Love in the Bush

"Why were you gone so long?"

"Takes time sometimes Dad. When I finally got one, I was a mile away and it was already getting dark then."

His father looked at him from his greying and wrinkled face. There was something off about Wolf, but he was not sure what.

"You smell good. Why are you so clean? Did you find a creek or something nearby?" Blondie looked at him questioningly.

Remembering the soap in his bag, he pulled it out to hand to his sister. Here, this is for you girls.

"Where did you get it?"

"Oh just ran into someone who made it."

All sixteen eyes were looking at him as he walked back outside and went to the outhouse. No one said anything, yet they all wondered why their private brother was being even more vague than usual.

When he came back in, everyone was being overly quiet and he looked at a few of them. His little sister Starla ran up to him and gave him a big hug.

"Thanks Wolf, it smells so good. Billy didn't make this did he?"

"No sis, I doubt he could make anything."

Starla waited for more, but none was given. His mom asked why a huge chunk was taken out of the deer. Wolf said that he cut out a bad spot, but they both knew that he lied. He had given her the best part.

"Oh well. You hungry hon?"

"Starving."

Wolf got to pick the first piece that night because he was the hunter. His brothers tried to weasel out more information from their brother, but it became clear quickly that he was not going to. Everyone noticed the change in the middle brother. A few even caught him smiling when he stared out towards the moon that night. Via was one of them that noticed. There was a change in her son and she kind of figured what it was. He had found a girl.

"So who is she Saul?"

Wolf looked at his mother, of course she knows everything. Ever since he was a kid, it was like she could see into all of their souls. He looked down sheepishly.

"She is the lady that moved in about a mile west of here, the one that bought that land and shack from Billy a couple weeks ago."

"Have you spoken to her?"

His mom knew him better than he liked to believe.

"Yea, I finally did today."

"What was she like?"

"Really pretty with the longest hair I have ever seen. She has a great smile and nice eyes that change colors."

Via was relieved. She always thought that Wolf would be last to find a mate, it seemed as though he may be the first. She did not show her excitement though, it wasn't a done deal. She was maybe just relieved that he found someone interesting. He seems to be more interested in trees and dirt, than girls and making his own family. All of her boys needed to find a wife. It was hard living in the bush, living the way they did. Not only are they not around girls that much, but there is the matter of finding one to live the lifestyle as well.

"Don't tell anyone else though. I just met her and you know how they are." With his words he nudged his head towards the rest of the family.

Via smiled at her son. He was the third born, but had always had a special place in her heart. He was also the smartest out of all the children, he just didn't boast about it. He was humble and when he did speak, it was important to listen. They let the subject drop, but Via could feel a little weight lifted off of her motherly shoulders. Her baby boy was finally growing into a man.

Wolf stayed up most of the night thinking about the woman named Anya. He kept bringing his hands up to his nose, inhaling the scent that he now associated with her. When he did go to sleep, they were filled with the auburn haired woman from down the road.

4

Anya was up with the sun the next morning. She had a lot to do. It seemed like the work never ended. She almost had the cabin patched up with moss, though she wondered just how warm it was going to be. She started some seeds in the cabin which were finally starting to sprout. That told her that at least it was holding in a little heat at least.

With just a shovel, Anya worked most of the day on tilling the ground for a pretty big garden. The garden was twice as wide and twice as long as the cabin. She also found a root cellar underneath the small structure. She had found a small trap door and sure enough, that is what it was. This was a huge score for Anya. Digging up a root cellar was not only imperative. It was also a whole lot of work saved.

Even in the cool spring air, Anya was sweating with the work. The ground was still hard, barely even defrosted yet. Below six inches or so, Anya bet it was still frozen. Half way through the day, Anya got an idea to make digging easier. She started several small fires on the garden spot. She hoped it would melt some of the permafrost, as well as add some nutrients with the ashes. Either way, she sat eating a peanut butter sandwich, watching the fires burn.

The plan worked and by the end of the day, she had the whole area tilled. She saw the sun going down and remembered that Saul was coming by later. Well she had invited him anyways. She had been cooking a stew over a smoldering fire for hours and it was ready, but she was not. Looking down at her hands, she had to grimace.

Starting some water to boil, or at least heat up, Anya stripped down to nothing and threw a towel around her body. Pulling her hair out of the braid, Anya brushed it smooth with her fingers, debating if she needed to wash it or not. Considering how much she had sweated, she figured it wouldn't hurt. She got her big bowl out and added some cold water to it. Waiting a few more minutes, Anya was just about to grab the kettle when there was a knock on her R.V. door. Startled, she glanced through the screen and saw Saul standing there. He probably already saw her, so she had no choice but to answer the door. She had invited him of course.

Tightening her towel around her, she answered the door to a stunned man. The look in his eyes made her pause. He looked at her with hunger. It made her nervous and ever so aware of her solitude and nakedness.

"I, um, have to go wash off real quick. Do you mind waiting a few minutes for me?"

Wolf could only nod. He was afraid that if he tried to speak, no words would come out. So he just nodded his affirmation and followed her into the little 24 foot trailer. She motioned towards the booth and table. She grabbed the kettle and disappeared into the tiny bathroom. Adding the water to the cooler water in the bucket, she quickly dropped her towel and started to scrub off the day. Water the color of chocolate was running down the drain at her feet.

Wolf sat down on the small bench while his heart raced. The image of her all sweaty and dirty, with just a thin towel in between them, burned into his mind. He almost bolted out the door. He was afraid that he would embarrass himself at this point.

"Hey Saul. Can you hand me a fresh towel? I forgot to grab one and this one has dirt all over it."

Wolf looked around, spotting the folded towels on a shelf by the door and grabbed one. He opened the door a slit, thrusting the towel in. She grabbed it and touched his hand with hers. He opened his eyes with the contact and caught a small peek of her full length naked body. Going back to his place on the bench, Wolf's mind reeled.

He saw the door slowly open and Anya appeared in a towel again. Though this time she was clean and her long hair was hanging damp all around her. She went into the back of the trailer and shuffled through some clothes until she found what she was looking for.

"Hun, do you mind covering your eyes for a minute? I really don't think I can change in there, it is so small."

"I can wait outside."

"No. No. Don't worry about it. Just cover your eyes for a minute please."

Wolf obliged, but had to admit to the strong need to peek. It was almost as bad as not touching something, but still hover a hand just out of reach. His fingers did not want to stick together and he did see a bit through the slits between his fingers. She had her back to him and he could see a few water droplets cascading down her round buttocks. Unable to stop himself a muffled groan could be heard. She looked behind her shoulder at him and he quickly squeezed his fingers together tighter.

"No peeking now." Anya smiled to herself as she turned back around. He was a lot younger than her, but she found it quite amusing to turn this young man on. He was so stoic, but certainly built like a man. Watching him work yesterday made her look at him differently. She had been oddly aroused by the blood splattered bush man. Today he was cleaned up and had even trimmed his hair a bit shorter and she found him even more attractive.

She lightly grabbed his shoulder when she was done. She had thrown on a white ankle length maxi dress. The chill on the outside permeated the trailer and she was forced to throw on a cardigan, but she purposefully left it open. Anya could feel her nipples hardening to the night air. Walking out without a word, she grabbed the stew pot from the grate.

"Do you want to eat inside or out?"

Wolf came out of the trailer, always preferring the outside over walls and a roof. He watched her set the pot back on the grate over the fire and go into the trailer. She came back with spoons, bowls and a couple of glasses of tea. She handed him a glass of tea and set hers down by a log close to the fire. She ladled out two bowls of soup and gave one to Saul.

"Here Saul, I hope you like it. It has been cooking all day."

He took the stew from her and said nothing. He was overwhelmed and wasn't quite sure what to say anyways. The first bite was wonderful. In the back of his mind, he was happy that she knew how to cook. A wife should know how to cook. A bush wife should know how to cook on an open fire. He could taste the deer meat, though she almost got all of the gamey taste out of it.

"Thank you. This is very good."

"Oh my, he speaks."

"On occasion."

Wolf had finished his bowl of stew. Anya got up and refilled it.

"So are you single?"

The question threw Anya off. "Um yeah. You?"

"I am looking for a mate."

"Well that is an interesting way to put it. How old are you?"

"25. You?"

"I just turned 30."

"Oh. Well that is not very old. You are still young enough to have children."

Anya was silent for a moment. She felt like she was in an interview for an arranged marriage or to be a surrogate.

"You have some very peculiar comments."

"Why? This is something I would want to know about the woman I desire for a mate."

"Mate. There is that word again, makes me think of wolves. You know they mate for life?"

Wolf was taken aback by her words. He could not believe what she just said. Was it a sign? That she was supposed to be his. He hoped so. He had been waiting so long, he wondered if God was even listening to him anymore.

"Yes. I plan to mate for life as well. "

Anya laughed, "Well I tried that, though it only lasted 11 years."

"So you have been married before?"

"Yes."

"So why do you not have children?"

Anya became uncomfortable with the questioning. She didn't want to tell him that her husband made it impossible to have kids. It was rather embarrassing what happened.

"Well, my husband couldn't have children. It is one of the reasons I got a divorce."

"Good. I should be able to have children, never tried yet though."

Anya was unsure about the conversation. It was definitely not a conversation you would have with most men, especially a first conversation. Since it seemed to be a no holds bar conversation, Anya willed herself to ask the question on her mind.

"So you are a virgin?"

"A what?"

"You know, um, virgin. You ever mated with anyone else?"

"Of course not. I mate for life."

"Wow. You are kind of old to be a virgin."

"Not really, some of my brothers are older than me and still looking. Not a lot of women here and none that I thought were suitable."

"And I am...suitable to you?"

"Yes."

Anya didn't know why, but she liked that answer very much. She liked the manner of his speaking, so straight forward and honest. Anya got up and put the bowls in the R.V.'s sink. She came back out after a quick rinse and saw Saul standing next to the doorway.

"Am I suitable to you?"

Saul's face was calm, but his eyes were pleading. She was unsure why, but he seemed to wait for the answer like it was his life.

"I don't know you enough. People usually get to know someone before making those kinds of decisions."

"But what does your body say?"

"My body?"

"Yes. What does your body want to do?"

Anya lost her breath. Her eyes fell over his body, so close to hers. Her body was definitely saying something. It was drawn to the man with few words. She turned to go back in the trailer, to grab a towel and some much needed distance.

"My body wants to do this."

He grabbed her from behind and pulled her body to his. Her backside crushed against a very hard body, her ass felt a hard, long knot in his pants. She gasped at the contact, his hands wasting no time in touching her breasts, cupping and kneading them from behind. One hand maneuvered their way to her womanhood, cupping her heat in his large hand. His middle finger found her folds and slid between them through her dress. She did not have any panties on, so there was only the thin material between them. She was wet and his growl in her ear let her know that he knew.

"It seems your body is saying the same thing."

Wolf licked the edge of her earlobe. Moving lower, his teeth nipped her shoulder, while his finger slid deeper in her folds. He stopped short of penetrating her and pulled back. A disappointed moan escaped her lips as he moved away. She stood there shaking and panting, waiting for him. After several minutes it became clear that he was not going to touch her again.

Anya turned around to find the man staring at her with dark eyes. He raised his hands to reach for her, but pulled it back before he made contact.

"I'm sorry. I must go now."

Wolf turned around and started walking into the woods. By the time he reached the thicket beginning at his property line, he took off in a full run. He ran hard and fast. His chest was heaving and his thighs burned five minutes later when he arrived close to his home. His pants were wet where he had lost control and he was embarrassed to have to face his family. Wishing he could hide it somehow, he wiped dirt all over the front of him to mask the wet spot. He just had to make it to his clothes to ensure secrecy.

Via, saw her son's state when he came in and it worried her. He did not look at anyone, but had his head down. He rushed to his belongings and pulled out fresh clothes. Grabbing the water bucket, he went back outside to rinse off.

Wolf thought of the woman Anya, already blood rushing back to his member. He went too fast, he knew that. He pulled away from her to stop his animal side taking over. He then had to leave when she looked at him. Desire mirrored his and not taking her was the hardest thing he had ever done. But it wasn't right. Time had to pass. He had to decide if she was the one. But his heart told him she was.

Walking back into the cabin, Wolf could feel eyes on him. The family was used to each other, they had lived together in a one room cabin all of his life. With such close surroundings, one learned to appreciate space. Via offered him some cooling deer steak and potatoes, which he took out of habit. Sitting down, he pushed the food back and forth on his plate. He wasn't hungry because he had just eaten a couple of bowls of stew.

"What's wrong Wolf, playing with your food? I have never seen you turn down deer steak."

Gab walked up to his brother, nudging him in the gut.

"What have you been eating?"

All eyes were on Wolf and he set the plate down.

"I had dinner with a friend."

"Who, a raccoon?"

Gab's words got a round of laughter. They all knew how much time Wolf spent out in the woods by his self. They never would believe that he had just had dinner with a gorgeous woman. So he didn't say anything else. They prodded for some time, but he went to bed shortly after thanking his mother for dinner. He could hear the voices of his family speculating, but he was in too good of a mood to let them bother him. He went to bed that night thinking about Anya.

Anya found it hard to go to sleep. She stayed up for hours in her R.V., looking at the fiberglass ceiling. She had never met anyone like Saul and she wasn't sure how to react to him. He was so quiet one moment and the next, he had his hands all over her. Not at all like a virgin, but a man who knew what he wanted. And he seemed willing to take it if necessary. Anya did not think she had ever been so turned on before in her life. He hadn't even kissed her.

5

A week went by before Anya saw Saul again. He came by just as the sun was going down. He looked cleaned up and was wearing black pants and a long sleeve V-neck shirt. Anya could see dark brown hairs peeking through his shirt. His face was mostly shaved, though he still had a short beard and mustache. With less layers, she could tell his body was small. Though she had been crushed against him, she knew he was unbelievably hard. She caught herself being shy around him. She was the one who was quiet, not sure what to say.

"So, I was wondering if you wanted to go out with me tonight?"

"Out? Where?"

"There is a place about forty miles from here, Old Grizzly's. It is a little bar that the locals go to."

"Sure. I haven't been out in weeks."

"Well I am going to go with my brothers. I was hoping you would want to meet me there."

"Yea, but I need a little time to get cleaned up. I must look a mess."

Saul stepped closer, pushing a tendril of hair behind her ear. "You look perfect to me."

Anya blushed. Thirty year old women are not supposed to blush, but there she was. The younger man was not much taller or bigger than her, yet she felt overwhelmed in his presence.

Wolf leaned closer, his lips captured hers gently.

Anya was surprised by the kiss. It was so different from the other night. His lips were incredibly soft and warm against hers. His mustache tickled her sensitive skin a bit. There was no pressure or aggression this time though. It ended as quickly as it had begun. He stepped away and said he hoped to see her later. When she shook her head, he turned around and ran in the direction of his property.

Anya was not as startled with his departure, she had learned a little bit about her secret caller. The word in town, because everyone liked gossip, was he was one of seven children who were raised in these woods. They called them the bush boys in town, though not many people had seen Saul. No one knew him by name, but by her description. No one had anything bad to say. The family had lived there for years and always held up their end of a bargain. Praise was given for their work.

It wasn't really the information she was looking for. She knew there was many brothers now and that Saul was probably the smallest one, though not the youngest. At least she knew now, where he was running off to.

Taking time to wash her hair and shave, Anya was ready to go in under thirty minutes. Everything took a bit longer there. She couldn't just turn on the shower and jump in, well not hers anyways. She decided on a thin cotton dress in soft grey with leggings underneath. A jacket and scarf were mandatory with the nights still getting down below forty. She put a little chap stick on but forwent any other makeup or jewelry. She consciously went with her flat boots because of Saul's height. She liked having to look up just a bit to see his face, made her feel more feminine.

Her heart raced as she drove the dark windy road towards her destination. She had a feeling that tonight was going to be special, important somehow. She had not felt this way about anyone since her husband and that was in the early months of courtship. It was always the most exciting time.