Stranded On Christmas (5 page)

“
Sorry,
but I'm a tree hugger. This just seems like a lot for just one meal.
I mean in winter I can understand the need for heat, but in the
summer it just seems a bit much to start a fire for one person's
meal.”

“
I
don't eat a warm meal from the stove everyday in summer. Sometimes I
grill outside or just eat bread and salad from my garden. That's
normal, isn't it?” He looked a little offended.

“
I
guess I’m just the modern luxury girl. Microwave meals are my
specialty.”

He
squinted at me again. He was taking me in and thinking about
something.

“
I
live off the land. I see it as a sign of failure when I have to buy
something in town.”

Now
it was my turn to raise my eyebrow. “But there is so much that you
just can't make yourself.”

“
Like
what?” he asked confused. He couldn’t fathom that a person would
need store bought things.

“
Maybe
a guy could live that way, but a girl needs her conditioner.” I
lifted a strand of my long hear and looked at the ends. There wasn’t
a split end among them.

“
What
is that?” He looked amused now.

“
That
is what I put in my hair to make it so soft.”

“
Wouldn't
cream do the trick too?” he asked.

“
I
don't think so. Besides, if it isn't broke – don't fix it.”

“
You’re
right about that.” He got a bowl and started mixing in flour, milk,
eggs and a bit of sugar.

“
You
couldn't have grown sugar here on the farm.” I felt like I had him
with that question.

“
No,
I trade for it. Eggs and milk mostly.”

“
A
person could trade for something important like conditioner, too,”
I muttered under my breath.

“
Sounds
like we need more chickens.” He was grinning in a friendly way. I
watched him put a scoop of lard in the frying pan, real lard. Then he
waited for it to melt before he added the batter. I watched him
cooking away. I got out some plates and set the table while he
flipped the crepes.

“
The
lights are electric, right?”

“
Yes,
they are. You’re really worried about that, aren’t you?”

“
It
is just that mankind has advanced so far. To ignore that is kind of a
slap in the face of those who have worked so hard to move mankind
ahead.”

“
I
understand. But I don't think that they wanted to force their
inventions on us. It’s our decision what we choose to use and what
we choose not to use. I decided that this is the best way, a back to
the basics way of life with the family in the center.”

“
You
have a family? You're married?” I backed away from him, thinking
that his wife was probably at her parents with the kids.

“
No,
how can you think that. I’ve only been with you.”

“
What?
Really?” Was he kidding me? He didn't mean what I thought he meant,
did he?

He
had just slept with me.

“
Yes,
really.” He was pissed off now.

“
But
you’re an especially good-looking man?”

“
And
you’re an especially good-looking woman.” He was grinning again.

I
shrugged, thinking that that make sense. It explained why he had
finished up so quickly. Maybe if we practiced a little more? He could
work on that and we could have fun.

I
finished setting the table and he told me more about his
old-fashioned farm. He was really into this. He talked about a
stress-free life.

I
just listened to him thinking it was great for him, but I had my
business back in Chicago. That was very important to me.

I
had learned that men come and go, but my business was always there
for me. My dreams of us getting together for real would never come
true. He couldn't give up this, and I couldn't give up what I had.

We
cleaned up and did the dishes together. Then we started in with the
popcorn. I was stringing up dried fruits and popcorn.

Gideon
went up to the attic and came back with a large box of Christmas
stuff, which he set down in the living room. He came back into the
kitchen and told me that he would bring the tree in. He took off and
Pumpkin went off right behind him like that was the way that things
were supposed to be.

A
minute later, he was back and calling out for me. I went into the
living room and helped him set up the tree. I must have said that the
tree smelt so good a dozen times.

Gideon
looked pleased, and once it was standing and steady, he laid his arm
around me and just smiled at it.

Then
he jumped into action again. He was pulling out the decorations that
he had. He confessed that he had bought the whole box as it was at a
flea market a few years ago. We strung the popcorn berry strands
around the tree. Then he put on real candleholders.

I
protested, worried about a fire.

He
assured me that he would pay attention to what he was doing. I hung
up the colorful glass bulbs and then he lit the candles. The bulbs
reflected the candlelight, making the tree look amazing.

“
There
really was a whole tree's worth of things in there.” He was pleased
with his own purchasing wit. “People are constantly throwing things
away that could still be of use.” Gideon shook his head and sat on
the sofa down by the fire. He held his arms out wide, and I went to
him. He moved me, so I was sitting on his thigh.

“
No,
I'm too heavy for you,” I protested.

“
You're
fine. I want to look at the tree with you on my lap.” He moved my
head, so it was on his shoulder. We both looked at the tree for a
while.

I
started to lose interest in the tree and gain interest in kissing his
neck.

He
turned and kissed me back.

“
See,
you aren't paying attention to the candles.”

He
chuckled and stopped kissing me, but he still held me tight.

“
Let
me guess you don't have any Christmas CD's.”

“
No,
but I have something better.” He set me to the side and got up. In
one corner he had a guitar. He got that and started playing a
Christmas song. He sang along, and his voice wasn't anything special,
so I figured he wouldn't laugh at me. I liked to sing and back at my
office we sometimes sang along with the radio. I felt my voice was
pretty good.

Gideon
beamed when I sang. He was pretty easy to please. He probably liked
that my voice wasn't costing any electricity.

We
sang until his fingers needed a break. I smiled at him. He was really
a dream guy.

It
was a little odd that he hadn't done
'it'
yet at his age, I
pegged him a few years older than me, but he lived in the middle of
nowhere.

“
Where
are we anyway?” I asked him. When my mind wasn't plagued with
thankfulness because he
saved me, or
thoughts of ravishing his body, I wondered about that. All I knew was
that we were somewhere in the middle of nowhere in Canada.

“
What
do you mean?”

“
I
mean I got lost because I couldn't read the road signs anymore. I
haven't a clue.”

“
So
you’re lost, and no one knows that you left to visit your aunt and
uncle. That you’re still alive is an act of God.”

“
That,
and my skills in sending out SOS signals.”

He
laughed and shook his head at me. Then he turned serious. “Are you
ready to go to bed again?”

I
had slept most of the day, but I was tired again. Besides, if going
to bed meant what I hoped it did, then that would be perfect. “Sure
but first we need to blow out all the candles.”

“
Of
course, baby. I don't want you to worry.” He put away his guitar,
and we blew out the candles together.

Gideon
went out with Pumpkin one last time while I took the chance to brush
my teeth. I put on my pajamas and waited for him. He came in with
Pumpkin's basket again. He laid it on the floor, and Pumpkin jumped
in.

“
I'm
surprised that he didn't try to get into bed with us last night.”

“
Oh,
he did try. I said, no. You don't need him anymore. You have me. I'll
keep your feet warm.” He hugged me tight. “Get into the warm bed,
baby. I just need to wash up a bit.”

Gideon

I
couldn't believe how happy I was. The last twenty-four hours had
changed my life completely. I had Jessica now and her silly tiny dog.
I wasn't alone, and I had made love twice. In a moment, I would make
love again with my beautiful Jessica. Tomorrow we would go to church
and get married.

I
had a ring that I had bought a long time ago. I would wrap it up and
lay it under the tree. She would unpack it and be engaged for
Christmas just like she had thought, but with a better man, me. I
would never hurt her like that Jamie had.

I
had to last a bit longer for her during sex. She hadn't complained
yet, but that Jamie was obviously a lousy lover too. The men in the
community sometimes whispered about sex. They said that child bearing
was extremely difficult work and as compensation a man had to be good
in bed. Jokes were often made about men coming too soon. I needed to
do that better, but being inside of her felt so good that I came
right away.

I
had to grin at myself. She might be pregnant already. I really needed
to get her married before anyone said anything bad about my sweet
Jessie. She didn't deserve that. I knew exactly what kind of woman
she was. She was sweet, kind and worried about the house being set on
fire.

“
How
often do you have to milk the cows?” She was sitting up in our bed
with her pajamas still on. What an odd question to ask the minute I
came in.

“
Three
times a day,” I answered her.

“
How
many do you have?”

“
Twelve.”
I was grinning again. She was just charming.

“
Do
you have other animals, other than chickens?”

“
We
have a pig family. And twenty-three chickens.”

“
I
see. So you’re really busy with that all day.”

“
Yes,
but I also have the fields and an orchard to tend to. And I have to
make sure that we have enough wood for fire and cooking.” I got
into bed next to her. She moved in close to me. She was finished with
her questions, and she wanted to cuddle now.

I
took hold of her and kissed her and help her out of her pajamas. This
taste of marriage was great. I was going to love it.

Once
she was naked, I took the time to admire her. She was soft and curvy,
like a woman should be. I had never seen a more beautiful woman.

We
made such sweet love.

I
lasted a bit longer for my clinging wife-to-be.

I
snuggled in close to her afterwards, pulling her to my chest. I liked
to sleep on my back with her on my heart.

Tomorrow
would be our first Christmas. Today had all been so great.

I
decided to read out of the bible before we opened presents. I needed
to start the traditions that would follow us for the rest of our
lives.

It
was up to me to make the cherished memories that were so important in
a family.

I
hugged her tightly to my body and moved the blankets, so her naked
shoulders were covered up.