Loving Link

by T. D. Hassett

  "Link?" Maddie squeaked. "Are you crazy coming out here at this hour? I could've killed you."

  Link abandoned his burdens on the floor and stood up. He looked at the half-broken log still clutched in Maddie's hand and nodded slowly. "After the day I've had, death might've been a blessing."

  "What are you doing up here? How did you even find me? I'll, oh, crap, Isabel." Maddie turned around to toss the log back into the small pile by the stove and turned her gas lantern on to illuminate the small room. She studied Link for a moment in the light, taking in his dropped bag and the soft-sided guitar case. "Jesus, what happened to your face?"

  "Let's just say that Tommy wanted to make sure I truly wasn't responsible for everything that happened before he let Isabel tell me where you were. Madison, I'm so sorry. I’ve been looking for you all night. I finally found the car Isabel described and went down this walk with these duffel bags only to realize they’re way too heavy, and I’ve been stumbling in the dark for hours. I’m an idiot and I’ve never been in the woods, but I’m so glad I found you so I can explain.” Link paused to catch his breath. “You have to believe me when I tell you I had nothing to do with that tape. I would never want to hurt someone, especially you, like that." Link took a step closer to her and winced in pain.

  Her anger and fear were instantaneously forgotten at the site standing before her. Link’s angelically beautiful face sported a black eye, swollen cheek, and small streaks of dried blood. Dirt ran all up and down his jeans and what looked to be about a hundred insect bites blossomed on his exposed arms. He was like the wounded man in Courbet’s painting. "Okay, let's get you cleaned up. Did it even occur to you to take a decent flashlight and maybe some bug spray on this quest?" Maddie went over to the tiny sink and turned on the spigot. She muttered under her breath and pumped the well handle a few times to get the flow started. She wet a cloth and motioned Link to go sit down at the small, round table. "This is going to be chilly. There's no hot water, or electricity for that matter. Still, we should get you cleaned up. I might even have some ointment we can put on those bites,” Madison explained as she tended to his face with the cloth.

  Link obediently sat in the offered chair and groaned as he bent his knee and his jeans moved against his injured skin. "It's not the bug bites that are bothering me. It's that spot where some animal bit or scratched me, whichever. It happened in a bush." He pointed to his thigh.

  Maddie washed up his face and then sluiced the water down his dirt-streaked arms before looking at his legs. "What kind of animal do you think scratched you? Where does it hurt?” Maddie waited for Link to point at his thigh. The denim there seemed to be just dirty whereas there was a rip and some blood on the knee.

  "I hope you're wearing underwear this time. I want to take a look at your skin. I doubt anything attacked you, but if something really did get you we may need to take you to a clinic."

  "I love it when you want to take my clothes off. I didn't realize all I'd have to do is hike a few miles in the pitch black and be attacked by varmint to make it happen." Link grimaced a bit as he unbuttoned his pants and slid them down to his ankles.

  Madison pushed the jolt of disappointment she'd experienced upon eyeballing Link’s jockey shorts. This was no time for her thoughts to go that way, but damn she wouldn’t have minded another peak at his glorious man parts. She moved the lantern closer to the edge of the table so she could get better light on his thigh area. He had a small grouping of what at first she thought were pine needles stuck in his skin. "What were you doing when you came upon the animal?" She looked up from her position crouched by his thigh to study his face and caught a flash of color staining his cheeks.

  "I was, ah…I went a bit off the trail to take a leak in a bush. I had dropped my jeans a bit and this thing started making all kinds of squeaky noises. I think it scratched me or something. I don't know. I freaked pulling up my pants and wrenched my knee trying to get out of that area and back to the trail. I didn’t get a good look at it. Maybe a raccoon or small bear got me.” Madison started giggling at his explanation. "This isn't funny; it really stings," Link complained.

  "Okay, okay. Let me see if there's some tweezers in the first aid kit. It looks like you probably brushed into a porcupine in that bush. You sure you weren’t squatting in the woods? Never mind, I don’t want to know about your toilet habits.” She let out another giggle and pulled her face into a more serious expression. “I'm only laughing because you're pretty lucky that you didn’t wind up getting porcupine quills in your dick. Not that I'd feel too sorry for you since hanging out with you has not only gotten me flashed all over TV and the Internet doing the deed, but also fired from my job." Madison put the lantern back on the table and went over by the sink. She opened the cupboard and reached to the top shelf, grabbing the small white first aid kit. Link was certainly lucky; there were only a few quills, and he'd probably broken most of them off pulling his pants up in a flash. She’d be able to pull them out with the tweezers and put some antibiotic ointment on his leg. It served him right.

  "Porcupines aren’t poisonous or rabid are they? I'm not gonna have to get a bunch of shots or my leg cutoff?" Link asked with a hint of fear in his voice.

  "I can't believe somebody who doesn't flinch after hours of tattoo work could be all that afraid of a few shots from a doctor. But no, it's not likely that porcupine was rabid. They’re nocturnal, and you probably just came upon it protecting its young." Madison adjusted the lantern again for herself and went to work with the small tweezers. She rested one hand on his thigh and felt him tense his muscles up in response. Good. Let him suffer. She quickly pulled five slim needles out and wiped the area with the cloth before applying a generous amount of antibiotic treatment. Next she checked his knee, which was obviously tender to her touch, judging by the way he sucked in his breath as she ran her fingers over it. Good, nothing broken or swollen there.

  "Well, you’ll live. And I'm going to be kind and let you stay on that small couch over there so that you don't have to hike back out until first light." Madison busied herself putting away the first aid kit.

  "Oh come on, Maddie. I really mean it, I'm sorry. What can I do to make this up to you?"

  "Link, I get it. You didn't mean for this to happen, but it did, and now I’m embarrassed. I’ve made a fool of myself in front of my family, and I lost my job. There really isn’t anything you can do to make up for all that." Maddie slammed the cupboard door.

  "Okay, I know I'm asking a lot, but maybe there are some things I can do. I could probably get you a job at another tattoo shop, or hell, I'll give you a job working for me. Tommy and I will put out a press release to try and clear your name, and I’ve already got my lawyer working to get an injunction on any more showings of that tape. I think Sasha might be behind this whole thing, and if we can get her to confess, it might mean some satisfaction for you.”

  “Why would Sasha set any of this up? What’s in it for her?” Madison bit her lip in confusion.

  “I’m not totally sure. Maybe she wanted to catch me doing drugs or something so she could sell a news story, but picked up something else instead? I used to indulge a bit but that was when I was new to money and the attention. I was a dumb kid back then. I don’t mess with any of that anymore, haven’t for years, but she wouldn’t know that.” Link rubbed his temples. “Shit, the only bitch wackier than her is my agent, Bethany. If I didn’t know better this time, I would think she did it just to keep me in the news. But don’t look at me like that; it wasn’t her.”

  Madison turned back toward him, scrutinizing his face. He resembled a beautiful, lost boy, brown eyes soulfully watching her. Why was this dark angel bothering to chase after her? She could believe he didn’t set her up, but what was he doing all the way out here, invading her hiding spot? She knew his type. He’d get under her skin, toy with her for a while, and then leave. That’s all bad boys like him knew how to do. Her mom had showed her time and again how fast things tanked once the early passion
faded. She wouldn’t make that mistake, but she could enjoy herself for a while, couldn’t she? Why was she letting him get under her skin?

  “Okay, you can sleep up in the loft on the platform bed, but you’re gonna have to stay wrapped in your own sleeping bag. No funny business.” Madison threw another log in the stove and grabbed the lantern to take up to the loft.

  “I didn’t think my business would be described as funny, but I get it—hands to myself tonight,” Link replied as he limped over to the ladder and followed her up, clutching his bag.

  Chapter 34

  Link

  He was dreaming about soft hands running over his body and a warm tongue leaving feather light kisses along his neck. He shifted in his sleep, trying to hold onto the image as long as he could.

  "Link," Madison said and jabbed her fingers into his ribs.

  "Ouch." Link rolled over and pulled his sleeping bag up over his face only to have it quickly ripped away. A cool breeze blew onto his heated skin.

  "Madison, what are you doing? It's the middle of the night," Link mumbled and tugged on his sleeping bag to cover himself back up.

  "It's dawn; time to go fishing! Let’s see if we can catch some trout, so get up lazybones," Maddie said in a singsong voice. She grabbed the sleeping bag from him once more and tugged it all the way down to the bottom of the platform bed.

  “I thought you were giving me the boot this morning. What’s with the fishing trip?” Link eyed her cautiously, wondering if some trap awaited him. What was she up to?

  “I changed my mind.” She began folding his sleeping bag into a neat pile. “It’s partly your fault I’m in hiding, so you might as well help me catch breakfast. Here’s your chance to start making things up to me, so get up and get dressed. The coffee’s on the stove." Maddie climbed down the loft ladder, and he could hear her moving things about in the main room below.

  He sniffed into the air and caught the aroma of coffee brewing, a godsend given how little sleep he’d had. He rolled over and felt the stinging sensation of his wounded thigh and knee. He cursed his lack of experience in the woods. Well, this would be his first fishing trip so he might as well make the best of it. Link pulled the shade of the small window aside and let in the faint rays of the rising sun. It was just starting to break through the low trees on the horizon. He dug through his duffel bag and pulled out a pair of clean jeans, underwear, T-shirt, a sweatshirt, and his toothbrush. He made his way down the ladder slowly, being careful with his knee and thigh injury. Once down, he stepped into the small closet that had a flush toilet. It had been embarrassing to have to ask Madison how the dang thing operated, but now he knew to pour the bucket of water in the tank and then flush. How did people live like this? Only cold, hand-pumped water, no electricity, no phone. He couldn't even get a cell signal out here. But it was worth it if it meant he could get back into Madison's good graces.

  He finished up his toilet and headed into the main room, desperate to grab a cup of whatever passed for coffee while camping. On top of the wood stove sat a pot with coffee simmering inside. He poured some into a heavy mug and looked around for a refrigerator to get some milk.

  "There's no fridge, and no milk. I did bring some packets of sugar, if that helps?" Madison offered. She was acting a bit warmer to him this morning. Even if it was only pity, he’d take it; it was a start. Even in the middle of nowhere she looked great at this ungodly hour. She had on a pair of faded blue jeans, a Becket concert T-shirt, and a flannel. Her face was scrubbed clean, a little bit pink, probably from the cold water she'd washed with. Link gulped down the hot coffee, hopeful that he’d feel a caffeine jolt soon.

  "You take the poles, and I'll grab the tackle box and bait. I hope your knee’s gonna be all right ’cause it's about a mile hike to the pond, but there's usually sunnys, perch, and trout in there." Madison motioned to the cabin’s front porch.

  Link dutifully followed his reluctant hostess out the door and picked up the two fishing poles that leaned precariously against the cottage. Madison grabbed a bucket filled with dirt and leaves and something suspicious that seemed to be squirming around just below the surface. Link didn't want to think too much on that.

  A well-trod path wound down from the cabin and led them deeper into the woods. They passed small streams with log bridges, and every once in a while there’d be a plaque giving some information about a particular type of tree planting area. It was chilly out, but the rising sun hinted at a warming to come later in the day. The cool air cleared his head, and he couldn't stop himself from looking around at all the beautiful colors of late spring. Maybe he should've tried camping before this.

  After about fifteen minutes of walking they came around a bend in the trail and arrived at a large pond that just seemed to come out of nowhere. Madison said it was called Bear Pond and that it was stream fed. She described the Bear Mountain Falls that were a few miles hike from there. Link was intrigued with the idea of seeing them, especially if it meant seeing the falls with her.

  "You know how to bait a hook?” Maddie asked him, pointing at the poles he held.

  He shook his head.

  “Have you fished before?"

  Again he shook his head.

  “Too busy clubbing and bedding socialites?”

  He didn’t bother responding. He was basically a city boy. His family didn’t do the whole outdoors thing, but she wasn’t right about everything. "No, I've never fished, but I'm sure I can handle getting a worm or something on a hook," Link replied defensively. Madison was making him feel a little bit like a wimp, and it bothered him. So he’d never done the outdoorsy thing or played many sports, but that didn't mean he was a weakling. He ran four miles every other day and did weightlifting and workouts at the gym on his non-running days. He had to keep in shape to be on stage for hours on end. He worked hard on his body; it was part of his job. He needed to look good for the fans and the endorsements.

  Madison walked over, grabbed one of the poles, and released the reel line. She dug through the bucket and pulled out a fat, squirming earthworm. Without hesitation she jabbed it on the hook, spun its body around, and stuck it yet another time through the pointy hook. She motioned for him to take a try, and he did exactly as she did, feeling only slightly queasy at the thought of jabbing this poor little creature in the guts. They walked to the edge of the pond where some large boulders conveniently lay and took seats. It felt good to get off his knee for a few minutes. Madison walked him through how to cast out into the pond and gave him a few pointers about the bobber and what to look for, and then let him go at it. His first cast went ten feet behind him, but at least he didn't lose the worm or land a hook in the side of his face. His second cast was a bit better, but he was chagrined to have not gotten his bobber out farther than hers.

  They sat for a while watching a little bit of morning mist rise up from the pond. The sun streamed brighter through the trees and shot through Madison's hair, exposing some red highlights in her brown color that he’d not noticed before. Her blue eyes flashed as she caught him staring at her profile.

  "What is it? You're watching me," she quietly asked.

  "Just noticing how beautiful you are out here in a flannel shirt. I’m an incredibly lucky man to be with you right now." Link reached over and took hold of her hand, pleased that she allowed the contact.

  The bobber on his line started jumping up and down in the water. The reel was spinning and clicking.

  "Link, Link, reel it in. You got one!" Maddie exclaimed, excitement evident in her bright face.

  He spun the reel, amazed that some small fish out there could be pulling with so much force. His adrenaline surged at the thought that he was going to catch his very first fish and do so in front of the woman he most wanted to impress in this world. “Parade of the Champions” echoed through his head. He worked the reel, pulling back on the pole, letting the fish swim out a bit. Madison’s glee had her abandoning her own pole. He did his best to follow her near-shouted instructions. />
  “Pull back more; you’ve got to tire him out. Okay, faster now, you’ve almost landed him.”

  Finally, after what seemed many minutes, he reeled in this long, ugly, glistening dark beast that Madison declared was a perfect wide mouth bass.

  "Wait until I show you how to clean it!”

  Oh, great, he’d have to scale it too? Couldn’t he just impress her with his music or something? Did it have to involve gutting an eight-pound sea monster?

  Chapter 35

  Madison

  They had hiked for a couple of hours, going up around steep inclines and taking occasional breaks to sip from their water bottles. It was a tough hike but worth it. Link’s knee had held up to the challenge, and his enthusiasm for the woods was contagious.

  Bear Rock Falls was beautiful. It was a thirty-foot cascading waterfall spanning twenty feet in width. The sun shone down in such a way that if you stood and looked through the falls you could see rainbows. It was magical. Link’s beautiful face lit up in wonder when they rounded the last bend and came upon the falls. He did the same thing she recalled doing from her own childhood when she first saw them. He ran to the edge of the falls, dropped his small pack and acoustic guitar on a large boulder, and stuck his whole arm into the gushing water. It was like seeing him in an Ansel Adams photograph. Madison laughed as he let out an expletive about the temperature.

  "Link, if you’d waited, I would've told you that the water is practically freezing." Madison smiled at him and dropped her own pack next to his stuff. The temperatures had climbed into the mid-seventies as the day wore on, but the hike had left them a bit sweaty and overly warm. They had been removing layers as the temperature increased. Now in just their T-shirts and jeans, the day felt right.

  "Damn, that water is freezing. Don't think I'll be jumping in for a swim anytime soon. But it sure is beautiful. Almost as beautiful as you in that tight T-shirt." Link smiled and gave her a slow wink that sent butterflies swirling in her belly.