The Log Cabin Ch. 4

It was after three in the morning when Holly awoke. Feeling kind of cold, she rolled over and reached toward where David had fallen asleep. There was some warmth under the covers, but he wasn't. She sat up with a start and noticed in the dim moonlight how the covers on his side were pulled back and for a split second she thought he had left. But after noticing his unpacked bag by the dresser, she looked around and saw that the small oriental lamp in the kitchen was lit. She slipped into her robe and when she reached the bedroom doorway saw that David was seated at the kitchen table dressed in only a pair of silk boxers, writing on an open steno pad.

She smiled and stepped up silently behind him, trying not to make a sound. She knew that he had this power of concentration that couldn't be disturbed no matter how she tried to distract him. The room was filled with a golden glow from the lamp that shone on his face and hands. He was scribbling intently on the pad, pausing every few seconds to look up and away as if in deep thought. Then, he looked back down and began writing again in earnest. When she almost reached him, he turned back to her, held out his hand and waved it at her.

She wanted so much to stand behind his chair and wrap her arms around his shoulders to hug him, but the way he waved her off made her reluctant to disturb him. He turned back to the pad and continued to scribble. After sketching down a bit more, he picked up the pad as if reading what he had written. He made a couple of corrections, then smiled, nodded, and turned back to her.

"You didn't have to get up, Baby," he whispered hoarsely. "It's almost four in the morning."

"I know, but I missed you and saw the light on," she replied softly.

"Come here, Baby," he called over to her, pushing back from the table and holding out his arm.

She slipped onto his lap and let him put his arms around her. She let her own arms slip around his shoulders. It was an incredible warm hug that they shared; his face nestled into her breast, her cheek resting on his head, their arms keeping the other close. He raised his face from her breast and brought his lips up toward hers. He kissed her softly, warmly, and deeply.

"I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep," he said, softly. "I didn't want to disturb you, so I came out here and wrote you this poem."

He held the pad up for her to take it. In pencil, in his own distinctive longhand were the words, Summer Sun, Summer Moon, and several lines below it. She began to read them and by the third line felt the tears begin to roll down her cheeks.

Summer Sun, Summer Moon

I've walked this moonlit highway a thousand miles tonight Looking for the path that will lead me to your heart. From sun rise to set you've haunted me, Your smile and laugh and girlish giggle, That smooth touch of yours on my most tender parts, The soft beauty that melts me down completely, That strong stance when you're serious about something, That heavy-lidded look of deep desire when I tell you of my love. We've laid side by side in the sun, toasting and roasting our bodies, Letting our emotions catch fire as we make love In the mix of broad daylight and deep shadows. And when the moon came out tonight, it only heats us up the more, Escalating my thoughts and desires, accelerating our passion, Driving me out into the chill night to call out to the moon Your name and my love for you! We have these hours, these days alone, And tomorrow holds no promise of another day. Take me in your arms tonight, feel my tears and my love, Let me be the man you desire, the one you need, That one precious thing without which you cannot live! For when these days are done and the summer sun and moon Have moved on to fall, and the blaze of summer has been chilled by the frost, Will you still need me for these simple, precious things That only I can bring to you: my self, my heart, my love?

Holly let her hand that held the pad fall to her side, the tears streaming down her cheeks. "Oh, yes, David," she cried. "I will always want those things from you."

He held her close, his own eyes glazing over with tears. "You didn't have to answer," he said softly. "You don't have to say a thing."

"It's not fair," she sobbed, tapping his chest with her hands. "You made me cry again. It's just not fair."

"I only wanted to touch you, Holly, not make you cry." He reached under her chin and raised her face up so he could kiss her lips warmly and tenderly. "What I feel for you I have never known before, not with my ex-wife, not with the girlfriends I've had. Let's just enjoy it, okay?"

She nodded and kissed him back. They sat there in the dim golden light of the little kitchen lamp for several minutes, holding each other and swaying back and forth. Then they walked back to bed arm in arm, and lay under the covers with just the sound of their breathing and the night air surrounding them. The scent of the cabin and the dim early morning light faded into dreams for both of them. It was nearly ten o'clock when Holly woke up. The warm sun had splashed across the bed and she slipped back into her robe and looked for David, finding him standing at the stove still in just his boxers. She snuck up behind him and quickly reached around his waist and clung to him.

"Hey, Baby!" he said with a start. "Good morning."

"Morning," she said letting her hands wander all over his bare chest. "What'cha doing?"

"Cooking breakfast for the lady of the house," he replied. "And it's almost ready."

She looked down around his shoulder and saw him tending a fry pan.

"What is it? It smells delicious!"

"Chocolate chip pancakes with whipped cream," he replied. "Some fresh fruit and freshly squeezed orange juice."

"Mmm, good thing, because I'm starved."

"I know. Can't make love on a empty stomach."

They took their time eating breakfast, playfully feeding each other when the spirit struck them. Then they spent the rest of the morning taking a long walk through the woods and back along the winding road. When the sun had warmed things up, they went swimming out to the raft to lie in the sun for a while and then swam back. They lay on the beach in the sun taking turns spreading sunblock on each other. They kissed and lay close together touching tenderly but stopping short of making love. By the afternoon, when they had finished lunch, they were ready for another boat trip.

"Oh, gee, honey," she teased him as she stood over by the rowboat. "Are you sure you don't want to take this one again? It was sooo romantic."

David didn't say a word and only glared at her playfully as he checked out the speedboat. There was something about neat old wooden boats and the CrisCraft had it all. Holly joined him and slipped into the seat across from him. Away from the dock, they took a leisurely circuit around the lake. Since there were more people out on the lake today than the day before, he wanted to get familiar with the lake before taking any liberties with the throttle.

"You don't have to baby this thing, you know," she said. "My brothers always jump right on it."

"Next pass I'll floor it," David replied.

And he did so. It made such a sweet scene too, this strikingly attractive girl beside him, her snug colorful little swimsuit caressing her supple body, her hair streaming out behind her, the exhilarating broad smile on her face, the warm touch of her hand on his shoulder.

"That's more like it!" she shouted out over the roar of the engine.

"This is a lot more fun than the rowboat," he yelled.

"Told ya," she yelled back with a broad smile spread across her face.

David glanced over at her, letting his eyes linger on this lover, this one who was so unexpected in his life. Her fabulous smile and terrific laugh delighted him endlessly. As he spun the wheel to guide the boat around the lake, there was something special about the breeze flowing over them, the burbling roar of the motor, the slurping rush of the water underneath, and the passing of the sunlight and shadows over their half naked bodies. He took a long deep breath and wished that this wonderful feeling could last forever.

After several turns around the lake, David guided the boat toward shore and brought it in smoothly to the dock. Holly climbed out and walked back to the beach to sit in one of the Adirondack chairs and watch as David tied the boat up. She had felt so domestic spending the day with him this way, almost as it they were an actual couple, even though they were anything but. She was surprised that, even though he had occasionally given her a sexy eye, he hadn't come on to her at all. She opened her legs a little and pulled her suit bottom up tightly against the slit of her pussy. She tugged the cups of her bathing suit top down so that her nipples were nearly exposed. When David happened to look up toward her, he paused and let his jaw drop open for a second. She knew she looked pretty hot and sexy but he managed to hold his cool, safely securing the speedboat in its dockage.

By the time the afternoon had drawn to a close, their thoughts turned to dinner. Neither was all that interested in cooking dinner, so they decided to go into town for dinner.

"There's this cute little place in the old bank building downtown," Holly suggested. "At least what they call downtown around here."

"Sounds great to me," David replied.

They took turns in the bathroom and of course he was finished first and took a seat on the sofa and waited. He had nearly finished paging through an old Sports Illustrated issue when she came out from the bedroom. He looked up and smiled. Holly was wearing a light blue sundress covered with delicate dark blue and white flowers. Cut from a blue satiny material and covered by a light sheer material, it came down to mid-thigh and complimented her coloring so beautifully. When she saw that he was looking over at her, she spun slowly, letting the skirt float out and showing off the halter neckline. She looked so appealing that he couldn't have eaten her on the spot.

"You ready?" she asked.

"Seeing you in that dress, I'm ready for anything," he replied getting up to join her. "You are beautiful!"

Their drive into town in David's car was leisurely, following the winding gravel and blacktop roads through the gently rolling countryside. It was early evening and the sun still had a few hours of life left. Holly sat on her side of the seat and enjoyed the breeze flowing through the open windows. The town was fairly busy with people strolling around chatting with friends and enjoying the balmy evening air.

They had a drink at the bar while they waited for a table at the restaurant. Eventually they were seated at a cute little table and were joined by their waiter, Brent, a nice looking, tall dark haired guy, perhaps Holly's age. They took their time ordering but as soon as the waiter stepped away to put their order into the kitchen, David felt her bare foot on his leg. She slipped it up his calf and along the inside of his thigh. He tried squeezing his legs together, but she was able to curl her toes over his cock.

"Are you sure you want to be doing that?" he asked, with hardly a trace of protest in his voice.

"Definitely," she smiled. "I have to do this after what you've done to me in the past."

"If you insist," he smiled.

The long tablecloth hid the under table maneuvering of her toes. She was enjoying the looks that kept appearing on his face as she continued. He tried shifting in his seat, but there was little chance of him escaping her twiddling toes. He slipped his foot from his topsiders and tried to do the same, but as he did so, the waiter came over to check on them, giving Holly an approving once over as she leaned back in her chair. Once dinner was served, she retrieved her foot and sat up to eat. His broiled lake trout was nice and moist and her Pasta Alfredo was thick and creamy, and as usual they shared what each had ordered with the other.

"Mmm, this is delicious!" he said when sampling a mouthful of her pasta. "I love the sauce."

"And yours is pretty tasty too," Holly remarked.

When he had finished, David excused himself to the restroom. Brent, the waiter approached the table, looking Holly directly in the eye and smiling. She returned the smile but looked down at her drink and stirred it.

"Excuse me, Miss," he said boldly. "I hope you don't mind, but I was wondering if I could have your phone number. You know, maybe we could get together for a drink or something sometime." When she only smiled and didn't say anything to stop him, he got bolder. "I've been wanting to ask you all night, but would have felt funny doing it in front of your father."

Holly looked up at him, still smiling. "Well, I don't think that it's really up to me. Maybe you ought to ask my boyfriend."

"Your boyfriend?" the waiter replied, looking around sort of puzzled.

"Yes, and here he comes right now," she added.

The waiter looked in the direction that she was pointing only to see David returning from the restroom.

"Your boyfriend? But I thought he was ...," he said looking embarrassed. "I mean he looked old enough to be ... I mean, uh, I'm sorry."

"So what's going on?" David asked as he slid back on the bench.

"Excuse me," Brent mumbled and backed away quickly.

"Nothing," Holly laughed as he disappeared around a corner. "Just the waiter trying to hit on me. He didn't want to ask me out in front of my father, so he waited till you went to the restroom."

"Huh?" David said, a bit puzzled, before realizing what she was telling him. He looked over at the waiter who was being consoled by one of his pals, and laughed quietly. "Poor guy. Can't say I blame him though. You are the prettiest girl in the place. Now how about dessert?"

"Actually I'd rather just get going," she replied.

"Sure. That sounds like a good idea."

When the bill came, David pulled some cash from his pocket and laid it on the table. As they strolled toward the front door, they saw their waiter gesturing as they passed by. Holly pulled David to a stop and gave him a cute little kiss.

"Oh, Daddy," she said breathily. "I can't wait to get you home."

"Come on, Baby," he replied and led her toward the door.

Instead of heading toward the car, they decided to walk around the downtown loop of quaint specialty shops. The neat little old time hardware store had a toy train layout set up on a cute diorama in the front window. When David took too long in checking out the trains, Holly tugged him by the arm.

"Come on, you're too old for toy trains, Mister," she laughed.

The evening sky was darkening and without a cloud insight, a few stars were making their appearance. As they headed back toward the parking lot, David paused under a streetlight, took her arm and pulled her toward him for an embrace. She rested her hands on his chest as his palm slipped up to cup her cheek.

"You know I love you," he said, looking deeply into her eyes. "I always will."

"Yes," she whispered, as he brought his lips toward hers.

It was a brief but sweet kiss, and seemed to last an hour to them. It made the drive back to the cabin hardly noticeable, as she slid over next to him and snuggled closely. They hardly spoke a word, letting just the whistle of the wind and the subtle hush of the exhaust fill the air. By the time they had returned, the night sky had darkened and without the lights of even the small town, a full array of stars was visible. Thinking that they might want to sit down by the lake, they stopped by the cabin to pick up a couple of blankets and walked down to the lake. Once there, Holly indicated that she wanted to walk along the shore, so they set the blankets on the dock. Holly removed her sandals and set them down beside the blankets. They strolled along the shoreline holding hands. She wandered down toward the waterline and let the cool water wash over her feet and ankles. They walked along quite a way in silence before Holly spoke up.

"So where do you see us in another year or two?" she asked as they meandered along.

"Where did that come from?" David replied, a little surprised by the comment.

"You can't say that you haven't thought about it," Holly replied. "At least once."

"Sure I have. A few times."

"And?"

"And I know that I love you."

She smiled and stopped walking. "But that doesn't answer my question. Don't be evasive with me."

"Didn't mean to be. Your question just surprised me all of a sudden."

Holly squeezed his hand as they turned around and started back slowly toward the dock. "So are you gonna quit dodging my question?"

"I've laid awake at night thinking about this, about us," he said slowly. "Everyway I look at it, this is a short term relationship, Holly. That may not be what I want, or what I would wish for, but I think that is where we're at."

"Do you really think so?"

"Maybe not today or this year, but at some point there will come a time when you want to be married and have children, and you deserve a guy who's going to be there with you all the way through. I'm not sure that I can be that guy."

"That's too sad to think about," she replied. "And you know that I don't like sad endings."

"But that's what we face, Darling. Sometimes this feels like, oh, I don't know, like jumping from a plane without a chute, it's a fantastic rush until it ends."

"That's a terrible thing to say!" Holly said, stopping and letting go of his hand.

"You're right. Okay, poor analogy," he said, noticing the sad look on her face. "But, Baby. We both knew going into this, that it wouldn't last, that it couldn't last."

She began walking toward the dock alone.

"Holly, look," he said taking her hand again, and pulling her around to face him. "This is hard to say, but I told you that I would be honest with you about how I feel. There is no rosy tomorrow for us, for this love we have today. Maybe that's why it's so intense, like the flame from a log that lasts only a short time but can heat the whole house while it's burning. I just want to enjoy this feeling now, this here and now."

"But do you really think that it will end?"

"Baby, I don't know," David said, taking both of her hands and pulling her closer for an embrace. "But I do know that I want to work to keep it alive, and am willing to do whatever it takes to be with you."

"Oh, David," she said easing into his arms. "I want to be with you."

"Just know that I will always want to be with you, no matter what," he replied, running his hand through her hair. He could see her eyes begin to tear up.

"You have to realize how hard this is for me," she said as tears began to roll down her cheeks. "I know this is going to end, and I'm just waiting for when." She turned away from him. "I feel so stupid."

"I'm sorry, Baby, but if it helps, I feel the same way. There isn't any realistic long-term possibility, but while it lasts, I'm just trying to enjoy it, to savor the feeling. This sort of thing doesn't happen often and if we can walk away remembering the good things, the fun, the laughs, the intimacy, then we're better off for it, aren't we?"

"Uh huh," she admitted, her tears starting to slow.

They walked up onto the dock and out to the end to sit and let their feet dangle in the water.

"Do you think that we can ever have a normal life, you know, one where you could hang out with me and my friends?"

"I'd love that. It would be fun, but wouldn't they mind some old guy hanging around?

"Stop it," she replied, smacking him playfully on the shoulder. "I'm glad you feel that way, because when you say you want to hang with me and my friends you're saying that you want to be in my life, David. Besides they wouldn't have any problem with it."

"But I'm already in your life."

"Not the way that I need you," she spoke softly, wistfully. "I want you in my life every day."