A Mother's Love Ch. 02

We only skied for half an hour, but it was nearly dark by the time we were back at the yurt. Other than a couple dim lights at the few buildings, then entire campground was dark. I lit the camp stove on our little deck and cooked up dinner by the light of a kerosene lantern while I chatted with Cole. We took our meals into the tent, where we had more light. I had brought some sweet cider, which I heated up for a nice, soothing drink. It was a great way to end our day.

We had turned up the heat when we arrived, but only to about fifteen degrees. Warmer than outside, but much cooler than normal room temperature. Our sleeping bags were intended for winter use, though, and it would be easy for us to start sweating if we weren't careful. As counter-intuitive as it was, one of the big hazards with winter camping was sweating. Once your clothes were wet, your chances of hypothermia went way up. And, if you soaked your sleeping bag, it could kill you. It would be less of a concern in the heated yurt, but sleeping in an unheated tent on the trail was something altogether different.

I turned away from Cole, giving him as much privacy as I could, considering that the yurt was a single room. I could hear his clothes dropping to the floor as I undressed. After a second's hesitation, I stripped off my bra and panties. My sleeping bag would be more than warm enough. I turned and reached for the cord to turn out the light just as Cole turned toward me. He was kneeling, wearing a tee shirt and briefs. His face was about the height of my hips, just a couple feet away as he lifted the corner of his sleeping bag. He froze, but that didn't mean there was no reaction. In just a couple seconds, his young cock grew inside his briefs. Based on what I could see, he was at least the size of his father. I realized that I was staring at his hidden erection and pulled the cord. The tent immediately went black.

"Sorry, Cole. I didn't mean to surprise you. Are you okay?"

"Uh, yeah. It was a bit of a shock, but I'm fine."

I tried to make a light laugh, but it sounded a bit forced to my ears. "Yeah, I can imagine. I didn't really expect your reaction."

"I wish you hadn't seen it."

I reached over to where his chest should be, my palm falling on a strong pec. "I've seen erections before, Cole. And a lot closer than that. I'm not the first naked woman you've seen, am I?"

"No, but Estelle and my previous girlfriends were all about my age. And, they weren't my mother." He blew out a breath. "I'm not supposed to get an erection from looking at you."

I slid my hand down his arm and squeezed his hand. "Yeah, and I'm not supposed to like that you did. Do you need me to stay dressed until the light is out from now on? Or, I could undress in my sleeping bag."

"Uh, no, you don't have to go out of your way because of me. I just wasn't expecting to see you...like that."

"Honey, we always used to see each other naked. It's not that big a deal. I haven't changed much, except some wrinkles and a bit of sagging. The difference is that your body has matured and tends to react any time you see a naked female. So, don't beat yourself up if your body reacts to seeing your old mom undressed."

"You don't look old," he said softly. "And, I don't want to get all creepy."

I rolled over, aiming to kiss his cheek. I misjudged, my lips landing smack on his. I also felt my breasts pressing against his shoulder. Despite myself, my nipples were becoming hard. I tried to ignore that for the moment. I immediately rolled back, breaking the contact.

"Cole, I don't find you 'creepy' at all."

"Thanks, Mom. I love you."

My hand found his again and squeezed lightly. "I love you too, Cole."

Although I was feeling aroused now, I knew that I couldn't do anything about it. It was one thing for Cole to see me naked. That I could argue was natural. Masturbating to a climax next to him, though, would be a much more difficult rationalization.

***

STRANGER ON A TRAIL

The sun was just coming up when I woke. I lay there for a bit, my breasts just barely covered by my sleeping bag. Cole's breathing was still steady, so he was probably sleeping. I thought that it would be a good idea to dress before he woke, and slipped out of my bag. I stretched, spreading my arms wide and twisting back and forth. I stepped into a sideways lunge, stretching my inner thigh muscles. I repeated the lunge the other way and gave my legs a few more stretches before pulling on my clothes. I decided not to put on my bra. My breasts were only a B-cup and didn't really need a lot of support. Plus, cross-country skiing was gentle enough that I did not have to worry too much about bouncing.

Pulling on my boots, I went to address my sanitary needs. I took a bit longer than I needed, giving Cole some privacy, in case he needed it. It was only a month ago that I accidentally caught him masturbating. The image of his cum spraying into the air was one I doubted I would forget any time soon. Before heading back, I went to the ranger station to get the latest weather update.

I started the stove and put the coffee pot on before entering the yurt. Cole was up and dressed when I got back. Like me, he was wearing a lightweight pair of ski pants and a wool sweater.

"Hey, sleepy-head. Get a good rest?"

"Yep. I realized why you got naked last night. I was getting pretty warm before I fell asleep. These yurts aren't bad."

"Well, it's still relatively warm out," I said. "Let's see how it does when the temperature gets really cold."

"Did you get a weather update?"

"Today and tomorrow won't be bad, but tomorrow night will be under minus twenty."

"So, we'll do the trail camping tonight and back here tomorrow?"

"Yes. We'll pack up the sled right after breakfast."

We had brought a lightweight plastic sled to carry our gear. It would be less work to drag the sled than carry everything in our packs, and we could take more with us than if we were carrying everything. We didn't bother taking the camp stove, though. We were both skilled at starting a fire. I packed about twice as much food as I expected we'd need, just in case. After rinsing out the Thermos well, I filled it with hot cider. It was about the perfect drink for the trail: hot and full of sugar.

We were heading to the south end of Rock Lake, almost twelve kilometres away. Even following groomed trails, we would need half of the day to make the trip. Every minute we stopped would eat away at the remaining daylight. I really did not want to try setting up a campsite in the pitch black of a moonless Algonquin night. People who have never really been out of the city just don't understand quite how dark night can be. Up here, there was no such thing as urban glow, the ubiquitous light pollution that surrounded every town and city in the western world. City dwellers don't know stars until they drive an hour or so north.

I pulled on the sled's straps. "You take the lead first. Don't go too fast, we've a long way to go. And, this is your first time on skis in some time."

"Don't worry, I'll take it easy, Mom. I won't leave you behind."

"Yeah, yeah. Big words. Let's see if you're still full of piss and vinegar tonight."

He laughed and set out on the trail.

***

The ski trails had been groomed since the last major snowfall, but the top layer of snow had gotten a bit sticky under the sun. That made it a bit slower, but not enough to worry about reaching our destination before the day was gone. It was supposed to cool down overnight, so I expected it would be a bit faster on the way back as the wet snow froze. We would be able to follow the trail all the way to the top of Rock Lake. From there, we'd either head straight down along the ice or follow the trail the ran along the shoreline.

About half-way to our destination we stopped to rest and have some lunch. We were next to Whitefish Lake, and the trees had opened up so that we could see the snow-covered ice. There had been almost nothing on the ground in Hamilton, but up here in Algonquin, the snow came early and stayed late. From what I could tell, there was nearly half a foot on the ground. It was just about noon, so we pulled out some pepperoni sticks and trail mix. Some people swore by beef jerky, but I found it too tough. I closed my eyes and listened to the silence. The only sounds I heard were the occasional bird and Cole chewing his trail mix.

"This is nice," Cole said softly. "It feels like we're the only people within five kilometres."

"We may be," I said with a smile. "Nothing like the Steeltown."

That was one of the nicknames for Hamilton, though not much steel was smelted there now. Cole looked up the trail sharply just a moment before I heard it - the hiss of skis on snow. The trail made a gentle curve as it followed the shoreline to the south of us, and the trees blocked the view about a hundred metres from where we rested. After a minute, a man about Cole's size appeared. He had a large pack on his back, but he was moving at quite a good pace. There was little question that he was in pretty good shape. He slowed as he approached us, gliding to a stop just within arm's reach of me.

"Morning," he said with a wide smile. I immediately had warning bells going off in my head, but made sure I didn't let it show on my face. "Nice day to be out. I thought I was the only one around here today."

"We're looping Whitefish, then we plan to set up camp on the other side." I said, gesturing vaguely to the other side of the lake.

"My tent is already pitched. You're welcome to join me. I could keep you warm tonight."

I let my voice get a bit hard. "Thanks for the offer, but I think I'll decline. The two of us will do just fine."

His eyes ran up and down my body, making his intentions more than clear. "Yeah, you're plenty fine. I'll see you later. Offer's still open, in case you change your mind."

My voice was like ice now. "Don't bother, I won't."

He laughed, an unpleasant sound that put my nerves on edge. "We'll see about that tonight. Have a good ski...around the lake."

He moved off, continuing north. Cole watched him go, and I closed my eyes to control my breathing. I had not felt that threatened in ages, even walking around Hamilton at night. If I had been alone, I would have dropped the sled and made a run for it.

"I don't like him," Cole said.

"Yeah, that's two of us. I doubt he's a threat, though," I said, a complete lie. "Probably just a mouthy 'God's gift to women' type."

He looked at me, a serious look in his eyes. "Mom, I want you to stay close to me. If you need to go out of the tent tonight, make sure I'm awake and dressed."

The fact that he was bothered actually scared me even more, but I tried to laugh it off. "Cole, it's sweet that you're concerned, but there's no need. I'm more worried about the four-legged wolves."

He actually growled. "I should have brought a gun."

"You don't even have a license."

"Yeah, I'll be getting one before we come back up here."

"Well, since you have so much energy, how about you take the sled?"

He didn't argue, still looking back along the trail as he donned the harness.

***

We passed through the Rock Lake campground an hour later. It was at the top of the lake, and was strictly a warm-weather camp. The roads had not even been plowed this far from the highway. There were some old snowmobile tracks in the snow, but they were otherwise untouched.

I had asked about the ice when I checked the weather, and was told that it should be fine on foot. I was advised not to try taking a vehicle on any of the lakes, though. I didn't even want to think what the recovery bill would be if someone dropped their truck through the ice out here. Assuming the ice was good, our plan was to head straight across the lake ice to an island near the south end. I knew that there was a nice sandy beach that was well-sheltered from the wind. That would make a wonderful campsite.

We got to Rose Island without any issues, and the ice was definitely thick enough for us. When we got to the beach at the south tip of the island, we found it covered by snowdrifts. Cole and I spent half an hour preparing the site, and we ended up with a smooth, level base for our tent. The island was shaped like a cartoon voice bubble, the sandy spit we were on pointing to Jean Island, just fifty metres to the south-east. We had dug into the snowbank, so we would be completely protected from the prevailing winds. The two islands' trees would block most of the wind from other directions. The only exposure was to the north-east, but I knew that was seldom where the winds came from here.

Once the tent was up, Cole went to collect some firewood. I moved our things into the tent and unrolled our sleeping bags to let them air a bit. A bit of fluffing - or 'lofting', as the manufacturers called it - let the filling expand and fill with air for more effective insulative properties. Next, I prepared a firepit. This involved clearing the snow down to the sand and placing several large, flat rocks on the sand. Those were to keep the wood away from any snow that melted. It would be very frustrating to make a nice fire, and then have the snow melt and extinguish it.

I felt Cole return just as I was finished. I stood and turned to face him - and was shocked and alarmed to see that it was not my son.

"Told you we'd meet again," said the man we had met earlier. He did not have his pack or skis.

"And I told you not to bother," I managed to say without my voice shaking. "You might as well just go now, because I'm not really interested in getting to know you."

"That's because you don't know me. I promise I'll make it worth your while."

"I'm not interested. Just leave us alone. We came up here to get away from people, not to have some stranger bother us."

He leaned closer, but I was backed against the tent and had nowhere to go.

"I can give you pleasure like you've never experienced," he said in a low voice.

In different circumstances, I might have found that voice very attractive. But, as it was, I could hear a threat not far under the surface. Still, his claim actually made me laugh.

"Oh, I have a very hard time imagining that. You'd have to be Don Juan mixed with Superman to come close to what my husband could make me feel. Just run along before you embarrass yourself."

Before I could move, he grabbed my hair roughly, pulling me off balance. I screamed as he groped my chest through my jacket.

"You arrogant bitch," he growled. "I'm fucking you tonight, whether you like it or not. I was giving you the opportunity to enjoy it, but I guess you prefer it rough."

"Hey, asshole!" Cole shouted as he stepped from the trees. "Get your damned, filthy hands off her."

I nearly laughed that he had quoted Planet of the Apes, but managed to keep quiet. I saw that Cole was holding a couple solid pieces of wood, each at least two feet long.

"You think I'm afraid of a boy? Or, maybe you want me to fuck you after I have had your mother."

"I want you to fuck off. Your choice if you do it under your own power. Let her go and leave, and I'll pretend this didn't happen."

A scream tore from my throat as he threw me to the side by my hair. I turned as I hit the snow and saw a flash of metal as his other hand went to his belt.

"Cole, he has a knife!"

I could not follow what happened next. Cole moved forward, swinging the sticks in his hands so fast they were gray blurs. I heard several sharp thuds, indicating that he had made contact. Then the man yelled and jumped back, cradling one arm.

"I'm going to gut you, you fucking bitch!"

Cole stepped forward again, sticks at the ready. "Bring it on, asshole."

His voice was different than I had ever heard before. It was low and gravelly, almost a growl. It actually had a lot of Charles Bronson in it, not that he would even know who that was. In comparison, the asshole's voice had gone up in pitch, losing whatever attractive qualities it may have had before.

"You're both dead. You just don't know it yet."

Still holding his arm against his belly, he turned and fled across the ice, into the trees of Jean Island. I got to my feet just as Cole was picking up the knife. He seemed to be just staring at the blade, then began to sway side to side. I reached him just before he fell down. I took the knife from his shaking hand and guided him to sit on a log next to the tent.

"Cole, are you hurt?" He didn't respond at all and I started to check him over. "Come on, you need to tell me if anything hurts."

He just sat there, staring out across the icy lake. Then, my heart skipped a beat. There was a cut in his jacket that I knew had not been there before, just below his ribs. I fumbled for his zipper, finally pulling it down with shaky hands. I felt a slight cut in his sweater, but it didn't go through. Just to be safe, I pulled it up and checked his skin. I sighed in relief when I confirmed that he wasn't cut.

I pulled him in to my arms, crying as I let the fear go. It had been hard enough to see him in the hospital as the surgeons worked, but this time I had nearly seen my son murdered right in front of me. I had no words to describe how I felt, but I knew that I would kill that bastard with my bare hands if I ever saw him again. My mind started to run through ways I could dispose of his body as my heart rate dropped to normal. Before I sat up, I had devised several methods that had a fair chance of working.

I realized that Cole still was not responding to me. He was just sitting there, staring but not seeing. I checked his pulse, and found that it was a bit fast, though not dangerously so. He didn't feel overly hot, and there were no injuries that I could find. Although I didn't want to leave him, I knew I had to. I went to where he had run out of the trees, finding the armful of wood he had dropped. I brought it over to the tent, setting up a small fire in the pit I had constructed. Then I heated up the remaining cider. I'd probably have to do that a couple times before we left in the morning, as the Thermos could only keep the liquid warm for so long. If it froze, I'd have to wait until it had mostly thawed before I could empty the Thermos. I didn't really want to ruin the container by putting it over the fire.

As I waited for Cole to come back to reality, I was able to regain control over my emotions. I could not let him to know just how frightened I had been. In part, because that would have made him want to comfort me, and I was worried where that would lead. Besides, I was his mother. I had to be strong for him, right?

I noticed him start to move his head a few seconds before he spoke.

"What happened?" he said, his voice scratchy.

"You've been catatonic for about thirty minutes." I handed him a cup of cider. "Drink this, it'll help."

He took a long sip. "Thanks. I was completely out of it, eh?"

I nodded. "I got you to sit down, but you wouldn't respond to me at all. I didn't see any signs of injury, but it was close. It's too dark to move now, but I don't think we need to worry about that asshole. His arm looked broken. We'll get up first thing tomorrow and go back to Mew Lake, just like we planned. We can make a complaint to the police once we're back."

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea."

"Dinner's about ready. We should turn in as soon as we're done eating." I stood but paused. "Cole, he could have killed you. He almost did. Another inch and I don't know that I could have done anything but watch you die."

He felt his sides, shaking his head. "I don't even have a bruise."

"Check your jacket. I need to step into the woods for a minute, but I'll stay within ten yards."

I kept my eyes on him as I relieved myself. He closed his eyes when he found the cut, obviously trying to calm himself. Evidently, he was reacting very badly to stress. He'd never had a reaction like that before, and I was worried that it was related to his crash. Unfortunately, we were hours away from the nearest hospital, and I didn't even have a radio. If I had to drag him out of here, it would take me more than a full day's light to reach Mew Lake. And, that was assuming I left behind everything I didn't absolutely need. There's no way I would be able to outrun the asshole, and there was no way I would leave Cole behind. I just hoped that I was right about the arm.