Chapter Fifty

Trapper and Leah arrived back at the marina just as the sun set below the western mountain range. They pulled the boat back to the Fallen Leaf Lake house, loaded the back of the Jeep and then headed for Glenbrook. “You look tired,” said Trapper before he cranked the Jeep to leave.

“Long day,” she said with her head laid back on the seat.

“You’ve only eaten once today. I’ll bet your blood sugar is too low.”

She yawned. “You only ate once today, too.”

Leaning over to her and turning her face toward his, he said, “I’m not working back up from heart surgery,” and then kissed her lips. “Where shall we have dinner?” he asked, brushing her hair back away from her face.

“I’d really just like to go home, get packed and go to bed.”

“You can do that after you eat something.”

She giggled. “You wouldn’t be hungry, would you?”

Arching an eyebrow, he grunted, “Mm hm,” and kissed her again.

“The Beacon, then. It’s on the way back to Glenbrook. They have an outside deck right by the lake. Turn at Camp Richardson and go all the way to the end of the road.”

It was well past dark by the time they arrived at The Beacon. The hostess led them through the interior of the restaurant out to the deck and seated them at a table for two close to the rail where they had a view of the lake licking the shore, but not much beyond that. It was a dark night, the moon having yet to make an appearance. A ghostly fog moved over the water toward them, making Leah shiver.

“Are you cold? Our jackets are in the Jeep.”

“No, I’m not cold. It’s the way the fog moves over the lake. It seems rather…chilling.”

“There’s actually something here that scares you?” Trapper asked with a slight teasing smile.”

“I’m not comfortable in the fog alone. Someone or something could be right on top of you before you knew it. I guess that’s a holdover from San Francisco. I really didn’t care before I moved there.”

“I thought you enjoyed San Francisco.”

“Well, watching it from the relative safety of the deck at my apartment, yes. And during the day, that’s okay, too. But no; I don’t typically go out by myself at night. When I get home from work in the dark, I…”

Trapper reached across the table and took her hand. “You what?”

“I get more and more frightened, the closer I get to my door, and when I’m finally inside my apartment, I can’t get the locks thrown fast enough. Then I have to stop and calm down.” Trapper’s smile was gone, his eyes piercing, his jaw set. She met his eyes and saw the same fierce protectiveness she used to see in John’s. “I’ve never really lived alone, Trapper. I left my parents house for college and lived in a sorority house, and from there, I married John. I love the wharf…during the day, and in the early evening, but late at night after everything closes, dark characters come out and roam the streets. Every now and then you hear a scream or what sounds like a gunshot.”

“I was under the impression things had gotten better on the wharf.”

“Better?”

“Well, the wharf was a fairly rough place until it was cleaned up in the last decade. Apparently, there’s still some cleaning up to do.”

“I was under the impression that a good bit of downtown San Francisco is dangerous at night.”

“There are some places you generally don’t want to go if you’re alone. I didn’t realize the wharf was still one of them. Maybe you should move away from the wharf…into one of the safer neighborhoods.”

She smiled. “I should wait to find out where my next assignment will be. Even though Doug promised he would talk to me before I was assigned, there’s still no guarantee it will be in San Francisco. But that’s well down the road, and it depends on what the hospital wants to do for turnover.”

“Have you decided what you’d like to order?” asked the waiter who had approached their table unnoticed.

They both picked up their menus and looked quickly. “I’ll have the lamb,” said Leah, “and water to drink.”

“The filet, medium rare, and a glass of red Bordeaux,” said Trapper, handing the waiter his menu and continuing the conversation with Leah. “Turnover?”

“Well, yes. We don’t stay there forever. We just implement the system. The hospital will have to hire its own staff for maintenance, and if they’re good enough, the upgrades.” Dropping his gaze, Trapper exhaled. “You knew I wouldn’t be at San Francisco Memorial forever.”

Looking back up, he took a deep breath and forced a smile. “I did. It’s just…I guess I never thought about it quite the same way…” he reached out to her hand again, “…that I’m thinking about it now.”

Their eyes locked for a moment until the waiter set their drinks on the table. Leah sat back and looked away, feeling the warmth of her blush while Trapper absently thanked the waiter as he watched her. “Leah, we have some time to figure this out.” Her smile didn’t quite make it to her eyes. “Hey, we had wonderful day,” he said, offering a half smile that got a chuckle out of her.

“You really don’t expect me to believe that you’ve never gone skinny dipping, do you? Besides, that wasn’t exactly skinny dipping, was it?”

“I believe the definition is swimming naked.”

“I always thought it had to be clandestine to be called skinny dipping. There is nothing covert going on at Secret Cove.” He gave her a stuffy gaze. ”Come on,” she said, returning a sideways glance. “It’s very…liberating… don’t you think?” A low rumble started as Trapper stroked his beard trying not to smile. “Admit it, doctor. You liked it.”

He smirked. “The company, perhaps. Maybe in warmer water it wouldn’t have been so…breathtaking.”

“Don’t blame skinny dipping. It wouldn’t have made any difference whether you were naked or not. Swimming trunks wouldn’t change the water temperature.”

It took him a minute to acquiesce, but eventually, he offered, “True.”

She took his hand from its position on the table and squeezed it, leaning in. “You seemed as if you enjoyed it,” she said quietly with raised eyebrows and an impish grin. She waited and watched as he twisted his mouth fighting the grin that was trying to escape.

Finally, he chuckled and shook his head. “Part of it, yes. Now, can we change the subject?”

***

“What are you doing?” asked Trapper as he stepped into her back and craned his head over her shoulder while his hands rested on her hips.

“I’m writing myself a reminder to call the management company tomorrow before we leave to ask them to arrange for the house to be cleaned and to continue renting it. When I come back, it will most likely be to deal with the other house. And I’m writing another note to make sure I don’t forget my swimming gear.” She set the pencil down on top of the piece of paper she shoved to the middle of the counter, and then turned around, moving her arms over his shoulders. “I’m going to start swimming off Ocean Beach. It’s long, so I can swim up and back, and that will just about do it.”

“I don’t want you to deal with the house alone,” he said, kissing her forehead

When she hugged him, laying her head on his chest, he settled his chin over her head. “We’ll see. Your work schedule isn’t exactly easy to work around.”

“It’s not the schedule. It’s the unscheduled emergencies.” She yawned. “Are you still tired?”

Moving away, she sighed and frowned. “Yes, but it is ten thirty,” she answered, leaning to the side to see the kitchen clock.

“I’ll lock up. Why don’t you go on up to bed?” He kissed her and walked her to the bottom of the stairs, sending her up with an affectionate pat on her behind. By the time he joined her in the bedroom, she was already underneath the covers. “You didn’t waste any time,” he said while undressing. She only grunted. When he climbed into bed and leaned over her, she was sound asleep. He pressed two fingers against her neck to check her pulse and watched her chest move up and down, deciding that she was, indeed, just sleeping. Pulling the sheet and blanket over him, he snuggled up against her and was soon asleep himself.

***

Leaning over the back of Leah’s Jeep, Trapper dropped her duffle behind the back seats. “Did you pack a brick?”

“No,” she said, giggling. “My wetsuit and snorkeling stuff are in there.”

“Is that everything?”

“Yep. All we need to do is stop at the fabric store for some muslin and the candle shop for wax. Then we’re off to the aspens.”

“Uh, no.”

“No?” she said, cranking the Jeep and moving the shifter into reverse.

“You, young lady, are going to have breakfast. No more skipping meals,” he said, leaning into the Jeep for a kiss.

She saluted him and answered happily, “Sir, yes sir. Then we are going to The Hut…best breakfast in town. Now, if you’ll move, I’ll back this thing out and you can close the garage door. I’ll meet you at the end of the driveway.”

She waited only a minute until Trapper’s red RX-7 pulled up behind her. Waving, she turned up the hill toward the main road and led him to The Red Hut where they ate waffles for breakfast. The fabric store was closed, so there was no point going by the candle shop for the wax. “I’m sorry, Trapper. I didn’t think about it being Sunday. But we can still go see the carvings if you’d like, and when we get home, I’ll call Belasco and ask him where we can find some rubbings.”

“It’s alright,” he said with a smile. “We’ll be back, won’t we? We can try the rubbings then, and if they don’t turn out, then we’ll go back to Gardnerville.”

“Do you want to see them anyway? I brought a camera back from the Fallen Leaf house, so you can take some pictures to show off.”

“Lead the way.”

The two drove out of South Lake Tahoe on Highway 50 and turned left onto Luther Pass Road into Hope Valley. It was much too early for the aspen to be turning yellow, but the grove off to the left was still handsome with its light green leaves quaking in the breeze and its white trunks in stark contrast. Leah and Trapper walked through the fence gate and into the heart of the grove until she stopped and looked up, turning round and round. “We’re here,” she said, smiling serenely at the sound of the wind whispering through the leaves of the aspen. “Look here,” she said, trotting off in one direction to a tree with a carving of a bird. Trapper walked up behind her and focused the camera, snapping a picture. She pointed behind them and ran excitedly to another tree. “This one is signed and dated,” she said.

Running his fingers over the bark of the tree, he felt where the tree had tried to heal itself over the carving, making the cuts seem deeper. “This is an old one…eighteen eighty-nine,” Trapper said. “I wonder who he was thinking about when he carved this.”

“His wife, maybe?” Or a girlfriend. She’s rather buxom, isn’t she?”

Many of the carvings were of names and dates. They had to look carefully for carved figures. When Trapper had a dozen or so, he let the camera hang from the strap around his neck, and reached out for Leah. “Come ‘ere,” he said, surrounding her with his arms. “How many people do you think know about this grove?”

“I’m sure some of the locals do, but not many tourists, and the ones who do were probably brought out here by a local and sworn to secrecy. Take it all in, Trapper. These individuals are very old, and they’re dying. And when they do, the Basque carvings die with them.” Trapper took several more pictures of the grove before they left.

***

Trapper and Leah were back at her apartment by six in the evening. Taking her duffle from the back of the Jeep, he escorted her up to her apartment door where she found a note taped to the door.

She pulled it off and read it to herself. “Oh no.”

“What is it?”

“It’s Marilyn. It didn’t work out.”

“What didn’t work out?”

“Do you remember I told you that I’d have to give up my apartment if the woman I leased from decided married life wasn’t for her?” He nodded. “Well, I guess she’s decided married life isn’t for her. I have a week to get out.” She dropped her hand to her side and fell back against the door. “Now what?”

Trapper pulled the key out of his pocket and unlocked the door. “Shall we?” he said, motioning for her to lead the way inside. He deposited the duffle on her bed, and went back out of the bedroom to find her leaning on the half wall of the deck.

“I’m going to miss this place,” she said sadly.

He moved his arms around her and stood against her back. “I thought you were frightened living on the wharf.”

“I’m not frightened up here. Look at the view.” Sighing, she added, “I don’t want to leave.”

“Are you going to be able to get all this out by next week?”

Leaning back against him, she placed her hands on his arms crossed in front of her. “The furniture isn’t mine. It’s hers. I have a few boxes, my clothes and some odds and ends. A couple of trips in the Jeep ought to do it. I guess I’ll move into a hotel until I can find another place.”

“Why go to a hotel? Stay with me.”

He loosened his hold as she turned in his arms to face him. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.” Taking a deep breath, he exhaled loudly as he pursed his lips. “Trapper,” she said, moving her hand to the side of his face and running her thumb over his lips, “We’ve had some wonderful days away from our normal lives. I’m not sure living under the same roof, even for a few days, when both of us are returning to our jobs at the same hospital with two completely different sets of priorities is something we need right now.”

“I don’t agree. You can have a separate bedroom, and with you working normal hours, the likelihood of us seeing that much of each other outside the hospital is slim because,” he chuckled, “my hours are not normal.”

“Did you just hear what you said? You’re standing here telling me that I should stay with you because I won’t see you. Is that how you’ve arranged your life since your divorce? Not that I’m even thinking about marriage myself, but if we’re going to continue this…whatever this is, I would certainly want see you away from the hospital.”

He dropped his hands to his sides, and she stepped away. “It’s already started, hasn’t it?” she sighed. “We’re not even back at work yet.”

He took her hand and pulled her back into him. “Are you giving up before we even get started?”

“No,” she said emphatically, looking into his eyes. I’m just…scared, I guess, that our jobs will ruin this.”

Moving a hand to her cheek, he smiled. “We just have to give it a chance…and work out the rough spots as they come up. Now, will you please consider occupying my spare bedroom instead of moving into a hotel?”

“If I can’t find a place in the next week, I’ll…” she winced uncomfortably, “…stay at your place…until I can find something.”

“Good. Now, we still have a few hours left. What shall we do?”

Stepping into his arms, she slowly moved her arms around his neck, and began swaying back and forth, smiling up at him. “We could put on some slow music.”

“And dance,” he said as he began to move with her.

“And we could order dinner in and spend the rest of the evening here.”

Nodding slightly, smiling, and hovering his lips near hers, he whispered, “And have a last hurrah before it’s finally over,” before he slowly and tenderly kissed her.

“Something like that,” she said softly, touching his lips, her mouth opening to his next kiss.