Wife for the Lumberjack

by Kirk, Ambrielle

  Kristene

  By the time we rolled up onto Viktor’s property, it was close to noon. I had officially checked out of the motel and assured the owner that I wouldn’t be back begging for a room at the last minute. We were beyond that point. Having that talk with Viktor was the best thing we could do. I understood him now and he understood me. There were no more lies or pretenses or withheld information, so there’d be no surprises after everything was said and done.

  As he pulled the truck onto the gravel driveway leading up to his mansion, there was a gray van parked in front of the porch. Two guys were standing beside the van looking under the hood.

  “Who the hell could this be?” Viktor grumbled.

  “Some workers maybe?”

  “No. I closed up shop a few days ago. Everyone knows not to report until next week.”

  As he came closer, the guys attention shifted from the van to Viktor’s truck. One of them slammed the hood shut and stood there staring at us. Obviously, they were waiting on something.

  One of the guys had long blond hair that put my tailbone-length hair to shame. He had some interesting art work and patches sewed into his jeans and tattoos covered the exposed portions of his hands and face. The other guy had on a beanie and was clean shaven. Under the big wool coat keeping him warm, he sported a tight leather get-up and boots.

  Viktor parked the truck and shut off the engine. “Stay in here until I find out who this is.”

  By the tone of his voice, I realized that his demand was serious. He had no ideas who these people were. Before I could say anything, he got out of the truck and closed the door behind him.

  As Viktor approached the two guys, the side door to the van slid open and out pops Jocelyn. She looks around confused and I know her enough to realize that she had just woken up from a nap. But as soon as the recognition dawned on me, I threw the truck door open and ran straight for her. We collided halfway, giving each other a big tight squeeze.

  “Kris!” she squealed.

  “Jocelyn. Where were you?” I was so excited to see her that I forgot about being angry.

  “On the road, sis. I got your messages.” She yanked me against her chest again and gave me a big bear hug. “Did you really come all this way to find me?”

  I nodded, holding back the tears in my eyes. They were happy tears. I was so glad she was okay. “I don’t want to fight, Jocelyn. I’m sorry for what I said about you.”

  “I know, but you know what? It’s all true. I’m going to do better now for myself. I promise. Rick and Gavin gave me a promotion and I’m the new tour manager now.”

  I looked behind us at the two guys who were standing next to the van and the big handsome lumberjack. There was no comparison between the men. It was like night and day. They were casually speaking and the guy with the beanie was pointing to the hood of the van.

  “But…you said that Gavin guy was your boyfriend,” I said, frowning.

  Jocelyn shrugged, running her hand through her cropped hair. She’d dyed it a bright purple, but streaks of black and brown still peaked through. “Yeah, well, it’s complicated. You wouldn’t understand.”

  “You’re right. I don’t understand. Are you really happy?”

  “Yes!” She nodded excitedly. “This is the life! I might live on the road, but we’re always out on the town having fun. You wouldn’t believe how much money we’ve made in less than a month. When I get back to Minneapolis, I’m going to take care of the rent for the rest of this year. And we don’t have to worry about that anymore.”

  I swallowed and nodded. “It’s not about the money or anything, Jocelyn. I was really worried about you. Why didn’t you return my calls?”

  Jocelyn shook her head. “I was angry at you, okay? You said some pretty hurtful things. You’re my sister and we’re supposed to stick together through thick and thin. For life. I’m the oldest, so I should’ve known better than to just leave you behind like that.”

  “I was scared, Jocelyn,” I said, pointedly.

  “I’m sorry. I lost my phone. I had a hunch that I left it while we were having lunch at that truck stuff. Sure enough, we swung by there and it was behind the counter waiting for me. If the screen wasn’t cracked, it would’ve been a goner. The lady gave it right back to me, no questions asked.”

  “My cell phone number hasn’t changed.” I knew that arguing with her wasn’t going to change anything, but I felt the need to get everything off my chest.

  “I didn’t want to listen to you telling me how dangerous my lifestyle is. I needed a breather. Plus, I had a job to do. That bitch at the Sheriff’s office was rude. She didn’t want to tell me where you were. I still can’t believe you tracked me down like this. How’d you get here?”

  “I took a Greyhound.”

  “And how’d you find the cabins?”

  I looked down at my hands. “It was pretty easy to find. You talked about the hiking trails around here a lot when we talked on the phone.”

  Jocelyn chuckled. “Yeah, we got some good inspiration while on the trails. But, fuck, Kris, why’d you go and put out a missing person’s report on me? My face was on the poster by the truck stop.”

  “What should I have done, huh? You didn’t answer your calls. You didn’t answer my voicemails. Hell, you could’ve picked up a pay phone and cursed me out or something if you were still mad. All I wanted was to hear from you that you were okay.”

  “Sis, I’m fine. Okay.” She kissed my forehead. “I’m moving back home for a bit. All that stuff I did before. The drugs. The drinking. I’m going to quit. We’re supposed to be getting a new band member. He’s moving all the way in from Germany. Isn’t that neat? And then we have initiation and that stuff…which I’m looking forward to. I’ve gotta take care of the guys, ya know. They take care of me too.”

  I sighed and rolled my eyes. I had first had knowledge of what initiation meant. She’d slept with both of the men often. They’re weren’t just a band, she said, they were a family.

  “If this is what you want, okay…”

  I felt big thick hands mold to the center of my back and I instantly knew who they belonged to. I looked from Jocelyn and up at Viktor.

  “Jocelyn, this is Viktor. I’ve been staying here.”

  Jocelyn smiled brightly. “Yeah, I know. That nut from the Sheriff’s office finally told me that. You’re Mr. Kamaz, right? You own all this, right?”

  “Yeah and…yeah,” Viktor exclaimed.

  “I don’t think I’ve met you. You mostly took the rent money from Rick,” she said.

  “Right, I remember.”

  “Anywho, sorry that we left the cabin in sort of a mess. We got that big gig out west and had to haul ass in a jiffy.”

  “That’s alright. I have a clean-up person.”

  Gavin and Rick made their way over and settled behind Jocelyn. Gavin began kicking at the dirt, looking impatient and nervous about something.

  “So, uh…you’re leaving tomorrow, right, sis?” Jocelyn announced.

  “Um…” I muttered.

  “That’s what your voicemail said. We’re leaving for Minneapolis tomorrow too. First thing in the morning since we’re waiting on a part to put in the van. It keeps running hot and stalling out on the road. That guy uptown owns the junk yard and he said he’d give us a call once he finds the part. You’re still going home, right?”

  “T-that was the plan,” I stuttered, feeling Viktor’s eyes on me. I wrapped my coat tighter around my mid-section as a sharp, biting wind swept past us.

  “Well, you don’t have to ride back on a stuffy bus. Just make sure you have your stuff packed my ten. We’ll go grab some breakfast and head out,” Jocelyn instructed.

  “Uh…yeah, we need to leave before that blizzard comes through. It’s supposed to be headed this direction over the next couple of days,” Rick offered.

  “Yeah, we don’t want to get stuck in that shit,” Gavin added.

  “Ah, right…we’re going to sleep in the van tonight
,” Jocelyn said, and then glanced at Viktor warily, “Would you mind if we camped out here tonight?”

  “You can stay inside if you like,” Viktor offered.

  “Um, we tend to get kind of noisy,” Jocelyn stated.

  “I see. Well, I have one vacant cabin you can sleep for the night. You can have it until about afternoon, tomorrow.”

  “That would be awesome!” Jocelyn chimed. “Thank you.” Then, she looked at me apprehensively. “Kris, would you mind if we talked more? Alone?”

  “Kristene, you should come inside. It’s cold,” Viktor noted, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. “Why don’t you all come inside for right now? The house is big enough. I know you have some catching up to do, so you two can talk more in there. Sound good?”

  “Yeah.” I nodded, slipping my chilled fingers down against the warmest part of him and allowing him to lead me to the front door and into the home.

  Jocelyn and her band mates followed.

  Once inside, Viktor took my hand briefly and said, “I’m going to get a fire going in here, get that key for them, and then I’m going to pick up Roy. You’ll be okay, right?”

  I nodded. “Yes.”

  “Wow!” Jocelyn exclaimed, louder than she really needed to. “I think this is just about the biggest house I’ve ever been in. I didn’t even know this house was back here. And look at that crystal chandelier and that beautiful skylight. Man, you must be rolling in dough here, Mr. Lumberjack.”

  My face reddened in embarrassment and I took Jocelyn’s arm and just about dragged her into the little guest bedroom.

  I closed the door and spun around. “Are you serious?”

  “What?” She held her hand up. “I thought I was doing well, but man, this is the life. How’d you meet him again?”

  “He owns the cabins. I came looking for you. That’s how I met him. Duh.”

  She laughed. “You’re so over-reactive.” She walked further inside the room, kicked off her boots, peeled off her socks, and dug her toes into the plush rug. “Anyway, he’s pretty nice. I heard him saying something about going to pick up a guy named Roy. Is that his brother or something? Another strapping hot lumberjack? Because I would totally ship the idea of you and two hot lumberjacks living happily ever after.”

  I nudged her hard. “Roy is his nephew. I stayed here while looking for you and earned some extra money doing light chores for him around the house. I slept in here.”

  “Oh. He’s the fatherly type then. Even better.” She spun around and crept toward me with her eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Wait a minute.” She pointed at me and grinned. “You’re lying. You weren’t just staying in this room. You were fucking him.”

  I pressed my lips together and shifted my gaze away from her.

  She giggled and then bent over and came up laughing hard. “Light chores? I can’t believe it. You’re into lumberjacks now? Ha! A long time ago, you said you’d marry yourself a doctor or a lawyer. Remember when you said that?”

  I rolled my eyes. “I was young then.”

  “But look at your now, sis. You’ve got yourself a hot hunk.” She grinned. “Hold up! When I left Minneapolis, you were still keeping your legs closed to all of your dates. You were still a virgin,” she gawked.

  “Keep your friggin voice down!” I pulled her further away from the door. “And that’s none of your business.”

  “He took your virginity, didn’t he?”

  “He didn’t take anything. I gave it to him. I wanted to.”

  She pressed her palm lightly against my forehead as if testing for a fever. “You’re practically glowing, sis. He must be a beast in bed. I know that recently-fucked look.”

  “If you can keep you voice down, this isn’t exactly a football field. Yes, I stayed in his home and had sex with him.”

  “I don’t blame you, sis. I would too. I mean, look at him. He is made for fucking.”

  I folded my arms across my chest. “Don’t try and change the subject, Jocelyn. This isn’t about my sudden interest in sex. This is about you skipping town, telling me to go kick rocks, hanging up on me, and then going missing. I’m not going to forgive you for that.”

  “But you will. Just like me, you can’t stay mad, and you know it.” She rolled her neck like she was certain of it.

  I shook my head, but she was right. “So, what now? You go back to Minneapolis and then what?”

  “We have four gigs there. Two of them are concerts. By that time, the new guy should have his VISA shit straightened out. I’ll probably be in Minneapolis another six months or so and then we’ll see where the next gig takes us.” She shrugged.

  I was happy to see her again and delighted that she was coming back home, but I felt sad that she would be gone again. On the road. With her bandmates. But I remembered the silent promise I made to myself. I had to make a life of my own. It was just like leaving a parent’s nest. But in my case, I was becoming an independent woman and I had a life outside of my sister. I never had any plans to leave Minneapolis. I loved that city. And I wasn’t exactly alone. There were millions of people there. I just had to get out more.

  Jocelyn sat down on the bed, taking me with her. “Look, Kris, you had some pretty big dreams when we were kids. You should pursue them. And maybe you’re right. Maybe we do need each other more than I want to admit. If you still think you can’t handle living in Minneapolis on your own, then there’s always a place for you with me and my bandmates. Being on the road is not so bad. You just have to be a bit open-minded, that’s all.”

  I nodded. “I’ve learned a lot. I’ll think about it.”

  Jocelyn smiled and we hugged again. It felt good to have my sister back.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Kristene

  Later on that night when Viktor and I were covered in sweat and basking in the aftermath of a lengthy sex-athon, he held me in his arms. My head was on his chest and I listened to the rhythm of his heartbeat as he stroked his fingers through my hair.

  “Thank you,” he said, quietly.

  “For what?”

  “For this.”

  I chuckled. “For sex? I’m not a prostitute.”

  “That’s not what I meant. Thanks for helping me with everything. It was nice letting go of my insecurities for once.”

  “For once? Always, I hope. And you helped me too. I realized that I have to go after what I want too. Family is everything but pleasing them shouldn’t keep me from going after my dreams.”

  He kissed the top of my head. “You and your sister have a good relationship. You should expect the fights. That happens with all siblings.”

  “Yeah, I know.” I sighed. “But this one was bad. I really hurt her feelings that day. Even when I called to apologize, I knew she still felt salty about it. Then we bickered again, and she hung up on me after delivering some choice words that really got to me. We were like that as kids too, even when we had our parents.”

  “At least, you can make up and move on from this. Could be worse. I know from experience.”

  “But we learn from our experiences.” I hugged him hard. “I guess I should sleep now. I promised Roy blueberry pancakes before I left.”

  “Yeah. Good idea.”

  “Are you okay?” I lifted my head, trying to decipher his expression in the dark. “You’re not sad, right?”

  “No, I’m not sad,” he said, flatly, and then added, “Of course, I’m sad. You’re leaving.”

  “Yeah, I guess I am leaving…”

  “I’ll come visit you in Minneapolis,” he said, with a hint of excitement in his voice.

  “Oh yeah?” I smiled. “I’d like that. Lumberjack in the city. I’ll show you off around town.”

  “It would be sooner rather than later. Very soon,” he said.

  “That’s A-Okay with me.”

  He pressed his lips to my forehead and chuckled softly against my skin, sending warm vibrations through my core.

  “Viktor?”

  “Yes.”
/>   “You’ll keep your promise, right?”

  There was a pause and then he asked, “Which one?”

  I sighed. “Never mind. Just hold me. I’m going to miss how you keep me so warm at night.”

  “I’m gonna miss you too.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Kristene

  Last night was mind blowing.

  Breakfast this morning was bittersweet.

  And saying goodbye was agony.

  My duffle bag of meager belongings was sitting on the step waiting for our departure. The biting cold was unnerving, but the dropping temperatures weren’t the only thing paralyzing me.

  Jocelyn stuck her head out of the van and yelled, “Come on, Kris! We’ve gotta go.”

  I rolled my eyes, ignoring her and lifted my gaze to meet Viktor’s. “This is hard. I wished we had more time together.”

  He grabbed my hand. “We have time. Roy and I will come visit soon. Maybe even right after the blizzard clears.”

  I sighed. “Okay. By the way, I left an updated procedures checklist for your next office manager just in case the old one doesn’t come back soon enough and you have to hire another. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to call me. Day or night.”

  He grinned. “When I call you, the last thing I’m going to be discussing is office procedures.” He leaned in and his lips lightly grazed my earlobe. “And when you call me, make sure you’re not wearing panties.”

  My insides warmed and I bit my bottom lip as a wave of arousal pulsed through me. “Hmmm. I’m going to be so jealous of these big calloused hands.” I entwined my fingers with his.

  “I put something in your duffle bag. A little parting gift. If you can help it, wait until you get home to open it,” he said.

  “I’ll try.”

  “You better go,” he said, rubbing my hands together between his. “Your fingers are ice cold.”

  I closed my eyes, allowing my senses to take control. A few snow flurries fluttered across my face. One even landed on my cheek, but Viktor kissed it away.