Chapter 5
Brooke awoke the next morning hot under the covers for the first time all winter, then she realized that the warmth was coming from Calvin who was snuggled up against her back. Trying not to wake him, she slid out of the bed and went to the fire to bring it back to life. Once that was done, she headed to the kitchen to put on some coffee. Knowing that Calvin was exhausted from all the traveling he’d done, she built a bigger fire than normal in the kitchen stove and got out her planning notebook.
Hours later, she was so engrossed in her planning for the spring that she didn’t hear Calvin come into the kitchen. He put his arms around her, startling her out of her thoughts with a kiss on the neck. “Good morning, you look like you’ve been up for a while,” he said, then poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down at the table with her.
“I’ve been planning for the spring. We have to plan a garden, build a barn, and maybe a chicken coop. I haven’t decided yet,” she said, pushing the book over so he could see it.
Calvin was impressed with all the planning that Brooke had done. “This is pretty impressive,” he said, flipping through the book.
“There’s so much to think about and plan for, it seemed like the only way I could keep it all straight. That book is for the outside. There’s another one for inside. Although we’ve made pretty good progress on the house, there’s still a lot to do,” she said, pulling another book off the shelf.
Calvin looked through the other book, then said, “If you don’t have any plans today, I have a great idea.”
“I’m all yours. Everyone is taking a four-day weekend for the holiday. Marissa insisted that we all take some time off,” Brooke said, then blushed when she realized what she’d said.
“I like the way that sounds,” Calvin said, his voice husky. “And the way you blushed when you said it.”
Brooke looked into his eyes, she couldn’t help it, and what she saw there was not only desire but affection. Her breath caught in her throat when he framed her face with his hands and kissed her tenderly. When he’d kissed her thoroughly, he pulled back and asked, “Are you up for an adventure?”
“Sometimes it feels like my whole life has turned into one big adventure, but I’m always up for something fun,” she answered.
“Do you think you can find me a snowmobile for the day? I have a great place I want to show you up the mountain a couple of miles. There’s a decent trail so we shouldn’t have any problem getting there on the snowmobiles.”
“That sounds like fun. I’ve gotten pretty good on the snowmobile, but I haven’t taken it very far,” Brooke said, getting up from the table. “Do you want some breakfast? I waited for you, and if we’re going to spend the day outside, we need a good breakfast.”
“Sound good, but I’ll help,” Calvin said, finishing his coffee and pouring himself another cup. “By the way, this is really good coffee.”
“It’s the coffee pot, not the coffee,” Brooke said, gesturing to the old percolator pot on the stove. “It took me forever to get it right, but it is pretty good, isn’t it?”
Calvin looked around him just then realizing how simply Brooke lived. “You really are living like it’s the 1930s.” he said, opening the old ice box.
“Well, not completely, but certainly nothing like I did in New York,” she said, laughing, then added, “It takes some getting used to, but truthfully it’s kind of nice to keep things simple.”
After breakfast, they began to gather the supplies they would need for the day. Brooke followed Calvin’s lead since this would be her first time venturing out into the mountains in the winter, which carried much greater risk that a trip in the summer would. True to her nature, she made a list of everything that Calvin packed and tucked it into a brand new binder.
When he sent her a questioning look, she said, “When the farm is up and running, we need to have something to bring people in during the winter, so I’m starting a new notebook for day trips.”
Calvin just shook his head and crossed the room to give her a kiss, then pulled her into the kitchen. “We need to take enough food for 24 hours, just in case,” he said, looking into the ice box and the cabinets, pulling things out, and making a pile on the counter.
Brooke laughed as the pile grew. “I guess we’ll be eating well,” she said. “That looks like enough food for a two-day trip.”
Calvin stopped what he was doing for a second considering her words, then a big grin spread across his face, “I don’t like that look,” Brooke said, instinctively knowing that he was about to suggest something crazy.
“Why don’t we go winter camping? I know a great cave that would keep us nice and warm,” he said, suddenly all full of enthusiasm. “It’ll be great, a nice warm fire and just the two of us.”
Brooke looked at him skeptically. “Have you done this before?”
“Not here, but in Colorado. Trust me, it will be fun,” he said, holding his hand out to her.
“How can I say no?” she said, going willing into his arms and tipping her face up for a kiss.
After a trip to Marissa’s for Brooke snowmobile and one for Calvin, as well as a trailer to haul all the gear Calvin decided they needed, they were on the trail. Brooke was glad that Marissa had made her buy the purple snow suit. Not only did she look good in it, but she was snug and warm as they headed away from the farm. She waved to Tom, who had come over to stay at the farm until they got back, then took a deep breath of the cold air, excited to be on an adventure.
It took them several hours to get up the mountain, but Calvin had been right, the trail was perfect for snowmobiles, even with the trailer hooked up to the back of Calvin’s. After climbing steadily for several miles, Calvin pulled off the trail and turned off his snowmobile, then waited for Brooke. They got off the snowmobiles, and he took her hand, leading her down a trail through the woods that led to an overlook. Gasping with amazement, Brooke looked at Coldwater Canyon spread out below her.
“Oh, I can see Honey Hills and the farm house,” she said, only then realizing just how big an area the canyon was. “There’s Cedar Ridge, and I can see smoke from the chimneys at some of the cabins.”
Calvin had seen the view before, so he was busy looking at Brooke enjoying her excitement. “If you look carefully, you can still see the fields that are part of your farm,” he said, pointing out the four huge fields that were still mostly cleared of vegetation even after all these years.
Brooke closed her eyes for a second, visualizing what the farm was going to look like a few years from now when the fields were planted and the farm was productive. “The farm house looks lonely sitting there by itself, it’s too bad the barn couldn’t be saved too,” she said. “But we’ll have one by the end of the summer.”
“Are you going to be doing the farming too?” Calvin asked, thinking that running a farm on her own might be a bit much for one person.
Brooke laughed and said, “I may be crazy, but I’m not that crazy. There’s a young couple who is going to come up this spring and do that. We’re building them a house on the other side of the property. I’m only responsible for the farm house, garden, and the animals.”
“Only?” he asked.
“Well, I have Tom to help me and I’ll have the guests too,” Brooke explained, looking again at the land that comprised the farm and its fields.
“If anyone can do it, I know you can,” Calvin said, with total confidence in his voice. “Are you ready to see where we’re going to spend the night?”
“You bet. How much further is it?” Brooke asked as they made their way back down the path to the snowmobiles. “My rear end is complaining about the ride already.”
“It’s not far,” Calvin said, laughing.
When they got to the cave where they’d planned to spend the night, Brooke looked at it warily. “Are you sure there aren’t any wild animals in there? It looks like a good place for a bear to sleep,” she said, looking at the dark opening of the cave.
“Come on, when you get inside you’ll see that it’s not big enough for a bear or anything else to make a home. Besides people have been using it long enough, I don’t think anything wild would want to use it. When I found it last summer, it was full of trash and other debris. It took me two trips to haul it all out of here,” Calvin said, taking her hand to help her off the snowmobile.
He grabbed a flashlight, then climbed the gentle slope to the cave and pulled aside some bushes. “I put these here to make the cave look smaller.” With the bushes gone, Brooke could see that the cave opening was larger than she’d thought.
She followed Calvin into the cave, pleased when the flashlight illuminated a space that was just the perfect size. “Okay, I see what you mean, there’s no way anything could be hiding in here,” she said, walking around the cave.
It was just big enough for the two of them with a fire pit in the center. The floors were hard packed dirt, the walls smooth. When she walked to the back of the cave, the temperature rose enough that she could actually feel it. All in all, it wouldn’t be a bad place to spend the night, she decided, returning to the front of the cave where Calvin had already begun to pile their supplies.
“I’m assuming that we want to put the sleeping bags in the back of the cave where it’s warmer,” Brooke said, beginning to sort the pile.
“Yeah, that was my plan,” Calvin said before going back for another load of stuff.
They had their temporary home set up in no time at all, a nice fire burning in the fire ring and dinner simmering away. In no time at all, the cave was warm enough that they could remove their heavy winter gear and relax by the fire. There was a brief lag in the conversation, but soon they were both telling stories about the awful things they’d done as kids which led to more stories about their families.
After dinner, they talked about all of Brooke’s plans for the farm while they watched the stars, but before long the physical activity of the day got to them and they crawled into the sleeping bags. Calvin pulled Brooke close to share his body heat, and within minutes they were both asleep, stirring only when the morning brought the sounds of the forest alive.
Brooke was wrapped in Calvin’s arms, her head resting on his chest when she opened her eyes. The cave had grown cold over the night since neither of them had fed the fire, but she was warm and comfortable in the sleeping bag with Calvin, his body heat warming them both. But nature was calling and she knew she’d have to get up soon.
“Stop squirming around or I won’t be held responsible for my actions,” Calvin said, without opening his eyes.
“Sorry, I really need to get up, but I know how cold it’s going to be,” Brooke said, kissing him on the cheek then leaping out of bed. She shoved her boots on and ran outside, returning as quickly as she could.
“I suppose that means it’s my turn,” Calvin said when she put her cold hands on his chest.
“Yep, and put some wood on the fire when you come back,” she said, shivering.
Calvin laughed and asked, “And how did that become my responsibility?”
Brooke gave him her best smile and asked, “Whose idea was this?”
Calvin knew when he’d been beat. “You win,” he said, kissing her forehead and getting up.
When Calvin got back to the cave, Brooke was still snuggled down in the sleeping bag, the only thing sticking out was the top of her head. He thought about getting back in with her but decided that he couldn’t trust himself not to touch her if he did. Instead, he got the fire going and put on a pot of coffee. Once the cave had warmed up again, Brooke ventured out of the bed and poured them both a cup.
“I’ll bet there aren’t very many people who can bring the coffee pot from home and use it on a fire,” Brooke said after her first sip.
“And it tastes even better out here,” Calvin added. “What’s for breakfast? I’m starving.”
“Well, that’s no big shock, but I am hungry too,” Brooke said, digging through the food they’d brought. “What do you do in the summer when you come up here? All this food would be a serious attraction for a bear.”
“We have to hang it in a tree,” Calvin said, pointing to where there were a series of ropes in a tree not far from the cave.
They talked about the dangers of wild animals and surviving in the wild while they made breakfast and packed up, each glad that they’d come up here. The bond between them had grown in ways that normally wouldn’t have happened anywhere else, and as much as the passion between them continued to simmer, they were both glad that they were waiting to take that next step in the relationship.
It took far less time for them to get home, but Brooke was sad to see the day end, knowing that her time with Calvin would be over all too soon. He helped her put their gear away, then they took the extra snowmobile back to Marissa’s and rode back to the farm house. They sat in the truck talking for a long time, the air crackling with sexual tension, before Calvin took her in his arms and kissed her.
This kiss was unlike anything they’d shared before, it was both sensual and demanding, sending Brooke spinning through space. Calvin threaded one hand into her hair sending shivers down her spine, while his other hand slid up her ribcage to cup her breast. Completely lost to the sensations he was creating, Brooke trembled when his hand slid down her belly and between her legs, then gasped when began to rub her clit through her pants.
When Calvin slid his hand into her pants and found her clit with his finger, she was already wet, but as he stroked her she felt the moisture grow until she was slippery. Calvin used that moisture, sliding his finger over her swollen nib until she was crying with pleasure, the heat in her belly spreading until with a burst of pure sensation she came apart in his arms.
Calvin gathered her up in his arms again and kissed her deeply, then said, “Sweetheart, next time I’m home I’m spending the night and I’m not sleeping on the couch.”
Brooke was still spinning on a wave of pleasure, her body vibrating with a satisfaction that she’d never experienced before. “Oh, I, um...” she stammered, then managed to add, “I think I might like that.”
“Oh, yeah, you think so?” Calvin asked, a wicked smile on his face. “I can promise you that you’re going to like it and so am I.”
He kissed her again then and it was a long time before she finally asked, “How long will you be gone this time?”
“I’m hoping I’ll be able to make it back by Christmas, but if not, New Year’s for sure,” Calvin said, not wanting to talk about leaving.
Brooke took a deep breath and a risk. “Every time you leave I miss you more.”
“I know, me too, but I made a commitment to these people and I can’t back out, otherwise I’d stay here with you,” Calvin said, taking a risk too.
“I wouldn’t want you to change your life for me, Calvin,” she said, looking into his eyes.
“I’ve been thinking about changing my field of expertise. There is a certain amount of danger in what I’ve been doing,” Calvin said, which was the truth, the memory of being chased though the jungle still fresh in his mind.
“What would you do instead?”
“Well, I’ve been thinking a lot about hydropower lately. I think we might be able to produce enough to power the canyon or even some of the local towns,” Calvin said. “And I think Paige is still going to need me this summer on the dig.”
“So, you won’t be traveling as much during the summer?” Brooke said, her heart lifting at the thought of him being here more than away.
“No, but I do have several more trips between now and then, so we’ll just have to make do with email,” Calvin said, kissing her one more time.
Brooke stood at the window watching Calvin drive away with a mixture of sadness and excitement. This had turned out to be one of the best Thanksgivings she’d ever had. She’d miss Calvin more than ever this time while he was gone, but her feelings for him had come on so fast it might be good to get some perspective; it scared her how well they fit together. Never in her wildest imagination had she thought that she’d find that one perfect person. At nearly thirty years old, she’d dated a lot of men, but none of them had ever made her feel the way Calvin did.
At times, it almost seemed too good to be true that he wanted her the way he did, but then she’d remember the look in his eyes and the way his voice would go all husky and her doubts receded. At the thought of what would happen when he came home for Christmas, a thrill passed through her. Never had she wanted a man like she wanted Calvin. It was a craving deep inside her that she knew only he could fulfill.
Sex had never been that big of a deal for Brooke; the men she dated had never inspired all that much passion in her, and she’d been fine with that. But with Calvin, the passion was instant and powerful and had been from the first time she’d touched him, that spark that seemed to flow between them had only grown over the last few months. Tonight, in the truck, in his arms, Brooke had finally understood what passion really meant; it was that rush of heat deep inside that signified a deeper connection.
She could no longer deny that she was falling in love with Calvin, but that thought was so scary that she pushed it to the back of her mind, that little voice still telling her that everyone she loved died. It was a ridiculous thought, she was aware of that, but it was still there haunting her. It didn’t help that she knew Calvin was going to a very dangerous place. She’d done some research one day at the library; it probably hadn’t been helpful, but she like to be informed about the things in her life.
Turning from the window, she put together some dinner, thinking she’d try to get some work done on the plans for the summer, but once she’d eaten she was so tired she decided to go bed instead. The trip to the cave had been more fun than she’d imagined it would be and she hoped that it would become their place to get away from everyone, a romantic spot that only belonged to them.
As she fell asleep that night, she realized just how lucky she was that Winter had sent her out here to California. If she hadn’t, she wouldn’t have met Calvin or all the wonderful people who were now in her life. Coldwater Canyon had been just what she needed to get out of the rut she’d been in; even more importantly, it had given her the gift of the perfect job. That night, she dreamed of the farm, Calvin and the children they would have some day, a dream she’d never permitted herself before.