Two in the Bush Ch. 02

The blade found its mark, splitting the log in two with a crack. It's a good thing I'm looking out for her. I'll help her get this up to nine cords to be on the safe side, and I've already got enough wood at my own place for the next twelve months or so. She won't freeze to death; I won't let that happen, he promised himself. I will not let any harm come to her.

Julia packed her things for several days at Ben's; she wouldn't have to come back to check on the garden for two or three days, even though she felt a little guilty for not giving her plants as much tender loving care as she should.

Leaving her bag at the entryway of the cabin, Julia, a glass of water in her hand, followed the sound of wood cracking to find Ben at the woodpile. He had managed to add quite a bit to it in a relatively short period of time. She found herself transfixed by his easy strength, his years of experience with this particular task obvious, the muscles of his body working in perfect conjunction with the tool in his hands as if the axe were an extension of his body.

Ben was probably the most physically fit man she'd ever met, and what made it that much more impressive was that his flawless body was shaped by everyday living. He wasn't going to the gym lifting the perfect amount of weights in the perfect combination of reps. His body was sculpted by the realities of having to provide himself with food, water, shelter and fuel.

He displayed no hyper self-awareness regarding his appearance at all; despite his clear masculine beauty, he didn't expect women to fall all over him or men to envy his virility. He was just Ben, and Julia found his quiet self-assuredness extremely attractive.

She spoke when he acknowledged her arrival, lowering the axe to catch his breath. "Wow, Ben, you really added to the woodpile. Thank you so much," she said, handing him the glass of water. "I'm embarrassed to admit this, but hearing about how much wood it takes to get through the winter cannot compare to actually seeing it."

Ben wiped his sweating brow and took a drink. Then he replied, "Yes, one huge advantage you have coming into this is that your uncle already had a stockpile of wood waiting for you. There's no way you would've been able to get enough gathered out here on your own starting this late in the year, not with wood being your only form of heat, and there are only a few short times a year when the river runs deeply enough to barge in supplies as heavy as fuel tanks."

Julia nodded. "I'm really lucky. If Uncle Ray didn't have a year's supply waiting for me, he never would have permitted me to stay here for the winter, and I don't think I would have tried. I do have to keep gathering wood though; I'm not going to finish the year leaving him with nothing. I can't imagine he can chop the amount of wood he has here in one summer. This had to have taken him at least a couple years to accumulate."

"Don't worry, I'll help you with that. You won't likely leave with as much wood as when you arrived, but we'll make sure Ray has a good supply for next year. You're right, though, it did take him several years to collect a year's supply of wood," Ben confirmed, finishing the water in his glass. "I swear, it seemed like half the time I stopped by I'd find him at this woodpile, and if he wasn't here, he'd as likely to be out bringing more wood to split as doing anything else," he added with a smile.

The woman smiled at the unexpected insight into her uncle's hidden life, imagining him here, working on his land. "Well," she began, taking his empty glass, "I'm ready to go when you are. We've still got chores to do at your place and you haven't been there for a few days."

"Sounds good. The sooner we get the work out of the way, the sooner we can have dinner and settle down for the evening."

Ben's homestead was far more developed than her uncle's place, reflecting his year-round residency. His cabin, though small, was larger than where Julia was staying, and the home served as the hub to the property, surrounded by a number of smaller buildings at varying distances.

He only gave her a brief tour, primarily pointing out the buildings for the time being; they had several hours of work to do and were already getting hungry. He could give her a more detailed tour later.

Ben's homestead included an outhouse, of course, and a woodshed, as well as a food cache and a tool shed. His tool shed was actually quite large, almost the size of his cabin, because he kept his canoe, skis, ATV, and snowmachine stored there as well as his garden equipment and other tools and materials.

A little smokehouse stood off to one side, beyond the other buildings. Ben had also indicated that he had a hot spring on his property a short distance behind the house, which he frequently utilized for bathing, especially in the winter.

They worked together, first in the garden. Afterwards they hauled water from the river and filled the holding tank in his house. Next Ben repaired his canoe while Julia washed and hung his laundry, and then she hauled more water to use for washing themselves as they were quite dirty from all the work they were doing. Finally, holding either end, they lifted a log from a tree that had been struck by lightning and cracked in half and hauled it to the woodpile for splitting.

Ben went to work on the log with his axe while Julia borrowed his fishing pole to try her luck at the river. He didn't have time to go hunting tonight, and he insisted that he cook her dinner despite her offers to get food on the stove. Their compromise, then, was that she would go fishing while he chopped wood.

After some time Ben stuck his axe in the chopping block and looked toward the river. He had paused to catch his breath, hoping to spy a glimpse of Julia. He'd managed to split a decent portion of the log they had carried in and added the smaller pieces to the expansive woodpile. Ben scanned the immediate area and did not see her, eventually finding her already in the cabin filleting the fish.

"When did you slip back in?" the man asked, putting an arm around Julia's waist and nuzzling her neck.

"Just a few minutes ago," she replied, leaning into him even as she continued to work. "I know you're cooking dinner, but I figured it might be helpful to have the fillets ready for you. I heated up some water in the kettle for us to wash with. I hope you don't mind."

"That was very thoughtful, thank you," he said in her ear. He suckled her earlobe for a moment. "Let me clean up real quick, then I can take over from here and you can relax."

While Ben worked on dinner Julia washed her arms, hands and face thoroughly with the warm soapy water. She was tempted to strip off her clothes and give herself a quick washcloth bath, but they were both starving and the last thing either of them needed right now was a distraction. So instead she amused herself by exploring the interior of the cabin.

It was one room, and larger on the inside than she expected it to be at first glance. The bed stood in one corner. The frame of the bed was beautifully constructed of logs, with smaller branches bent in arching, overlapping curves, lashed together by strips of willow bark, forming the headboard.

The mattress was stuffed with soft wool and topped with a warm feather bed. Plain blue flannel sheets covered both, and the bed was finished with several woolen blankets and two soft pillows in pillow cases that matched the sheets. Next to the bed was a small two-drawer chest with a clock sitting on top of it.

Opposite the bed along one of the long walls of the cabin was the living area, furnished with two comfortable wooden chairs with silky smooth armrests and plump cushions. On either side of the chairs rose two bookshelves filled with books.

Tucked between the chairs was a small square table with a smooth top, carved with curves around its perimeter that looked like waves of water. As Julia traced the waves with her fingertips she saw the shapes of fish, eagles and bears leaping out from beneath them.

The remaining area of the room was taken up by the kitchen. The woodstove, which also served as a cookstove and oven, stood near the middle of the room, and next to it hung a wooden beam with hooks, on which pots and pans hung from their handles. On the other side of the woodstove was the woodbox.

In front of the stove was the kitchen table surrounded by four high-backed chairs, and beyond that a wooden counter against the wall under which were several drawers and the water holding tank. Above the counter hung a row of wooden cabinets.

In the corner next to the door was a little closet; when Julia opened its door, she discovered a pantry. At the floor of the pantry she spied a wooden panel, which when removed revealed a small cold storage space for fresh vegetables and eggs and meat.

On the other side of the entryway door there were hooks for hanging up coats and hats, and higher above them were pegs for Ben's guns.

Nearly everything in this cabin was painstakingly crafted by hand with Ben's muscles and sweat. It was a cozy, beautiful home.

Smells that made her mouth water wafted from the stove and Julia heard the fish sizzling in a frying pan. "That smells delicious," she commented, coming up behind Ben and hugging him around the waist while he stood minding the pots and pans.

"It's almost ready," he promised, his body pressing back into hers in response to her embrace. "I purposely prepared things that wouldn't take long to cook. I don't know about you, but I've worked up a huge appetite today."

"Me too," Julia agreed.

Finally Ben filled two plates and brought them to the table while Julia got silverware, glasses, and napkins. He stepped to the pantry for a moment and returned with a dark bottle of liquid.

"Blueberry wine," he explained, filling their glasses.

"Where did you get it?" she breathed.

"Oh, I made it," Ben answered casually, lighting a candle and putting it on the table. On these long June days it wouldn't be getting dark for many hours yet, and Julia looked at him with a questioning glance.

"Ambience," Ben grinned.

Julia smiled widely as he sat down, and they finally ate. They had fish rolled in cornmeal and fried in oil flavored by sautéed onions and garlic, accompanied by green beans and boiled cabbage, and lightly cooked carrots. The wine was sweet and smooth and warmed their bodies. And for dessert they ate some of Emily's biscuits, warmed in the oven, topped with a mixture of dried raspberries and honey. It was a perfect meal.

Ben refilled their glasses and they briskly did the dishes. They were tired and tempted to leave them, but did them anyway. Once finished with the day's work they sat outside on the porch steps, talking. Ben excused himself for a moment, returning with the joint Alrek had given him earlier that day. He lit it and passed it to Julia.

She noticed the effects immediately. "Oh wow, this is good stuff," she said appreciatively. It was comparable to what she'd smoked in Seattle, and the Pacific Northwest was renowned for the quality of its pot.

"Yeah, Alrek's definitely a connoisseur in this area," he agreed.

Julia took a long toke and, turning to Ben, she kissed him, exhaling into his mouth as he inhaled.

A few seconds later he blew out her smoke and remarked, "I haven't done that in a long, long time. I do have a request, though."

"Yes?"

"Next time, can I have a little more tongue please?"

Julia burst out laughing and he followed her lead.

"Baby, I'm always up for more tongue," she giggled, passing him the shrinking joint.

"Well, then, there's no time like the present," Ben replied, drawing deeply and leaning in for a kiss. Their mouths met and, tongues dancing, Julia took in his exhaled breath before exhaling herself.

Between the wine and the joint, the two were well toasted. Julia got up and sat on Ben's lap, facing him, her legs on either side of his hips. She pulled at his shirt and he helped her remove it.

"I watched you chopping wood today," she told him, twirling her fingers in his chest hair and tickling his nipples with the tips of her fingers until they contracted. "You were so graceful and beautiful with the axe. It was like an extension of your body."

He flushed at her unexpected praise. "I never thought about it that way before," he admitted, "but thank you. I've been handling an axe for so long I suppose I take it for granted. I don't often think about how I look."

"Well, as a non-impartial observer," Julia said, resting her cheek against his so she could whisper in his ear, "I think you are the finest example of masculine beauty I have ever known."

"High praise coming from a woman as achingly lovely as you," Ben responded, sliding his hands under her shirt, stroking her back. Her skin was so unbelievably soft in contrast to his own; he could touch her forever.

They turned their faces to each other and kissed, slowly and deeply, their tongues meeting in the shared space between their mouths.

Ben slipped Julia's shirt off and starting with the insides of her wrists and working his way up, he grazed his lips against the palest, silkiest skin of her arms. He closed his eyes, reveling in the sensuousness of her flesh, and when his face approached the area under each arm he inhaled deeply her personal scent.

When he had finished with her arms, Ben slowly opened his eyes and saw that Julia's chest flushed dark pink with arousal as she sat facing him on his lap. Her eyes had closed and her head was back, completely relaxed, lost in the sensations of his lips slowly caressing her skin.

He slipped a muscular arm around her body to gently support her limp back and, closing his eyes again, he lowered his head to give the same exploratory treatment to her chest and breasts. There was no licking or sucking, or even stroking with fingers, just the slow, smooth friction of his lips against her bare skin.

When Ben's lips finally grazed a nipple his mouth could no longer resist her. His lips parted and he slowly drew it in, lazily exploring her hardening tip with his slippery tongue. He felt the skin of her breast rise with goose bumps, and for the first time he heard a soft cry pass between Julia's parted lips as she shivered against his open mouth.

"Let's go to bed," Ben suggested, removing his mouth from her glistening nipple, his voice low.

He sat for a moment looking into the dark depths of Julia's opening eyes before he put his strong hands around her waist to help lift her to her feet. Then she held out both hands to his and helped him up off the floor. Together they padded languidly to his bed, their arms and fingers interlocked.

In all the times before they had made love urgently, impatiently, more fucking than making love.

Tonight they would take their time. They wanted to familiarize themselves with every inch of the other's body, drawing out every untapped area of sweet pleasure until they were fully explored, fully satiated. And so they made love long into the night, their whispers for each other caressing their ears and echoing in their dreams.

The couple fell into a pattern of days, two or three at Ben's cabin, then two or three at Julia's. They explored the acres of their adjoining lands on foot and watched the wildlife sharing their home.

Julia's breath drew back at the sight of a bull moose grazing. She'd seen them before on her previous visits, many times, but she never quite got used to the enormity of their size. This one was huge, six and a half feet at the shoulder, and she was unable to suppress a slight shiver of fear. She felt Ben's arms wrap around her reassuringly.

"Don't worry, they're not aggressive," he said, "especially this time of year. They sometimes get a little cranky when food gets scarce, but there's plenty to eat now."

"Do you hunt them?" Julia asked, trying to wrap her head around the logistics of a single man hauling the meat of an animal that size back to his home.

"In the fall Alrek, some of the other guys, and I go hunting," Ben confirmed. "If someone bags one we share the meat, but the shooter always gets dibs on the antlers and hide." Julia felt a smile growing against her cheek. "'Course, we're just as liable to get a little meat from one getting hit by a car as we are from hunting. Since Alrek has the garage, he's often one of the first people on the scene when he arrives to tow the vehicle into town. If no one else claims it, he does and saves a portion for me."

"Alrek sounds like a good friend," Julia commented.

"He is," Ben agreed.

One evening after dinner Julia and Ben sat out on the porch, holding each other after making love.

"Ben?"

"Mm hmm."

"I wish I knew more about your past, how you've come to live out here alone for all these years."

Ben didn't answer and Julia frowned, wondering if he was ever going to open up about himself.

According to Ben's friends, at least one woman in town had pursued him consistently over the years. Surely there had to have been others. It seems like he could've had someone in his life prior to me, Julia thought, if he had wanted it. Why hadn't he? When we first met and I asked him about dealing with loneliness, he seemed pained by the question, like he had been lonely for a long time. It doesn't make sense.

At first she didn't push the issue; she didn't want to pry, and part of her had been a little turned on by the mystery of him. But now she had fallen in love with him, and he was in love with her too; she knew it. Why was he continuing to wall off a big part of his life from her?

After several long minutes she felt Ben sigh as her head lay against his chest.

"Living in Alaska was a dream I'd had since I was a boy," he began at last, "but it wasn't an idea that appealed to Allison, my wife, all that much. Eventually, though, I was able to persuade her to leave Oregon and her family behind and come north. I was so caught up in my own fantasy that I kept telling myself she would eventually grow to love it as much as I did, but in retrospect I think I always knew that wasn't likely to happen.

"I used to work on fishing boats," he went on, "and would go away for weeks at a time because I could earn a year's wages over the course of a few months, enough money so that Allison wouldn't have to work. We lived about four miles from our town, and she didn't like driving the roads herself because they were so rough, so I thought I was doing her a favor."

After another pause, Ben continued. "Over the next few years, we started fighting more and more. We would fight when I had to leave for a job, and we would fight when I came home. Because she tended to stay at home while I was gone Allison didn't make many friends, which only added to her isolation. But even when I was home for months at a time we fought because she hated the darkness and the cold.

"When we found out Allison was pregnant, our relationship improved for a while. I think we were both hoping that having a child would make things better. I had hoped having a baby here would help her feel more tied to this place, and she had hoped a baby would tie me more to her instead of Alaska.

"Our daughter Danielle was born while I was away from home. They couldn't get word to me out on the boat, but even if they could I was miles offshore at that point. The boat wasn't going to turn around in the middle of its most profitable run of the year for one guy's family business.

"I had planned on being home on Allison's due date but the baby came almost three weeks early, and then the run lasted longer than expected. By the time I got back she was already two weeks old.

"I was ecstatic to be a father and proud to have a beautiful baby girl. But Danielle was born at the beginning of the fishing season and we needed the money, so I kept leaving to go on jobs, leaving Allison alone to take care of her.