Ride to Restoration (Ride Series Book 2) (14 page)

Chapter
25

“T
ime to go, Vic.
The green mule awaits. Don’t look so lost, Vic. It’s a truck silly.”

“
Good to hear, D. With you, I
never know what your surprises consist of.
”

“
Every moment with me is a pleasant surprise, is that what I
’
m hearing?
”

“
You nailed down the surprise part. I
’
d be going out on a limb to
say they
’
re all pleasant. Earlier tonight sure was. I
’
m sorry if I bubbled over
too much at dinner. I was trying to reassure Debra that we, mostly you, had
this. God, it feels good when you can jump into the impossible and make it
possible. Aren
’
t you proud of me, D? I
’
ve come a long way from the
pompous, amorous bitch you met that night in the casino.
”

“
I am proud of you, Victoria. We make a fine team, you and
I. Especially, since I
’
m the one that
’
s always giving.
”

“
That
’
s not true. I
’
m giving too. Why do you
think I
’
m
riding back with you?
”

“
To get in my pants, my wallet, my head
…
I
’
m kidding. I do seem to be rubbing off on you. I pray that
’
s a good thing.
”

“
It
’
s a great thing, especially for me.
”

“
Hold that thought, we need to ride.
”
Opening the passenger door, I pushed her up and onto the
bench seat before she could protest about the smell.
“
Roll the window down
girlfriend, it will help.
”

Choking
on the aroma of blood, man sweat and gunpowder, I murmured,
“
this truck smells just like
the clothes you expect me to wear tomorrow.
”

The
Green Mule
’
s diesel engine rumbled to life bellowing white smoke into
the late evening sky.
“
Can you read a map, girlfriend? I hope so, since you
’
re the designated copilot
tonight.
”

“
If I can get through law school, I can surely read a map.
”
Spinning the paper round and round that Greg had hastily
sketched for him,
“
Uh ... which way is north?
”

“
That way,
”
pointing
over my left shoulder while wrestling the stiff steering wheel of the mule onto
the road.

“
On the map, dumb ass. How do you expect me to read a map if
I don
’
t
know where true north is?
”

Surrendering
to her logic
,
“
It
’
s all north up here, Vic.
This is Canada. Just tell me which road is going that way,
”
pointing my forefinger in the direction we were going,
“
to turn off of the big
straight line, the first or second squiggly one?
”

“
The second, I guess, then right at the third. See, aren
’
t you impressed?
”

“
I am barrister, I am. Did you know Saskatchewan is divided
into townships, comprising 36 sections? Each section is then subsequently
divided into four quarters, with each quarter comprising 160 acres. Using this
as a mathematical system, one can determine specific geographical locations on
a map. Just not this one. However, most all roads run north and south and east
and west, influenced by the sections, more so than not. Just thought I
’
d throw that out for you.
”

I
didn
’
t understand a word he just
said.
“
Coming upon the third right,
D. All we
’
ve seen so far are miles and miles of grain fields and
ponds. Is that all there is to see in this country?
”

“
Not quite,
”
I
responded, before slowing to a crawl. Easing over a rise, if you could call it
a rise, off to our left was a pond, no bigger than the size of two football
fields. Flight after flight of mallards and pintails were dropping gracefully
into it, looking for a place to rest for the night. Pulling off the road and
into the wheat stubble, I turned off the Green Mule.
“
Sit back and watch, Vic. If
we
’
re
lucky, the best is yet to come.
”

Fifteen
minutes of quiet was too much for me.
“
I
’
m tired of waiting, D.
Please, let
’
s go back. We have ducks in Iowa, this is no big deal ...
is it?
”

“
Persistent patience is one virtue you must learn, Victoria.
”
Taking her hand, I rubbed her fingers across my cheek.
“
Relax, feel me, feel the
moment. Close your eyes and allow your senses to come alive within you. Listen,
just listen.
”
Soon
the quiet was broken by the deafening chatter and beats of thousands and
thousands wings
—
ducks. The skies were alive. In awe, we watched the dusk
turn to darkness, obscured not by the approaching sunset, but by the multitudes
of Mallards and Pintails circling patiently, waiting their turn to land in the
now tiny pond.

“
Oh my,
”
I
exclaimed,
“
it looks like we
’
re in the middle of a
quacking tornado.
”

“
A duck tornado to be exact. There
’
s strength in numbers.
Nature has a way of protecting its own.
”
Vic and I sat motionless, watching flight after flight of
puddle ducks, gracefully easing their way into an already crowded pond creating
a nonstop tornado like vortex that continued long after dark.

“
Amazing, D. That
’
s what it is, amazing,
”
I confessed, snuggling tightly against D, my head resting
on his shoulder.
“
Beauty is all around us, but we
’
re too busy to see it. Had
you not stopped and made me wait, I would never have made this memory. Thank
you, Jon David,
”
kissing
him on the cheek, while purposely trying not to contaminate the innocence of
this moment.

“
You
’
re welcome, girlfriend, you
’
re welcome. Time to head
back.
”
With the sun
well below the horizon, I rumbled the Mule to life heading north. An eeriness
enveloped us in the darkness before we reached Highway 3 just as I hoped it
would. Pulling off the road and into rape stubble, I stopped again.

“
What
’
s going on, D, this is scary? The sky is pulsating, almost
like a green and blue flashing strobe light. Wait, now the lights are dancing.
Now they
’
re gone!
”

“
I ordered a light show just for you. Victoria, may I present
the Northern Lights. Mesmerizing, fearful, exhilarating were the words I used
to describe the Aurora Borealis the first time I experienced it unawares at the
conclusion of a very successful afternoon duck hunt.
”

“
At first I thought we were under attack by aliens.
”

“
I can see that, especially if you
’
ve never seen anything like
this before. I was trying to find you a poem to read to you tonight while we
watched the show. Although not true poetry, I found this in a Discover Magazine
article on my phone.
“‘
Streaks of light toss about with abandon. Suddenly, for a
second, all the light melts away and the sky is full of darkness. Just as
quickly, the lights blossom again in pulsating waves and arcs, and in
undulating movements across the whole Heavens, sometimes stabbing the ends of
their folds toward the earth, dripping with the green of grass and the red of
blood.
’”

Oh
my.
“
That was beautiful, D. That
describes it wonderfully.
”

“
I thought it did, too. Two more firsts for you tonight,
girlfriend. What was it you were saying about my surprises not being all too
pleasant?
”

I
relented.
“
Never mind, D. Never mind.
”

Chapter
26

I
dropped Vic off at the front door, and returned the Green Mule to its familiar
parking spot, in the back behind the garage near the Labrador Retriever
kennels.
Which reminds me — Major. I’m sure he’s ready for me to come
home. Note to self … call the kennel tomorrow and follow up on your last
message
.

Coming
in through the shop, I came across a recently tanned bear rug that looked ready
to ship to a lucky hunter somewhere in the states.
I
’
m sure Greg wouldn
’
t mind me borrowing it for
the night, I convinced myself, as long as I returned it in the morning,
unscathed.

Throwing
the bear over my shoulder, I carried it into our room with high hopes. With Vic
in the bathroom doing whatever girls do before bed, I laid the bear skin on the
floor and sprawled out on it in all my glory, waiting patiently for my squeeze
to appear.

Stepping
through the bathroom door, wearing nothing but my Mistatim tee, I froze.
“
Where did that bear rug come
from, D?
”

“
I borrowed it from Greg for tonight.
”
Taking nothing for granted,
“
This could be another first
in the making if you
’
re so inclined. Have you ever made love on a bear skin rug,
girlfriend?
”

Taken
aback
,
“
I can
’
t say that I have. Nor can I
say with conviction I
’
ve ever had the urge to want to. You?
”

“
I plead the fifth.
”

“
Oh, that
’
s right, my bad. Standing before me is the man whore. No,
what is that Candi calls you, a slut? How many times have you had sex on a bear
skin, give? Is it a man
’
s coming of age, a rite of passage when you kill it, you
eat it or screw it? I
’
m sorry to blow your bubble, D. My naked body is not going
down on that ... that ... animal.
”

“
It was just a thought. To answer your question counselor
—
twice. My first time was planned and hot in front of a
roaring fire. The second time was both accidental and memorable and not in the
way your devious mind works.
”

Amused
,
“
I got the first time nailed
by your smile, I
’
d rather hear about the second.
”

Rather
embarrassed, now that I think back on the memorable part
, I began.
“
Seems like yesterday. I
dated a very athletic girl named Leah once upon a time who loved to wrestle.
Her motto was
‘
if you pin, you win it.
’
I won and lost more.

“
On one particular not-so-sober night, our wrestling
escalated from the bedroom to the den floor where I was winning. That is I was,
until she rolled me over onto the bear skin and wrapped me in it to pin me.
Once I realized what was happening, I fought my way out while she rolled me
back in using the bear
’
s paws as her inducement.

“
You happen to know how sharp a bear
’
s claws are? Here, feel
these,
”
offering Vic
the opportunity to run her fingers across its claws before continuing.

“
They
’
re sharp, D. I got it. So what happened next?
”

“
Leah started swiping at me with the paws and growling like
a bear. The next thing I know, I
’
m squealing like a pig and bleeding like one, too. Somehow,
in my flailing, she caught me square in the nut sack, ripping a gash eleven
stitches long.
”

“
You
’
re serious?
”
I know you are, because no
one could dream that up. Poor guy.

Grimacing
at the thought while inadvertently protecting my jewels with both hands, I
assured her I was.
“
As a heart attack. I even remember the entire ER staff on
duty coming by my treatment room and snickering after they learned my injury
was caused by a dead bear and a live broad. Stop laughing, will ya? It hurts
even now just thinking about it.
”

With
belly laughing tears cascading down my cheeks, I attempted to speak,
“
You just carry that ... that
... What did you call it? Uh, nut sack ripper back where it came from. I
’
ll be waiting right here for
you to show me
…
show
me your scar.
”

With
the yet to be christened bear rug hanging lifelessly over my shoulder, I
returned it rather glumly from wince it came.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained, I suppose. All I
’
d managed to
lose tonight in this humiliating ordeal was a little man pride and my eager
beaver-ness to wrestle Vic long into the night. Settling for the remnants of a
faded afterglow, instead of the glow of my making.
Sleep, when it returned,
came quickly.