Northern Closure

With all the stuff in place that he could think of, he and Encore settled into winter mode. As Thanksgiving passed and Christmas was approaching, he sent Megan a quick Merry Christmas and all is well with your cottage note. He threw in a couple of photos of the first snowfall. It had melted before he could try out his snow removal toys but he knew there would be more to come.

Megan's reply was warm. She thanked him again for keeping an eye on the place and told him about her parents flying out to see her for the holidays because of her work schedule. Chris commiserated and jokingly complained about his own work "schedule" which didn't get him much sympathy in her next message.

They settled into an easy pattern of more or less bi-weekly e-mails with this or that little tidbit. Chris kept sending digital pictures of Megan's place, Encore in the snow, ice fishing on the frozen lake and the general surroundings. Megan was always amazed at how starkly beautiful the area looked in winter. She had never seen the place in the winter and the stark black of the bare trees and dark conifers against the white snow was sadly beautiful.

One week in February, Megan's e-mail was very introspective. It was the third anniversary of her finding her ex with her ex-best friend. Chris noticed that the tone of her note was very melancholy. She was still hurting deep inside. Chris commiserated honestly with her this time. It was almost the first anniversary of finding Claire in his bed with Frank. He wrote back about the sense of betrayal, the shattering of the fundamental trust that drives a relationship and the sense of inadequacy that comes with being dumped for someone else with a better this or a bigger that.

Megan's reply was right in tune with his thinking. You could get over the hurt of being dumped but the nagging self-doubt ate away at the core of your being.

"How do you regain your inner peace?" she lamented in her reply.

"I don't think you ever get that inner peace back. It is like a broken plate, you can glue it back together but it isn't whole. You have to figure out why things unfolded the way they did and how you could or couldn't prevent what happened. In effect you need to rationalize what happened to find a new inner peace and throw out the old one with all the crap that life dealt you with it."

As Chris hit send on that reply, he thought about taking his own advice. How could he throw away all the old crap? He hadn't thought about Claire in ages but deep down he had buried his hate for what she did to him. He had seen Frank naked in those few moments in his condo. Frank had nothing on him, did he? He was slightly overweight, out of shape, most of his skin had never seen the sun and he was prematurely balding. His dick was probably smaller than Chris' too, so what was it? Chris decided it was something to do with power and the hierarchy at her job that made Frank attractive.

The more he thought about it, the better he felt. That must be it. He wasn't a ripped specimen that made all the women stare but at the same time he wasn't physically lacking like Frank. The attraction for Claire was in her head; in her power hungry, manipulative, controlling personality. Having sexual power over her boss was an aphrodisiac to her. Something she couldn't get with Chris.

Megan in the meantime had been thinking about his e-mail also. Wow, that was really profound --- such a simple analogy but it was so true. Sure her friend had bigger tits but she had a submissive side to her, especially in bed. When they were younger, she had told Megan about some of the things she liked to have done to her. At the time Megan wondered if she had some borderline self-destructive issues. Maybe that's what her ex was seeing in the slut; the chance to dominate in bed, to be the 'big man'.

Her ex needed something she wasn't and never could be. She needed to find someone who would appreciate a partner, an equal participant in life's twists and turns.

Their e-mails took on a lighter tone after that. They had each found a new inner peace. They explored their common ground. They talked about how the personality traits of their exes that would have never matched with their own. They talked about what each saw was a better match for themselves. After a couple of these e-mails, they both simultaneously realized that they were listing the same characteristics to each other.

Chris was reluctant to push too hard but he did point out to Megan the similarity of the lists of traits. She replied that she had noticed too but what did it mean? Chris wasn't sure but was she coming up to the cottage this year? Could they get together face to face, go for long walks, enjoy good food together and just get to know one another all over again? Maybe face-to-face they could figure out what it meant and if it was heading anywhere.

April was dawning. The sun was higher in the sky and the snow was disappearing even in the deepest places in the bush. The ice on the lake was getting thin. One day it was there, the next morning it was gone. Not a week later the first loons were back on the lake. How they knew the ice would be gone, Chris didn't know. They flew up from wintering grounds in the ocean off the Carolinas to arrive back at the lake where they were born within a few days of ice out every year. Very primitive forces were at work there and Chris was feeling a bit insignificant in the face of it all.

Encore was about a year old now. She had been around five or six weeks old when he had found her in early June which meant she must have been born early to mid April. Chris decided since he didn't know when her birthday was, that he would celebrate her birthday on April 1st because someone had played the cruelest of jokes on her and her littermates, but in the end they had fooled whoever it was. He took her in for her annual checkup and shots and dropped off birthday cards for the other puppies in the litter. All of them had found homes with local families and were very much a part of their new lives. The vet would later tell Chris that all the owners were teary eyed when they got his card, realizing what could have been instead.

Chris e-mailed Megan asking her if she wanted him to get the place ready for the summer so it would be ready for her to use when she came up. Her reply saddened him. The big project she had been working on had done so well, she was being promoted and very likely transferred. She wasn't sure where yet because the company had several manufacturing sites. If she was going to get to the cottage, it had to be once or twice in May and that would probably be it for the foreseeable future.

Chris was surprisingly upset by her reply. He replied back saying he would get the place ready for her so she could come up anytime she wanted and not have to worry about the setup time.

A couple of days later, Megan replied that she had managed to book off for only one four day weekend in May; the Memorial Day weekend.

She would be coming in late on the Thursday and staying until mid-day Monday. Chris had the place opened up, the water and lights on and a cozy fire in the fireplace to ward off the chill of the late spring night. Chris stood at his window and watched as the light spilling from the door silhouetted her as she put her bags in the cottage. She came back out to close up her car, waved over at Chris' silhouette in the window and shouted a thank you before heading in for the night.

The next morning Chris was up and around. With a coffee to take the chill off the cold May morning, Chris looked over at Megan's place. Seeing no activity, he checked the weather on the internet to see what was in store for the weekend. A chance of thundershowers was in the forecast Saturday. That would be unusually early, thought Chris --- thanks to global warming. He reminded himself to remember to feather the blades on the wind turbine to prevent it from spinning too fast and burning out the generator. The gear ratio was set up for an average wind velocity and big spikes in wind speed with a storm could overdrive the generator.

Friday morning passed with no sign of Megan. She was puttering around inside but hadn't yet come out to see him. He couldn't call her because her cottage had no phone service.

Chris wandered over to invite Megan for a barbeque. Memorial Day being a traditional start of summer weekend, he planned to grill some steaks and consume at least a few beers.

He knocked on the door and Megan answered looking somewhat flushed.

"What are you working so hard at?"

"Long overdue cleaning and clearing out old junk."

"Wait, let me get my truck and we can haul stuff straight to the dump."

Chris headed back to get his truck and his dog and they spent the next several hours clearing out accumulated stuff that always seems to find a home at a cottage 'just in case' it could be used again. A couple of trips to the dump and pretty soon they had moved a small mountain of broken or outdated furnishings and clutter.

Back at his place, Megan sat in the kitchen and watched the production. Chris washed and sliced the green, yellow and red peppers, Portobello mushrooms, onions and new potatoes before layering them on a big sheet of foil with butter and seasonings. When he was satisfied with the mix, he folded the foil closed around the concoction, wrapped an extra layer to seal it tight and put it on the barbeque. As the vegetables were cooking and they sipped the first of a couple of beers, Chris quietly studied Megan. She looked pooped. At one point, Chris thought she nodded off for a minute or two. When the vegetables had been on for about forty minutes, he put the steaks on and grilled them to perfection. The steaks and the contents of the vegetable bag went onto a couple of plates and they both tucked in.

"I can't believe how hungry I was," Megan offered after eating most of her dinner in silence.

"Me too, I was starving."

Megan helped Chris clear plates and clean up. Chris opened a couple more beers and they headed for his living room. Megan slid gratefully into the puffy couch cushions. "Thanks for a wonderful supper, I am absolutely wiped out."

Chris put some mellow music on and they sat staring at the fire Chris had lit in the stone fireplace. The nights still had a chill in May and the fire's warm glow was a perfect spot to take refuge. The warm flickering light and the big meal took their toll. Gradually Megan slumped over towards him and Chris realized she was asleep. He put his arm around her shoulder and let her doze. Chris must have dozed off also because he woke to Megan gently shaking his shoulder. The fire was down to glowing embers on the hearth.

"Thanks so much for dinner and all. I'm going to head home and crash. Perhaps I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Definitely, I'll see you tomorrow," said Chris as he struggled to full awareness. "The forecast calls for rain later with a chance of thundershowers so if you have any outdoor stuff, best do it in the morning."

"Thanks, I'll plan it that way. I hate storms, I hope it doesn't get too wild. Anyway, goodnight and thanks again."

Having struggled to his feet, Chris wrapped his arms around her in a warm hug. Megan returned the hug and Chris once again felt her firm breasts pleasantly squeezed against his chest.

She reached up on tip toes and lightly kissed his cheek.

Chris got Encore and a flashlight and they escorted Megan back to her cottage. On her doorstep, she turned to him and tilted her head towards him.

"Thanks again for supper," she said in a breathy voice.

Chris tilted his head down and tentatively touched her lips with his. "You're welcome."

Megan surprised him with a forceful, passionate kiss in return. "Good night." With that she was gone. Chris trudged back to his place, feeling a sense of elation and loss all mixed together.

Chris dealt with a couple of consulting issues in the morning and by the time lunch rolled around, it was clear that the storm was rapidly moving in.

While Chris battened down for the storm, Megan was nowhere to be seen. By mid afternoon the storm was really whipping up. As the dark clouds rolled ominously over the lake, the entire sky seemed to be a constant frenzy of crashes and zaps. The noise and light were so close together, Chris knew the storm was going to go right over them. Within the first couple of minutes, the power was out everywhere on the lake, everywhere except Chris' place of course. The clouds were so dark Chris saw what must have been candles flickering in Megan's cottage. At a lull in the storm he grabbed his flashlight and ran over to her place. She answered his second round of knocking on the door and the sight that greeted him was not what he expected. She was very distraught. When she saw him, she flung herself at him and clung to him in terror. He quickly realized her fear of storms was more than a passing nervousness. She shouldn't be alone like this.

Chris hugged her and whispered in her ear that she should come over to his place with him while there was a lull in the storm. He assured her that everything was working so they could have a warm meal and enjoy a cozy fire.

In a daze, Megan just nodded and started to walk out the door. Chris grabbed her arm and got her to put on an old raincoat and some boots while he blew out the candles. When she was ready, they walked over to his place with Chris' arm around her, supporting her. Once inside with warmth and light, Megan visibly calmed down.

After a bit, she said "Thank you. I've always been terrified of storms and if the power goes off or it is cold, I am really a mess. In the cottage, the storm seemed huge and I just lost it."

"No problem. The power here is always on, we've got a full battery charge and the creek is still giving us more power than we're using."

Chris got out a nice bottle of white wine and whipped up an excellent Fettuccini Alfredo with a fresh garden salad. They set up folding tables in front of the fireplace and ate their meals silently gazing into the fire. When they had finished, Chris cleared away the tables and dishes and put some soft Celtic music on. Chris tucked a blanket around Megan and she curled her feet up. Encore hopped up to snuggle beside her on the couch. Chris sat on the other side and Megan leaned her head on his shoulder. Gravity quickly conspired against her and as she dozed lightly she slid down Chris' side to wind up laying across his lap. He put his hand on her hip and relaxed.

As he was just getting very mellow, the storm began picking up again. The thunder and lightning closed in all around the lake again. Megan woke with a start and grabbed Chris in a panic. Chris wrapped her tighter in the blanket and pulled her into a strong hug. Murmuring softly into her hair and stroking her hair and arm, he tried to comfort her. They stayed that way for a while. At one point when she jumped after a particularly loud boom, Encore got up and tried to lick Megan's face to re-assure her. In spite of herself, Megan had to chuckle and she hugged the dog in thanks.

"It's okay Encore, I'll be fine. Thanks for your help."

That seemed to satisfy the dog. She wagged her tail and lay back down on the couch next to Megan. Chris was still stroking her arm and hair and murmuring to her.

Megan turned her head to look at him and they were nose to nose. She sighed and closed her eyes and Chris couldn't resist gently kissing her lips. He barely brushed his lips across hers but the effect was electric. Last night's kiss was a surprise but this one felt like lightning had hit indoors. Both of them gasped.

"Wow," was all Chris said.

As Megan turned her head back to him, he gently brushed his lips across hers again. There was that charge again. They lingered longer this time, pressing their lips together not wanting to break the kiss and lose the magic charge. Gently, Chris probed her lips with his tongue. Megan slowly opened her lips and their tongues danced lightly, exploring, tasting and savoring the experience.

Megan relaxed measurably and let out a huge sigh when they broke the kiss.

"Wow," Chris said again.

"Uh huh" was Megan's equally wordy reply.

They quickly resumed their kiss, this time with more urgency and passion. Chris realized his dick was like a steel bar in his pants. He couldn't remember being so hard and so turned on ever in his life and they hadn't done more than kiss. Megan was gently moaning as they kissed and Chris rubbed her arms.

Megan asked Chris, "Can I stay here tonight? I don't want to go back out in the storm to a cold, dark cottage."

"Of course. I wasn't planning on letting you leave in this weather."

"Thank you. One more thing ... could I sleep with you in your bed tonight? I don't want to sleep alone in some strange bed in a storm and I want to be held tight."

"Anything you want. I'll keep you warm and safe as long as you want."

With that Chris and Megan got up. Chris let Encore out for her needs and Megan headed to the bathroom. Just as she got there, another boom shook the cottage and she jumped.

"Don't leave me. I can't stand it when the thunder is that close."

"Okay, but how are you going to pee if I'm standing there?"

"It is a bit embarrassing but the thunder is worse so please, I hope you don't mind?"

Chris didn't mind at all and helped her get her pants off while she clung to him. He caught sight of a nicely trimmed blond bush for a second as she sat down.

"Yup" he reflected to himself, "she is a natural blond."

Once she peed, Chris handed her the toilet paper and turned while she wiped.

"Do you have a long t-shirt I could wear to bed?"

"Sure, we'll find something suitable in my dresser drawers."

In his bedroom, Megan waited while Chris found a really long t-shirt. Megan peeled off her sweater and t-shirt. Still shaking slightly, she struggled with the hooks of her bra at the back. She silently turned her back towards Chris and waited. Chris' hands were shaking too as he unhooked her bra and she shrugged the straps off her shoulders to let it fall on the floor with the rest of her clothes. From behind, Chris helped her slide the t-shirt over her head but not before he had taken in the swell of her breast visible when she raised her arm for the shirt.

He caught a glimpse of the dark areolas around the hard nipples as she wriggled the shirt down. His breath caught in his throat, her breasts were beautiful. They were full and round, the skin was lightly goose bumped betraying her chill. The cold and fright had a pleasant effect on her nipples, at least for him. They had to be half an inch long and thick like his pinky finger. As the t-shirt slid down, they were still plainly visible pushing out the material. He watched the t-shirt progress down over her smooth tummy and over her smooth, toned thighs.

Turning to the bed, Chris pulled back the covers and held them for her. As she slid under, he tucked her in. Turning his back to hide his very obvious erection, he stripped quickly to his boxers and hurried to pee. Letting Encore back in, checking the power system and fireplace and shutting down the cottage for the night only deflated his hard cock slightly. He slid in under the covers behind her, leaving a small lamp on low to cast a warm glow on the room. Megan squirmed a bit so he spooned behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

Chris was lost in the moment. His nose was buried in the beautiful strawberry aroma of her hair. Megan's warm body molded perfectly to his but he realized a bit too late that his once-again achingly hard cock was now pressed firmly into the crack of her ass. It felt fantastic but she had to notice the rock hard intruder between her cheeks.

"Chris, can I ask you a question?" Megan said quietly.

"Sure, what's on your mind?" he mumbled into her hair.