Unexpected Love

 

Autumn. My favorite time of the year. I walked through the woods, enjoying the crispness of the air. The pungent smell of decaying leaves, crackling with each step I made. The sun shimmered through the treetops, as the squirrels scurried about collecting their food supplies for the coming winter. A brisk wind whipped my hair around my face. Shivering, I pulled my jacket closer, sinking into its warmth.

 

A bittersweet smile found it’s way to my face. Memories of past walks through these very same woods crept into my mind. I looked out over the lake, shimmering in the sunlight. The pier was still there, and I walked down to it. The planks were solid and painted a pristine white. I sat down and let my thoughts wonder. In my minds eye I could see myself at the age of twelve, running and leaping into the water below. My childhood had been filled with summers at the lake. More often than not, we were visited by cousins, or friends, looking to escape the city heat. Our cabin was small, but there was plenty of room for a tent or two to be pitched in the surrounding yard.

 

Summer would turn into Fall. The seasonal vacationers would return to their homes. Boats would be stored. Cabins and summer homes would be winterized, but not ours. We loved this place. Every season was filled with wonder, and we didn’t miss any of it.

 

Maybe that was why I had decided to come back. Maybe I was looking for something and thought it could be found here. Maybe I needed the comfort and security of this wondrous place, that was now mine.

 

My parents had died, both of them within months of each other. Their entire estate was divided between my sister and myself. Our parents knew us well. Michelle got the house in town and everything that went with it. I got the cabin, the place I loved most in the world. Michelle thrived in the city. She had bought herself an old brownstone that was filled with charm and character. It was perfect, for her. I felt stifled in the city. I longed for clean air, quiet solitude, and nature. I wanted, needed, exactly what I found here.

 

Once the keys to the cabin and deed to the property were in my hands, it didn’t take long for me to pack up what little I had of a life in the city and head for "home." The moment I arrived, and slipped the key in the lock, memories flooded my head and heart. I could hear the laughter, feel the love. I could smell the sweetness of springtime, taste the turkeys we had on Thanksgiving. Mom always insisted we spend holidays at the cabin. Mom. Dad. How I missed them. The tears flooded my eyes and I sat on the floor and cried. I cried for the parents I had lost. I cried for the hugs I would never again get. I cried because here is was.... Thanksgiving time again, and they were gone. I was alone. Michelle had invited me over, out of duty I imagined. She was having an elegant dinner party in her house. Her boyfriend and his parents were going to be there, as well as colleges from work. It wasn’t exactly going to be the family holiday I was used to. No one would eat themselves silly and then collapse on the couch to watch football. There would be no children around to oohh and aaahhh at the parades on TV. No, it wouldn’t be what I remembered. It would be a holiday filled with small talk, and politeness. There would be no warmth, no love.

 

I was startled out of my daydreams by a large bundle of golden fur and one extremely wet tongue. "SAMMY! Sammy, dang it." Through the slurping, and happy whines coming from the dog, I could barely make out a deep masculine voice somewhere behind me. "He isn’t vicious, just a little bit over friendly. SAMMY! SAMMY, come back here!"

 

Struggling to regain my composure, and avoid the passionate dog kisses, I slowly inched backwards. The affection merely followed. If I scoot back much more I will fall off, I thought. Too late, when I got my feet under me, Sammy jumped up again, his giant paws making muddy prints on my jacket, and pushing me over the side of the pier.

 

Icy water sent splinters of pain throughout my body. Just as I surfaced and wiped the water from my eyes, a loud splash caused more of the cold liquid to slap my face. Immediately the dog had his mouth on the collar of my jacket and was frantically swimming, and dragging me to the shore.

 

I was soaked, from head to toe. Not only that, but I was freezing, and the owner of my attacker was LAUGHING at me. "Sammy, come here boy." For the first time during this encounter, the damn dog decided to listen. He looked up, shook off, a little too close to me, and sauntered over to stand next to his Master.

 

The heat from my slowly simmering temper rose, and began to warm me. Oblivious to the sparkle and mischief hiding behind the brown eyes of the man laughing at me, I stormed off in a fit of anger, mumbling to myself all the way.

"Hey, I am sorry, I don’t mean to laugh at you, but ya got to admit, it was pretty funny."

Turning on my heel I glared back at him and mumbled through clenched teeth, "I don’t see a whole lot of humor in this. I was minding my own business, on my own land, and the next thing I know I have this, this beast all over me, and I am knocked into freezing cold water. I hardly find that funny. What exactly do you think you are doing here anyway? This is private property."

"Listen, I am not trying to cause any problems, I am just taking my dog for a walk. We have walked down here almost everyday for three months now and no one has been around. I thought the cabin was closed up for the winter." He said apologetically.

"Well, you thought wrong." Again I turned and walked towards home. Feeling something cold nudge my hand, I looked down to see Sammy following me. The further I walked, the more he nudged his nose against my hand.

"He likes you, ya know. He doesn’t want you to leave. I think he is becoming tired of just having me around for company. That dog has always had a soft spot in his heart for pretty ladies." The glare I directed at him, must have spoken a thousand words for he immediately called the dog back to his side, and returned my angry look with a cocky smile. "She is a feisty one alright Sammy. We like feisty ones, don’t we Boy?"

 

 

Back at the cabin, I immediately stripped off my wet clothes, pulled on my old flannel robe, and started running hot water in the tub. Walking into the small kitchen, I began to make myself some flavored coffee. I was so cold. I didn’t think anything would get the chill out of my bones. I took an oversized cup, steaming with hot, fragrant coffee, grabbed the novel I had started the day before and made my way to the bathroom. The hot water felt heavenly as I sunk deeply into it. "Watch me get sick now." I said to myself and as if on cue a sneeze snuck up and erupted forth. It was followed by another and another and another. "Damn it! Just what I need." I cursed. "Who they hell is that man anyway?"

 

The next week flew by. I kept myself busy cleaning, unpacking boxes, and stocking the pantry and frig. The next day was Thanksgiving, and I repeatedly told myself I was ready for it. The quiet is good for me. Maybe I can work on my book. The deadline is not goin away, I thought to myself.

This would be my third novel, and when my publisher, Jack, reviewed the outline I had turned in two weeks earlier, he predicted it would go straight to the top. My first two books and done well, very well for a new author. I just couldn’t seem to get back into the swing of things. Jack was very sympathetic when he heard about Mom and then Dads passing. He reassured me that I could take the time I needed to work through my grief. "Don’t worry about the next book, or any deadlines I give. I understand. Take care of yourself. We will be here when you are ready."

Now, I wasn’t so sure he meant everything he said. The first deadline he assigned had come sooner than I had expected. I glanced over at my computer, sitting on the desk, right where I had unpacked it the day before. Normally it beckoned to me. Today, it looked cold, and unapproachable. What the hell, I thought. I’ll give it a try.

 

I walked over and flipped it on. Soon the warm humming filled the room and the familiar sound comforted me. I sat down in my chair, and before I knew it, my fingers were flying over the keyboard. I was caught up in the story, the characters, the feelings. My heart and soul was poured out with each new word I typed. By the time I took a break and looked up, the room was filled with darkness. Glancing over at the clock on the mantel, I noticed that not only had the morning and afternoon slipped away, but so had a good portion of the early evening. I stretched, reaching for the ceiling above me, let out a huge sigh, and stood, walking towards the kitchen. The angry rumbling in my stomach was crying out to me. I opened the frig, checked the small turkey I had defrosting in there, rummaged through a few drawers and shelves, and finally decided to make some soup. Beef vegetable, my favorite, was soon steaming hot and ready to eat. I poured a generous portion into a bowl, grabbed a handful of crackers and sat down in front of the TV to watch the news.

Nothing new was happening in the world, just the usual local school board problems, zoning issues, and there was a break-in at a nearby jewelry store. The one topic that interested me the most, was the prediction for an early snow storm. The weather man predicted it would hit late tonight and continue right into the day tomorrow. Glad I am here and not planning on going anywhere, I thought.

I finished my soup, curled up on the couch, pulled a warm blanket over myself and snuggled in to watch the movie of the week.

 

 

I am sitting at the Thanksgiving dinner table, laughing with my Mom and Dad. Michelle is there, talking about her job, and her new home, when a loud banging interrupts. My family slowly begins to fade away, as my eyes open and I become aware of my surroundings. The banging is real, coming from my front door. "Hey! Is anyone home?" I hear.

Pushing the blanket off my body, the chilled air seeps through my clothing. A howling wind rattles the windows. I cross the room, to the door, open it and I am immediately slapped in the face by frigid, stinging, ice pellets.

"It’s about damn time you open the door." Standing before me is the man from the lake, and his "overly friendly dog". The dog, Sammy, bounds into my cabin, leaving a dirty trail of snow and ice, leaps up onto the couch I had just risen from, and rests his head on my pillow. His owner pushes past me, carrying a large bag, which he deposits on the floor. He takes my hands off the door, pushes it closed, and then places his right index finger under my chin and pushes upwards, closing my mouth. "There that is better. You looked silly with your mouth hanging open." He informs me.

 

"What do you think you are doing?" My words are slow and deliberate.

"Powers out at my place, no heat. Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving." He says nonchalantly. Holding his hand out, waiting for me to take it in a friendly shake he says, " My name is Joe, and you are?"

"Irritated." I replied.

"Nice to meet you Irritated. That is a very unusual name. Is your family foreign?" His eyes were filled with laughter, and that mischievous glint, I saw at the lake.

I tired desperately to remain composed, and angry. I failed miserably. "You are not funny!" I said.

"Then why are you trying so hard to hide that smile? Come on, let it out. I know you want to." Turning to the dog who had taken up residence on my couch, he said. "Sammy, I told ya she was a feisty one, but I think she is warming to us. What do you think?" As if on queue, the dog rose, nuzzled his nose against my hand, and started wagging his tail furiously.

That was my undoing. Suppressed laughter bubbled up, and overtook me. "Sammy, you are quite a dog. Did ya know that?" I asked. "I’m just not sure about this owner of yours though."

Joe addressed the dog once more. "Sammy, I would like to introduce you to.... Your name really isn’t Irritated, is it?"

"No." I said through another round of laughter. "I am Catherine. Cat."

 

I apologized to Joe for my earlier rudeness. He reassured me that he understood, if the situation were reversed, he was certain he would have acted the same way. I offered him coffee, and soon we were working side by side preparing breakfast. He told me about the storm, and what a doozy it was. His power had been knocked out a few hours earlier and it hadn’t taken long for him to realize he couldn’t stay there. The temperature in his small house was rapidly dropping. His car had been snowed in, and following a gut feeling, he packed up a few things and trudged through the snow towards my cabin.

 

We clicked. I felt so comfortable with him. We talked about everything and anything. Our childhoods, our futures, our likes and dislikes, nothing was forbidden or awkward. I told him about how special this little cabin was to me. I shared the pain I felt over the deaths of my parents, and he instinctively knew to pull me close and hold me. When his lips brushed over the top of my head, shivers raced through my veins.

I learned he was here on a sabbatical of sorts. He had just sold the family business he inherited when his father retired. After five years of pouring blood, sweat, and tears into something he just didn’t feel in his heart, he sold it to a long time family friend. Now, he was enjoying a much needed, and deserved extended vacation. "I’m just not sure what I want to do with my future." He told me. "Who knows maybe I will start a small business geared towards the throngs of vacationers that come here in the summer."

 

I mentioned I had a turkey that needed to get in the oven, and once again, there we were side by side, preparing another meal, just as we had breakfast.

"Hey, Cat?"

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Would you mind if I kissed you?"

My hands came to an immediate stop, lost somewhere deep in the stuffing I was preparing. "Uumm, now?" I stammered.

"If ya don’t mind. Unless you had a better time in mind."

"I, ah, um, no."

"You’re stammering." He said, smiling.

"You’re making fun of me." I returned his smile.

"Yeah, I know." His lips met mine, softly, gently. His tongue snaked out and tasted. Leaning into his kiss, I wrapped my arms around his back, my hands finding his head, and..

"Oh shit! I am so sorry!" I gasped. I had gotten so caught up in Joe’s kiss that I had completely forgotten the stuffing covering my hands. Now that stuffing was clumped in his silky, dark hair.

 

Sammy woke up from all of the excitement and walked over just as the first doughy clump fell to the floor. He looked up at the two of us questioningly, and then greedily gobbled the fallen food. I looked at Joe uncertainly, not sure if he was angry or not. Instantly I was put at ease. He was actually laughing. "Well, they always say pay back is a bitch." I burst into a fit of giggles. He looked so funny standing there, stuffing dropping like little bombs off his head to the floor. Sammy stood there expectantly, waiting for each as it slowly slid off his master's head and plopped down right in front of him.

"I think you might need a shower." I giggled.

"Yeah." Joe agreed, sighing. "I think you’re right."

 

I showed him where I kept everything, and left him to wash up. Back in the kitchen I finished stuffing the turkey, put it into the oven, and started washing the dishes.

"Cat?" Joe called from the shower.

"Yeah? You need something?" I asked.

"You are out of shampoo."

"Hold on, I have more, I will get it." I moved down the hall, to the closet I had well stocked, retrieved a new bottle of shampoo, went into the bathroom and stuck my hand inside the shower curtain, careful not to peek. Joe took it from my hands, pulled the curtain back just enough to reveal his slick, soapy chest and said simply, "Thanks."

 

I couldn’t take my eyes off him. He was gorgeous. Warm water ran down his chest in small rivers. I followed the flow, lower and lower.

"Like what you see?"

Embarrassment colored my face.

"Cat. Come here."

"I, um, the turkey." I started to protest.

"Cat. Come here." His voice was thick, sexy. His gaze, demanding. When I didn’t move, he placed the shampoo bottle on the ledge and reached for my hand, pulling me to him. I was pulled right into the shower and under the warm stream of water. His hands came up and pushed my hair off my shoulder as he leaned forward and whispered, "You’re getting wet?"

"Of course I am getting wet. You have me in the shower with you."

"Cat. It was a question, not a statement. You getting wet?"

"Oh." Was all I could say, as I felt the redness creeping back into my face.

"Are you Cat? Are you getting wet for me?" There was no time to answer. Hot wet lips soon covered mine. Searching hands quickly removed my drenched clothing. All I could do was stand there and try to keep my knees from buckling out from under me.

 

Soon, I was standing naked before him. Strong arms pulled me against his hard chest. Our mouths never stopped the primitive dance they were performing. Large hands grabbed the softly curved mounds of my bottom and lifted me upwards, and backwards until I felt the water warmed tile against my back.

The kiss broke, eye met, and I felt his hardness pressing against my most intimate part.

"You are wet for me. Aren’t you?"

"Yes." I whispered. With that, he plunged inside me, taking my breath away.

 

Our joining was intense, passionate. It was the kind of lovemaking a person experiences with only one special person in the span of a lifetime. We moved from the shower, to the floor, to the bed. We kissed, tasted, consumed each other for hours, finally slipping into a rejuvenating sleep.

 

We woke to the smell of turkey roasting. "I am starving Babe. What about you?"

"Famished." I answered.

"Wanna eat? Do you think it is ready yet?" Joe asked.

"Yeah, and yes I think it is ready."

 

We got up and padded, naked into the kitchen. It wasn’t long before we devoured half of the small bird, and a good portion of the stuffing.

"That was wonderful." My lover said, patting his stomach. "Where is desert?"

I rose, walked over to Joe's chair, straddled his lap and whispered, "Right here" as I sank onto his hardened organ.

Happy Thanksgiving EVERYONE!!!

Love yas, Jen : )

11/20/98