The Marshal Pt. 04

"I'm just tired. It's been a stressful couple of days." She smiled at him. "Thank you for letting me out of my cage for a little while."

"No more cages. When we get to my house, you'll be able to come and go as you please."

"You're not worried about something happening to me?"

He shook his head. "No. Nobody knows where you are, and my house is... well, to be honest, it's out in the middle of nowhere. Even if they knew where you were, they'd have a hard time finding you."

"Does it at least have indoor plumbing?"

He chuckled. "Had it installed just last week," he said as he rose.

He hadn't packed anything, leaving everything behind so they could get out of the city as quickly as possible. Tomorrow, when they arrived at his house, it wouldn't matter, but tonight he was going to have to make do without his toothbrush or razor. He brushed his teeth with his finger and began to undress, starting with his shirt.

"Just like old times," Bae said as she nudged him aside and took her place at the sink.

"Yeah," he agreed as he stepped up behind her and kissed her on the neck as she brushed her teeth with her finger.

He watched her face in the mirror as her eyes closed and the finger in her mouth became still. She was so warm. He drew his fingers softly down the raised arm she was using to brush her teeth, causing a shiver to pass through her. She began scrubbing her teeth again, spat into the sink, and rinsed her mouth. Finished, she turned and drew a finger slowly down his chest.

"Why don't you go wait for me in the bed and think of something wonderful for me to do to you," she murmured.

He smiled as he brushed her lips with his own. "Are you coming?"

A faint smile touched her lips before she kissed him on the chest, her lips and tongue warm and soft. "Not yet... but we're just getting started."

Bae stared out the side window of the Dodge as the rugged Maine landscape passed in a blur. They'd left Portsmouth a few minutes before eight. Rob had woken her with soft kisses. As she struggled from the depths of slumber, she thought he wanted to have another tumble, but he was already showered and ready for the day. She was disappointed, but having breakfast waiting on the table had dulled her frustration. After her shower they'd checked out and continued their trip north. He said they should be at his home between noon and one. She watched as a sparkling cerulean lake played peek-a-boo through the trees. She'd never been to Maine and was admiring its rugged beauty as the Charger rumbled along the backroads.

Last night had been wonderful. Each time they made love it was better than the previous, and each time she thought their lovemaking couldn't get any better, yet it always did. She knew Rob could fuck, but he'd proven again last night that he could be a gentle and caring lover as well. He'd taken her with such sweet, tender care she'd almost cried. She didn't know why her orgasm had affected her as it had, but something had shifted inside her. It wasn't love, but it was something, a sudden realization that maybe she was more than a place for him to bury his cock while he protected her. He actually seemed to care about her and her mental and physical wellbeing.

She couldn't point to anything and say, 'that's what made me feel that way.' Maybe it was how he looked at her. Other than their first time together, he'd always been kind and giving, but last night, as he made slow love to her, there was a softness in his eyes she hadn't noticed before. He'd always made sure she was well satisfied, but last night he seemed even more attentive.

He'd given her much harder orgasms, orgasms that left her weak and gasping, but the one last night had been comforting in a way none of the others had been. Because their lovemaking had been so gentle and slow, she was able to enjoy the journey into bliss as she rarely had. Perhaps he'd felt the same way. She was still in the throes of her rapture when he splashed into her, sighing softly as he kissed her warm and deep.

He'd held her for a long time afterwards, gently caressing her face with lips and fingers, his hard manhood still inside her. It was a singular perfect moment, so much so that tears had threatened. Not wanting him to see her cry, she'd pulled his lips to her neck until the urge to weep passed.

They'd remained tangled for a long time as he lay lightly on her, kissing and touching softly, speaking little, until he'd finally fallen from within her. As she lay cuddled into his side, he'd whispered his promise that he would be at her side anytime she needed him, no matter what. She'd said nothing, only nodded, secure in the knowledge that she could trust him in a way she'd never trusted anyone before.

At the park the night before, Rob said today would be easier than yesterday, and he'd been right. She was finding it easier to push the sickening guilt of her actions away. His quiet support was blunting the sharp point of her memories, and he was giving her new memories that were much more pleasant. Martinelli said it would be sixty to ninety days before he'd go to trial, and she was silently praying for ninety.

"How much farther?" she asked, shaking herself out of her reverie and turning to look at him.

"Twenty minutes," he said, his tone making the statement a question.

She continued to watch the passing landscape. He'd said he was from someplace called Wurth and implied it was a relatively large town, but she'd seen no sign of anything other than tiny little burgs that were little more than wide places in the road.

He suddenly slowed and turned down a gravel road and then pulled to a stop before an iron gate across the road, the edges flanked by two massive stone pillars that supported the gate, along with a white fence that disappeared into the woods.

"We're here," he said as he put the car in park and opened his door, leaving the car running as he stepped out and approached the gate.

She didn't know what to do so she stayed in the car as he spun the dial on the combination lock, detached the heavy chain on the gates, and pushed them open. He returned to the car and they drove through. She expected him to stop and close the gate, but he didn't. They drove slowly along the well-manicured road, the wide strip of lush grass on each side blending into the forest. The grounds were beautiful and park-like, the stately trees and grass making the road almost magical.

After a short, meandering drive, they popped out of the forest into a clearing. Ahead of them was a log cabin with a lake shimmering in the sunlight beyond. The cabin was surrounded by more of the well-manicured grass, but beyond that was forest. Like the road in, the forest was almost like a fairytale, and she wouldn't have been surprised to see a Disney princess appear on a white charger.

"This is your house?" she asked.

"This is it," he said as they stopped in the large gravel area in front of the two-car garage. He shut off the engine.

She stepped out of the car and noticed another building set back in the trees at the edge of the gravel pad. "Is that another house?" she asked, nodding in the direction of the building.

"No. That's my barn."

"You have a barn?"

He grinned. "Yeah. Come on, let's go inside and I'll give you the dime tour. Wait here. I need to go get the key."

She couldn't help but smile. His Maine accent, normally much suppressed, was becoming more noticeable. She pulled her clothes from the back seat of the car as he moved off toward the barn. She was standing on the small deck beside what she assumed was the entrance when he returned, showing her a key with a grin.

"My extra key. I keep it hidden in the barn." He opened the door into a small room. "Left."

There were three doors off the room. The one to the right clearly went into the garage, she didn't know where the one directly ahead went, but when she opened the door to the left and entered the main part of the house, she stopped cold just inside the door. In the center of the massive room was a huge stone fireplace. Directly in front of her was a dining table, with the kitchen beyond. But what took her breath was the soaring ceiling and the giant windows and French doors to her right that overlooked the lake. He stepped around her, a big smile on his face.

"Welcome to my home," he said.

"Wow," was all she could think to say.

The house was stunningly beautiful, like something out of an architectural design magazine. The kitchen, dining room, and great room formed one huge open space with only the fireplace, open on all four sides to break up the expanse. Everything, the floors, the walls, and the ceiling, was made of richly polished wood. She took a deep breath, and it seemed she could still smell the forest, the faint scent making her think of Christmas.

"This way," he said, taking her arm.

He led her into a bedroom. Like the living area, the room was large with more French doors opening onto the deck and a high, vaulted, ceiling. She threw her clothes on the bed.

"Want the tour?" he asked.

"I'd love one!"

"This is the master bedroom. There's another bedroom on the other side of the house if you want to use--"

"I don't think that'll be necessary," she interrupted. She couldn't wait to make love to him on the giant bed with the view beyond. The bedroom was furnished in simple but beautiful furniture with soft, flowing lines. Mr. Rob Cogburn had exquisite taste.

He grinned. "Back there is the bathroom and closet."

She walked through the large closet and into the bathroom. The two rooms had high, if regular, ceilings, but like the rest of the house, they were made from polished wood. The rest of the bath was a temple of tile with a large walk-in shower that sported a single giant showerhead in the center. Now she wanted to fuck Rob in the shower. First the bed and then the shower. She smiled and turned toward him as he stood in the bathroom door. There was going to be a lot of fucking going on over the next two to three months.

He led her back to the main room. "This is main part of the house, obviously."

She slowly turned as she took it all in. The bedroom ceiling was vaulted, but this room took the vaulted ceiling to a new level, literally. There were massive logs stretching across the room perhaps ten feet up, but the ceiling soared far above that. The interior walls were normal, different from most homes only because they were made of polished tongue and groove wood, but the exterior walls were logs. She drew her finger along one of them. They were sanded and polished until they were smooth as glass. The front of the house, the part that faced the lake, jutted out like the prow of a boat. On each side of the prow were big, double doors, with large triangular windows above that was flooding the room with light. Like the bedroom, the furniture was simple, yet beautiful, and complimented the room. Decoration was sparse, but it didn't need much, the views through the windows provided all the beautification the room needed. She changed her mind. First, she was going to fuck Rob in the bed, then in front of a fire in the fireplace, and then in the shower.

"Back here is the kitchen and dining room," he said, pulling her around the fireplace that served as a visual divider but didn't block the view of the lake from either the dining area or the kitchen.

The kitchen had a huge island that contained both the stove and sink. Around the perimeter of the kitchen were wood cabinets and countertops made of black granite. The kitchen was clearly designed so one could cook and still be part of whatever was going on.

They moved on. "This is the other bedroom, bath, and laundry," he said, gesturing to the bedroom on the opposite side of the house from his, along with the laundry room and a half-bathroom. The extra bedroom was much like the master suite, only smaller, but still with its own double doors onto the deck that extended the width of the house. Also, like the master suite, opposite the deck was the walk-through closet with a more conventional bathroom beyond.

"You saw the pantry and mudroom when you came in. That's it," he said as he led her out of the bedroom. "It's not much, but I like it."

"Not much?" she cried. Discounting the views, this was still a five or six-million-dollar home in New York, and no amount of money could buy the view.

He shrugged. "It's only twenty-one hundred square feet."

"But it's beautiful," she gushed. She stepped out onto the deck. "Who owns the lake?"

"I do."

"You?" She was having a difficult time keeping amazement out of her voice.

He smiled. "Yeah. I own about fifteen hundred acres, most of it in the lake, along with about a half-mile strip of land surrounding it." She looked at him in amazement. She had no idea he was so rich. He smiled at her, clearly reading her expression. "It's not what you think."

"What is it, then?"

"My family owns most of the land around here, and all of it that surrounds me. Dad owns, owned, a big timber company. When he retired he left it to his three sons. I'm the baby by almost fifteen years. Dave and Stu went into the business with Dad. I didn't. So, when he retired, I sold my share of the business to my brothers. The price was this plot of land and enough money to build the house. It was a good deal for everyone."

"It may not be much to you, but this is amazing!"

He shrugged. "You have to remember, this isn't New York. The house and all the land it's on are worth less than a quarter what the house alone would cost in the city." He paused, gazing over the small lake, the stress from the city melting away like a snow in Arizona. "Come on," he said after a moment of silence. "The power's off. If you want to take a shower later, I need to get the place going."

She followed him around as he turned on the power and watched in fasciation as he tinkered with a pump to provide water for the home, a faucet coughing and spluttering as air was bled from the plumbing. Once all the air was out of the pipes, he started the water heater.

"Do you have to do this every time you come up here?"

"Yeah. I have a guy that looks after the place, mows the grass, that sort of thing, when I'm not here, but I don't like leaving the water or power on. Too many things to go wrong, and since it could be months between my trips home..." he shrugged. "It only takes fifteen or twenty minutes to open the house up and to mothball it again."

"Can I see the barn?" she asked when he said the house was ready and that they only had to wait for the water heater to finish its work. She'd never seen a real barn before.

With a soft chuckle, he led her to the large building. Like the house, it was made of logs, but they weren't nearly as beautifully finished. A large double door on the front, and two regular size windows on each of the three remaining sides substituted for the large windows of the home. She didn't know what she expected, but this wasn't it. Inside wasn't animals and hay, but a big green tractor, a large lawn mower in the same color, some kind of small work vehicle that was the same green at the tractor and lawnmower, and various pieces of equipment she assumed connected to the tractor, all sitting on a concrete floor.

"What's the tractor for?" she asked.

"To save my back." He grinned at her. "I use it around the place. I'm trying to clear the land so I can mow it with my rough-cut mower, that thing back there," he said as he pointed to flat piece of equipment, "so I'm not constantly fighting the brush."

"That's a mower?"

"In a way. It's not for lawn grass, that's what the mower is for," he said motioning at the big riding mower, "but I can use it on the back of the tractor to cut down tall weeds and brush. I've done maybe five percent of the land around the lake in the six years I've had the place. It's slow going, but I'll get there eventually. When I'm finished I'll be able to mow once a month or so with it and keep the grounds looking nice." She nodded. She still wasn't sure she knew the difference, but it didn't matter. "Want me to teach you to drive the tractor?" he teased.

She waved her hands in front of her. "No. It'd probably end up in the lake or something."

He chuckled. "Come on. We need to go into town to get food and some things for you."

He closed and locked the doors behind them as they exited. She stopped at the marshal car, but he walked past and back into the house. Not knowing what else to do, she followed.

She turned right into the garage as the large door began rumbling up. Inside the garage was a box on wheels. It was a rich, deep blue with a white top and a strip of white paint along the bottom, with a matching pinstripe a couple of inches above. The SUV had obviously been lovingly cared for, but she'd never seen another one like it.

"What's that?" she asked.

"That, my dear Bae, is my first car, a 1970 Ford Bronco."

"Nice," she said dryly, causing him to snicker.

He pulled the Dodge into the second stall. It seemed they were going into town in the Ford. She crawled into the truck and shut the door, which slammed with a tinny sound. To her, it seemed the vehicle was little more than a wagon with a motor in it. It had no air conditioning, no shoulder belts, no power anything, and judging by the way it rode, it didn't have springs either. It had two gear levers, one behind the steering wheel and one in the floor, but neither worked as she expected. It was loud, and with the windows down, the wind whipped her hair around. It felt like they were seconds from death every time they went around a corner, but by the time they arrived in Wurth, she'd decided it was amazing and wanted one.

Their first stop was a small clothing store where she picked up underwear. They left there and stopped at a mom and pop grocery store. They went up and down the aisles, Rob loading a shopping cart with all manner of necessities. He seemed to know everyone and greeted each person like family. He didn't introduce her, though she could tell everyone was interested in his companion, but they were too polite to ask.

Finished, they hauled their supplies to the Bronco. "Do you know everyone in town?" she asked.

"Not everyone, but most people, yeah. My family is originally from here, and Cogburn Lumber still employees quite a few people."

"Where's your family now?" she asked while handing over bags of groceries.

"Mom and Dad are in Arizona, and Dave and Stu live in Bangor. Like a lot of people, they couldn't wait to get out of Wurth. I felt the same way, but after moving to New York, I've decided I like the slower pace of a small town."

She grunted in acknowledgement. It was only three months, but if Rob weren't here to keep her entertained, she was certain she'd go out of her mind with boredom. He didn't have internet or even a television at his house, and she hadn't seen a movie theater, club, or any form of entertainment in town. When she'd expressed surprise, he said he spent almost all his time outside and could do what he needed to using his cell phone... as long as he was outside or stood next to one of the big windows in the front of his house. She hadn't said anything, but they were going to be fucking all the time since there was nothing else to do to entertain themselves.

"What do you do at night?" she asked.

He shrugged. "I could pick up the television stations from Bangor, if I had a television, but normally I read."

She smiled. She was pretty sure she could find something more interesting for him to do than read some dusty old book.

They drove back to his house where she helped him unload the Bronco and put items away. "What do you want for dinner?" he asked as he kicked the door closed, the last of the bags in his hands.