The Donut Man

"Robyn, I think I won that last game, and even if I didn't, I don't care."

"Game, we were playing a game?" I said softly, still dazed.

"Come here Robyn," he said with a smile.

I took two steps to close the distance between us and felt his arms come around me. I closed my eyes and leaned against him, feeling my breasts press firmly against him, and felt his emerging two-day old beard brush against my face as he nuzzled into my hair. The feel of his beard was different, a reminder of his manly appearance, something I felt I could grow to like even more if given the chance.

"Thank you for the kisses. You taste so sweet, I could keep you all night long and still not get enough."

He had just rocked my world and he was thanking me for a kiss! Oh, if he only knew that for the first time in my life I was willing to consider staying the night. I slowly released my hold as he stepped back, knowing that if I did to him what he had just done to me I would see it—a quick glance down showed I had.

We met for the first time but two months ago, now, having spent a part of two days together I felt closer to him than I had to any man I had ever dated—it frightened me in a strange way. I had already entertained thoughts of being far more intimate with him than anyone—in ways I had rejected all but once in my life. I asked myself now if the reasons I had saved my virginity were reasonable and emotionally sound—I was afraid I already knew the answer and I pushed the thought away. It had to be too soon, it just had to be. It was dangerous to feel this way, feel out of control, and not really caring.

I turned, took a few steps, and bent down the retrieve the playing pieces scattered on the floor, hoping to settle my swirling emotions. Wade knelt down near me and picked up a few pieces that had rolled farther away, when finished we placed the pieces into their respective compartments of the game case, and looked at one another with smiles—our first kisses and I felt as if I were walking on clouds even now.

We settled down onto the sofa and used the remote to find a program we were interested in watching. I immediately snuggled up close to Wade as his arm came around to hold me—it felt like the most natural thing in the world to me. After a few minutes, I felt a little chilly as the air conditioning kicked in, the draft from the vent hitting my bared arms, creating goose-flesh. Wade noticed and reached for the light blanket on the back of the sofa, spreading it over me—I tucked it in behind me and felt his arm come to hold me again.

"I could get up and change the setting so it's a little warmer for you."

I smiled at him, "I'm comfortable enough now, sorry, I'm so cold-blooded."

"Typical woman," he laughed.

I took my hand and punched him gently in the side beneath the blanket. "Hey, I resemble that remark," I laughed.

He pulled me towards him a little closer. "I didn't say I didn't like it, but you are typical—soft and nice to hold."

We watched the TV, commenting once in a while, but the silence wasn't an uncomfortable one. I felt his hand caressing my shoulder outside the blanket as I slowly reclined back against his chest after he shifted his position to support me better, his other hand came to rest on my stomach outside the blanket. I luxuriated in the feel of him against me, feeling safe, and snuggly warm in his embrace.

I reflected on how he had reacted to what Tim had done to his truck, amazed at how Wade looked at things and accommodated himself in a mature, sensible fashion. I was sure Tim was going to pay a price for his misdeed, I just didn't know in what fashion, and decided perhaps it was best I not know.

I glanced at the wall clock, there was still half an hour of the movie left to watch. I felt a little drowsy, my eyelids drooped a few times, then I guess, must have closed for a while longer as I felt Wade nudge me.

"Hey, sleepyhead, are you getting hungry? It's almost six."

I struggled to sit upright, the blanket still around me as I blinked my eyes.

"Did I fall asleep?" I asked.

"Well if you didn't, it was the best imitation I've ever seen," Wade said softly with a chuckle.

"Oh! Wade, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have, it's not very polite of me to have done that."

"You know you're pretty when you sleep, almost like Sleeping Beauty, maybe I should have given you a kiss to wake you up."

I saw a small smile cross his face and tried not to smile back—I failed. I felt a little silly just the same, I had never fallen asleep like that before, wrapped in a man's embrace. But the idea of a kiss wasn't all that bad, in fact, I liked it. I leaned forward and planted a kiss smack dab on his cheek before he could react.

He laughed again as he touched his cheek. "Okay, now I know I should have."

"Now it's settled, I do feel like I could use something to eat, how about subs?"

"Sounds good to me. It won't take long to order and get something delivered, I'm thinking an Italian sub, how about you?"

"Hmm, a Turkey Club sounds good. Wade, I think I should buy this time, you have been paying for everything, it seems like it's my turn."

I watched his expression, expecting he would want to be the 'macho man' and provide for the 'little woman'—which had been Tim's position when I suggested I pay my own way, not even for both of us, just myself.

"Robyn, that's fine. I'll place the order."

Two hours later we were on our way back to my parents' house. After my little nap, I felt wide awake, though I was still a little embarrassed about it. Wade stayed and visited with my parents for a while and when he left I walked out with him, this time we shared a kiss. It may have been only our second date, but it felt like we had been together for much longer—not that the kiss didn't warm me again.

The next morning I arrived at the bakery and starting working with Aunt Sarah on the first batch of dough for donuts. We were working and talking as we usually did, sharing tidbits about what we did over the weekend. She did ask about my date with Wade and I told her it had gone well and that we had also gone out on Sunday. Betsey had been working at the next table, getting the coffee urns ready, and turned to me.

"I understand Tim got in the way. I hope he doesn't continue to make trouble, it seems like his drinking has gotten worse, he told people at the bar Wade attacked him when he stopped to see you at home."

The comment ruffled me. I knew it wasn't true. I hadn't seen anything after I went into the house and I didn't want to tell them about Tim's actions at the parking lot. But I was disgusted Tim would be so low as to suggest Wade was the problem—but I decided simply to say I hadn't seen anything and let the subject drop.

The morning went along as usual and when Wade came in we shared smiles, this time it seemed just a little bit different. We looked over the donuts together and he selected the chocolate-covered variety, taking three, I placed them into a bag as usual. I took my donut from him as Betsey came to stand next to me behind the counter.

"Wade, did you watch the news last night? I see that the fire in the Upper Peninsula isn't contained yet, do you think any of you will be called up for fire duty?

"Yes, I did see it. Not sure yet, though I'm sure I'll have some idea when I get into the office. If they don't get a handle on it early today I think there's a good chance we will be sent north."

After Wade left I was busy with other customers and after almost an hour there was a lull where Betsey and I sat down for a moment. She looked at me with a serious expression.

"Tim isn't going to be a big problem is he?"

"I don't know. I hope not. But so far he seems to think I'm open to getting back together with him despite the fact I've told him two times I'm not. I hope it doesn't give Wade the idea I'm not worth the hassle. I mean our dates have been wonderful, I like him a lot. He makes me feel better than Tim has made me feel for months."

Betsey looked at me sympathetically and nodded. I continued, "Betsey, Tim had been nice when we first started dating, but slowly our relationship just seemed to be more stressful and less fun. You know, I kissed Wade for the first time and appreciated the fact I didn't smell beer breath for a change."

Betsey chuckled. "Sorry, but I remember those days. It's okay if you're been drinking yourself, but it grows old if you don't. So, the first opportunity to do the lip-lock thing with Wade you jump right in, nice move, no reason to wait if you like him."

I felt a little embarrassed, I really hadn't meant to reveal I had already kissed Wade. But I had to smile to myself—he was a very good kisser, the memory sending a warm feeling through me—sometimes it's the little things that stand out about a man.

Just before noon, Jim, one of the older loggers came in to get a coffee and talk with Betsey. I was standing behind the counter rearranging the tins of donuts as they talked, then my ears picked up as he laughed.

"You know those young guys just don't know when to slow down, that young guy, Tim, with the new truck, he was going like a bat out of hell on Forest Road 399 with a full load when the Ranger caught him on his radar. Tim, caught up with us a little later still angry as hell. They cited him for twenty over the speed limit, not having his load secured properly, and having a rear brake light out on the trailer. That's going to cost him some bucks and that's a Federal ticket, not the county sheriff."

Betsey looked at me, then back to the logger. "Ed, they don't normally do that do they? I mean they usually give a warning the first time. I don't remember ever hearing that Tim has been stopped before. I'm sure I would have heard if he had been."

"Well, he said it was his first time, I'm sure his old man has told him to mind himself on those dirt Forest Service roads. He must have pissed someone off real good for the Ranger to throw the book at him."

"I suppose," Betsey replied evenly.

"Well, got to get moving. Got one more load to get to the mill today. See ya later Bets."

Betsey stepped to me with a smile. "I wonder what Tim could have possibly done to someone in the Forest Service to get treated like that?"

She smiled and so did I. But it didn't seem likely to me, that was unless...

I had just gotten out of the back door of the bakery and opened the door of my car when my phone rang. I pulled it out of my purse, wondering who in the world would be calling me this time of day—I looked at the screen.

"Wade, hi. What's up?"

"Can you stop at the office for a minute before you go home?"

"Sure. I'll be there in about ten minutes."

"Good, I'll see you when you get here."

I wasn't sure what to expect. Why would Wade want to see me now, when he would be off work in another few hours? I smiled, hoping he simply missed me so much he couldn't wait. I knew it was a silly thought, but it warmed me nonetheless.

When I pulled into the parking lot at the Forest Service regional office it was a flurry of activity—dump trucks with trailers holding small bulldozers, tractors with front buckets, large hooks on their other ends, lined the outer edge of the parking lot along with at least seven pickup trucks with water tanks and hoses in their beds. I pulled into one of the visitor parking spaces and started getting out, only to hear Wade's voice.

"Robyn!"

I watched as he bound towards me, obviously excited to see me. In seconds he was standing in front of me with a smile.

"Glad you got here in time. We've been called up for fire duty and will be leaving in about fifteen minutes. I wanted to see you before I left as we don't know when we'll be back.

"You mean the fire in the UP?"

"Yeah. The winds came up last night and continued into this morning, overwhelming the fire crews on scene, spreading beyond their containment lines. They need help as soon as we can get there."

I felt a little uneasy. I had seen enough news over the years to know how dangerous it was to be fighting forest fires. I looked around at all of the men and women, the trucks and equipment thinking it didn't look like enough to make a difference. I smiled thinking of the time a new Ranger had arrived and as we talked I had mentioned the UP. His face went blank, then I remembered, explaining that UP meant Upper Peninsula.

But my expression must have changed, I also knew from past experience that all forest service staff that passed the physical test were expected to train for such emergencies and could be called upon when needed. Wade must have noticed the change.

"Come on, it's going to be okay. There are a lot of experienced people here and in the UP, I'll do my best to do what I'm supposed to and stay safe. I just wanted one thing before I left."

I looked at him with a smile. "I didn't bring any donuts with me."

He laughed. "Damn, I forgot to ask you to bring some. I did want something sweet."

I looked at him, knowing there was more. It wasn't donuts he wanted and if he wanted sweet—I stepped closer to him and took his arm, then gave him my sexy smile, and fluttered my eye-lashes a few times.

He laughed again. Then leaned close to my ear. "You and those beautiful eyes are what I wanted."

"Oh, so a kiss wasn't on the wish list?" I asked, as I put my arms around him.

We shared a wonderful, long, firm kiss. A kiss that I wanted to last so much longer. When we parted I looked at him again, this time to satisfy my curiosity, I asked.

"So, the tickets Tim got from the Ranger this morning was just a coincidence I suppose?"

I saw a small grin appear. "Let's just say if a man can't understand a fist in the face there are other ways to deal with him if he continues to be an ass. We can leave it at that."

I heard a shout from the parking lot behind us. "Wade, come on, time to saddle up."

"Have to go. I'll call if I can. You should get out of here so you don't get caught in the traffic."

Another quick kiss and he loped off to his pickup truck. I noticed it was filled with gear. I got into my car and left just before the lead vehicle came up behind me. I had to smile, he didn't say Tim had gotten his due, but I was pretty sure he had. I wondered if Tim was smart enough to have figured it out.

Four days had passed and I had watched the evening news and gone online to get information on the UP fire. I hadn't gotten a call from Wade, but the news reporters said the fire crews were working twelve-hour shifts—no doubt that included Wade. I found Wade was on my mind often during the week, I missed him without a doubt. I realized I hadn't eaten a donut all week. It was late Friday evening when my phone chimed, indicating I had a text message.

[Robyn, we should be heading back tomorrow morning and be back early evening. We are all tired and anxious to get home. I'll call if it's before your bedtime.]

I replied with [OK], knowing he was likely too fatigued to want more. Sometimes, less is more. After I hit the send button I wondered if I should have attached a red heart to it. The thought I would even think of doing so hit me square in the face—was I really...

"Robyn!" I heard my mother call from the living room.

"Yeah!" I called out my bedroom door.

"They say on the news that the fire in the UP is under control and expect to have it extinguished by tomorrow night."

"I walked into the living room with a smile. "I know. I just got a text from Wade saying he should be home by tomorrow evening."

My parents didn't say anything to me, but the expressions on their faces did. They knew Wade had called me before he left and now he had called me to tell me he was coming home. I sat down in the chair half-watching TV, thinking about how excited I was knowing I would see him tomorrow, or the next day. It wasn't the donuts I wasn't eating that I missed, it was the provider I missed—my donut man.

I set my alarm to go off an hour later to maximize my sleep time and crawled into bed, my mind bouncing around—college, work, Wade, and Tim. My life had changed so much in just a few weeks and most everything was still up in the air, all but Tim—though I was still worried he would cause problems somehow.

Saturdays were just enough different from weekdays to be different, as most of our customers who worked didn't show, if they did, it would be on Sunday and in fewer numbers. I found myself anxious, waiting for the day to end so I could get home, then realized I would be just as anxious waiting to hear from Wade there as I was here. It was still an hour before closing when Valerie walked in with a tired smile.

"I need a strong coffee, Robyn. With so few people around I've been working in the office all week. I'm plumb worn out, I hadn't realized how busy it is during the week. I'll be glad everyone will be back on Monday."

"I know. It's been a little quieter around here too. I did get a text from Wade last night telling me they were coming home today."

Valerie gave me a big smile. "So, it seems like you and Wade are really into each other."

"I have really enjoyed our time together. Actually, after breaking up with Tim, Wade seems like a breath of fresh air. I just wonder why he hasn't mentioned a girlfriend in his past. Not that I really feel a need to know, but he must have had one."

"I don't know about that. But I have heard a few rumors about his family. Apparently, they're fairly well off financially and his family was disappointed he got his degrees in natural resource management rather than in law or business."

"You know, he hasn't said much about his family except in very general terms. In fact, I'm not even sure where they live, seems a little strange that hasn't come up, but we haven't had that much time together to talk about everything as we have been having fun." Well, mostly as I thought of Tim.

Valerie paid for her coffee and left. We had talked a few days before and I found out she was dating one of the Rangers and had been for three months. I wondered why Betsey hadn't told me about that—I thought she knew everything that was going on. I smiled, now I had one on her—one small victory of sorts.

I went home after work and set about looking over the college catalog again, dreaming of how the next semester would go—course work and some actual experience assisting in Radiology at the hospital in Alton. I liked working with people and the prospect of working at a small hospital with regular hours was attractive—one of the reasons I didn't want to be a practical nurse who worked all kinds of weird hours. The hours at the bakery had simply served to strengthen my desire for normal hours. Radiology was a good fit for me as I had always been good at math and biology, not to mention I wasn't squeamish about blood or things like that.

I walked out into the living room and watched TV with my parents, waiting for my phone to ring. Darkness fell and Wade hadn't called yet, I was just getting ready for bed when I heard my phone. I picked it up, saw and was Wade, and grew excited.

"Hey. About time mister. You must be tired."

"It's so good to hear your voice, Robyn. Sorry I got back so late. I'm at the office right now. I'm going to head home I guess. I'm definitely beat."

I was disappointed. I had really hoped to see him, even if for a few minutes. I thought about driving to see him before he left for home, but, that would result in delaying his getting some sleep. I walked out into the living room, I had an idea.

"Wade wait a second. I have to ask my parents a question."

I asked and received nods of approval and smiles.

"Wade. Would you feel comfortable spending the night here? We have the spare room you can sleep in, that way we can visit for a while and then have time together tomorrow."

There was a long pause. "Robyn, I'm a mess. I'm not sure."