Authors: Shayna Ryan
“This is my home, Calista. I have family, and a job, and a community here. If I move to Hartford, I’ll have to leave all of that behind.”
“And just what the hell do you think you’re asking me to do?” I snapped as I gathered up my clothes. “So it’s too much to expect you to join me in Hartford, but I should drop everything in my life? I can’t…no, I won’t. I’m sorry Will, but this wasn’t meant to turn into anything, and I guess we best not try to change that now.” And with that I huffed off to my room across the hall, slamming his door behind me.
-16-
I wondered if he’d come into my room at some point in the night to smooth things over, but he never did. I tossed and turned for hours, finally falling asleep in the wee hours of the morning. I woke up alone after sleeping much of the morning away.
Will had slipped a note under my door at some point before he headed off to work for the day. I sat on my bed and stared at it, afraid to even unfold it to read it. What if he hated me now? Or what if he suddenly agreed to move to Hartford? I had invited him without really thinking it through in the heat of the moment, and I now realized just how unwise that had been. I would have welcomed him into my life there, but I also would have shouldered a great personal responsibility for his happiness. If he moved to Hartford and was miserable there, I would know it was all because of me. I didn’t want that for either of us.
He was right; he belonged up here in the wilds of Maine. But I was right as well; I belonged in Hartford, where once I got a job, my life would be just as I liked it.
How did we ever come to this point, as such completely different people? I didn’t know and I didn’t care. The only thing I knew was that in a few days I would be leaving, and now I might have ruined everything, or, worse yet, pushed Will into something he didn’t want.
Unable to stand the suspense any longer, I finally unfolded the note.
Calista,
I’m sorry for the way things were left last night. While it kills me that you’re leaving, I understand. I can’t move down to Hartford anymore than you can move up here, so I guess we’re at an impass
e of sorts. I don’t want to worry about it anymore- I just want to enjoy our last few days together. Can we do that? Just let it go and enjoy the time that’s left? I hope so –Will
A noisy sigh of relief esc
aped me as I read his note. We could agree to disagree in an effort to make the most of the time we had left together. It was the best solution, really. Neither of us wanted to spend the next two evenings arguing over who should move where.
I grabbed my cell phone and sent him a quick text to let him know that I had read his note and all was
forgotten. He responded a few minutes, saying that he couldn’t wait to see me later that night.
Because I had slept in so late, the day flew by. I helped Dottie once again, after she asked if I wouldn’t mind pulling down all of the curtains around the house so that she could wash them. When I caught her up on a stool, feebly trying to wash the inside of the windows, I shooed her away and took over. I didn’t mind, and it spared her the trouble.
By the time 5:00 rolled around, I was practically crawling out of my skin with anticipation over seeing Will again. 5:30 came and went, then 6:00.
“Looks like he’s running a bit late tonight, honey,” Dottie soothed, sensing my agitation. “Let’s just eat without him, and he’ll eat when he gets home.”
I did my best to eat so as not to insult Dottie, but I wasn’t really hungry. When 6:30 rolled around and there was still no sign of Will, I began to worry.
“Relax. S
ometimes he just runs late.”
I’m sure he did, but did he have to run late on my second to last night in Maine?
Around 7:30 he finally texted me.
Sorry, it’s been a crazy night.
Big exotic animal bust. I’ll be home as soon as I can, but don’t wait up.
So I didn’t. When he came home shortly past midnight, there I was, asleep in his bed, waiting for him. He leaned over and kissed me softly on my forehead, and I woke up instantly.
“You’re okay?”
“Of course I am. We got word of an illegal exotic animal dealer in the next county over, and there was a huge bust. Different wardens from all over the area were called in to help, and I just spent the night removing all kinds of snakes, lizards, and spiders from the house. We had to transport them all the way to our facility in Gray.”
“That’s all?”
“That’s all.”
“I’m glad you’re home.” I sat up to hug him, but he moved out of my reach.
“Oh no, you don’t want to touch me until I’ve showered! Lord only knows what’s on me, after moving all those animals. Give me 10 minutes, okay?”
“Okay.”
When he came to bed a short while later, he was clean again and I happily curled up against him as he softly kissed my neck.
“You’re all I could think about today,” he admitted. He trailed his hand lightly up and down my arm, and I tried to burn the sensation into my brain. I never wanted to forget the feeling of his touch, no matter how innocent–or not.
“I won’t ask you to stay again, but just know that the offer still stands. I won’t pester you about it, but just because I don’t mention it doesn’t mean that I don’
t want you here with me. If you want to stay longer, be it a few more days or forever, you’re welcome to, okay?”
“You’ve got yourself a deal, as long as you know that works both ways.”
Forever. That one little word held such weight for me, such promise and fear wrapped into on little word. Forever was a long time, and I wasn’t sure if Will meant what he said.
But then again, I did. Because
when I invited him to move to Hartford with me, forever would have suited me just fine. Even though it was a long time. Nothing would please me more than to have Will by my side, forever.
“
Deal,” he mumbled. Then the light snoring began.
No fooling around for us, then. Part of me was disappointed, but I understood. It was late, and he had worked a long day. It was enough just to be wrapped up in his arms. There was always the next night.
The next night. Just one more night with him, then it was back to the rest of life, the part that existed without him.
-17-
Thursday was much of the same. I helped Dottie iron and re-hang the clean curtains before lunch, and after lunch I was so bored that I dared to walk down to Ginger’s for a Danish and a cup of coffee.
“Hey.” She greeted me with a smile and I was delighted to see that there were no hard feelings about the incident with Dean and
Mikey.
“Hey.” The café
was dead quiet as it was too late for lunch and too early for the dinner crowd. I was the sole customer, at least for the moment.
“So, are you okay, after…you know?”
“I’m fine, thanks. I hope it didn’t cause you too much trouble.” My eyes flitted to the spot where Mikey had bled all over the place, but there was no sign of the incident at all.
“No trouble for me at all; don’t you worry about it one bit. I know it wasn’t your fault, or Will’s. Truth
be told, I think most of us wanted to cheer Will on. That Mikey’s a waste of space, and Dean’s no better. I’m just sorry they were bothering you. No more manners than common pigs, those two. So what’ll it be today?”
I ordered my Danish and co
ffee, and turned to see who entered when I heard the bell over the door ring. It was Blue, and as soon as he saw me, he came right over to take a seat next to me.
“Ms. Calista! What brings you out on this fine day?”
“Just grabbing a snack, Blue. What about you?” Blue was swiftly becoming one of my favorite townies. After Will and Dottie, of course.
“Just resting the old bones and grabbing a cup of Joe. I’m a bit surprised to see that you’re still around!”
“Only ‘til tomorrow, according to Bobby.”
“Then you’re headed south again?”
“Yup. I’m afraid so.”
“And what does
Will think of that?”
I was taken aback by his question. It struck me as rather nosey, but then I remembered that this was sma
ll town Maine, and Blue was a friend to both me and Will.
“He doesn’t like it,” I sighed.
“And you?”
“I don’t like it either, but it is what it is.”
“Is it, now?” His eyes twinkled merrily as he studied me. I might have been angry about his intrusive questions, but I knew it was just his way and he meant no harm.
“Indeed it is. My life’s back in Hartford, Blue, not up here with Will.”
“You and Will, huh?” Ginger commented as she brought me my Danish. “Everybody thought so, ‘specially after he laid Mikey out like that.”
“Yeah, me and Will, at least while I’m here.”
“Then what?” Ginger leaned across the counter, making it clear she intended to stay a while. How, exactly, did this happen again? I came in to grab a coffee and a Danish, not get the third degree about Will and me.
“Then I go home. It’s nothing serious between us.” I was never a good liar, and I caught the look that Ginger exchanged with Blue.
“Are you kidding me? You’ve got something going on with Will Holbrook and you want me to believe that it’s nothing serious? Come off it, now. Every single girl from here to Lewiston’s tried to get with that man, and some of the married ones, too. He’s always polite, always a gentleman, but try as they might, no one’s ever caught his eye. Then you blow into town and suddenly he’s punching out Mikey Desmond in the middle of my café! Nothing serious,” she snorted in disbelief.
“C’mon now, Ginger, leave the girl be. It’s their business, not ours,” Blue cut in. I liked the guy even more than before, if it was possible.
“All right, all right. I’m just saying–you find a guy like Will Holbrook and you get him to look your way, you don’t let him go again.”
“Does Andy have something to worry about,
Ging?” Blue teased.
“Ah,
Blue, you know what I mean. If I were fifteen years younger and single, I’d have a go at him myself! I gotta go finish cleaning the fridge out back while it’s quiet, you two holler if you need me.”
She left
Blue and I alone at the counter, sipping our coffees.
“I’m sorry for prying, you know,” Blue began, “but I think it’s a crying shame that you two can’t work this out somehow. A lot of us around here really like and respect Will, and after seeing him lose Theresa, well, I guess we’re all just rooting for him to find love again. Seems a shame that when he might have a shot at it, it’s not to be.”
“What about you?”I suddenly realized that I knew nothing about this man. “Is there a Mrs. Blue around?”
“There used to be, before the cancer took her about seven years back. There are little Blues, too, though they’re not so little any more. Three boys I’ve got, all grown now. One’s still around, but
one’s in California and one’s in Massachusetts. I get to see the closer ones from time to time.” There was a sadness in his voice while he spoke of his family, and I got the feeling that he didn’t see them nearly as often as he’d like.
“
Family’s important, Calista, no matter what your age. You find someone to grow old with, you settle down and grow your family, and you thank God every day for them, you hear?”
“
Thanks, Blue.” The door chimed again, and Blue excused himself to go sit with his buddies by the window.
His words touched me. I would welcome all of that in my life, if ever I had the chance to settle down. While I wasn’t like some women, driven to find a mate and start a family, that didn’t mean that I didn’t yearn for a family of my own someday, if the time was right.
When Ginger came out from the back to take the newcomers’ orders, I signaled to her that I was ready to settle up my check.
“Can I g
et an extra Danish for Dottie?”
“You bet.”
I paid my bill and grabbed the Danish that Ginger had bagged up to go, and I headed back to the Inn. Dottie was touched that I thought of her, and she happily accepted the unexpected treat.
“Can I get dinner started for you, Dottie?”
“No, but thank you. Will called while you were gone and told me not to worry about dinner for you two tonight.”
Now that was news to me. The man had something
up his sleeve for, but what, I didn’t know. But I couldn’t wait to find out.
When I heard his cruiser pull in a little bit before 4:00, I went out to meet him.
“What are you doing home so early?” It took him a moment to reply as I punctuated my question with a kiss, which he happily returned.
“Took a few hours off.
I tried to get home earlier, but I got held up. Plan to leave in twenty minutes or so. I just need a quick shower.”
“Why? What are we doing?”
All I got was a cryptic, “You’ll see.” As an afterthought he added, “And no funny business while I’m in the shower–we need to get going.”
He still wouldn’t answer my question when he led me out to the old blue truck a while later.
“You’re not very good at being patient, are you?” he teased. I could tell he was enjoying torturing me.
“Can I at least have a hint?” I pleaded.
“Nope.”
I spied a picnic basket in the back of the cab, but that still didn’t tell me where we were headed. It couldn’t be too far away, if we were taking the truck.
Will took a left out of the driveway and headed down the road in a direction I wasn’t familiar with. He turned off onto an unlabeled dirt road, then proceeded to make numerous turns onto other, smaller dirt roads, taking us farther and farther away from civilization. Eventually he stopped when we came to a section of road that was chained off.
“Now what?”
“Now you sit tight while I unchain it.” He jiggled a set of keys for me to see. I did as instructed and watched as he unlocked the two padlocks securing the chain and then moved it aside. He came back and eased the truck through, then hopped out to secure the chain behind us.
“This is all very mysterious,” I mumbled as we bumped down the barely maintained dirt road. “How, exactly, do you have
the keys for that?”
“
It’s private property,” he grinned, quite pleased with himself, “but I called in a favor from a friend and we have permission to be out here tonight.”
We rode for about ten minutes as it was slow going since the road was poorly maintained and full of huge potholes that Will did his best to ease around. The road suddenly ended out of the blue, but there was nothing at the end of it. It just stopped.
“Come on, we’ve got some stuff to carry in.”
He unbuckled and rooted around in the back of the truck. When he passed me
a bright orange vest and cap, I looked at him skeptically.
“C’mon. We’re going for a little hike here, and as hunting season’s approaching, it’s best to be safe.”
I reluctantly put them on, and when Will caught my expression of disdain, he laughed out loud.
“I look like a giant traffic cone!”
“But a cute one!”
Once we were ready to go, he carried the picnic basket handed me a blanket to carry before he led me towards the woods.
“Um…isn’t it getting dark soon?” The day’s light was just beginning to recede.
“No worries. It’s not far, and I’ve got flashlights to get us back.”
“So we’re having a picnic in the woods?” I tried to hide my disappointment. I wasn’t exactly an eat-in-the-woods kind of gal, but I didn’t want to hurt his feelings and I appreciated he gesture, even if it wasn’t my thing.
“Not exactly.”
He refused to say more, leaving me still in the dark about our plans for the evening. He started to move just then, and it looked like he was just planning on walking into the woods without a trail.
“Aren’t you coming?” he called to me.
I didn’t want to walk in the woods, without a path, with dusk approaching. But I trusted Will, and he was obviously excited about our plans, so I followed him against my better judgment.
He slowed down so that I could keep up with him, and to my surprise, it wasn’t as bad as I thought. Once we got a few dozen yards into the woods, it opened up into an area that was mostly pines, with little undergrowth.
“Not far now,” he reassured me. And he was right. Not ten minutes later the trees gave way to a huge, beautiful meadow, awash in the brilliant colors of the day’s last light.
“It’s beautiful!”
“You haven’t seen anything yet. Come on, we haven’t much time.” He led me along the edge of the field for a bit, but then ducked back into the woods.
“But aren’t we…” I thought we might eat our picnic in the meadow, but Will had other plans for us. I followed him, and his plan became clear a moment later.
He led me to a huge boulder, almost taller than I stood. After examining it for a moment, he handed me the picnic basket and then grabbed the edge of a big crack running down the rock’s face before hoisting himself up.
“Pass me the basket and blanket, then I’ll help you up.” Oh. So this was the plan. We were going to dine on a huge boulder just inside the woods. It was different, that was for sure.
Once I was on top of the rock with him, I saw that the top of it was surprisingly flat, and wide. Will spread out the blanket and took a seat, and I joined him. We sat facing the meadow as he unpacked our dinner.
“Sometime soon the show should start,” he told me with a twinkle in his eyes.
“Show?”
“You’ll see.”
I tried to talk to him as we ate, but each time he shushed me, and I was beginning to get a little bit annoyed. While I originally had high hopes for our mystery night out, it was so far at least a minor disappointment on every level.
At least the food was good. Will had hit the grocery store at some point and loaded up on
barbequed chicken and an assortment of ready-to-eat side dishes.
“There!” he exclaimed quietly as he pointed towards the meadow. “Just be very quiet, okay, or you’ll scare them off.”
Perplexed, I followed his pointing finger to a point past the line of sparse trees between us and the meadow.
“Oh!” Now I understood the whole point of our strange picnic spot.
In the fading light, a herd of deer picked its way out of the woods on the opposite side of the meadow. One by one they stepped into the long grass, alert and tense. Once they assessed that all was safe and quiet, they lowered their graceful heads to eat their fill of the grasses growing in the meadow.
“They’re beautiful, Will!” I whispered.
Even though I took care to be very quiet, I could swear that one of the deer heard me. She raised her head quickly and stood perfectly still, with only her ears twitching slightly.
Will gestured for me to stay quiet, and I was happy to oblige. I had never seen a deer in the wild before. There was something magical about them, something wild and otherworldly, but peaceful at the same time. I felt privileged to have the chance to watch the herd graze there in the quiet meadow.
As we sat silently watching the herd, Will slung his arm around me and pulled me close. It was one of those perfect moments that I was sure would stay with me for the rest of my life and I just wanted it to last forever.