Ten Days in the Country Ch. 01

This is a work of fiction. The town, the situations, and the characters are all imagined. The cottage setting is inspired by a cabin and small town I stayed in several years ago.

DAY 1

It was a blue sky day in the northern lumber town of Dorrits. People were milling about on both sides of the single main street that ran through town, a sign saying "Welcome to Dorrits" on one end and "You're Now Leaving Dorrits" on the other. The cars that drove along this road provided the conversation pieces for the people hanging around along the sidewalks. Everybody who drove along it, whether friend or stranger, seemed to stir up stories.

It was midday when a silver jeep revved into view. People leaned forward and tried to see who was in the car.

David Hettrick saw her. Her shoulder length golden hair had shone through the glare of the driver's window. She pulled up the road and turned and parked at Mandy's General Goods & Service's store at the centre of town.

Most of the people lingering on the street at lunch time in the town of Dorrits had noticed the jeep as it had drove into town. Too silvery and too clean, the jeep had "city person" written all over it with 4x4 drive and a power package that was intended for rough riding but it would be features of the car that would probably never be used by its driver. A lot of the people just smirked, taking only a quick glance as the jeep roll in. Some of the more curious, bolder types, cast a longer glare upon its gleaming hull right until it had parked.

David was usually of the former group, minding his own business, but the driver, with that fine blonde hair, had caught his eye. As she stepped out of the car and onto the street, he realized there was even more to the person behind the wheel, behind the glare of the window, for him to take notice.

The woman stretched, her fingers woven together and held over her head, pushing towards the sky. She had a slender, shapely figure with her hips and legs accentuated nicely by the tight jeans she was wearing. She had a red denim blouse that was oversized but it was still obvious she that she had a fine, fit form. She was smiling as she stretched, looking satisfied after having been on a long drive.

David was able to 'read' the different strangers who drove through town. He could tell who was just stopping by and who would be staying for awhile. As the woman opened her eyes and looked around town with the same satisfied smile on her face, he knew she'd be staying for a little while. He surprised himself, realizing that just the thought this woman might be staying in town elicited a sense of excitement from within him. She really was beautiful.

As she reached back into her car, David suddenly realized he had been staring. Shaking his head, he figured he should just go back to loading his truck before she noticed him.

"Hold up, boys!" a rough voice slurred, "Look what's come to town!"

Without looking up, David knew who was speaking. He grimaced.

"It's always nice when the city folk drop in for a visit," Eric Lafon chuckled. He and his entourage of bored labourers stood on the sidewalk in front of the jeep, heads tilted to the side, whistling and taking a good long leer at the attractive new backside sticking out from the door. They were playing the 'good ol'boy' routine to the fullest. David always hated it when Eric lowered himself to that sort of behaviour.

The group was chuckling even more when the woman leaned out and looked at the men over the rim of her sunglasses.

"Hey! Hope it's not too bright for you, Sunshine!" Eric continued, "Takes time to get used to the unfiltered natural light without all the pollution in your eyes."

The woman smiled, her red lips tightly clenched. Then she made her first mistake. She nodded and said, "Hello gentlemen."

David could hear the snickers. He shook his head and frowned. Never acknowledge the pack.

Eric waved his hand like he was wiping a window and drawled in a syrupy voice, "Welcome to Dorrits, Sunshine!"

'Sunshine'. He had already given her a nickname. This was going to get very messy, very fast. Next he would ask her if she's new in town. She'd say yes. He'd introduce himself. She would give him her name. He would ask her where she's staying, offer his 'help', his 'services', and pretty much make an ass of himself or get into some sort of trouble. Nothing worse than a bunch of guys who had no work to do and spent all day drinking and looking for a new play thing. Not only that, as the de facto leader of the group, Eric was compelled to put on a show.

The others David didn't care about. It was Eric who disappointed him.

David would have surprised himself again, realizing just how defensive he was feeling about the whole situation. But then he was snapped out of his thoughts.

"So where you going to be heading Nicola?" Eric's gruff voice slinked in.

David looked up. The conversation had already progressed while he had been lost in his thoughts Eric and the group had already stepped off the curb and moved in for a closer look. The woman David now figured to be Nicola stood behind the door, keeping it between her and the men. She had raised her sunglasses, perching it in her hair. He had a clear view of her crystal blue eyes blinking with a cautious stare. Her mouth was sort of forming words but not speaking. It was amazing how quickly people could go from a complete carefree demeanour to a deer caught in headlights.

"Well, uh..." she stammered.

David thought about moving in. Eric moved faster. The tall man leaned over her and winked, "Need someone to show you the sites?"

There was a knowing, obnoxious rumble through the group.

Some sort of defensive mechanism must have kicked in as the woman's glowing expression changed to a cool glare. She lowered her chin and stared at him. In a low voice she said, "Not today. I'm not interested."

Eric's grey-green eyes squinted into sharp slits.

She shut her door. "Excuse me," she said in the same tight voice and brushed past the men.

As the other men murmured and mumbled about her boldness, Eric continued to stare straight ahead where the woman had been standing. He grinned.

David knew she had to eventually try to get away from them but he had hoped she would be more tactful in spite of the situation. That straight-forward city-type brush off often just conjured up an image of arrogance that served to spur on the resentment that locals had for their city cousins. If she had done that to a bunch of frat boys in the city, she would have probably gotten an immediate response of cat calls and defensive bravado. All she was getting now as she walked into the store were cold stares. The men, save for Eric, watched her ominously. They wouldn't forget.

David watched the group finally start to shuffle away from the jeep. Eric lingered for a moment, still thinking about something but then stepped away. David then went into the store to pick up more things.

As he stepped through the door, the attached bells tinkling light fairies, he immediately zoned in on Nicola standing at the counter talking with Mrs.Hayden.

"Don't let them rattle you," the personable matron of the store said waving her hand dismissively, "They're just bored until the next call for work comes along."

David scooted behind the shelves at the back. He paused to wave silently to Mrs.Hayden and she smiled and nodded back. Nicola turned to look at him. Her eyes were impossibly frosty blue, like ice on a lake. He managed a polite smile. She returned a curt smile then turned away from him.

"So you're in town for just a week?" Mrs. Hayden asked.

"Actually 10 days. I'm just taking a breather from work and had to get out of the city. I can't tell you how refreshing it is to just get outdoors, you know?" Nicola said. Her voice was deeper than he would have thought, warm and smooth.

"Not much to do around here except watch the leaves grow," Mrs.Hayden said with a chuckle, her apple cheeks glowing at her little joke.

"Perfect," Nicola remarked holding up her hands, "I'll take it!"

They both laughed as David picked up two bundles from the floor in the back and headed towards the door.

"So I guess you want Kara's mail?" the shopkeeper asked, "She told me you'd be getting it for her."

David froze behind the canned goods, listening carefully.

"That's one of the many little chores she has for me, yep." Nicola sighed easily and asked, "By the way, is her cabin easy to get to?"

David peaked from behind the shelf and watched as Mrs.Hayden lifted a postal box full of letters and packages from the counter. His heart was beating faster.

Mrs.Hayden turned to point at an area map posted on the wall behind her. She described how the cabin was up on the side of a large hill about 5 kilometres away from the town centre. It had a great view, facing a clearing that edged onto a forest slope, with a small creek down in the ravine in front of it. David actually knew the place quite well.

"Still needs a bit of work," Mrs.Hayden added, "Kara's been taking forever getting the place set up but it's coming around nicely. You can tell why she chose the spot for her getaway cabin. It's secluded. It's peaceful. You won't be disturbed at all."

Nicola put her hands to her chest and bent her knees slightly in genuine anticipation, "Thank god! Just what the doctor ordered!"

She grabbed the large box and smiled her good-bye to Mrs. Hayden as she exited the store.

David came out from behind the shelves. He looked at Mrs.Hayden, "She's staying at Kara Hobbs' place?"

"David!" the large woman said, "If you had come out from the back I would have introduced you to her. She seems very nice. I think she would have liked to have met the fellow who was working on Kara's cottage this summer."

He wasn't paying much attention to the woman's enthusiastic remarks. As he glanced out the window, he noticed that Round 2 was starting with Eric.

"How about I help you with that?" Eric asked with his trademark crooked grin. He and two other guys were leaning up against her jeep.

Nicola stepped hesitantly off the curve, fumbling for the keys in her pocket as she balanced the box in the other hand. "No thank-you," she said her voice a little too sharp, too polite, "I'm fine."

"Hey, not a problem, Sunshine. Looks like you could use an assist," he insisted and reached for the box.

"No. It's okay," she snapped. Probably without intending to do so, Nicola jerked the box away. A couple of letters flew out from the box.

"C'mon, lady! I'm just trying to be helpful!" he said.

David could see Nicola sigh as he stepped out onto the street. He bent down to pick up some letters that had spilled out and blew over to the sidewalk.

She inhaled deeply trying to keep calm and said, "Look. I'm tired. I want to go and rest so can you please move away from my car and leave me alone."

David wondered if she inwardly winced as hard as he did when she had spoke her words with such vehemence to the wrong group of guys. Their annoyance was palpable. They did move away from the car, again with the same sidestep shuffle as before, but they didn't move any further away from her. The men formed a tight little half circle around her.

Nicola bit her lower lip, trying not to look at any of them eye-to-eye. There was a long moment of silence as nobody moved. Eric was particularly rooted in his spot.

Without saying anything else, Nicola made her way through carefully so as not to bump into any of them. Balancing the box in one hand she was able to unlock the door. She nearly dropped the box though when a large hand reached in front of her for the door handle. She jumped back a bit startled and bumped against a body. She whirled around and looked up at Eric grinning down at her. Nicola was a tall woman but he was a big man. Side by side, it was clear to everyone that he had a good 6 inches on her and about 120 pounds.

Eric pulled the door open and waved her in. "M'lady," he smirked.

Nicola regained her composure enough to toss the box into the jeep and slide in quickly. She couldn't stick the key into the ignition fast enough. She reached for the door but Eric held it open. Leaning in he winked and said in an almost raspy whisper, "Look, no harm done, okay? We'll let you have your peace."

He closed the door on her still bothered face. As she started the jeep and started to pull out he raised his hand and called out, "Welcome to Dorrits, Sunshine!"

She drove away quickly. The men all laughed as she sped off down the road, all of them except Eric. He just stood where he was watching the dust the car had kicked up settle back to the ground, a stoic look on his face. David watched him. He wasn't sure, but he thought he saw what could possibly interpreted as regret on the big man's face.

Still holding the letters, David made his way to his truck. He thought about what had just happened. Then he thought about the attractive woman behind the wheel, her hair drifting softly down her neck and framing those sky blue eyes. He smiled to himself, knowing he would see her again.

As he pulled out from his parking space, Eric finally started to move. The big man waved and gave the "peace" sign to David.

**********

DAY 2

It was an exquisite peace and quiet surrounding the cabin on the hill through the night and into the early morning. The rustling of leaves, the gentle sounding breeze, the babble of the distant brook, and the chirps of the many birds were all instruments in nature's symphony.

Leave it to something man-made to wreck all that.

The chainsaw ripped to life, shredding the serenity of the forest with its scornful roar just as easily as its steel links of teeth could chew through the heart of a tree. It was an unending monotonous screech that filled the early morning air.

David angled the saw against the side of the tree. The buzzing sound increased in pitch as metal met wood. With a steady jaw, he watched the chips and dust fly. He was used to the sound, detached from the noise his tool created as it did its job. He was comfortable with it that, even though it should have been filling every nook in his head with its baleful wail, he was still aware of other sounds around him, albeit muted by the buzz of the saw. For instance, this particular morning he sensed somebody was screaming from behind him.

The chain saw groaned to a halt. It was impossibly silent again as the forest rebooted itself after such a racket.

"Ex-CUSE me!" a deep but smooth and feminine voice yelled at him.

David turned around. Peering through his safety goggles, he saw a woman standing on the porch of the secluded cabin that faced the hillside, an angst ridden expression affixed to her face. Her golden hair was a bit fluffed and she looked like she had just gotten up. She was in a heavy woollen sweater, her arms crossed and huddled. She wore grey flannel shorts, obviously intended only for walking around indoors as her slender legs shivered slightly from exposure to the cool morning air. With the deep browns and greens of the cabin and forest around her, her skin looked an immaculately pure pearl white, save for her flushed cheeks. She was a sight...even if her brow was knit with unadulterated annoyance.

"My God, what are you doing?!" Nicola snapped.

"Oh, hi!" David was still absorbing the genuinely attractive form shuffling on her plush-slippered feet before him. He was unfazed, "Kind of cold this morning. Don't worry. It'll be pretty hot soon enough."

The appealing blonde squinted and shook off his greetings. She pointed back to the cabin and spoke flabbergasted, "I was standing by the window trying to get your attention! I finally had to come out here to scream at you!"

David smiled, "Oh yeah. Sorry. This thing is pretty loud."

"What are you doing?" she repeated.

He pointed at the tree with the chainsaw. "I was just-"

"It's 6:30 in the morning!"

The young man still smiled riding the good feelings the sight of her stirred in him, "I'm David, by the way. I'm working for Kara."

Incredulous, Nicola shook her head trying to make sense of things. She stammered, "You...you're who? Look...I...Kara didn't say anything-"

"I'm clearing the trees that are too close around the cabin," David went on, I'm also doing other jobs around the place like working on the drainage system."

Nicola calmed down somewhat. She was still annoyed but she finally did recollect her friend telling her that somebody would probably be coming by to do some work around her cabin.

"The cabin still needs work," he added matter-of-factly.

Nicola rolled her eyes. She buried her forehead into the palm of her hand and thought for a moment before speaking, "I know, I know. Look David, do you have to do that now, though? "

He shrugged, "Well I do a lot of things for a lot of people. I just usually start my day here."

"Now?!"

David didn't know what else to say. He shrugged. From his vantage point, he watched as the woman frowned at him like a disappointed teacher. She dragged both of her hands down her face to her neck and started rubbing the back of it. He could hear her mutter something to herself punctuated by the word, "Perfect."

Without looking back at him, she waved her hands in the air and trudged back into the cabin.

For a long moment, David stood there watching the cottage as he held the heavy saw in his hands. He looked back at the scarred tree and raised the saw slightly. Pausing, he glanced back at the cabin, then he lowered the saw to the ground. He then removed his gloves and goggles.

As she stuffed some coffee into the filter, Nicola looked out through the living room panoramic window to the glory of the morning. "So much for a relaxing vacation," she grumbled as she pushed the filter into the machine and flipped the switch on.

First it was the group from "Deliverance" yesterday, this morning it's Paul Bunyon Jr. She steeled herself as she waited for the rousing cry of the chainsaw to rattle the dishes again. She had been curled up on the bed in the cabin, embracing her pillows, blissfully aware that no unnaturally created alarm clock would be waking her up during the next few mornings at the ungodly hours she had wedged herself in back at work. But the chain-saw had roared and screeched like a klaxon, rattling the walls around her. She was ripped away from her slumber.

Now after a few minutes, she realized she was hearing nothing but the gurgling of the coffee-maker. She frowned and looked out the window again. She watched David packing up his tools into the back of his truck. After a few more minutes, he was driving off down the road.

Nicola lifted her head and smirked to herself. Switching off the coffee-maker she quickly hopped back into bed.

Sometimes being assertive was good.

************

The Falcon's Talon was pretty quiet at around 3 o'clock during the day. The bar and tavern at daytime was more like a meeting place for people to get a quick drink before they headed off somewhere else. Or they would stop in to leave a note with the barkeep, Caron, who was like a living message board for the town. At some point, everybody came through the Falcon's Talon.

David liked to hang out in the tavern around this time. Often the burly Caron would set him up with a drink before heading to the back or the cellar leaving him alone in the bar. David just liked to look around the rustic room with its wood styling and darkly lit interior and simple think about things to himself.

It was no mystery what or who he was thinking about today. He thought about how the new person in town was different from the regular visitors who passed through. Families, couples, groups of friends constantly came through. Never a single woman. And an attractive one at that. And she was staying around for a little while. David already had her glowing image racking his mind. As he took a long swig from his glass, he thought about how she stirred something in his young body, something he had been detached from for whatever reasons.