d
come to a barn dance, we’d know they’re true country women.”

Mariah sat at the other end of
the sofa, and Nick could almost see the ideas flying around in her head. He
knew she’d think of something. He smiled and leaned back, put his feet up on
the hassock and grabbed his
Sports Illustrated
magazine.

Nick laughed as he watched her,
already beginning to plan. “I’m sure you’ll come up with something good,
sweetheart. You get together with Sarah, and the two of you will plan a
terrific party. Just don’t forget to make some sort of statement on the
invitations such as, BASWF.”

“What does that mean?”

“Bring a single woman friend.”

She laughed, and he jumped out of
her reach when she tried to take a playful swing at him.

He tossed his magazine on the
coffee table. “Come, beautiful wife, let’s get to bed. There’s plenty to do
tomorrow with Jake gone. You have two weeks to plan the party.” He turned off
the television, took hold of her hands and helped her up. “Let’s call it a
night. It’s too bad you don’t have a sister. He’d love a woman just like you.”

When they reached their bedroom
door, she stood on tiptoe and placed a honey-sweet kiss on his lips. “I’m going
to check on the kids, and I’ll be right back.”

“I’ll have the sheets warmed up,”
he told her, with a sparkle in his eyes.

After she checked on the
children, she quietly slipped into the master bathroom. A few moments later,
she opened the door, walked over to the bed and slid between the sheets, only
to find Nick sound asleep and purring like a kitten. She knew he’d had a very
long and trying week. She watched the rise and fall of his chest, then gently
pulled the covers up to his shoulder and snuggled up, fitting perfectly into
the curve of his body. She smiled and fell asleep to the rhythm of his deep
breathing.

Chapter
Thirty-eight

Jake lucked out when he called
for a cabin. Guests normally needed to place their reservation four to six
months in advance. However, there’d been a last minute cancellation and he’d
have a perfect size cabin of four rooms that consisted of a kitchen, living
room, bedroom and bath. He arrived at Hidden Pines Resort at eleven a.m. and
drove up to the front of the office for check-in. When he signed in and showed
the clerk his identification, she handed him a map that would lead him to his
place of residence for the next two weeks.

“Follow the golden arrows, Mr.
Morrison,” the young woman told him. “It’s the last cabin at the end of the
cobblestone road. You can’t miss it. The newest of the nine cabins, built last
year in memory of my dear grandfather. If you’d like to purchase groceries, we
have a market on our grounds one block east of here, where you’ll find most
everything you’ll need. The cupboards in the cabins contain clean linens and
towels, soap and shampoo.” She smiled and handed him the map and cabin key.
“You have a nice stay, Sir.”

“Thank you.” He returned the
smile. “My name is Jake.” He held his Stetson against his chest, presented her
with a slight bow then placed it on his head. She waved at him when he left the
office. He climbed back in his truck, closed the door, and hit himself on the
forehead with the palm of his hand. He realized she already knew his name from
his reservation and his cabin number.
What a fool I made of myself.

He drove down the cobblestone
road and kept glancing at the arrows on the map. Within ten minutes, he found
himself in front of Cabin #9. It looked more like a quaint little cottage. He
stepped out of the truck and stood with his hands on his hips. Across the yard,
he saw that the south border sloped down to a rocky creek. He walked to the
edge of the property for a closer look. He could see small rocks on the bottom
and a pool of minnows swimming quickly to the center of the creek when his
shadow fell over them. He lifted his head, looked further to the south, and
noticed the water gradually grew wider and deeper.

“Well I’ll be,” he muttered with
a gleam in his eyes. This must be one of the two cabins located close to the
fishing hole. There’s also a small lake in the opposite direction from the food
market. The clerk mentioned there were boats for rent at the lakeside.

He rubbed his palms together then
turned back toward the cabin, anxious to open it up and take a look. He stepped
up on the small porch, unlocked the door and entered the kitchen.

“Ah… nice,” he said, and went
through the kitchen to the living room, which had a couch, recliner, coffee
table, a rack holding a variety of magazines, and a shelf with books of several
different genres. Best of all, sitting at the opposite end of the room was a
new flat-screen television.

He walked down a short hallway
leading to the bathroom. There he found a closet behind the door, which had
three shelves stacked with linens, towels, bath soap, shampoo and conditioner.
A marble countertop surrounded the sink, and the cupboard beneath contained
toilet paper, boxes of Kleenex and cleaning supplies.

He left the bathroom and entered
the bedroom where he discovered a double bed, dresser and another television
placed upon a shelf against the wall.

“And they call this a cabin? I
expected to be roughing it for the next two weeks,” he said with a grin. “This
will be very relaxing.” He whistled to himself and walked back outside to
unload the truck.

After he unpacked his bags, he
decided to drive over to the market for a few groceries. All he brought from
home was a cooler filled with bread, lunchmeat, cheese, and a case of Budweiser.

He closed the door, locked it,
then turned around and glanced across the green grass that led to the creek.
He’d have to ask someone at the market if there’s actually some fish in the
deeper end that leads to a pool of water.

“I just might go fishing
tomorrow,” he said aloud, although there wasn’t a soul in sight.

Walking to his truck, he noticed
the resort also furnished an outdoor grill at each cabin, and an open pit for a
bonfire. What a life; he probably won’t want to leave, after spending two weeks
at this place.

Tomorrow he’d begin the morning
with a long hike on the path near the creek to become familiar with the
territory. Other than that, he’d play things by ear. No work, no plans, just
rest, lots of rest, he thought, and inhaled a deep breath, enjoying the fresh
smell of the great outdoors.

He climbed into the truck, rolled
down all the windows and drove along the cobblestone road, listening to the
sound of birds chirping among the rustle of the leaves in the light afternoon
breeze. The sun was slightly peeking through the tree branches, which kept the
temperature cool and refreshing.

He arrived at the market, pulled
into the lot and parked in a space near the door. It appeared to be a nice size
for a small-town grocery store. He jumped out and stretched, then took another
deep breath and filled his lungs with the clean, crisp air before entering the
market.

When he completed his shopping,
he walked up to the checkout. The cashier welcomed him to Hidden Pine Resort.

“Howdy! My name’s Pete. Did you
find everything you need?”

“Yes I did, thank you. I’m Jake
Morrison,” he said, and handed him his credit card.

“Did the office let you know
about all the activities up here?”

“I don’t believe so.”

“On Friday nights we have a
bonfire. Tonight it’ll be at Cabin #7. That’s Bud Clarkson’s cabin for the next
two weeks. We take turns having the get together, among those who like to party,
that is.” He let out a loud, deep laugh. “Our wives and children enjoy roasting
hotdogs and marshmallows. It also allows the women time off from cooking
dinner.”

Jake laughed along with Pete,
although he longed for a wife and family of his own to bring up here with him.

“This is beautiful country,” Jake
replied. “I’m glad I came.”

“How long will you be staying?”

“Two weeks.”

“Well, if you’re still around,
there’ll be a barn dance which they have once a month in the red barn located
on the south side of the office building.

“Sounds like fun.” Jake nodded
and picked up his two bags of groceries.

“I work tomorrow, but a few of us
plan to go fishing early Sunday morning. If you’d like to join us, we meet at
the dock where the rental boats are located. Arrive at seven a.m.”

“Thanks Pete, I’ll be there if I
wake up in time. No alarm clock for me during these two weeks of vacation, but
thanks for all the info.”

“You’re more than welcome. I hope
you can make it to the bonfire tonight.” He waved to Jake, who nodded while he
held a bag in each arm and backed into the door, holding it open for a young
woman who was about to walk in. She smiled when he nodded and winked at her,
and he moved away from the doorway once she entered.

He placed the two bags on the
passenger seat, walked around to the driver’s side and climbed in. Turning on
the country music station, he sang along with Brad Paisley as he drove back to
his cabin.

“I think I’ll stay at my own
place tonight, grill a T-bone steak and potato, and spend the rest of the
evening in front of the television,” he said to no one. “Sure wish I had a dog
to share this peace and tranquility with.”
I’m beginning to talk to myself
too often these days.
He shook his head. “Who knows, maybe I’ll find a
four-legged friend around here somewhere.” He laughed with pleasure when he
pulled up to his temporary home.

* * *

Jake woke to the musical chirp of
the birds, happily perched upon a branch from the old oak tree close to his
bedroom window. The weather was still warm, unlike a normal mid-September in
Ely, Minnesota. Even the trees still held most of their orange, red, and golden
leaves. Normally, they’d be blowing around from a brisk, cold wind at this time
of the year.

He jumped into the shower, threw
on a pair of rugged jeans and a blue short-sleeve sport shirt, which showed off
his attractive muscled features, then combed his wavy hair. He grabbed the
remote when he passed through the living room, turned on the morning news, and
headed for the kitchen.

“A fried egg, cheese and bacon
sandwich sounds good. Oh God, I’m talking to myself again. I really do need a
dog.”

He prepared his breakfast, set it
on the table, and poured himself a glass of milk while his coffee brewed. He
could see the television from where he sat, and watched as this week’s Saturday
morning “Adopt a Pet” program came on. He began to eat and didn’t pay much attention
until the face of a two-year-old Shiba Inu appeared. Jake let out a loud hoot,
then stood and walked into the living room to get a closer look. “What a great
looking dog.”

A young man sat on the floor
petting him, and the canine licked his neck and tried to fit himself into his
friend’s lap.

“I’d like you to meet Sam. This
little guy is the best friend anyone could ever ask for. He obeys the main
commands of sit, stay and come. He’ll let you know if he needs to go outside.
His owner had to give him up when he lost his job and his house went into
foreclosure. He had no choice but to move back to his home state. It hurt him
badly having to leave his buddy behind. Sam is a purebred Shiba Inu. He’s a
wonderful dog and wants to be a friend to someone who will love and take care
of him like a family member.”