by Shady Grace
Not everyone.
“What exactly do you do for him, anyway?”
Like the flip of a switch, gone was his sad and disappointed face, replaced with a sly smile and eyes as deadly as a wolf. “I do anything I’m told.”
She swallowed and looked at the house. So much for reasonable answers. “Well, how about some breakfast?” She didn’t want to hear the details of what his job entailed, having seen enough a few months prior. Maybe that was a bad question to start with.
“You read my mind. Let me finish up here first.” And he went back to chopping wood as if their conversation held no weight at all on her fragile soul.
Mary set out scrambling some eggs and bacon and adding slices of bread in the toaster oven. She had just finished setting the table when Terry strolled into the house. He sipped his coffee and stared at her life between these four walls. She tried hard to ignore the sweltering heat his kiss had caused. The house seemed tiny while he was in it.
Terry eyed a bookcase then glanced over his shoulder, his smile teasing. “Historical romance, eh?”
“My favorite.”
“So you like the damsel in distress and the noble rogue who comes to her rescue? Only for him to steal her virtue anyway?”
She giggled at his poor attempt at a Scottish accent. “Maybe I do.”
“Good to know.” He turned his attention back to the bookcase while Mary sat at the table staring at him, intrigued and surprised by his display of humor.
“Are you a damsel in distress, Mary?”
“Uh, no.” How could she possibly answer without sounding like an idiot? Yes, she was distressed and unhappy but she wasn’t a damsel like in those romance books. She didn’t have long, flowing golden hair and bright eyes with tits nearly bursting from her bodice. She was plain old Mary Billings. Shoulder-length brown hair, brown eyes, and barely a handful on her chest. Nothing epic about that.
Terry approached her at the table and leaned down, so close the heat of his breath fanned the ticklish spot below her ear. “Do you need rescuing, Mary?”
She fought to control the sudden and overwhelming electricity streaking through her. “No.”
“Are you sure?”
Breathe. “No. I mean, yes.” She closed her eyes and shuddered. “Don’t toy with me, Terry.”
When was the last time she felt this much excitement? She thought he was going to kiss her right there over the toast, and for the love of God, she wanted him to. It terrified her how bold he acted around her. How sensual his words sounded coming from his sexy mouth she should forget about. Why did she feel empty-headed when he looked at her like that?
He was the complete opposite from Tom who was short and stocky with black hair and dark brown eyes, who had no clue how to flirt. Terry was tall and athletic with golden hair and pale blue eyes that seemed to stare right through her into the deepest, darkest depths of her soul. And he could charm the panties right off her over a plate of eggs and bacon.
Maybe she did need rescuing. Maybe she was the poor, hapless girl who needed a strong man to take control.
No. No more doing what a man wanted her to do. She was the boss of her own life now, not trailing behind, terrified of what to do next.
Confused about this whole situation was an understatement, and Mary knew she needed to keep control of herself with a man like Terry. He was probably used to getting his way all the time. Maybe he was a total player and she should avoid him completely. Let him camp out and rest for whatever time he needs then send him home.
Still, she couldn’t control the war between her body and her mind.
“How about you show me around after breakfast? I’ve never really seen the property before, not in detail anyway. Then I’ll get to work setting up my tent.”
She forked some eggs. “Sure.”
They ate breakfast in silence. Every once in a while Mary would look up to find him staring at her. She had a million questions to ask but none of them seemed appropriate at the moment. Maybe some normal time together was all she needed to learn the real man behind Terry McCoy, and to discover what he was really doing here. Did he know Gabe offered her money to let him stay here?
He seemed to think she wanted him to be here. Well, she did and she didn’t. She didn’t really know what the hell she wanted.
She took their plates and set them in the sink, still leery about this whole visit, but determined to keep an open mind. After all, having some company was a nice change. Soon she’d be alone again.
A gust of wind blew into the open window above the sink. She looked out to the stand of pines as she’d done many times before. If only those green guards could tell her what her purpose should be in life. If she were to be honest with herself, really honest, she’d want to leave this place, start fresh, make roots in a place where she didn’t feel left out. But she couldn’t tell Terry that, not now. Probably not ever.
They exited the back door and Mary took Terry around the yard. Behind the house was a small clearing where she kept her skinning station, fur shed, and the smoke house. Everything was kept clean to keep the bears away, although at times her efforts didn’t matter. Seven dogs and a gun usually scared them off.
Mary opened the shed door and when Terry stepped inside he seemed surprised at what he saw. “Wow. I didn’t realize you could do all this.”
Wolf, lynx, and beaver pelts hung on the far wall, all ready to be taken in. On another wall hung batches of sinew. Sometimes when Mary had time she’d make purses and small handbags from deer hide, but she usually just prepared the hides and brought them to Byron. He had his price and she had hers. As long as they both walked away happy, where the furs and hides went after meant nothing to Mary.
But lately all she managed to do was take care of nuisance beaver. The trapline held no importance to her now, not with Tom out of the picture. That was his baby.
“This is my life.” She stared at her pelts, proud of her skills yet daunted by her bleak future. She loved the wilderness and the adventure, but many mornings she woke up wondering what else was out there. There must be more to life than this. Sure, she had all the necessities, and sometimes a simple life came by easier, but more and more she became bored of this routine.
Terry walked around and touched the pelts. Watching his hand gently skim the furs made Mary wonder how it would feel if he touched her the same way. But she shook it off and reminded herself that Terry was here as a friend for a quiet vacation. Kissing her as he did shouldn’t mean anything, even though to her it did.
“How long have you been doing this?”
She cleared her throat and tried to concentrate on his questions, not how pathetic she was thinking about how hot it would be to make love to him on a bear rug. “About twelve years, I guess. Tom started teaching me a few years after we were married.” She looked down at the floor. “When we realized I couldn’t have his kids.” He didn’t need to hear that, probably didn’t want to either, but something inside told her it needed to be said.
“A doctor told you that, or Tom did?”
She didn’t answer, but she didn’t disobey her husband and see a doctor in secret even though she wanted to. There were many things she wanted to do but she couldn’t.
When she looked up, Terry was facing her now. She didn’t know what went on in his mind, but he seemed sad for her. “Do you want children?”
She shrugged, embarrassed to answer truthfully. “Maybe. One day.” She couldn’t tell him those motherly urges had bothered her for years now. She wanted to love somebody more than anyone could ever love her. Tom had said it was her fault she couldn’t have children. She must be barren and therefore, not a proper wife.
“I’ll show you the dogs and my horse now.”
Terry nodded without another word and followed her outside. The doghouses were lined up along the side of the house. A few of them were on top of their roofs, others inside their houses. None of them showed any interest in Terry which surprised Mary. Maybe they were stunned b
y his good looks, too.
“They’re named after the seven dwarfs.”
“You’re serious?” Terry chuckled. “I like your sense of humor.”
“Thanks.” Mary walked over to pet the first one. “They’re Samoyed’s so they’re not big dogs but they have loads of energy. This is Grumpy. I’m surprised you’re not getting barked at.”
“Maybe he likes me.”
“She doesn’t like anyone.”
* * * *
Terry stared at Grumpy, feeling like he’d met a new friend. He reached out to pet her and the dog bared her teeth. He pulled his hand back, grateful it was still attached. The memory of Gabe chopping Adolfo’s finger off flashed before his eyes.
“Told you she doesn’t like anyone. She barely lets me touch her. She’s the dominant one here. They all follow her.”
Mary introduced him to Sleepy and Dopey who were, oddly enough, the only others awake and on top of the roof.
“Beautiful dogs. They’re so white it’s almost blinding.”
Mary laughed, walking away from him now. “Not when they get into the muck. It’s a job in itself just cleaning them. Good thing for the river being close by.”
His gaze wandered down to the jeans clinging to her ass too perfectly. Even though she drowned in her t-shirt he still had a lovely view of her round bum. The urge to grab her by the buns, yank her around and kiss her, bore through him like dynamite. But he kept those urges to himself and followed her around the yard. He knew he’d make another move soon, but he wanted to play his cards right.
Next they visited the barn and a huge horse named Blue. Terry rubbed his muzzle and smiled as Blue nudged his chest and seemed to enjoy his attention.
After a few minutes admiring the big steed, they strolled out of the barn.
“What else do I get to see?”
“That’s pretty much it, unless you want to see the equipment. You’ve already seen the woodshed and chopping block on the other side. The rest of the property is bush and river.”
He didn’t want to see anything else, only her naked body lying beneath him on the patch of grass they were walking on. “Where should I set up my tent?”
Mary stopped on a flat grassy surface and turned around. “Right here.”
“Will I be safe from the bears?”
“Maybe.”
“Wolves?”
Her sweet lip curled up at the corner. “Possibly.”
“Mosquitoes?”
“No.”
He was about to ask another silly question when the phone rang from inside. Mary rushed in to answer while Terry tried to figure out a way to convince her to let him stay in the guest bedroom, or preferably in her bed. He didn’t want to admit he was scared shitless to be out here, alone, at night, in the deadly wilderness. He stared at the tree line, so thick he couldn’t see much more than a foot beyond, wondering if a fury predator was watching him right now, and licking its lips.
He shook his head. What a pathetic thing to imagine when he was probably safer here than at home.
Mary returned a few minutes later with a rifle in hand. Terry eyed up the gun and then her. “Did I say something wrong?”
She looked confused. “What?”
Terry glanced in the other direction. “Nothing.”
“That call was about a nuisance beaver. Apparently a man about ten clicks away has had troubles with it before. His road access is blocked off from the dam and he needs it fixed right away. Care to join me?”
As long as the bullet wasn’t meant for him. “Sure. My schedule is clear. We’ll take my vehicle.”
Mary laughed, eyeing him incredulously. “Are you serious? It looks brand-new.”
He shrugged. “It’s a rental. I don’t care if we put a dead beaver in it.”
Terry quickly changed into a pair of jeans and a sweater in the guest room while Mary gathered a few necessities to do her job. He took in the basics of her home, the personal objects scattered about and decided he liked this place. It was quiet and simple, and completely different than home. Gabe was right. Maybe this is exactly what he needed.
They put the gear into the Suburban and headed along a dirt road that looked like it hadn’t been driven on in twenty years. The overgrowth crowded the road, making the turns impossibly tight, Terry thought he’d either take off the paint or ditch the vehicle. Mary on the other hand looked happy to be on the road. Maybe getting away from her house was exactly what she needed.
On a whim he reached over and took her hand in his on the center console. Most women loved to have their hand held while out on a drive. He hoped Mary did too.
He felt her tense up, but she didn’t pull away. Through his peripheral vision, he saw her look down at their entwined hands, then up at him in question. He sensed her fear at having a man touch her like this, when he knew her husband did no such thing. To Terry, it felt good showing her he was right beside her no matter if they were on a Sunday drive or running for the hills.
After a long while of silence and scenic bush road, Terry slowed the vehicle at the first signs of a wash out.
“This must be it,” Mary said. “The guy said he’d be here to show me the pond and to pay me, but I don’t see him.”
Terry scanned the trees but nobody seemed to be around. He parked the truck to the side and shut off the engine. “Might as well take a look around, I guess. Looks like there’s a set of tire tracks before the water, but not sure how old they are. Maybe the guy’s stuck back there.”
Mary got out and grabbed a couple pairs of rubber boots from the back, and handed him the larger pair. “They were Tom’s. Not sure if they’ll fit but you’ll need them.”
The rubbers were a bit tight, but Terry was glad for them considering the pool of water covering the road. They walked along the outer bank, keeping tight to the bushes and even on higher ground the water almost reached the top of the rubber boots. Eventually they came across a fairly large pond, which completely washed out the guy’s driveway, but Terry couldn’t see a house in the distance.
“Are you sure somebody lives here? It looks like any other bush road.”
Mary eyed the pond. “Hard to tell around here. There’s a few people who live off of roads like this in the middle of nowhere. Mima’s one of them. You’d never know of her cabin unless you came across it by accident or flew over it.”
Terry nodded in agreement, remembering Mima’s cabin nestled tight in the mountain range. Even by skidoo the place seemed almost impossible to reach.
About fifty yards away Terry saw a mound of sticks and muck. “There’s the beaver house.”
Mary chuckled. “Well at least you know something about the wilderness.”
Her little jab made him shake his head. “Whatever, woman. I may be a city boy but I’m not an idiot. I do read and watch television when I have time.”
“That beaver will be here somewhere. We just have to wait.” She checked her rifle and walked up to a small hill overlooking the pond. Terry followed, having no idea what else he should do, and knelt down on the grass beside her.
He’d never done anything like this before, and it felt great to be out here like this, in the fresh air without the sounds and smells of the city. A raven sat on top of a mangled-looking spruce nearby, a slight breeze swished the grass around them. It felt like he’d arrived in a different world, squatting beside a woman who lived like this every day.
He stared at her, at the loose strands of hair touching the back of her delicate neck. The urge to trace the tip of his finger along the curve of her jaw, gently cup her neck and force her to face him, was strong. But he also enjoyed simply watching her in her element as she scanned the waterline, waiting for the furry pest to emerge.
“You live for this, don’t you?” he whispered.
She turned and looked up at him. “Not really. I do enjoy it, but I’m also tired of it.”
He frowned. “Why? You seem at peace out here.”
Mary let out a deep breath. “Don�
�t get me wrong, I love the wilderness, but sometimes I wish for something more. More than the excitement of shooting my gun, or even taking the dogs out for a run.” She smiled, more at herself, he thought. “I’ve never gone shopping at a fancy store. I don’t even own a dress or a pair of high heels.”
He chuckled. “We could change that, you know. I’ll bring you to the city anytime you want. Just say the words.” He stiffened. The words tumbled out of his mouth before even thinking about it.
She smiled at him, eyes bright with wonder, completely unaware of the turmoil he’d caused himself. Terry wasn’t exactly sure what he wanted out of this strange relationship—a real partner by his side, or a friend with benefits? All he knew for certain was that he wanted Mary close to him. He enjoyed her company, her humor, and even the shyness which made her real in his eyes. There was no mincing words or toying with his mind. She said it like it was, and he liked that.
“I’ll think about it,” she said, snapping him back to the moment. A moment later something caught her eye and she lifted the rifle, aiming it toward the pond. “There he is.”
Terry focused where she was looking and saw a tiny spec of brown in the water with a slight wake right behind. He was about to comment on how she couldn’t possibly shoot such a small target, but she pulled the trigger and the bullet hit bang on.
“Nice shot—”
A second shot cracked the air. A bullet whizzed by Terry’s head and slammed into a tree directly behind him. On instinct, he shoved Mary to the ground and pinned her beneath him. As he tried to make sense of what happened, another shot cracked the air, this time hitting the dirt in front of them. “Please tell me there’s hunters around here and we’re just in a bad spot.”
“It’s not hunting season, Terry, and this is private land.” She panted beneath him. “This has never happened to me on a call before.”
“Fuck.” He rolled to her side but kept an arm over her torso. “Don’t move.” He pushed onto his knees and viewed the landscape from their perch on the hill. Nobody was in sight and the bush across the pond was too thick to see beyond.
