chapter forty...
Jeff glanced over, a look of puzzlement on his face. "What? Here?" He asked, gesturing to a tiny gravel road off the side of the paved highway they were driving on.
"Yes. Left here." Aerien repeated, smiling as Jeff expertly turned the car and began creeping his way down the gravel road, which was lined with hundreds of trees.
"You aren't going to dump my body in the woods up here and run like hell, are you?" Jeff asked with a grin.
Aerien laughed. "Depends on how you behave this weekend, I guess." She teased, making him laugh in answer.
"It's like something out of 'Deliverance'." Jeff said, looking up at the towering trees above the car.
"I don't play the banjo. You should be safe for a while. But if you see Burt Reynolds, just run. I'll catch up." Aerien laughed.
She turned around and watched Caviar caper from one side of the back seat to the other, sticking his head out the window with his tongue lolling to one side happily. She reached back and gave him a quick rub on the head before turning back around. "How does it feel to be taking out a single mother and her child?" She quipped, making Jeff laugh again.
"Hey. I'm a man of the new millennium." Jeff answered. "As long as he's potty trained, we're good to go."
"Well, he's really good at scratching at the back door if the need arises." Aerien replied and Jeff nodded.
"Good enough for me." Jeff said.
"He sleeps on the bed too. You should probably know that." Aerien grinned, feeling very saucy.
Jeff raised an eyebrow. "Good to know. Will I get to crash there too?" He asked, only half joking.
"Maybe." Aerien said coyly.
"Maybe." Jeff repeated with a warm smile. "Maybe."
Aerien took a deep breath and let it out slowly, once again questioning the wisdom of her decision to bring Jeff up here with her for the weekend, though she knew she had already made up her mind. Her reverie was interrupted by the trilling of her cell phone. She dug into her bag and pulled it out, flipping it open with a look of annoyance. "This is Aerien." She said crisply, mentally reminding herself to turn it off before they got there. She didn't want any more interruptions.
"You guys knockin' the boots yet or what?" She laughed as she heard Scout's sly voice on the line.
"You are such an ass. Don't be gauche." She said by way of greeting, mouthing 'Scout' to Jeff, who was looking at her quizzically. "What do you want?"
"I wanted to know if you and Lover boy had gotten there yet." Scout teased.
"Not yet, and knock that off." Aerien instructed, not wanting to say too much, knowing that Jeff was in earshot.
"Listen, Aer, seriously… have a great time this weekend. Enjoy yourself. You deserve it." Scout's voice went somber, and Aerien knew he was conveying a serious message to her to let go of her emotions and to finally live in the now. She didn't need a dissertation from him to know his meaning.
"I will. I promise. What are you guys doing?" Aerien asked, shifting in her seat slightly.
"We're just going to hang out at Alex's all weekend. Drink his beer, miss you, you know, the usual." Scout teased and Aerien smiled.
"I'll miss you too. Try to stay out of trouble for me, will you?" Aerien begged.
"We will. I miss you. Have a great time!" Scout said happily.
"Hey – is the Mother Hen there?" Aerien asked. "Put him on the phone."
She could hear a shuffle on the other end of the line and moments later, Alex's deep voice echoed through the line. "Hi sis." He said gruffly.
"Hey." Aerien smiled. "I was just going to tell you to stay out of trouble this weekend."
"You too." Alex said seriously. "But I trust you. And I trust him. He's a good guy." Alex paused, then continued. "But if he does anything, you call me, and the boys and I will storm up there and kick his ass."
"Will do." Aerien laughed. "Have a good weekend."
"I love you, Aer."
"I love you too, Lex."
Aerien flipped the phone shut and slid it back into her bag. "The guys already checking up on me?" Jeff asked with a grin.
"Already." Aerien confirmed. "Better mind your p's and q's."
"I will." Jeff agreed. "Those guys scare me."
Aerien laughed in earnest then as Jeff's car finally cleared the gravel road and rolled up the driveway of the cabin. He pulled to a slow stop in front of the log house and stopped the engine. "Wow." He breathed. "Nice digs here, Aerien."
They climbed out of the car and released Caviar from his prison of the back seat. He barked and ran back and forth, back and forth, reacquainting himself with his surroundings. He happily danced around Jeff, licking his hands and barking at him.
Aerien smiled – she had only seen Caviar act that way around Kai.
Another sign, she thought to herself with a small, private smile.
"So what is this place?" Jeff asked, popping the trunk and removing their two overnight bags. "You never really said."
Aerien led the way to the front porch and unlocked the front door. She threw open the door and took in a deep breath – it still smelled the same. Woodsy and warm and like home.
Jeff followed her inside, waiting for her to tell him where they were. "This was Kai's place when I met him. It was our favorite place to get away from LA – both before and after we got married. It's always been like a sanctuary for me, and I absolutely love it here. I thought you might too."
"So it's yours now?" Jeff asked unnecessarily, looking around at the décor with a smile as he dropped their bags by the sofa. "I love it. I really love it, Aer."
Aerien smiled. "Me too. I think this is one of my favorite places on the planet."
"I can see why." Jeff said quietly. "It's great."
"Jeff…" Aerien began uncertainly.
"Yes?" Jeff asked, turning around to face her.
"I've… I've never brought anyone here before." Aerien said shyly, looking down at the ground. "Until now it was my secret hideaway. Only Alex knows where it is. Kai never told anyone about it either."
"And you brought me here?" Jeff asked slowly, stepping over to stand in front of her.
Aerien nodded slowly, before raising her eyes to meet his. "Mm-hm." She said, suddenly secure in her decision to bring him. She knew he would appreciate it the way it was meant to be appreciated – and would respect how sacred this place was to her.
"I'm honoured." He said softly, bending down to brush her lips with his. "I'm honoured that you trust me."
"I do trust you." Aerien agreed. "So much."
"I trust you too." Jeff said tenderly.
"I’m trusting you with my heart." She said, feeling silly. "And I have it on good authority that if you break my heart, my brother and his friends will break your kneecaps."
"I don't think you'll ever have to worry, love." Jeff said, wrapping her up in his arms. "Ever."
Aerien allowed herself to be enveloped by him, pressing her face against his chest and listening to the steady beat of his heart. He pulled back after a moment and smiled down at her.
"How about a tour of the grounds?" He asked with a smile.
Aerien cocked her head to one side and thought for a long moment before taking the final plunge into her future life.
"Maybe later." She said softly. "I want to show you the bedroom first."
And with that final jump, she took him by the hand and led him upstairs.
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