My Sweet Canadian Girl Ch. 01

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked when I stopped.

"I'm sorry I didn't..."

"No I mean why did you stop?" she said pressing her lips to mine again. The hint of cherry balm on her lips was the sweetest taste in the world. I was happy she was opening up but despite her heated kiss I was certain she was holding back. To test my theory I deepened our kiss and sure enough she pulled away. "I'm sorry Rick but I can't do this."

"There's nothing to be sorry about," I said giving her a reassuring squeeze. "You don't have to do anything you're not ready for."

"I should go my friends will be waiting for me," she said.

"Will you be back tomorrow or is this it?" I asked with a lump in my throat. I wanted to see her again more than anything.

"I'll meet you at the lodge for hot cocoa in the morning," said with a kiss on the cheek as she pushed herself to her feet. "Don't bother to rent one of those boards tomorrow. My brother has one you can use that's much better."

"See you tomorrow Cassie," I called after her.

Crossing my gloved fingers behind my head I lay there staring at the sky. I don't think you could have beaten the smile off my face with a stick. I could still taste her cherry flavored lips on mine and slowly cleaned it away with my tongue, savoring every morsel of it. After spending the day with Cassie I needed to spend the rest of the trip seeing where this could lead. I wasn't even obsessed with fantasies of sleeping with her. Don't get me wrong those thoughts were definitely there but I was thinking just as much about the kind of things that shouldn't enter your mind the day you met a new girl. Crazy thoughts like what it might be like to stay here with her were already running though my head and I was powerless to fight them. Suddenly deciding which company to work for after graduation didn't seem vitally important like it had when I woke up that morning.

Back at my room I found it empty. I guess the guys were having a good time with the girls they met and wished them good luck. To be honest I was happy to be alone. I made a quick run back down to get something to eat and retreated to my room again. It was hard to believe a girl like Cassie could possibly be single. Maybe there was someone else and that was the reason she hesitated? I already knew enough about her to know she was far too sweet to cheat on someone and dismissed the notion right away. Without a doubt she was available. It was up to me to do something about that, and fast.

I found myself wondering where she was and what she was doing. Was she staying at home with her family? Were her friends with her? What might they be talking about? A ripple a fear ran though me as I pictured them trying to convince her I was a waste of time. We had less than a week to make something of this, which was more than enough time in my mind. It was early but my legs were burning from the day on the slopes and all the bumps and bruises from falling left me aching. Cassie hadn't said what time she'd be meeting me so I decided to go to bed and make sure I was up early. I set the alarm on the clock in my room for seven, planning to be waiting for her by seven-thirty. It was insanely early but I couldn't risk missing her.

Asleep before any of the guys got back and out of the room before they were up. I felt a little guilty that I wasn't hanging out with them on our last spring break trip but there was nothing I could do about it. It was an unseasonably mild morning so I sat outside drinking coffee as I waited for her. At this hour the place looked deserted leaving me alone with my thoughts again. I knew Cassie had a real grip on me when my eyes stopped following the other women who passed the moment I determined they weren't her. Walking around near the entrance to stretch my legs and drinking a fresh cup of coffee to pass the time, I hurried to the bathroom when I couldn't hold off any longer and rushed back scanning the growing crowd for her. Sitting in a chair where I could watch the main entrance I started to worry when ten o'clock loomed.

"Good morning Rick," she said from behind me. "I hope you weren't waiting long."

"Not too long at all," I said not wanting the truth to make her feel bad. Her hair was braided again, but she didn't have her helmet on yet. True to her word she had a snowboard under each arm with the boots clipped into place. "Here let me take those," I said standing up.

"Thanks," she said handing them over. "Wait here and I'll get us some cocoa," she said turning to go.

"Thank you," I said taking the cup from her when she returned.

"How are you feeling?" she asked with a smile.

"A little sore but ready for more," I said grinning back. "Think I'm ready for the big hills yet?"

"You'll need to learn this new board first. It'll be faster than the one from yesterday but it stops and turns much better too," she explained.

"So it'll be like starting over then?" I asked.

"Not quite that bad but we'll start with a few easy runs to see how you adjust to it," she said.

"You don't need to do this," I said foolishly offering her an easy way out. Then again she could have just stayed away if she wanted to escape me. "It can't be much fun for someone as good as you to run down the easy slopes all day."

"Are you trying to get rid of me?" she said asked smiling as I shook my head emphatically. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to snowboard with you Rick. Let's get started and see how it goes."

Cassie was right about the new board. It was tricky at first but after a few runs with it I was already doing better than I had the day before. With a lot of practice over the next few days I might be ready to join her on the big runs. I wished there was some way I could watch her ride down the big hills without holding up for me. From watching her I knew she had to be one of the best on the hill. Growing up in this skiing and snowboarding paradise she'd probably been doing it since she was a young kid. I gave my head a shake when the thought of her as child made me wonder what her children might look like one day. How was she doing this to me?

We took a break around 1:30 for a late lunch. The morning had gone well but I hadn't gotten any more kisses from her. After eating we relaxed in the lodge for a while sitting close together on an overstuffed sofa. She had her lip balm out again and was applying it with a finger as I watched mesmerized. It definitely kept her lips soft and kissable whereas mine were starting to get chapped. When she'd finished with her own lips she turned towards me. Warning me to sit still she rubbed some into my lips soothingly. Satisfied with the job she'd done on my lips she dabbed me on the nose with her finger and stood up telling me it was time to hit the slopes again.

By now I had gotten the hang of riding the new board and could make it down about half the time without falling. In order to spice up the runs for herself, Cassie would pull smooth looking 180s and even 360s off the tiniest of bumps. I kept waiting for her to do a back flip or something crazy like that but it never happened, though I was certain she could have done whatever she wanted on her board. When I complimented her on her moves she blushed sheepishly and said it was nothing. There was still plenty of light remaining when she took off her board at the bottom of the hill.

"Need to get a drink?" I asked managing to stop near where she stood.

"No. We're going to a bar tonight and the girls will be waiting for me at the car soon," she explained.

"Oh okay," I said disappointed that our day was over already. "Can I carry the boards back to your car for you?" I asked looking for any excuse to stay with her just a little longer.

"Sure," she said waiting for me to take mine off.

"Can we do this again tomorrow?" I asked looking up at her as I tied my shoes. I hoped I wasn't ruining her spring break by convincing her to snowboard with an amateur, but she was free to say no.

"I was hoping you'd ask," she said to my delight.

"I'll see you here in the morning then," I said standing up ready to carry the boards back to her car.

"Actually I was wondering if you had plans for dinner. You can come back to my house with us if you want. There's fresh salmon or I could barbeque something for us," she said as if she needed a tasty menu to entice me into going. My stomach growled and she giggled at me. "Can I take that as a yes?"

"Your parents house?" I asked voicing my only concern.

"Don't worry they're away on vacation. It'll just be us and my friends," she assured me.

"I'd love to come over then," I said. "Should I meet you there? I need a shower and some clean clothes."

"You can take a shower at the house. Go get whatever you need and I'll wait here," she said.

Upstairs I found our suite empty again. Sorting through my suitcase I put my best pair of jeans and a polo shirt in my knapsack with clean socks and boxers. Catching a glance of myself in the mirror I put my shaving kit in there too. I hadn't shaved since the morning we left and was sporting the beginnings of a new beard now. My facial hair grew in dark and thick unless I shaved everyday. Writing a hasty note for the guys I rushed out the door checking to make sure my wallet was in my pocket as I went. Cassie stood up as I approached and smiled sweetly as I took the snowboards from her to carry them. Back at the car her friends were already waiting and greeted me with looks of disbelief. She must have told them what she'd be doing all day but they definitely didn't expect to see me here.

"You two are in the back. Rick is sitting up front with me," Cassie said as we got to the car. "Do you need a hand to get them up there?" she asked as I studied the roof rack for the snowboards.

"I got it," I said smirking down at her friends as they got in the back seat. "All set," I said a few moments later as I was getting into the passenger seat.

"Rick is coming over for dinner," she told her friends as she put the car in drive but no one said a word. "Did you girls get many runs in today?" she asked when the silence dragged on.

"It was alright I guess," Jana said.

"It's not the same without you," Lei said. I could feel their accusing stares boring into the back of my head.

"You don't need me," Cassie said.

"Where were you all day?" Lei asked as if my presence didn't explain it already.

"I was helping Rick learn how to snowboard," she said.

"How exciting," Jana said, the sarcasm thick in her voice.

"We had fun," Cassie said a little defensively.

"Nothing would have taken you away from the best runs before..." Jana was going to say more but stopped. When I turned around she had the look of someone who had almost said too much.

"Before what?" my mouth asked a split second before my brain could tell it not too.

"Forget about that Rick were almost there," Cassie said and I knew she didn't want to talk about snowboarding any more right now.

Cassie's parents had a secluded home on the outskirts of the city. There was plenty of privacy and it had a rustic look about it that made it feel inviting at a glance. Surround by trees I looked around trying to take it all in. There was a tall stack of firewood piled under an open-air garage on one side of the house. I could see a pair of kayaks hanging from the rafters and suspected there was a nice quiet lake within walking distance. I counted three, no four, make that five bird feeders and could hear the birds calling from the trees now that I was thinking about them. The house itself was a large two-story house covered with wooden shingles. A stained wood deck started on the opposite side from the garage and disappeared around to the back of the house. It made a stranger like me feel at home right away.

"Your parents have a beautiful home Cassie... Dumont," I said reading her last name from the painted wooden sign hanging on the front door.

"It's Dumont," she said with a giggle pronouncing it much more quickly with a silent T. "It's a French name. My dad's family is from Quebec though they moved out here when he was little."

"Dumont," I repeated as she opened the door.

"That's it," she said smiling. "What about you? You must have a last name too."

"Kellogg," I said.

"Like the cereal?" she asked.

"Exactly," I said with a smile, that's what everyone said when they heard it. For a brief moment I thought I could see her wondering how it would sound with her first name.

"Well Rick Kellogg come on in and make yourself at home," she said. "If you want to get cleaned up right away follow me and I'll show you to a bathroom. This is one my brothers used to share before moving out," she said when we got there. "There are towels and face cloths here and soap and shampoo in the shower. Leave the water running just a little when you turn on the shower on with the middle tap otherwise it runs hot and cold. Anything else you need?"

"Someone to scrub my back," I said. Why did I keep doing that?

"I'll meet you downstairs in a bit," she said smiling through my stupidity this time.

Before taking a shower I shaved leaving my face looking much better without the layer of stubbly hair. Standing under the spray I adjusted it until the water was pleasantly warm. I was in no rush needing some time to plan my next move as I washed my short dark brown, almost black hair. Cassie certainly seemed into me but every time I thought I was about to make a breakthrough with her something made her hold back. Yesterday we'd ended the day with a wonderful kiss, but today I couldn't get even a peck on the cheek from her despite making myself readily available. She still spent the whole day with me but it felt like a step back. Then when the day was ending she inexplicably invited me over for dinner. It was impossible to determine what might happen next. I could see her driving me back to the hotel right after we ate or taking me clubbing with them late into the night.

I was the first one downstairs and waited in the living room near the kitchen. Across from me I could see an array of family pictures hanging on the wall and went over for a closer look. In the center was a recent family photo. Cassie looked a couple of years younger and remarkably beautiful. How could a girl who looked that good possibly want anything to do with me? Cassie definitely took after her mother who had hair the same shade though cut much shorter. Like her daughter, Mrs. Dumont had a friendly smile and kind eyes. Cassie's two older brothers looked a little alike with dark hair and lanky builds. I didn't look at her father until last and right away I thought he looked like a military man or perhaps a police officer with closely cropped hair and a face that seemed suspicious of the camera despite his smile. His eyes warned me to be respectful of his daughter or he'd make me regret it. It was making me nervous so I looked at the other pictures, quickly passing over any with him in them. My favorite one was of Cassie as a young girl with her chubby little arms wrapped around a fish that looked almost as big as her. In the picture her blonde hair was fairer than it is now and she smiled at the camera with orange soda stains at the corners of her mouth looking beyond adorable.

Turning around I saw Lei look into the room and walk away without saying a word. Thankfully Cassie hadn't listened to her friends when it came to me or she would have left me stranded on the mountain yesterday and never looked back. Biding my time on the sofa I heard footsteps on the stairs about twenty minutes later but it must have been Jana because no one came to get me. I knew Cassie would be down next and felt the excitement fill me now. For her I'd wait all night if I had to. When I heard her coming down the stairs at last I looked towards the entrance to the room anxiously awaiting my first look at her in something besides her snowboarding clothes.

"What are you doing in here by yourself Rick?" she asked but I was speechless at the sight of her. Her honey blonde hair shone in the light and hung unbraided down well past her shoulders looking sweeter than its namesake. Every feature of her face looked just a little better than it had before, but aside from the silvery blue eye shadow her makeup was invisible. The turquoise t-shirt she wore had sleeves that barely covered her shoulders and its shallow V-neck let me see the beginnings of her lightly tanned cleavage. Her clingy black skirt with a ruffled hem that ended a few inches below her knees showed off her hourglass shape. Looking back up to her face I spied a pair of tiny brown moles on the nape of her neck that whispered 'this is where you kiss me.' "What's wrong?" she asked misreading my awestruck face.

"You look incredible," I said at last when I failed to find the words that would truly do her justice.

"Oh stop it," she said blushing.

"You stop it," I said smiling at her shyness. "You're way too beautiful to be so modest."

"Rick..." she said clearly uncomfortable with my admiration.

"Okay I'll stop saying it but just so you know I'll be thinking it the whole time," I said.

"I guess that's alright. You look good too," she said walking towards me. "I see you shaved. Nice and smooth now," she said touching my face and giving me a kiss on the cheek. Her shampoo and perfume mingled to form an intoxicating scent around her.

"You should have said something. I would have shaved on the way down the hill if that was the only thing holding you back," I said making her giggle.

"Come with me to kitchen and we'll decide on dinner," she said leading me by the hand. "Do you want a beer?"

"That would be nice," I said.

"We have Labatt Blue or Corona," she said looking in the fridge.

"I'll take a Blue," I said not wanting the Corona that reminded me of my last miserable spring break. This one was promising to make up for it and then some.

"Want a glass?" she asked bring me my beer and one for herself too.

"The bottle is fine. Thank you," I said taking it from her and twisting the top off. Cassie opened her own and we shared a taste. A beautiful woman and cold beer with dinner on the horizon, if I could just get rid of her friends this would be perfect. The moment I thought about them they returned as if summoned and Cassie rounded on them to my amusement.

"Why didn't either of you offer Rick a drink?" she asked clearly upset.

"I don't know," Jana said studying her feet.

"This is my house and he's my guest. I expected better from two girls who claim to be my friends," she said with more disappointment in her voice than anything else.

"I'm sorry Cassie," Lei said.

"So am I," Jana said.

"I think you're apologizing to the wrong person," she said still not satisfied. I couldn't believe how she was standing up for me but now I felt bad for them. They were just concerned that their sweetheart of a friend was getting involved with the wrong guy.

"There's no need for that," I said. "They're just worried about you Cassie. I promise you can both hate me forever if I hurt her but you need to give me a chance like she is."

"I can live with that," Jana said smiling at me for once.

"Me too," Lei added. "I just hope you realize how lucky you are that she sees something in you. She's gone through enough the past few years." When she said that I looked to Cassie who was already giving Lei a warning glare. They really had nothing to worry about. I already knew I'd never be able to do anything to hurt Cassie.

Suddenly the tension was gone and the four of us were able to relax. Cassie was a good peacemaker and looked positively elated now that we were all getting along. I was learning more about her by the moment and suspected she was the type who couldn't be happy unless everyone around her was happy too. The girls told stories about nursing school that had my head turning from one to the other. Some of their stories were funny, some were gross, and I'm sure they had some sad ones that they kept them to themselves for now, but they were all good. My tales from business school where I was majoring in finance weren't nearly as entertaining but I had plenty from our wild parties. They seemed suspicious that any story about an unnamed friend meant it was really me I was talking about. I could see a hint of jealousy in Cassie's eyes when one of my stories included my nameless friend and a woman. Just in case it was me, she inched closer as if to remind me I had an amazing woman right here.