The Leafing: the 2nd book in The Green Man series

by Sharon Brubaker

  A knock at the door and Percy barking wildly woke her from nap quickly. She brushed her hair from her face and went out to the kitchen. Owen was knocking on the door. She told Percy to calm down and opened the door.

  “Owen!” She cried, wishing she had time to brush her hair. “What are you doing here?”

  “Marian sent me over with a care package,” he said lifting up the bag to show her.

  “The roads are clear?” she asked wonderingly.

  “They’re not great,” Owen admitted, “but, passable. Trees came down and knocked out the power lines. The crews are working on it. It looks like a hurricane went through.”

  “Well, a winter Nor’easter is really a hurricane with snow,” she reminded him. She remembered the howling winds of the night before. Marian wanted to get some hot food to you and I volunteered.”

  “Oh,” Sylvia said. She was still waking up.

  “Uh, Syl?” Owen asked. “It’s getting kind of cold out here, may I come in?”

  “Oh,” she said. “Sure.”

  Sylvia held the door open and Owen came inside.

  “Let’s go to the study,” she told him. “I have a fire going in there.”

  She waved her hand to indicate for him to have a seat and she sat in one of the high back Queen Anne chairs.

  “Are you all right?” Owen asked concerned.

  “I’m tired from shoveling and I have a wicked no caffeine headache,” she said wearily.

  “Well, this should help,” he told her and he handed her a thermos. It was filled with café au lait.

  “God bless Marian!” Sylvia exclaimed. She poured the coffee into the thermos’s cup and greedily drank it down. “Ahh,” she said. “Perfect. Thank you. Thank Marian! You don’t know how addicted you are to caffeine until you go without,” she said. “I had a cola this morning, but it wasn’t the same as coffee.”

  Owen nodded. He noticed the fire was burning down and went to poke it back to life and add a log or two.

  “Why don’t you sit and relax and I’ll get you some more wood,” he said.

  He stood up and put on his jacket. He took the cloth log carrier and left the room. Sylvia explored the rest of Marian’s goodies. She opened a second thermos that was filled with creamy, rich mushroom soup. It was one of her favorites. Another foil packet had a couple of biscuits that were still slightly warm and the butter had melted perfectly into the biscuit. Sylvia feasted while Owen stacked wood into the log holder by the fireplace.

  “Thank you so much,” she said. “I really appreciate it.”

  “No problem,” he told her. “Enjoy. I’ll be back in a couple of minutes.”

  Sylvia assumed he was getting more wood, but she heard the scraping sound of the snow shovel. Owen was shoveling the rest of the driveway for her. She watched as he went into the garage and found the salt. He liberally sprinkled it by the steps and on the driveway. Owen was being really nice. He was a nice guy. Sylvia was suddenly ashamed. She did the same thing to Owen at the Chinese restaurant that he had done to her over the magazine. She hadn’t given him a chance. She would apologize when he came in.

  “Thank you,” she told him immediately when he came in the door after stomping snow off his boots on the landing. “Do you want a beer,” she asked. “I’m all out of hot drinks.”

  “Sure,” he said. “Cold beer would be great. I’m hot from shoveling.” He unwound his scarf and took off his coat and gloves. He put them over the back of the kitchen chair. Some snow had gotten into his hair and it sparkled in his dark curls.

  Sylvia felt her stomach curl in a nice way, but turned to get the beer so he would not see his face. She handed it to him and he followed her into the study.

  “Marian wanted to know if you wanted to come and stay at her house,” he told her after he took a swig of the beer.

  “Oh, I don’t think so,” Sylvia said. “I have Percy and I can’t leave him.”

  “I forgot about Percy, and I think she did too. She probably wouldn’t mind though,” he said. “They’re expecting more snow.”

  “Ugh,” Sylvia said. “I love snow, but this is definitely too much.”

  “Will you come?” he asked.

  “I don’t think so,” Sylvia told him. “Percy and I are just fine camping out here. If the electricity isn’t on by tomorrow, I’ll be over.”

  “Okay,” he said, finishing his beer. He reached over the coffee table to pick up the thermoses to take back to Marian. “You’re sure?” he asked.

  Sylvia nodded. “Owen,” she said and hesitated, “before you go, I think I owe you an apology,” she told him. In a rush she said, “At the Chinese restaurant, I was still so angry I didn’t give you a chance. I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay,” he told her. “I understand. Be careful,” he told her, “and call Marian’s if you need anything.”

  “Will do,” Sylvia told him. Please tell her thank you for me.”

  He nodded and left.

  “Wow,” she told herself. “All right,” she said to Percy, “time to get cleaned up.”

  Sylvia got fresh clothes and a pot of water and soap. She washed as best she could in front of the fire keeping her ablutions brief. Even with the roaring fire, she shivered from the cold water. “Just call me pioneer woman,” she told Percy thinking about The Little House on the Prairie series. She settled on the floor again with Percy and started to read when her phone rang. It was Marian.

  “Sylvia,” Marian sounded almost stern, “you must come over. We have heat, electricity and hot showers. Please, dear.”

  “Marian, I have Percy now,” Sylvia told her.

  “Tosh,” Marian said, “I love dogs. Didn’t I tell you I had a Scottish deerhound when I lived in England? I miss my old Laddie,” she told Sylvia, “and I would love to have a dog around again.”

  “What about Jon?” Sylvia asked.

  “It’s fine with him. Now come. It’s getting colder and damper by the minute,” she instructed.

  “Well, I’ll need to get the fire taken care of,” Sylvia said, relenting, “so it will be a little bit.”

  “As soon as you can,” Marian said. “Owen said the roads are not wonderful and it is supposed to start snowing again any minute. Your room is all ready for you.”

  “All right,” Sylvia agreed. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  Sylvia looked at the fire. She took the poker and spread the red hot coals around the fireplace and moved the extra wood further away from the fire. She went upstairs and put a few clothes and toiletries in a bag thinking that a hot shower would feel marvelous. Downstairs she packed food for Percy, his new favorite toy from Carol and a bottle of wine to take to Marian’s house. Her phone rang again. This time it was Tony.

  “Hi, Tony,” she said as she answered.

  “Sylvia, how are you making out in this storm?” he asked.

  “It’s been a bit like camping,” she admitted to him.

  “Why don’t you and Percy come down here,” he suggested. “My generator is keeping things going and I have a cozy fire in the fireplace,” he said convincingly.

  Sylvia was more than surprised. “Thank you,” she said, “but, I just accepted an offer from Jon and Marian,” she told him.

  “Oh,” he replied. “Do you think the roads are okay?” he asked.

  “Apparently they are passable,” she said, “but, I want to leave as soon as possible. Marian said more snow was on the way.”

  “She is correct,” he said, “be careful. Call me when you get back home.”

  “I will,” she promised. “You be careful too.”

  Chapter 26

  Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.

  John Muir

  Outside the air was definitely colder and heavier. Sylvia pulled the car out of the garage. Snowflakes started to drift slowly from the clouds in a lazy sort of way. Sylvia went back inside to check on the fire. She kn
ew it was bad form, but wondered if she should spray the fire with some water. Pouring water on the hot coals would be dangerous, but she wondered if she could spray down the coals without making too much of a mess. She went to the kitchen for a spray bottle. Percy was curious too. She sprayed some water on the coals and they hissed and protested the droplets that fell on them. Acrid smoke filled the room and Percy backed away from the fireplace quickly.

  “Not such a good idea, eh Percy?” she asked him. She waved her hand in front of her face to clear some of the smoke. Her eyes watered. She had made a mess, but would need to clean it up later. She placed the fireplace screen as close to the fire as possible and told Percy to go and get his leash.

  Snow was falling more heavily as she loaded Percy into the car. Carefully she maneuvered down the main road in Bayside. Her windshield wipers were whishing back and forth as fast as they possibly could to keep the snow off the windshield. It was always a narrow two lane road, but now only one lane, and a bit more, had been cleared. Sylvia even considered turning around, but there was nowhere to turn. She gave a sigh of relief when she turned onto the main road and did not have to move for other traffic. Gripping the steering wheel tightly she peered through the heavily falling snow to see if any more traffic was coming down the highway. It was clear. She turned towards Marian’s home and the tires slid as she turned the corner.

  “Hang on, Percy,” she muttered.

  Sylvia was able to turn the wheel to get the car back into her lane and under control. Obviously ice had formed under this new coat of snow. She traversed the main road slowly as tightly packed snow was building up under her wheels. It had never taken so long to go only a few miles. The private road to Marian’s was not paved. She bumped, and jogged, and prayed she would not end up at the side of the road in a snow drift or into a tree. When she slid into the driveway she gave a sigh of relief. Her hands were cramping from holding onto the steering wheel so tightly. She clenched and unclenched them trying to relieve the cramps.

  “We made it Percy,” she told him.

  Percy seemed to relax visibly as well. He whined quietly at Sylvia and gave a little bark when Owen came bounding out of the house to help her carry things inside.

  “Glad you made it safely,” he said. “How were the roads?”

  “Horrible,” Sylvia said, “Very, very slippery.”

  “They’ve just declared it a state of emergency. Everyone is to be off the roads, so I’m glad you made it here so quickly. I’m not sure how frequently they are patrolling,” he told her.

  Marian opened the door and opened her arms.

  “I’m so glad you came to your senses, Sylvia,” she told her giving her a bear hug.

  “Thank you for having us,” she said, “Meet Percy.”

  Percy was sitting prettily and Marian petted his pouf and crooned to him, “Welcome, Percy.”

  Jon came over from the settee by the fire and gave her a hug as well. He looked at Percy. Percy pushed his long snout into Jon’s hand to be petted.

  “Will you look at that,” Marian stage whispered.

  “I like dogs,” Jon said defensively.

  “Who knew?” Marian teased.

  Sylvia changed the subject. “The fire looks inviting,” she said. “I would love to sit after my harrowing drive over here.”

  “Come,” Jon said, taking her elbow. “Hand your coat to Owen, and Marian will pour us some wine.”

  They sat in the kitchen near the fireplace at the one end. It was cozy. Marian brought an open bottle of wine along with some cheese, crackers and nuts. It was good. Their conversation, of course, led to the weather.

  “I feel as though I’ve been out of country,” Sylvia remarked. “I haven’t a clue as to what’s happening with this storm with the electric out.”

  “One of the worst storms of the century,” Owen told her. “Boy. I am so glad we didn’t go to the Poconos. There wouldn’t be any chance that we could get back for days,” he said.

  Jon nodded in agreement.

  Sylvia asked, “So, tell me about your generator,” she asked.

  “Well, it works to help keep the refrigerator and freezer running,” Marian began.

  “As well as the heating system,” Jon added. “It’s hooked right into our propane tank. “We already have a gas stove and hot water heater so this adds to the load.”

  “But, we’re trying to be practical as well,” Marian added. “We’re saving heat by closing off rooms we don’t use and keeping the heat turned down fairly low.”

  “The fireplaces in this old place help a lot,” Owen answered.’ This old girl of a house was built as solid as a rock and the fireplaces have excellent draft.”

  “This type of fireplace has been around for centuries,” Jon corrected Owen. “It’s special. It’s a Rumford fireplace. It’s not a surprise how well it heats the room, it is what it was engineered for.”

  “Oh,” Owen said, nodding at Jon.

  “After this storm, I may want to invest in a generator,” Sylvia commented. “Not so huge, but just to keep a few things going.”

  “It would be a good investment for your property,” Jon agreed.

  “Well, I don’t know about the rest of you folks,” Marian said as she saw Sylvia yawn, “but, I’m all for an early dinner and early to bed.”

  They all agreed. Marian had made a beef bourguignon and crusty garlic bread. It had been simmering all afternoon and it filled the kitchen with a delightful aroma. Sylvia felt her stomach growl in appreciation. Jon went to find more wine and they settled at the kitchen table.

  It was an enjoyable meal and some of the tension between Owen and Sylvia was erased, particularly after a few glasses of wine. Her appetite satiated, Sylvia yawned as politely as she could.

  “You’re exhausted,” Marian said. “We’ll clean up. You go to bed.”

  Sylvia protested, “I can help. And, I need to take Percy out.”

  “Nonsense,” Marian said, “Owen can walk Percy and Jon and I will clean up from dinner. Scoot,” she ordered.

  Sylvia said, “You know I love you Marian, but you can be awfully bossy, and stubborn.”

  Jon broke into a guffaw. “It’s a good thing she was never a lawyer. I wouldn’t want to meet her in a courtroom.”

  “Oh, you!” Marian scolded as Jon put an arm around Marian and pulled her to him. He gave her a kiss on the hair. Sylvia smiled and turned to go upstairs.

  “Good night,” she said, yawning again.

  Sylvia went up the stairs to ‘her’ room. It was definitely colder in the foyer. The bedroom wasn’t too bad and Marian had a lovely down duvet on the bed as well as a warm blanket. She hadn’t really stayed here since Anna’s murder the previous year. She remembered the time bitter sweetly. It was the time she and Owen had fallen in love.

  Sylvia unpacked her bag and started to undress. She still felt sweaty and nasty from the shoveling and hauling of wood. She did not want to crawl into Marian’s magnificent antique bed feeling that way and padded down the hallway to the bathroom. It was definitely chilly, but the bathtub looked inviting and she filled it with steamy water. She added some lavender bath salts. Quickly she undressed and sank beneath the water soaking and thinking. She wondered if Owen was thinking about the time a year ago as well. She had not been this close to him in proximity for such a long period of time since he moved out. It had been kind of him to help her out earlier in the day with food, shoveling and wood. He seemed eager to help – almost like a little boy. The water became tepid and she let it gurgle down the drain as she dried off quickly and put on her lacy flannel nightgown. She always felt like a princess when she stayed at Marian’s. It was truly like a high end bed and breakfast.

  She crawled in between the sheets. They smelled faintly of lavender too. Percy barked outside. She sat up and listened. It was a happy bark, thank goodness. She crawled out of bed and peered out the window. In the glow of the floodlight, there was Owen, throwing snowballs for Percy to get. Percy was leaping an
d gamboling like a lamb, so very happy to have someone to play with. Owen laughed his deep, rich laugh that went straight to her nether regions. She smiled and crawled back into bed. In the twilight between being awake and sleeping, she fantasized that Owen would come into her room, crawl into bed and make love to her slowly. She sighed happily at the thought and fell into a deep sleep.

  When she awoke, Sylvia was a little disappointed that Owen was not beside her. She dreamed that he was. She remembered him sleeping, his face pressed into his pillow and the unruly curl that fell over his forehead. Usually he had a hand that reached out and touched her somewhere –just a finger touching sometimes, sometimes a hand and sometimes his arm around her. She missed it. Sylvia sighed.

  In Marian’s usual manner, delicious smells wafted up the stairs. Fresh coffee and some sort of baked goods. Sylvia got dressed and went down to investigate. Jon and Marian were sitting at the kitchen table. They were both sipping coffee. Freshly baked muffins were sitting on the counter and sausages were sizzling in a pan on the stove.

  “Good morning,” Sylvia greeted the two of them. “Something smells wonderful, Marian.”

  “Good morning, Sylvia,” they said in unison.

  Sylvia poured water in a waiting French press and took a mug from the cupboard. She sniffed the muffins on the counter. They were maple walnut muffins. Her mouth watered.

  When she brought the French press filled with water and coffee to the table, and her mug where she had heated some milk, she sat down and said, “Whether it’s murder and mayhem or a blizzard, Marian, it’s always a vacation here.”

  Jon grinned and Marian actually blushed. Owen came walking in, yawning and stretching showing the line of dark hair from his naval that dipped below the waist of his sleep pants. Sylvia took in a small breath. Jon didn’t miss a beat and raised his eyebrows at her. She glared at him and he returned to his attorney poker face. She gave him a sweet smile with gritted teeth. Marian didn’t seem to notice the tete a tete.