Not wanting to disappoint, Francesca always sent a response. She knew her brother Ray wouldn’t do it and neither would most of the department, though she always posted a little note on the bulletin board and Welsh always threatened to do something about it. Taking the responsibility, she would update them on the department and the Vecchios, then add a quick note about anything else that seemed important. Thanked often by Benton and Ray for her friendshiand letters, she fell into the role easily.
Meanwhile, she went back to dating. Knowing herself well enough to recognize her need for love, she kept her options open as she’d done before the Mountie entered her life. She cursed herself for letting herself be so twitterpated by a man that she saw no one else who wanted to love her.
A friend of a friend had set her uon a date once and while she had a great time, Francesca didn’t call for another date. Right after she hit the scene again, her friend asked her if she hadn’t had a good time and she knew then that it was time to make the call.
So she called the woman and they started dating, but things just didn’t settle right with her. Francesca broke it off and kept dating, never lasting beyond five dates whether it was a man or a woman. The last couple of months, Fran had stopped dating completely, realizing she wasn’t sure what she needed which was why nothing seemed to fit.
Then she’d gotten the typical letter from ‘The Wanderers’. Benton wrote his letter, then put the page Ray had filled behind it. The pages behind both of their reports surprised her so she set the rest of the letter aside to give them her full attention. Deciding to spend several months in a small village in the far north, Benton explained his thoughts that perhaps she would like to join them; see what life was like that far north and visit. It took half a page. The rest of that page and the following two focused on his loneliness and how much he missed her.
But now Francesca had moved on and while he seemed to think she would certainly join them, it had become a decision she had to make. In the end, she decided to go. She would test her feelings and, if nothing else, have an interesting story to tell at parties.* * * *
Maggie McKenzie pulled on her heavy faux lamb fur lined coat and was tugging on her gloves when her commanding officer, Sergeant Meeks, stepped from his office. “On your way to start rounds?” he asked.
She nodded. “I’ll begin north and since it’s been so mild, I thought I might take the route over the mountain to check the status uat White Lake.”
“Good idea. I’m not sure anyone’s been uthat way in a couple years,” he remarked.
She pulled on her hood. “I’ll be back in a couple months before it gets too cold, I hope,” she commented. It was a remark that meant nothing to them, though a city person would already be complaining about the icy weather. Leaving the outpost, she took the dogsled she had readied and started out on the plains of snow.
* * * *
Francesca leaned her head back against the seat of the small plane, wrapping her arms around herself. She had come prepared with a warm coat, but now found that a coat she could buy in Chicago simply wasn’t enough for Arctic temperatures. She and the pilot had conversed about it for the first hour and he suggested she might pick usomething better in the village when they landed.
He had been friendly, but now she was tired and closed her eyes. She started playing out the contents of the one large bag she had brought. Fraser had clearly stated she shouldn’t bring too much luggage, but she found that now she didn’t feel pressured to win him, she didn’t need as much. Listing each item and checking them off in her head, she lost track and fell asleep.
Before long, the plane jerked and she woke. Opening her eyes as she sat up, Fran looked ahead at the pilot who was frantically flipping switches and pushing buttons.
“Is something wrong?” she asked, trying not to panic.
He shook his head, but a moment later, he grabbed the little black intercom. “Mayday, mayday!” he yelled.Francesca grabbed on to the seat and listened.
“Mayday! Can you hear me?” he listened, then murmured, “shit” before pressing the side button again. “If anyone can hear me; I’ve lost power. I can’t get control. We’re near Locca Mountain. I’m going to attempt a landing on the summit,” he screamed. “Mayday!” he added once more before going back to the buttons.
“Oh my God,” she breathed.
“It’s ok,” he said loudly. “I know what I’m doing. We’ll land okay,” he promised.
“On ice!” she screamed in response, looking out the window. She could still see sky, but ahead of them was a huge mountain range, rock, and a whole lot of ice.
* * * *
Maggie woke uearly to load uthe sled and start her journey. The village had provided a welcome break from sleeping alone. She left the woman who had helped her warm the bed without a word, but knew she would see her again in a year or two. As she started uthe cold mountain, she was prepared for the peace and quiet it would bring.
In the early afternoon, she stopped to prepare herself a lunch. The pass wasn’t very steecompared to many cliff-like mountains in the range, but provided a beautiful view. She stared at the sheet of snow that hadn’t melted away completely in years, if ever, and the tiny villages that dotted it. As she ate, Maggie watched an isolated cloud pass overhead, most of the remainder of the sky a rich blue. Surprised as it headed toward the summit, she realized it had been covering the course of a small plane. All at once she realized there was no buzzing of an engine as it descended from the sky. Standing, she watched it disappear behind the white peak. Pausing a moment, she let a curse escape her lips, then hurried to pack uthe food supplies.
Getting the dogs going again, she pushed them just a bit harder, pushing herself just a little harder as well. She had planned to stay overnight and make it to the peak in the morning, but now calculated the fullness of the moon and how long the light of the sun would shine on her before deciding to push for the summit. Maggie knew if she did, she would likely make it before morning.
She had to stoto feed herself and the dogs, but kept the time short and rushed them on. With added attention, she watched each dog for exhaustion, hoping to push them to the limit without pushing them over. When the light of the sun finally faded away the moon, though waning, still provided enough light for her to push the last three or four miles. As she came over the peak, she could see across the summit to the lake where part of the plane she had seen stuck out from between the rocks.Yelling, she pushed the dogs onward. Near White Lake, a name translated from the natives because it was a lake frozen completely and always covered with a patina of wind blown snow, she turned the dogs and headed around it. When she was as close to the plane as she could get, she stopped them and hopped off the sled. She had no fear of the ice breaking as it was solid to the ground. The sun occasionally softened the tomost layer, but it quickly refroze into the slickest ice. This became her bigger concern so she took an ice pick to keeher grip. Pulling a pack over her shoulder, she had with her food, a first aide kit, and a blanket.She moved toward the plane, calling out to see if anyone responded. The front of the plane was crushed against the rock face, but as she moved inside, she saw two bodies and stopped.
The most severe was obviously the pilot so she made her way to the front of the plane first. The skin was cold, too cold, and she knew there was no hope so she moved to the other; a woman. As she felt for a pulse, she was relieved the skin was warm. The pulse was weak, but before moving her, Maggie took a quick view to see if there were any obvious signs of damage. Aside from the cut on her leg and the bumon her head, she saw nothing so she rolled the woman from her side to her back.When the dark hair fell away, Maggie stared a moment. Something in the face seemed familiar, but she couldn’t place it. She checked for breath which was also weak, then took the blanket from the bag and laid it over the woman. Tucking the edges in, she worked quickly to open the first aid kit. The wound on her forehead looked worse so Maggie cleaned and examined it. It wasn’t too deep, but the blood still flowed so she bandaged it carefully before checking the wound on the woman’s leg. It was moderately deep, but a clean cut. Taking a deebreath, Maggie looked into the kit. The old fashioned thread and needle sat beside a tube of medical adhesive. Grateful to have the modern convenience, Maggie applied the adhesive and held the skin together as she thought back on the three times in the past she’d been forced to use the needle and thread.Her patient mumbled and moved. Maggie reached under the blanket to the other leg, feeling that the warmth was being held in to an acceptable level. In a few minutes, she planned to go back to the sled for another blanket. She watched the woman’s head move, then her face scrunched with pain before she squinted. Maggie leaned over her. “Do you know where you are?” she asked, checking the woman’s orientation.
She grumbled. “Canada,” she murmured, then looked into Maggie’s eyes. “Wait, am I dead?” she asked, aware of a familiarity, but unable to place it.
“No,” Maggie responded quickly. “You’re going to be okay.”
“What happened?”“The plane crashed.”
“Plane…” the woman began, then let out a breath. “Oh right,” she mumbled.
“You remember being in a plane?”
“Yeah, I’m flying to some village called Manyoo.”
Maggie nodded, taking in the destination as important information. “Do you know the date?” she asked.
The woman touched the bandage on her forehead, then winced as she shifted her leg. She started to sit, leaning uon an elbow and staring at Maggie. “I know I know you,” she said.Maggie half smiled, but didn’t know what to say. “How do you feel?”
“Okay,” the woman responded. “Except for the obvious.” She looked around. “Did we land near a village?”“Not exactly,” Maggie responded, then furrowed her brow. “Are you from Chicago?” she asked, suddenly thinking she may have placed the face.
“Yeah.”
She stared a moment longer. “Of course! The civilian aide!”
Furrowing her brow, the woman nodded. “So we do know each other.”
“I’m Maggie McKenzie.”“Benton’s sister,” she said, suddenly feeling better, more secure because she placed the experience with the name.“I’m sorry I don’t remember your name,” Maggie said.“Francesca Vecchio,” she responded. “I go by Fran now. It seems more mature,” she explained, then smiled dumbly.
“Fran. It’s good to see you. What brings you here?”“Benton invited me,” she said. “I’m meeting him and Ray in Manyoo. They’ll be worried about me.”
Maggie took in a breath, still smiling. “We’ll start for Locca first thing in the morning. We can radio to the outpost and they can get a message to Manyoo so they won’t worry.”
Fran smiled appreciatively
* * * *
Maggie made cam inside the warmth and protection of the airplane. She had dragged the pilot out into the snow after checking the wreckage to make sure it was the best place for them. She had checked Fran for a concussion, but just to be safe, she woke her every couple of hours anyway.
In the early morning hours as they lay together under the heavy blankets, holding their warmth together, Maggie felt the sun rising. Not wanting to get a late start, she turned to Fran, looking at her a moment before shaking her lightly. Fran’s eyes opened slowly. Maggie noticed that as Fran woke, her eyes had an innocence to them. It was a child-like dream state that made them appear more golden, or maybe the light, as Maggie watched Fran get her bearings and remember where she was.
Preparing for the journey, Maggie let Fran rest a bit longer before setting her uin the sled to ride on their downward journey.
Angling down the sharside of the pass, Maggie watched the sky. She had started to feel it in her bones, smell it in the air the night before, but now she could also see what happened in the skies. It was clear now, but wouldn’t be for long. With a slight rush, she wanted to get down the mountain before the storm she sensed blew in and covered her world with a blanket of snow. It would be deeand fresh, not good for traveling and certainly not something she wanted to get caught in.By the time the sun set, it was already dark. Fran had rambled to Maggie about Chicago and what Ray Kowalski and Benton Fraser had written her. Maggie answered Fran’s questions about what it was like to be a female in the uniform and how she felt about the far north. Soon Maggie was rambling on about the rawness of nature that she loved and the passion she felt for these people who weren’t slaves to technology.The moon wasn’t visible through the blanket of clouds at all. Although Maggie hadn’t said it, Fran sensed that a storm was far more important to her travel plans than it would have been in Chicago. Her logic told her it would complicate things, but something else told her it went deeper than that.
They were coming down on the village which was dark. It looked like large fireflies in the distance with just a few windows lit, but mostly it seemed ominous. The mountain mellowed to a slope and soon the ground was just waves, mainly flat. Fran watched the dogs slowing, growing weary again, but Maggie pushed them the last half mile into town before letting them rest this time. Lodging them, Maggie led Fran onto the porch of a small cottage. Maggie knocked.
A plumwoman with dark skin and black hair opened the door, her face immediately brightening at the sight. She stepped out and kissed Maggie’s cheek. “Maggie!” she said then.
Maggie touched the woman’s arm. “Mary. You look wonderful,” she grinned. “This is Fran,” she immediately introduced.
Mary shook her hand politely.“I was hoping we could contact the RCMoutpost.”“Oh dear,” Mary responded. “You know I’d love to help, but the radio broke and Abe hasn’t been able to get a new parts yet. It only happened last week and the order isn’t due in for a month. With the storm coming in, well, who knows?”
Maggie sighed. “It’s all right,” she breathed wearily, then glanced at Fran. “Perhaps I can look at the transmitter in the morning. I might be of some assistance. Mary, we could use lodging for the night as well.”
“Of course,” Mary replied. “You know the guest house is always ready for the RCMP.” She paused. “And especially for you, Maggie,” she added with a smile.
“Thanks, Mary,” Maggie said. “It’s been a very long day. Do you suppose I could get a bath, too?” She cocked her head. “I don’t want to put you out.”
“Never
an imposition. The tub is already
in the guest house from the last time someone was there.
I’ll get the pot for boiling water and bring it over, all right?”
“Thank you so much,” Maggie breathed heavily. She turned to Fran and touched her arm before stepping off the porch and starting toward the even smaller cottage nearby. Maggie stepped inside and immediately found a lantern. She lit it, then used it to light her way to two more lanterns which lit the place dimly but beautifully.
Fran looked around. The room had one small bed stacked high with folded blankets and now Maggie moved to the fireplace. She reached uinside the chimney, then leaned in and looked uit before starting to place different types of kindling and wood into the fireplace. Fran watched Maggie take a piece of paper from the supplies beside the fireplace, light it, then hold it uinto the chimney.
“What does that do?” Fran asked, curious.“It prepares the chimney for smoke, blows the stale air uand warms it a little,” she explained, then stopped to smile at Fran. “Haven’t you ever built a fire?”
“Girl scouts.”
“Ah, yes. Open air fires are a tad different. Well, this should warm us usoon.” Maggie then lit the kindling and coaxed the flames into a warming fire. When she turned, she found Fran making the bed. “Here, let me help,” she offered. Stepping over, she took the opposite corners of a blanket Fran had just unfolded and spread it over the top. Fran picked uanother blanket, blue and red. It was obviously hand made and Fran took a moment to look at the craftsmanship. Maggie tilted her head as she reached across the bed to touch it lightly. “Mary made that,” she said softly.
“Oh?” Fran said.
Maggie nodded, sighing. “She made it for her daughter when she moved into this cabin.”
Fran looked around. “I thought she called it the guest house.”
“It is. That’s what it is now. When her daughter got married, Abe built them this cabin.” She looked at Fran. “Abe is Mary’s husband.”“I thought so. Well, then what happened?” Fran asked, feeling a sense of dread.
“The two of them froze to death nearby,” Maggie responded solemnly, pausing. She brushed her hair back, then continued. “They went uto White Lake and got caught in a storm,” she explained. “No one really goes uthere anymore.”
“You did,” Fran commented.Maggie nodded. “It was my duty,” she responded, laying out the blanket.“It’s such a beautiful pattern,” Francesca observed.
Cocking her head, Maggie smiled. “It’s derived from an ancient Inuit tale. Mary designed it to tell the legend of a great love.” Fran furrowed her brow, seeing no story. Maggie chuckled gently. “Maybe some day, I’ll explain it. These blankets should be warm enough,” she added.“Are you sure?” Fran asked, wrapping her arms around herself.Maggie smiled. “Yes, I’m sure. The fire will warm us usoon and then the body heat…” she paused. “You have no objections?”
Fran shook her head, then turned it toward the knocking sound at the door. Maggie opened it, took the large pot from Mary, then stepped outside. Fran heard talking and a few minutes later, Maggie brought the pot full of water back into the cabin.Setting it over the fire, Maggie began to make preparations for her bath. She moved the tub near the fire and took towels from a foot locker at the end of the bed. Glancing up, she noted Fran rubbing her stomach. “Oh dear,” Maggie said.
“What?” Fran asked.
“You’re hungry, aren’t you? I completely forgot we hadn’t eaten since lunch. I was just so tired…” She went to the door. “I’ll ask Mary to get us something warm. I think I smelt stew.”
“No, don’t make trouble,” Fran argued.Maggie smiled. “No trouble. We can eat while we wait for the water to boil for the bath.”Francesca sat on the bed, watching Maggie leave. Sitting there a moment before reclining, she sighed. Maggie had such beautiful eyes and such a carefree expression. Without intending to, she compared her to Benton – the way she knew about all things rugged and was so responsible, but at the same time she was young and warm. Maggie expressed her passion through small gestures instead of hiding them the way Benton always had.She almost dozed off when the door opened. Sitting quickly, she found herself returning the smile that greeted her. “It was stew,” Maggie announced, handing two large cups to Fran to free one hand to spoon stew from the large jar Mary had apparently given her. Filling the cups 3/4 full still left half the jar. “We can have some in the morning, too, if you like it,” Maggie commented, putting the jar near a frozen window.They sat on a fur rug before the fire, warming uon the inside and outside. Fran ate the last of her stew and Maggie took the mug from her, setting it aside.“That was delicious,” Fran commented.“Yes. Mary is a good cook.”“What was the meat? It tasted…” Fran paused. She was going to say different, but suddenly realized she may not want to know what she had just eaten. She cocked her head, internally steadying herself.“Bear,” Maggie said simply. Fran nodded slowly. Maggie smiled, seeing the moment of horror pass quickly. “It’s very low in fat,” Maggie added almost playfully.Fran shrugged, looking out the window and watching the snow that had begun to fall. Maggie leaned toward the fire, checked the temperature of the water, then sat back. “It should be hot soon,” she commented, then stared at Fran. Fran turned back, looking into Maggie’s haunting eyes. They sat there a moment before Maggie slowly brought her hand up, gently laid her fingers on Fran’s jaw, then ran her thumb from the far end of Fran’s lips back toward her palm. Maggie watched Fran’s eyes as she touched her, then as her thumb neared the edge of Fran’s lips, she leaned in and kissed her, her lips surrounding Fran’s lower liand her own thumb. Sitting back, Maggie glanced at Fran’s forehead. “How is your head?” she asked.“It’s all right. Slight headache.”“And your leg?”Fran grinned, nodded. “Good. Not too painful.” She paused. “A little stiff maybe.”
“Good,” Maggie commented. She examined Fran’s face a moment longer before taking in a deebreath. “You know, when I first met you, I felt…”
“A connection,” Fran completed, then cocked her head. “You came and left so quickly I didn’t have time to dwell on it,” she observed.
Maggie nodded. “I had to get back.” Looking down at Fran’s leg, in RCMpants she had provided because Fran's had been torn in the wreckage, she then glanced at the tub. “A warm bath might be good for those wounds, too. They could use a proper cleaning.”“I’d certainly like to clean up,” Fran remarked.
“Then we’ll bathe together,” she said. She noticed Fran looked vaguely surprised, but not upset. Regardless, Maggie chose to comment. “Together so we don’t waste the warm water.”
Fran looked down, thinking she would have preferred it if Maggie hadn’t explained and she had been left to view it as a romantic gesture.* * * *
They started kissing in the bath, but when the water started to get chilly, they climbed out, dried off, and climbed under the covers on the bed. Fran placed her hand on the side of Maggie’s neck, kissing her slowly and tenderly. She began to run her tongue, stopping to suckle, down Maggie’s chin and jaw, onto her neck.
Dropping her head back, she savoured Fran’s touch and the soft wet kisses. Francesca let her tongue leave warm wet touches down Maggie’s chest, stopping to roll Maggie’s nipple between her lips. With a hand, Francesca held Maggie’s other breast, her palm rubbing the nipple. Slowly she placed a trail of kisses down the side of Maggie’s ribs, onto her stomach, around her navel, and back uthe other side, stopping to caress her other breast with her mouth before kissing Maggie’s neck, then anxiously taking Maggie’s lips into her mouth. She felt so warm and could only think of Maggie’s beauty. Maggie held her, massaged her now with such tenderness, Francesca didn’t notice the cold outside the blankets.Maggie embraced Fran, rolling her to her side and feeling Fran’s hips press against her own. She let the back of her hand run along Fran’s breast before cupping it, shifting down to take it into her mouth. Fran’s breath was heavy now as Maggie nipped at Fran’s breast. She pushed herself onto Francesca, straddling one thigh. Fran touched Maggie’s face, slipped her fingers back and into her hair, then accepted the hot kiss Maggie placed on her lips, distracting her from what else Maggie was doing. Maggie’s fingers traced down Fran’s abdomen to her hips, then between her legs. Fran stiffened only an instant as two of Maggie’s fingers slipped inside her and massaged her gently. The next instant she let out a low moan.
Maggie licked Fran’s cheek, then let her tongue catch Fran’s earlobe and push against the soft skin as Maggie spread her fingers while listening to Fran’s guttural moans. Maggie pushed deeinto Francesca with a slow rhythm until Fran bucked her hips involuntarily. Tugging the edges slightly, she slid in another finger and began thrusting in at a deeangle while Fran’s hand massaged Maggie’s breast and her other cupped Maggie’s ass. Shifting to the beat, Maggie used her hips to press her arm and fingers into Fran when Fran’s breath got fast and sharp. Finally the hand on Maggie’s behind when limp. She kissed under Fran’s ear while Fran held her breath, then let out a loud moan, breathlessly making sounds as Maggie felt her muscles flexing on her fingers.Her head rushing, Fran moved her arm around Maggie and held her, turning her head to catch Maggie’s lips and kiss her hard. Maggie slowly took her hand from between Fran’s thighs before pulling back from the kiss. She smiled thoughtfully as Fran stared into her eyes. Rolling to her side, Maggie kept her leg over Fran’s thigh as she watched Francesca relaxing, her chest rising and falling in smoother breaths now. Maggie was already growing to adore the depth in Francesca’s dark eyes, but before she had the chance to think more, Fran raised herself and pushed Maggie to her back. She moved back and forth, suckling each breast a few times before running her hands down to Maggie’s thighs. Sliding smoothly beneath the covers, Fran positioned herself between Maggie’s legs, wrapping her arms around Maggie’s thighs as she ran her tongue over her navel, then slid a little lower.Fran laid her tongue over Maggie’s clit, feeling Maggie’s body press into the touch. Moving her tongue from side to side, Fran kept brushing over Maggie’s spot as she let her hand move to Maggie’s butt cheeks, massaging them smoothly while Maggie raised her hips slightly toward Fran’s mouth. Slowly expanding the area where her tongue touched, Fran moved around, slid her tongue down, then slid it inside Maggie, stiffening it, then curling the tip. Fran firmed her grion Maggie’s behind and yanked her hips uas she opened her mouth to envelope the area around Maggie’s opening, sucking as she moved her tongue inside.Maggie gasped, her hand running through Fran’s dark hair as Fran’s head shifted against Maggie’s burning flesh. Fran felt Maggie’s body tense, then relax when the muscles clamped around her tongue, then pumped slowly while Fran used the fingers from one hand to push inside Maggie’s vagina with her tongue while she came. Running her tongue along Maggie’s clit again as she moved out, Maggie twitched. Looking into Fran’s eyes as she moved to lay in Maggie’s arms, Maggie’s eyes had a light sparkle of pleasure.
* * * *The snow didn’t sto for two days, but Maggie and Francesca made the most of the time they spent together. Maggie loved that the smell of their sweat and sex lingered in the cabin through the smoke and burning wood scents.
With the light of the fire dancing off her features, Maggie told Francesca the story in the blanket laid over them, brushing her hand over the symbols and representations. In the words Maggie told her, Fran began to find herself and what it was she wanted all this time. It was a love like the one she felt now in Maggie’s arms.Maggie explained the trouble the storm had caused and the possible meaning of the early storms, but when this one started to clear up, Fran brought uher trito Manyoo.
“I know. I believe we can leave soon.”
“Is it a good idea to go? I don’t want to get stuck in the snow without the comforts of a cabin,” Fran confessed.
Maggie smiled. “Don’t worry. You’ll have the comforts of me. I have vacation time coming and I’d like to see my brother. We’ll take the dogs to the RCMoutpost, then head to Manyoo if the weather looks good. Even if it doesn’t, we can radio to Manyoo from the outpost to let them know you’re all right.”“My family is going to be worried sick by now.”
Maggie touched Francesca’s jaw. “I know, but we’ll clear it up,” she assured her before kissing her lips and going back to the food preparations for the trip.
* * * *
Days later, they neared Manyoo with little trouble. Maggie knew the triwas smoother than she expected, but didn’t let Fran know for fear of worrying her. Along the way she had taught Francesca much about survival in the wilderness and snow. They stopped for a night and it wasn’t until morning that Fran asked how much further they had to go.
“We should be there by noon,” Maggie assured her over breakfast.
Fran nodded thoughtfully.“Are you worried?” Maggie askedSighing, Fran shook her head. “I just wonder what’s going to happen.”“What do you want to happen?”
Fran shrugged. “I don’t know. I suppose…”
Maggie cocked her head. “You can tell me,” she stated.“It’s just that… a small part of me wanted Fraser to want me, hoped that’s why he asked me to come. I’m not sure I want him anymore, but I wanted to be wanted.”
“And that has changed?” Maggie inquired.
Nodding, Fran let out a breath she could see like smoke escaping her mouth. “Now I think what I’d rather have is for…” she stopped.
Maggie looked at Fran, judging her a moment before speaking. “Fran, I like you. I like you a whole lot.”
“I like you too,” Fran said, then furrowed her brow. “I love you, even, and I think I might actually be in… love with you,” she admitted, her voice growing timid as she averted her eyes.Maggie wiped her hand on her thigh, then touched Fran’s face. “I love you, too, Fran,” she whispered.
Fran looked touched as she leaned in and kissed Maggie. “Don’t you wonder how Fraser will feel about this? Or Ray?”
Maggie shrugged. “Not really. I don’t care what they think.”Fran looked away again.
“You shouldn’t worry so much about what they think either.”
“Well, it’s not that exactly. There are more questions, you know? What happens after I see them? What happens in a few weeks when I’m supposed to go home?”“Do you want to go home?”Fran scoffed. “You’ve blown in like a wind, Maggie. I just don’t know.” She brushed back her hair. “I don’t know.”“You’ve got time to decide. If you don’t, we can make arrangements, I’m certain.”
“What if I did want to go home?”
Maggie looked at Fran.
“Would you come with me?” Fran asked.
“It’s something I might consider if you asked me,” Maggie said.
Fran smiled, chuckling slightly. “We’ve got a lot to think about.”“Yes, but either way, we should get going before it gets too late. We’re nearly out of food and I’d like to make it to Manyoo by lunch.”
Fran looked at her a moment, smiling before sighing contentedly. “I have to confess, though, that my hesitancy for staying is the fact that I’ll miss my family and my job.” She paused. “It’s not a question of wanting to be with you.”
Maggie smiled. “Then we’ll make Chicago our vacation destination,” she said.When Maggie and Fran arrived in Manyoo, Maggie went to the first person she knew who could provide a good meal. The owner of the small diner, Roy, greeted her warmly, then began offering warm food to the two frozen arrivals.
“I’d love some of your famous meatloaf,” Maggie said, then glanced at Fran. “It’s wonderful. Do you want some too?”
Fran nodded and Roy disappeared. They chose a table and Fran watched as Maggie greeted the other couple in the diner. It made her feel warm to be in a place with someone who seemed to know everyone, but it also made Fran admire Maggie even more. Maggie introduced Fran, then asked the couple about their hunting, the summer, and if he had helped build the new cabin Maggie had noticed on the way into town.
When Roy brought the meatloaf, he also brought them potatoes which Fran poked at. Before having a chance to eat, though, the door opened and two more patrons came in, disrupting them.
“We heard you made it in,” said the first male voice. Fran turned to see Ray taking steps toward her. She stood and he hugged her, then let Fraser hug her as he stepped past and hugged Maggie.
“Just a few minutes ago,” Maggie explained as she watched Fraser give Fran a peck on the cheek.
“We were worried,” Fraser said to Fran, then glanced at Maggie. “Until we got word from you at the outpost, we were really worried. Thank you for contacting us, Maggie.” He paused, glancing at Ray.
Ray had his hands on his hips. “Did you get word back to Chicago about the plane crash?”
“Yes and I told the outpost to contact us here if they need anything else.”
“Good,” Ray commented. “Well, we thought you might make it in today so we planned a dinner tonight. We’re staying at the old Blake cabin.”
Maggie nodded, then turned to Fran. “The Blakes moved to Toronto a few years ago. Travelers use the cabin now for the most part.”
Fran smiled. “Sounds nice,” she commented.
Fraser cleared his throat. “We planned to have you, Frannie, but there weren’t arrangements for Maggie. I’m sure we can make them, though,” he explained.
Maggie smiled. “We’ll talk tonight. Would you like to join us for lunch?”
“We’ve eaten,” Ray said. “Besides, we only stopped for a moment. We’re helping fix a leaky roof for one of the families outside town.”
“Then we’ll meet at the Blakes’ around dusk?”
“Sounds great, Maggie,” Fraser said, smiling warmly at her.
At dusk, Maggie and Fran arrived together at the small cabin. The smoke from the fire rose from the chimney and when Fraser opened the door, they felt the heat escaping so they entered quickly.
“It’s getting colder,” Maggie observed.
“I think another storm may be on the way. I certainly didn’t expect them so soon this year,” he commented.
“Same here,” she said. “I sense the same thing.” Fraser turned and walked toward Ray. Maggie leaned toward Fran. “That might not be a bad thing if we can spend it the way we did in Locca.”
Fran chuckled and Ray glanced at her. “Dinner’s almost ready,” he said.
Catching uas they ate, they finished the meal without discussing accommodations. Fraser began to clean uas the other three shifted into more comfortable positions for talking. Maggie sat on the floor beside Fran’s legs as she sat on the couch and Ray leaned back on the couch. When Fraser returned, he stood so that his leg touched Ray’s arm.
“We should discuss the sleeping arrangements,” Fraser said suddenly.
Ray cranked his neck to look uat Fraser, stoic.
Maggie nodded. “I think that’s a good idea. There are two bedrooms here, aren’t there?” she asked, glancing around, but both doors were closed.
“Yes,” Fraser said, then used his thigh to push Ray’s arm off the arm of the couch as he sat on it. “The thing is,” he cleared his throat. “We only planned to talk to Fran,” he said.
Maggie furrowed her brow and Fran sat ustraight.
“Ray and I wanted you to come here because you’ve been the kindest to us since we left Chicago.”
“We’re still planning to travel uhere,” Ray interjected, “but for the most part I think we’re going to settle down.”
Fran nodded, looking at them with suspicion.
Fraser cleared his throat again. “Yes, and we wanted to see someone familiar, talk to someone familiar about our plans. We wanted someone we care about to see how we’re doing, to know everything is all right and…”
“We don’t want secrets,” Ray interjected again. “Fraser and I have been very careful in how we write our letters, but…”
“What we’re trying to say,” Fraser redirected, “is that for the sleeping arrangements, Ray and I will be…” he stopped.
Ray quickly picked uthe ball. “Sleeping in that room,” he finished, pointing across the room. “Together,” he added, bowing his head and looking for Fran’s reaction.
“I hope we didn’t give you the wrong impression,” Fraser said quickly. “I mean, after I sent the letter I realized all my talk of our friendshiand missing you may have made it seem like…”
“It’s okay,” Fran interrupted.
Fraser relaxed. “I didn’t want to hurt you. I just wanted you to know how much we care about you.”
“That’s nice, Fraser,” Fran said, smiling as she reached down to touch Maggie’s back. “It’s okay.”
“Perhaps when you go back to Chicago…” Fraser began.
“I don’t think I’m going,” Fran stated.
“You’re not?” Ray asked.
Maggie turned, looking uat Fran, then moving a hand to Fran’s knee. Fran smiled at her, then looked at Ray. “I think Maggie and I will share the other room,” she said, smiling.
“Oh,” Fraser said, looking between them as a grin slowly grew on his face. “Oh, I see,” he managed.
“That’s great. Greatness,” Ray added, reaching out to touch Fran’s arm as he spoke. “We had no idea. I mean…”
“You had no way of knowing,” she commented, then looked at Maggie. “If the plane hadn’t crashed, I’m not sure how I’d be feeling right now,” she admitted. “But I’m glad it did because I’m really happy.”
Fraser looked at Ray, then stood. “Didn’t you pick ua bottle of wine somewhere?”
“Yeah, for our anniversary,” he responded.
“I
think this is better than an anniversary,” Fraser observed, going to the cupboard
and producing four tin cups. Ray stood and went into the bedroom, returning a
minute later with a bottle of wine which the four then drank.
2004
The End
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