Chapter Four
After the dishes were done, Beverly joined Colin in the living room, sitting beside him on the couch, but leaving a full cushion between them. She wasn’t sure how she felt about sitting close…well, yes she was. She felt breathless and excited and nervous all at once. It was strange just how many emotions the man brought out in her.
He was watching something on television, something she didn’t recognize. She hadn’t really watched TV in yeas, so that wasn’t at all surprising. He patted the spot next to him, lifting up the edge of a quilt he was sitting under.
She scooted toward him, careful not to touch him. She liked touching him a little too much for her peace of mind. His arm slipped around her, and she melted into him. “What are you watching?”
“I have no idea. I was waiting for you to join me here.” He kissed her forehead, his hand going to the remote to switch the TV off. “What shows do you watch?”
“I don’t. I’ve been so wrapped up in taking care of my mother for so long, that everything else in life has taken a backseat. I’ve spent the last six weeks packing up a house my family has lived in for over forty years. There were so many things that were never gone through after my father and younger sister died, and then I had to go through Mom’s things too. If Lachele hadn’t helped, I’d probably still be there.”
“I didn’t know you had to go through all that. Did you finish?”
She nodded. “I donated most of the things the family had saved up. I even found the crib I used. It was strange, but Mom seemed to keep absolutely everything.”
“I’m sure that was very painful for you, going through all those old things.”
Beverly made a face. “You’d think it would have been, but I actually enjoyed the memories. I kept some things, but donated so much. We’ll have a UPS shipment soon of lots and lots of boxes. Lachele addressed them all, because I wasn’t allowed to know where I was going.”
Colin shook his head. “I’m not sure what we’re going to do with a whole lot of stuff. I don’t exactly have a lot of room here.”
She shrugged. “If I have to, I’ll get a storage unit in town. There were just some things I couldn’t part with. Maybe in a year or two I’ll feel differently.”
“All right. I think it might be smarter to get rid of them now, but you can decide to do things how you want.” He loved that she was willing to solve her own problems.
She turned more fully toward him. “I’m pretty nervous about tonight,” she said, changing the subject. “I’ve never…”
He shrugged. “I haven’t either. I guess we’ll figure it out together.”
“Tonight?” She didn’t know if she wanted to wait or just get it over with.
“I’d prefer tonight. I’ve been looking at you all day, being close to you. I’m definitely attracted to you, and…you’re my wife. I can’t think of a good reason to wait.”
Beverly studied him for a moment before nodding. “You’re right. If we waited I’d just get more and more nervous. It’s like ripping off a Band-Aid, right?”
“I sure hope not! I’m expecting it to be a great deal more pleasurable than that.”
She grinned. “I hope you’re right. I have no real expectations. Not this first time anyway.”
He pulled her closer to him, lowering his lips to hers. If she was going to be nervous and analyze everything to death, maybe it was better if they just got to the good stuff right away.
As Colin’s lips toyed with hers, she gave a tiny moan of pleasure, wrapping her arms around him. When he kissed her like this, her whole body was on fire. It felt so good to have him touching her and kissing her.
He got to his feet and scooped her up in his arms, carrying her into the bedroom and setting her on the bed. He shut the door behind him, determined that they would make it through this first time and enjoy it. Both of them.
*****
When Beverly woke the following morning, she tried to roll to her side, but her hair was trapped under a heavy weight. She tried to pull it out, but encountered a hairy, muscular arm. Her eyes widened. No wonder she was sore in places she didn’t want to think about. She was married.
She freed her hair and turned toward him, smiling as she studied his face in sleep. He looked so much younger with his face completely relaxed, and he seemed to be sleeping with a slight smile on his face. She liked to think the smile was due to her, but she couldn’t prove it.
She remembered she wasn’t wearing anything, and decided to slip into the bathroom before he woke up. Not that she had anything he hadn’t already seen. She grabbed clean clothes and slipped across the hall, taking a long hot shower.
After her shower, Beverly hurried into the kitchen, hoping she could find food to cook for breakfast. He had a lot of cans of various things, but there was little she could actually cook with. His idea of cooking was obviously warming things up in his microwave.
She found some bacon at the back of the fridge, and checked the expiration date, breathing a sigh of relief. She had a whole two days before it expired. There were only two eggs in the whole fridge, but she found some bread and a tiny bit of milk left in a gallon jug. After searching through the cabinets, she discovered some maple syrup. Perfect. She’d make French toast for breakfast, and she could buy what she needed in town later.
By the time she was finished cooking, Colin wandered into the kitchen wearing just a pair of boxers. She blushed for a moment, but went on, setting the table and serving breakfast. When she was seated at the table with him, he took her hand and said a short prayer.
“This smells delicious,” he told her with a yawn.
“It’s just French toast. Super simple to make.”
“For you, maybe. I tried once and had a huge mess that smelled to high heaven. I’m glad there’s someone here who can actually cook now.”
“Are you still willing to take me to town later? I want to get the grocery shopping done early in the day. I’ve made a list on my phone.”
“Yeah, as soon as you’re ready, I’ll take you. Do you just want groceries? Or do you want to explore a little.”
“I wouldn’t say no to exploring. I love the idea of learning about my new home.” She ate a bite of her bacon, smiling a bit. She didn’t know what it was about bacon, but it always made her taste buds jump up and sing.
“Sounds good. There’s a lot to do in Healy in the summer. We’re going to have to drive to Fairbanks to get groceries, but for the rest of the week, we’ll find fun stuff to do. I’d love to take you on an ATV ride, and show you the parts the tourists don’t see much. We could do some of the touristy stuff too and take a boat tour or a raft. I could also just drive you through Denali so you could see some of the wildlife. There are places we can hike as well, if you enjoy hiking.”
“I haven’t been hiking in a really long time, but I wouldn’t mind giving it a try. And I love the idea of going on a raft. Maybe not today, but later this week. I think we should get the food situation taken care of, and then I can start worrying about what I want to do this week. I love being in the water, and I used to love walking, but there just hasn’t been time.”
“Well, we’ll conquer the food today. Then tomorrow we can go on a rafting trip. Maybe we can do some hiking on Thursday. I don’t have to work again until Monday, so I would love to show you my world.”
“Someday we’ll have to fly to New York for a week, and I’ll show you my world.”
He frowned. “I have this strange feeling that I would hate your world. I hope you don’t feel that way about mine.”
She moved her hand to cover his on the table. “I already love your world. I’m not going to hate it. Ever.”
“I hope you still feel that way after winter. Our winters last nine months here, and they are not for the weak of heart.”
“I’m sure all will be fine.” She looked at him for a moment. “And do you know why?”
He shook his head. “No, why?”
Beverly smiled. “Because there’s nothing weak about me.”
Colin grinned. “You know? I believe that.”
A short while later, they were in his truck on their way to Fairbanks. “It’s crazy to me you have to drive so far for groceries here. We had them delivered in Manhattan.”
He laughed. “We’re a far cry from Manhattan. There are places closer to buy snacks. There are places to buy all kinds of liquor. But if we want real groceries, a trip to Fairbanks is the answer. You learn fast here that if you’re going to the store, you should ask all your neighbors if they need something, so they’ll return the favor down the road.”
“So did you ask the neighbors before we left?” she asked, very curious.
He shook his head. “Not this time. I figured I get a pass because I’m on my honeymoon. Everyone deserves a honeymoon pass.”
“I guess you’re right.” She stared out the window, loving the views. “What river is that?”
“The Nenana. Healy is in the Nenana River Valley.”
“Such a beautiful area. I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of just looking around. How far are we from North Pole, Alaska? I’ve heard stories about it all my life. I’m really into Christmas.” It had been hard to keep her spirits up through the holiday season for many years, but now she was starting over. Maybe there would be a way for her to give back this holiday season. Glancing at her new husband, she felt she had a lot to be thankful for.
Colin smiled. “We’ll be very close to North Pole. Do you want to go there? It’s a lot of fun.”
“Yes, please!”
“We’ll do that before we get groceries then. There’s even a little fudge shop inside the main store there.”
Beverly grinned at him. “Fudge? You’re talking my language!”
He laughed. “You seem like the type to be a chocolate worshiper.”
“Oh, I am. I promise you that! If you ever need to apologize to me, skip the flowers and bring me boxes of chocolate.”
“Are you supposed to give me clues like that so early in our marriage? Shouldn’t you wait a little while before telling me all your deep dark secrets?”
She shook her head. “Nope. We’re married. You need to know the right way to apologize. Flowers would be a major faux pas!”
“I’ll keep that in mind!”
When he pulled into North Pole, she was watching around them like a child in a candy store. “The street lights look like candy canes!”
“They sure do.” He hadn’t been to North Pole in a lot of years, but he was enjoying her excitement a great deal.”
Finally, they reached the Santa Claus house, and she hurriedly jumped out of the car. She sat on a sleigh, smiling at Colin as he took her picture, before wandering along the outside of the house. There were pictures painted along the walls, all of Christmas scenes. “I want to come here every time we go to Fairbanks for groceries!”
He laughed. “I’m not sure that’s going to be possible, but we can come sometimes.” He took her hand, leading her to the door. “Wait until you see the inside.”
She walked in with wide eyes, staring at all the beautiful ornaments and Christmas decorations. As she walked through the store, she picked up several things, carrying them to the checkout counter. “You should go get us fudge,” she said over her shoulder to Colin.
“What kind?”
“Surprise me. Get a variety!”
“All right.” He wasn’t sure a variety was the best idea in the world, but if it was what she wanted, he’d do it. He found he was already willing to do just about anything that would bring a smile to her face.
She paid for her purchases, and he brought her a bag of fudge, handing her the lighter bag and carrying the heavier one. “Our house is going to look like Santa Claus puked in a few months, isn’t it?”
“Oh yeah. You’re going to love it!” She couldn’t wait for the holiday season to start. There was no doubt they’d have a white Christmas.
After he loaded up the car, they drove into Fairbanks. “Any idea what you want for lunch?”
She shrugged. “What’s here?”
“Do you want fancy or casual?”
“I really don’t have a preference. Just something yummy.”
“There’s a place in a small mall that does crepes. I’ve been there a few times, and I think it would be something you’d like.”
“So they have savory as well as sweet?” She didn’t want to be locked into a lunch that was just sweet when she had fudge waiting for her.
“Yes, they do. Want to try it?”
“Sure. Sounds like fun.” He pulled into a parking lot near a small mall, and she jumped down from the truck.
They held hands as they walked into the mall, and he led her to the crepe shop. “Worst thing about this place is you have to get a key to use the bathroom, and it’s all the way around the corner.”
“That sounds like a pain! I hope the food is worth it.”
“It really is!”
They ordered. He got a ham and cheese crepe, so she followed suit. She’d never had a savory crepe before, so she trusted his judgment. They sat on some stools facing a wall. As soon as she’d taken a bite of the crepe, she sighed. “These are delicious. And now I need to learn how to make crepes.”
“Do you think you could?” He nodded to where the employees were making the crepes right in front of them.
“I do think so. It’s just a matter of getting a recipe. Now that I’ve seen it done, I’ll have a better idea of how to do it at home.”
They watched them long after they’d finished their meal. “Do you want a dessert crepe?” he asked. “We could split one.”
She shook her head. “I’m stuffed, but we’ll be sure to come back here and have them again.”
They got back into the truck and drove to the grocery store. The store he chose was huge, much bigger than the grocery stores she’d been to in Manhattan. They each got a shopping cart and stocked up. She bought enough to completely fill up his extra freezer as well as non-perishables. “I can cook for a while on this.”
He nodded. “We’ll still make another trip in a month. We want to make sure we have a good stock of food before the first snows fall.” He loaded the bags of groceries into the truck before getting in and starting the engine.
“Is there anywhere I can buy crafting supplies here? I need some fabric and some more yarn. I want to keep making the quilts and afghans for the babies.”
“So you don’t just run your foundation, you make stuff too?”
“Yeah, that’s how it started. I was looking for something I could do from my mother’s bedside. It was the perfect solution for me.”
“Are you going to make some stuff for the house too?”
“Absolutely, if you don’t mind. I like the idea of having some things I’ve made on the back of the couch and hanging on some of the walls.”
“Let’s go then.” He loaded all the groceries into the truck and drove the short distance to a craft store. “Do I have to come in?”
She laughed, shaking her head. “We wouldn’t want them to take your man card away!”
“You know about the man card? Women aren’t supposed to know about that. Don’t tell anyone!” Colin looked around furtively, looking to be sure no one had heard.
“You’re a bit messed up in the head,” Beverly told him. “You know that, don’t you?”
“I couldn’t do my job if I wasn’t…”