Chapter Seventeen

Jake

Surprise visitors just didn’t happen up here, I thought to myself as I walked to the door. It had to be the search team. They had gotten through and decided to come pick up Calla. I was relieved, yet bummed at the same time. It was best they got her out of my cabin and away from me though. The way she had been looking at me was dangerous. I wanted her again and felt fierce and animalistic. It was best she not be in my house another minute.

Search and Rescue would have radioed ahead, the rational part of my brain reminded me. This couldn’t be them, so it had to be Gabe. I picked up my pace as I crossed the room, worried something had happened to my friend.

I yanked open the door and sure enough, Gabe was standing on the porch.

“What’s up?” I asked, all business.

Calla had moved out of the kitchen and was standing near the table, peering at our unexpected guest.

Gabe looked at me, then Calla and then back at me. The look on his face was one of knowing, but he didn’t seem interested in discussing what may or may not be happening.

“There’s a downed tree blocking the main road and they need to get a sick guy into town. I told them we would take care of it.” Gabe looked at Calla again. “Assuming you’re not busy, that is.”

I shot him a look. “I’m not. Come in and warm up while I get ready,” I said, opening the door wider.

“Hi, I’m Calla,” Calla said, flashing Gabe a smile.

The grizzled man gave her what I assumed was a smile, but looked more like he was constipated. I started pulling on my gear, anxious to get out of the cabin. Anxious to have something to do that didn’t include fucking Calla. She was playing with fire and had no idea.

“Calla, Gabe, Gabe, Calla,” I said, making the introductions while I sat down and pulled on my boots.

“Someone’s sick?” Calla asked.

“I guess. Some old guy having heart problems. That can’t get a chopper in. They’re going to take the snow cat out, but there’s a big tree across the road. It’s not too far from our road out. I told them we could take care of it,” Gabe explained.

I pulled on my hat and pulled the scarf around my neck. “I’m ready,” I announced.

“Good,” Gabe grumbled.

I turned to Calla. “Don’t let anyone in. Keep the door locked. Casper will alert you if someone is near.”

Her eyes widened in fear. “Should I be worried? Do you get a lot of visitors up here?”

“No, but you never know.”

I stomped out the door, stopped on the porch to put on my snowshoes while Gabe did the same. I loved the nighttime snow walks. The snow had finally stopped, but I could feel more in the air. We weren’t through it yet, I mused. The main road was about another mile from my cabin. My driveway was long and windy and full of trees. The snow cat could probably make it, but I knew the lodge didn’t care to take it into places like this if they didn’t have to. If things went well, Calla would be out of my house in the morning.

The thought bummed me out yet elated me at the same time.

“Grab your chainsaw,” Gabe ordered through the scarf covering his mouth.

I nodded my head and followed the nearly-covered path I had shoveled earlier to my shed. I grabbed the saw, fired it up to make sure it was ready to go and started back towards Gabe. He was carrying his own saw.

We walked in silence, following my snow-covered driveway to the road. The tree was about forty feet up the mountain road leading to the lodge.

“You start on that side and I’ll start here, huh? Looks like the best thing we can do is chop it into small logs. There’s no way we can pull this thing off the road without a truck,” Gabe observed.

I nodded my head. “Got it.”

We fired up our chainsaws and started on opposite ends of the tree where it covered the road. We worked together to cut the tree into sections about six feet long.

Once finished, we shut off the saws and began the tedious task of rolling the logs through the heavy snow.

“You could have warned me it was a big fir, I would have ate my Wheaties.”

“Like I came out here to check, first.”

“Why didn’t they take care of it?” I asked, noticing the tracks on the other side of the road.

Gabe made a sound that was a cross between a laugh and a curse. “Like those pansy-asses could run a saw. They took one look at the tree and hightailed it right back to the lodge.”

“I guess that’s why they have us around.”

“Guess so. This’ll make some great firewood next year,” he added.

“Yeah, it will. I think we need to cut these smaller. This is going to take us all night,” I groaned, standing and rubbing the small of my back.

The log I was trying to move off the road had to be close to twenty-four inches in diameter.

“Got a hot date? Something you in a hurry to get back to?” Gabe teased.

“No, I want to be able to walk like a human tomorrow,” I shot back.

“Cut it if you need to,” he ordered.

I stared at the other ten logs that were littering what was the roadway, even though it was covered in snow. I didn’t care if it made me less manly, I didn’t want to strain my back and not be able to take care of stuff around my house. I couldn’t afford to be laid up.

Grabbing my chainsaw, I started cutting. I laughed when Gabe did the same. The guy could pretend all he wanted. Those logs were no joke.

Once again, silence enveloped us as we worked to clear the road. We rolled the logs under the branches of a massive pine tree. Once the roads were clear, we would come back, get the wood, split it between us and take it home to use for heating next year.

We talked about the storm while we worked. I waited for him to mention Calla, but he never did. I wasn’t quite sure how I would answer any questions he had about her.

“I think that’s good. They can get through. Once things clear up, we can do a better job,” Gabe declared after the last log had been pushed off the road.

I was sweating under all the gear, but knew better than to take off my coat. That’s how people died.

We started the walk back up my driveway. Going back was much harder than it had been walking down. The snowshoes gave us an advantage, but it was still tough going, especially with the heavy chainsaws in hand.

“How are you getting along?” I asked Gabe.

“Fine. Got plenty of water and food,” he responded. “You? Got enough to last you and your pretty little guest.”

There it was. I knew he would mention her at some point. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“I bet you are. So, is it the woman you said you knew from a long time ago?”

I hesitated. “Yeah. Crazy, huh?”

Gabe made a grunting sound. “I see.”

Both of us were breathing hard as we crested the hill. It was flat from that point to the cabin, which I was extremely grateful for. The day had been taxing. I couldn’t wait to get home and rest my weary bones.

“Is Search and Rescue going to make it out tomorrow?” Gabe asked.

“I haven’t heard, but I don’t see why not. If they can get to town, they can pick her up.”

Gabe was silent for a minute. “Supposed to get a second round of snow.”

“What? When?” I asked, realizing another storm could extend Calla’s stay.

“According to the weather alert sometime tonight and into tomorrow. Could be worse than the first round.”

“Shit,” I mumbled.

“You’re not listening to the weather station?” he asked, with irritation. “Didn’t I tell you how important that was?”

I shrugged, “I guess I figured snow was snow. Can’t stop it. It’s not like I’m going anywhere.”

“Or wanting to go anywhere,” he quipped.

“You think they’ll get out to my place to get her?” I asked, in all seriousness.

He stopped walking. “I don’t think they will. I guess you could put up a fuss or take her up yourself if it’s a big problem.”

“No. It’s fine,” I said, a little too quickly.

Gabe chuckled. “I thought as much.”

We walked along until we were close to my cabin. “Want to come in and warm up a bit?” I asked.

He shook his head. “Nah, I need to get home. I got me a hot date with an ice-cold beer and fat steak.”

I laughed. “That is the one thing I don’t have, which I really wish I did.”

“You’re out of steaks already?” he asked, aghast.

“Hell no. I’m out of beer.”

The glow of the flashlight illuminated Gabe’s horror-stricken face. “Fuck that. What are you doing?”

I laughed. “I’ve got a couple bottles of whiskey. I’ll survive. We had backstrap earlier. A cold beer sure would have made it taste a lot better.”

He nodded his head. “I bet your city slicker girlfriend was real happy to dine on Bambi. I’m guessing she’d prefer a fancy bottle of wine.”

A sense of pride washed over me. “Actually, she did like it and she seems just fine with the whiskey.”

I regretted it the second I said it. I had felt like I needed to defend Calla. I shouldn’t, and certainly didn’t need to defend her food preferences, especially to Gabe. I couldn’t explain why I felt pride over the fact that Calla liked the food. She didn’t look the part, but she was a down-to-earth girl who was completely comfortable in my environment.

“Good. Good for her and good for you, I guess. You don’t need a picky eater,” he said, with amusement in his voice.

“I’ll check in with you tomorrow,” I told him, as he started to walk away.

“Turn on the damn weather station, boy. Pay attention.”

I chuckled, “I will.”

“Have fun with your lady friend,” he shouted, his back to me.

I opened my mouth to say I would, but stopped myself. Did he think I was enjoying her company? I wanted to deny it, but deep down, if I had to admit it, I was. I’d certainly had fun earlier today and our dinner earlier had been very enjoyable as well. It wasn’t so bad having her crash at my cabin.

Stopping at the bottom of the porch steps, I took off the snowshoes, leaving the chainsaw on the porch. I could see the candlelight in the window. Calla was inside. I had a woman in my cabin, waiting for me. It was nice to come home to someone, a feeling I wouldn’t have expected. I liked my dog, but sometimes I did get a little lonely.