Redhead Meets Redneck: First Date (5 page)

With Laura dozing, he had time to think a
nd plan. He was confident that it was only a small terrorist cell chasing them, and once he captured or killed all the members, they would be safe. After that Laura could decide if she wanted to change jobs to prevent problems like this from occurring in the future. His biggest concern was that he didn’t know how many were in this cell, and if any were in high places, like General Thompsons office. That wasn’t likely, but to be safe, he needed prevent any communications between Laura and General Thompson for now. 

His lodge was
stocked with both food and guns. It had a state-of-the-art security system, and was off the grid, so no one could trace them to it. They could stay there for a couple of months if needed. William’s mind drifted.
What would a couple of months alone with Laura in my hunting lodge be like?

His mind jumped
back to the present, and he thought about his dog, Bondo. Somehow he would need to be fed. William pulled out his cell phone and pressed a speed dial button.

“Hey Jimmy
.” William kept his voice low so he didn’t disturb Laura.

“Hi
, Billy Bob, how was the date?”

“Great, I need a favor.”

“Sure, but first I want to know how you made out with little Miss Hottie.”

“She
’s a nice girl, very intelligent, and lots of spirit. Now, about that favor.”

“Hey, quit changing the subject. Are you going to see her again?”

“I’m going to see a lot of her. We’re going to spend the next couple of days together.”

Jimmy let out a long whistle, “You don’t waste
time, do you?”

“I
t’s not like that.”

“Yea
h, sure. You’re my best friend. You aren’t supposed to lie to me.”

“Jimmy, I need someone to watch Bondo. Can you feed him for a couple of days?”

“Sure, anything to help you score with little Miss Hottie.”

“Cut it out
. It’s not like that. I need to help her solve some urgent issues.”

“Listen, whatever you need, I’ll do it. What about Monday
? Will you be back in time for work?”

“I’m not sure. If I’m not, can you fill in for me?”

“I fill in for you when you
are
there, so I suppose I can do it when you aren’t.”

“Okay, wise guy. But s
eriously, thank, you.”

“Let me know how things turn out with you and little Miss Hottie.”

“You will be the first to know. Bye.”

“Bye, Billy Bob”

William slid the phone in his pocket and thought about how it was nice to have a best friend that he could call on occasionally for help. Jimmy was like a brother.

***

The truck began jolting up and down. Laura woke with a startle. “William, did we have an accident?”

“No, it’s okay. We’
re on a bumpy road.

“Where are we
?”

“This road takes us to my hunting lodge.”

Laura began thinking about his hunting lodge. “Did you say it’s a log cabin?”

“Yes.”

“Do you have running water?”

“Yes.”

“Is this one of those single-room cabins with no privacy?”

“No, you can have a room all to yourself.”

“Is it going to be cold.”

“
I have a heat pump and two fireplaces.”

“Is the bathroom inside or
—”

“It has an indoor bathroom, with running water, a bath, and shower.
”

With all his reassurance, she still felt a bit
anxious. A couple days in the wilderness with no modern conveniences wasn’t her idea of a good time. On the other hand, she wouldn’t be alone. Maybe things would work out between her and Mr. Redneck. In that case, she could endure a little bit of back woods inconvenience.

The single
-lane road became rougher and narrower with each turn. Finally William stopped at the end of the road in front of a large rusty wrought-iron gate. He reached up, flipped down his visor, and pressed a button on a remote control.  The gate parted in the center and slowly opened. William drove through the gate. Strangely, there were no more bumps, and the road widened. Leaves and pine needles covered the road, but occasionally she saw patches of black asphalt showing through the pine needles. After several turns, they pulled up to a log cabin.

“But, it’s
—it’s beautiful.” Laura looked at a massive two-story log cabin with large plate-glass windows on the first floor. A veranda wrapped around all four sides, and chimneys appeared at both ends of the building. Behind the house to the left was a looming mountain, and to the right a lake nestled in a quiet valley.

“
I love coming here. Come on in and see the inside.”

William unlocked the door and opened it. Laura walked into a
spacious open room that engulfed half of the cabin. It had a fireplace at the far end with an expansive hearth. Two wide sofas flanked it with several overstuffed chairs. Two moose heads were on the wall, one on each side of the mantle. At the other end was a roomy open kitchen with a double chrome sink, a stove, double oven, and microwave. There were lots of cabinets and a full-size side-by-side refrigerator. To the right of the kitchen was a metal-spiral staircase that went to a second floor where there were five doors. She assumed they were bedrooms, and hopefully a bath.

“Oh my, I didn’t realize. Sorry about
all the questions. I should have known that if it was yours, it would be nice.”

“Laura, it’s okay. I built this a long time ago so my hunting buddies could come out and enjoy the wilderness. You should feel special
. You’re the first girl to ever enter this place.”

Laura walked to the kitchen and ran her fingers over the chrome faucet,
and then the chrome handles on the refrigerator. “I guess I should bring in the food and put it in the fridge.”

“I’ll get it
. Why don’t you sit and enjoy the view of the valley.” William exited the door and Laura walked to the windows. Her eyes couldn’t take it all in. It reminded her of the view from the back of Mama’s, only now there was no smoke burning her eyes, country music blasting her ears, or rednecks. Well, just one.

William came back in with the groceries piled high in his arms.

“William, let me help you.” Laura reached up and took several items off the top of the pile.

“No problem. I’ll put these away, and then we can relax.”

Laura sat in one of the overstuffed chairs where she had a nice view of William as he put the groceries away. He seemed so at home. He had a place for everything she bought; he never hesitated as if to say, “I wonder where I should put this.” His motions were smooth and fluid.

“Now that that’s done, lets take a walk. I
’ll grab a couple of jackets.” William opened a closet by the front door and pulled out two lightweight jackets. He held one for her as she slid into it. William flipped a switch, turning out the lights, then opened the back door and they walked out into the yard. The sun had just set, and the moon was rising. They stood there motionless as Laura took in more of the view. There was not a light to be seen, except for the moon and stars.

“The stars seem so bright,” said Laura.

“Yes, without street light and house lights, the stars are overwhelming.”

Laura leaned slightly towards William
; their arms touched lightly. He reached up and pulled her close. She felt his warmth through their thin jackets.

“Let’s walk up this trail. It’s only a short distance to a nice overlook.”

William wrapped his fingers around Laura’s hand and started up a steep path. Laura had to go very slowly because of her stilettos. Finally she spoke. “William, hold up a second.” She reached down and slipped off the shoes and continued walking.

“Sorry, I forgot. Do you want to turn back?”

“No, it’s so beautiful. I want to see more.”

In a few minutes they came to a clearing on the side of the mountain.
At the edge of the clearing was a wooden bench with wrought-iron sides. Looking to the right, she saw the whole valley and the full length of the lake.

“William, it’s wonderful.”

“I love to come up here and relax, especially after a tough week at work.”

“Or after a tough day saving helpless ladies
from evil terrorists.”

“Ha, yeah, that too.”

They sat on the bench and took in the activity. Ducks paddled through the still water. A few other ducks flew low, landed, and joined them.

“Do you ever come here in the winter?”

“Sure, usually just before we sail to Bermuda. That way I get to see this view with the snow covering it, and then I appreciate the warm weather in the Caribbean a little bit more.”

An owl flew past them and landed in a tree just behind them.

“There aren’t any bats in this area, are there?”

“No, just low
-flying owls.”

“Snakes?”

William smiled. “No, not at this altitude.”

“When does the snow start falling up here?”

“Sometimes we get snow as early as the middle of October, but there’s always plenty on the ground for Christmas.” He paused. “Laura, we need to talk.”

“About what?
”

“It’s about your cell phone.”

“Oh, I was just kidding about your paying for it. I’d forgotten all about it.”

“
That’s not what I was thinking. I’ve been thinking, and I realize that you had an emotional attachment to it because it was your lifeline. If anything went wrong, you could call General Thompson, and the problem would vanish. Now, you don’t have that ability. I wish there had been another way to resolve the issue. Unfortunately, there wasn’t.”

“I do miss my cell phone.”

“I want you to know that I realize how much I’m asking from you. You’re trusting a complete stranger with your life, and I don’t imagine that’s easy.”

“It’
s difficult, but on the other hand, my date with that sexy redneck is lasting longer than planned.” Laura smiled.

William
returned the smile. “I think our current plan is still the best, but I need to give you the benefit of the doubt. If you really want to talk to General Thompson, I can get a satellite phone out of my truck and you can call him, or anyone else that you see fit.”

“You have a sat phone? Hmm,
that’s tempting, but I was thinking on our way up here too, and I think that your plan is best. But, please, don’t trash your sat phone in case I change my mind.”

“That’s a deal.”

Laura slid toward William, and he put his arm around her. They sat and looked at the moon as it slowly rose in the eastern sky.

A cool breeze blew across the lake, up the hill to the lookout, and Laura shuddered.

“Let’s get you inside where it’s warm.  Would you like a cup of hot chocolate?”

“That sounds perfect.”

“Good, and after that, I’ll fix us a snack.”

Walking back down the trail, Laura saw twelve large panels in the back yard that were pointed up toward the southern sky
. “Are those solar panels?”

“Yes,” William said
, “there are no power lines this far out.”

“How far away is civilization?”

“You may see an occasional hunter or fisherman, but that’s all.”

Laura almost tripped over a hole in the trail
. “How much property do you own here?”

William stopped looked out over the valley. “This is a good spot
. You see the valley and the mountains around it?”

“Yes.”

William started walking again.

“Wait, you don’t mean that
—”

“Mm-
hmm, it’s all mine.”

“Oh, William, I didn’t realize.”

He stopped and looked down into her placid eyes. “I love the view so much, I began buying lots so that people couldn’t move in and destroy the view. I know it was selfish, but this is where I come when I need to unwind. It wouldn’t be the same if there were factories, shopping malls, or housing complexes.”

Laura swallowed as she realized how rich this redneck was, and he did it all with just a G.E.D.
“My feet are getting cold.”

William looked down and realized that Laura was still barefoot
. “Lets get you home and warmed up.

Walking in the back door
, William flipped on the lights, and then flipped another switch; a cozy fire started burning in the fireplace. “Here, Laura, sit on this sofa by the fire and I’ll get you a blanket.”

William wrapped her in a tan-wool blanket that was so large he left it folded in two, and it still covered her, except for her face.