I park in his garage, helping him out of the Jeep. "Come on, baby. You really overexerted yourself today. Let's get you to bed."
"Okay, I think I would like to go to bed. You going to join me aren't you?" He looks at me with a mischievous smile on his face.
"I will lay with you, but until you are cleared by your doctor, you can't have any extra playtime," I say, with a chuckle.
"Oh, come on! I miss you. Please?" he begs You can play nurse Parker. He smiles wiggling his eyebrows.
I laugh, "You rest right now and then we'll talk." I help him in bed. I lay with him until he fells asleep.
I walk to the table where the safe was sitting, I sat closing my eyes as the realization of the last seventy-two hours started to sink in. I sag in my chair, pulling my legs to my chest hugging them. I am all alone, I think to myself, as much as I hate to think it, he was my only family, and he is gone. I'm truly alone. I start to cry into my knees, not that I will miss him, but for the sadness and emptiness I feel. I don't know how long I sat crying before I feel Ian wrapping his arm around my shoulders leaning down, kissing my cheek and neck, I sob harder. He pulls a chair next to mine sitting down he pulls me into his lap. I carefully wrap my arms around his neck holding on to him as if my life depended on it until the shuddering of my crying abates. Ian doesn't say anything but just sits holding me and kissing my head. I crawl out of his lap knowing it had to be uncomfortable on him. I place a kiss on his cheek as I walk to the bathroom to splash water on my face.
As I wipe the smeared mascara out from under my eyes, Ian stands in the doorway looking at me with a solemn face. "I'm sorry love, I know this is hard for you," he says as he wraps his arm around my waist pulling me to him. He nuzzles his face into the side of my neck by my ear, feeling the heat from his breath as he whispers, "I will always be here for you, to help you through anything and everything you are going through. I love you Parker, please know I will help you through this."
Chapter 22
Back to the Real World
Parker
Ian is feeling a lot better, and there's not a lot that can keep him down. He is still sore and a little weak but everyday he is getting better. We walk along the waterfront a few times during the week, soaking up the sun and to get a little exercise. I will be returning to work in a few days, so I am trying to enjoy the time I have with Ian.
Ian accompanies me to the lawyer’s office. He knows and understands so much more than I do when it comes to legal issues. There are no surprises with the will; everything was left to me since there is no other family. We can start disposing of all the belongings and property. Before my mother died, I used to dream about living in that house; raising a few horses and my family. But now, I can't divest myself of it fast enough.
I haven't been back to my apartment since Ian's parents dropped me off to pick up his Jeep. I have stayed and taken care of Ian, but I know I need to go back. Ian will be returning to work and I need to pick up the pieces, getting back on track, since school starts next week. I had received an email from my high school stating that they would accept my work outside of the classes, which is one less thing I have to worry about.
Ian has a doctor's appointment that I take him to; he isn't supposed to drive until he has a release from the doctor. He hates it when he isn't in control.
The doctor releases Ian and he is elated. We start to walk out of the exam room when Ian asks, "Baby, can you give me a couple minutes with the doctor?" He looks at me with a wry smile. I know what this is about. You would think he hadn't had sex in a year instead of a few days. But to be honest, I miss it too.
"Of course, I will be in the lobby." He gives me a quick kiss as I open the door to step out into the lobby to wait for him. When he emerges from the exam room, he has his best panty-dropping biggest-dimpled smile on his face as he strides over to me, taking my hand in his. He looks at me, wiggling his eyebrows, and I know I am done for. In the hallway of the office, I lick my lips with anticipation. As we pass a co-ed bathroom, he suddenly whisks me in, locking the door behind us. Ian slams me into the wall, lifting me as I wrap my legs around his waist. It's a good thing I am wearing a skirt, I think to myself. With the flick of a finger he had ripped my panties, tossing them on the floor.
"I hope you weren't too attached to those panties." I hear the sound of his zipper.
"Obviously you are feeling better," I laugh.
"Shit!"
"What?"
"I didn't think about condoms."
"Ian, I'm on the p..." I didn't even get the whole sentence out before he had sink himself deep inside me as I let out a cry, and he growls.
"Oh God, Parker."
I cup his face in my hands, taking his mouth. My breathing is erratic, and his is labored. I feel my core tightening at the same time as I feel his cock swelling inside me. "Oh Ian! I'm going to... Oh God!"
"Parker! Oh! Oh Parker!" He thrusts into me two more time as he finds his release, spilling his seed deep inside of me.
I continue to kiss him as he sets me on my feet. "God, I love being inside you."
"I love you being inside me too. I didn't want to rush you."
We pull ourselves together, looking down both sides of the hallway to see if anyone is around. We weren't the quietest. "All clear," he says, and we leave the bathroom. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to brutalize you back there. I just love feeling you and once I had a taste of you, I needed more. But then I had to wait, and it was driving me crazy.
On the way back, I tell Ian that I will need to go back to my apartment. I need to get used to staying there again now that school is starting. and I will be returning to work. Ian tries to argue with me about it, but I need to face the rest of my demons. Although he doesn't like it, he understands.
Ian drives me to my apartment; I grab my bag with my clothes in them and we walk to the security door. It is finally fixed, but it's a week too late. Ian walks me up to my door. I have a nauseating feeling in my stomach as I swallow the bile down. "Are you going to be okay staying here by yourself?" Ian asks.
"I don't know, but I need to do this on my own."
"If this is something you feel you have to do, then I will let you," Ian says. "But if you need me all you have to do is call me. I can be here in minutes."
"I know, and I love you for that, but I need to do this. I can't be a victim anymore." I give him a kiss. "I will call you in the morning before I go to work."
He leans down, kissing me again. "I am proud of you." He pulls away, turning to close the door. "Lock your door." He then leaves.
Not wanting to dwell on the events that happened the last time I was in my apartment, I undress, take a shower, and go to bed.
Chapter 23
Catch and Release
Parker
Its been a couple weeks and Ian is almost back to normal. He still is a little weak, but he has been going to physical therapy and that has been helping him a lot.
I wake the with the sun shining through the windows. Ian's front is to my back, his arm draped over my waist. I slowly slide out from under his arm, heading to the bathroom. I find my robe, pulling it on as I walk to the kitchen. Grabbing my iPhone, I open my music app turning Imagine Dragons on, keeping the volume down so as not to wake Ian up. I come up with a great idea for the day if Ian doesn't have plans already. I start the coffee then put bacon on a foil-lined cookie sheet, placing it in the oven to cook as I make waffles and eggs. By the time the bacon is finished everything is cooked I hear footsteps padding down the hall.
"Good morning, sleepy head. Did I wear you out last night?" I chuckle. He never sleeps in this late.
I hand him his coffee then set his plate with eggs, bacon, and waffles on the island. "Thank you, aren't you little Miss Happy Homemaker this morning? You are a little chipper thing this early."
"Did you already have plans for the day?" I ask.
"No, I haven't planned anything for the day. Why, did you have something in mind?" He cocks his head to th
e side, and gets a wry smile as he raises his eyebrows up and down a couple times.
"Okay Magnum!" I laugh. "I thought I would take you somewhere today."
"So what are we doing?"
"It’s a surprise," I say, "but we'll take the Jeep if that's okay."
We clean the kitchen together then ready ourselves for the day.
We stop by my apartment to grab a couple things I will need for the day. I place the two long tubes, two small suede cases, and a duffle bag into the Jeep.
We take the two-roof panels off the Jeep, storing them in the back. It's going to be another warm day today, and even warmer because of where we are going. I drive toward the freeway, turning onto Interstate 5 and traveling south as we proceed to my surprise location. "It will take us a couple hours to arrive so get comfortable."
We talk a lot on our journey. I turn onto Highway 22; it's a beautiful drive this way. We pass Detroit Lake as we view all the boats. A couple on a jet ski is playing in the sun. "I love this drive, it's so beautiful," I say.
"Did you come up here a lot?" he asks.
"No, only when I went camping with Bridget and her family. They would usually go every year at least once, but I wasn't always able to go with them."
Once on Highway 20 my heart starts beating faster knowing we are close. There's the sign; Metolius/Camp Sherman. "I am so excited to show you my favorite place in the world. I'm going to take you the long way so you can see everything, plus we need to stop by the Camp Sherman store."
At the store, I order sandwiches and salad so we can eat at the river. Then I take Ian to the back of the store to get our fishing licenses. I ask the fishing specialist what the trout are biting. When our food is ready, we pick it up and then drop it off at the Jeep. I take Ian's hand as we walk over to the bridge we drove across as we entered. I'm looking around on the trunks of the pine trees to see if I could find a stonefly. "What are you looking for?" Ian asks.
"A stonefly."
"A what?"
"Have you ever heard of periwinkles?"
"You mean the little bug things that are wrapped in a rock cocoon and live in the water?"
"Yes, stoneflies are the mature insects. Oh, there's one. It's kind of late in the season to find them. It is about one and a half inches long. It's legs have little spikes to grip bark or plants or whatever."
"I can't believe you are playing with a bug," Ian says, laughing.
"Why, do bugs scare you?" I ask.
"No, but most girls don't like playing with bugs."
"How many times do I have to tell you, I'm not like most girls." I smile up at him.
I twist the wings together of the stonefly.
"What are you doing?" Ian asks.
"This is how I see if the trout are biting." I throw the bug into the water and within seconds there is a swarm of trout rising up to grab a snack.
"Wow! They're huge!" Ian exclaimed. "Can I try that?"
I laugh. "Yes, find a stonefly, twist the wings a little to keep it from flying away, and then throw it into the stream of water."
After Ian had fed the trout a snack, we walk back across the road to the Jeep. Driving toward my favorite spot, we pass several campgrounds, but mine is one of the last ones. There it is: Bridge 99.
"What is the difference between the campsites?"
"Really not a lot; I have camped in probably all of them. I fell in that one there." I point to one of the campgrounds we drive by. "One of the first times I came, I biffed it pretty good. They wanted to take me to get stitches in my forehead but I begged them not to. So they took my hair on either side of the gash and tied them in knots to keep it closed. It is right at the edge of my hairline." I point to it.
"We're here!" I screech. I drive through the campsite. "You won't believe how big the campsites are. This is one of the reasons I love this place. You are not camping on top of each other." I show Ian how big the sites are. We circle through the campsite before turning back onto the main road. We cross the bridge before turning into the picnic area that’s right along the river. I grab our lunch and take it to a picnic table.
"This place is wonderful," Ian says.
"I know if I had my way I would have a house here."
"Isn't this all camping grounds?"
"No, there are a few homes upstream between some of the campgrounds, but I don't know how they got the land."
We sit down pulling our sandwiches and salads out of the bag. As we eat I reminisce of the times I had spent here. "We passed a lot of campsites along the way, so why here?" Ian asks.
Bringing me back to the present, I reply, "Well, when I first came here, Bridge 99 was the only campsite you could bait fish from. I was young and hadn't learned how to fly fish so Bridget's parents would camp here so we kids could fish. Anything on this side of the bridge is fly fishing only and on that side of the bridge you can bait fish. A few years ago, they made the whole river fly fishing only. I used to sit on the rocks by the bridge all day until I caught my limit. I wouldn't even go back for lunch. When they changed it to fly fishing only, they also changed it to catch and release. They are trying to build the native trout population backup, which is fine with me, because I would rather put them back then eat them."
"You don't like trout?" he asks.
"I love trout, but I love fishing more. I've seen too many people waste fish; I would rather release them, then kill them wasting the fish."
After we are finished eating, I gather our garbage and dump it in the trash can. I collect the things I packed in the back of the Jeep and set them on the table, opening them up; two fly rods and reels, my box of flies, my net, and vest. I take Ian up to the road where there are no trees around to snag, then tying a piece of yarn on the line so we don't waste a fly, I demonstrate how to cast.
It's pretty simple once you get it down, so you try now," I say, handing the rod to Ian.
He practices a few times and is doing a great job. "The dart throwing analogy is an excellent one. The eleven to two is good to know how far back to go," he states.
Once he is comfortable with it, I show him how to tie a fly on the line, so the fish don’t see it.
I didn't bring my waders, but I have stood out in the water without them before and since it is hot out it will feel good. We both wore shorts so we can wade out into the water.
I keep my sandals on, since you never know what people throw into the river. I step into the river trying to adjust to the temperature.
Ian is right behind me as we step into the river. "Geez! How cold is this?" he screeches.
"Baby... the water comes from snow melt. But it stays within a couple degrees of forty-eight. You'll get used to it." I laugh, "There are little drop offs, not real deep, but enough to get your shorts wet if you step into one, so as you wander step carefully," I warn.
Ian stays by my side to start. "I like to cast upstream, letting the fly float down. I also like to keep it by the bigger rocks where the fish hide in the shade on hot days."
Ian moves to an area away from me starting on his own. We're fishing for a little while when all of a sudden I hear Ian hollering, then splashing. I look over where he is at... or was..."Ian, what happened?"
"I caught a fish!"
"It looks like it caught you." I laugh looking at him; he is soaking wet. "Do you need some help?"
"Yes, what do I do?"
"Keep the tip of the pole up, keeping the line, tight otherwise the fish spit the hook out. I have removed all the barbs on all my flies," I say as I wade toward him while reeling in my line.
Ian stands back up, pulling the line tight as I wade over with the net before scooping his trout up. "Nice catch! I would say about a eleven incher"
I walk over to Ian and he has a big grin on his face. "Have you ever caught a fish before?" I ask.
"No, this is the first time."
"Well, I'm glad I am here to help you with your first. Do you know how to take the hook out or do you want me to take it out?" I pullout my pho
ne telling Ian to hold up his fish so I can take a picture of it.
Ian is looking at the fish but looks confused. "Help," Ian says. I chuckle.
I take the fish from him, showing him how to unhook the fly out of the fish’s mouth. I hand it back to him to for him to take the hook out. I show Ian how to put the fish in both hands, putting it in the water and moving it forward and backwards, working the water through its gills until it swims away.
"I didn't even think about bringing towels," I say, laughing at Ian.
"That was amazing!" Ian says. "But I'm getting cold."
We wade out of the river so Ian can start to dry off.
"Do you want to go to Wizard Falls Fish Hatchery? It's always fun to see the different stages of the trout."
"Sure, plus I can dry off a little walking around," Ian says.
We walk around the hatchery, plugging our quarters in the fish food machine. They look, like piranha attacking when we toss in the food.
Ian is almost dry by the time we start our drive home. "I had fun today. Thank you for sharing your love of this place with me. I can see how you fell in love with it so much. Maybe we can come back this summer and do some camping."
"That would be great, but I will have to see how my summer classes are," I say.
Ian drives us back home.
He unlocks his door to the condo and before I know it I am draped over his shoulder, letting out a squeal as he strides to his bedroom while swatting me on the ass. "Ouch," I complain jokingly.
"You love it, and you know it!" he chuckles. He knows me so well.
Ian has me stripped bare within seconds. My sandals come off in the foyer, the shirt comes off in the hallway, and as we get to the bedroom, he has my shorts and panties off in one quick pull. He tosses me on the bed; I can't stop giggling until he grabs my ankles, twisting them as he flips me onto my stomach. He heads to his nightstand pulling something out. "Do you want to play?"
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