Shawn went into the diner at her regular time, but once the breakfast rush was over, she took her car to the local garage to have a new tire put on. The owner of the garage talked her into replacing all four tires since they were starting to wear thin. Winter would be upon them soon, and she’d need the snow tires in better condition. The smell of rubber and oil drove her to take a walk in the fresh air since Al assured her it would take an hour or so. No use in going back to work for such a short time especially since this was her “slow time” of the year. The summer tourists had all but disappeared, and the snow bunnies wouldn’t be in full swing until the Thanksgiving holiday that was still a few weeks away. They were still pretty busy, but it was mostly the locals that came in now.
Shawn considered going by Paige’s ice cream shop, but something made her turn and walk in the opposite direction. She entered a shop that mostly catered to tourists. There were knickknacks, apparel, and wood-carved bears that were so popular with the locals and tourists.
“Hey, Shawn. What brings you in?”
“Hey, Marcy. I’m getting my tires changed at Al’s so I figured I’d do a little window shopping. You been out riding lately?” Shawn and Marcy sometimes mountain biked together or went hiking. She was an ex-girlfriend but also one of her best friends up at the lake, and the one who urged Shawn to give dating Paige a little more time to see if more feelings appeared. Marcy was one of the few single lesbians that lived in town full-time, but unlike Shawn, Marcy was more of a granola girl. She liked flowy, hippie style dresses that she wore with Teva sandals in the summer, and tights and Ugg boots in the winter. She was also vegan whereas Shawn was a meat and potatoes type of person, and Marcy didn’t eat anything that wasn’t organic. She had a great sense of humor even if she was a bit flighty.
“No, I’ve been busy with the shop. The girl who was helping me met a guy from San Francisco, and she decided to move to the city to be closer. You know of anyone looking for a job?”
“No, but I’ll keep my ear to the ground. Let me know if you get some free time and want to ride. I’m just gonna take a look around.”
“Sounds good. Let me know if you need anything.”
Shawn gave a wave and went about her perusing. She looked at some hats and some work done by local artists, both paintings and prints. Some of them really caught the beauty of the Tahoe sunrises and sunsets with a mixture of shades of purple, orange, and yellow. She picked up a book titled A City Girl’s Guide to Mountain Living. Her mind went to Morgan, and she had to chuckle. She scanned the table of contents and knew immediately she’d buy it for Morgan. Everything from starting a fire, winter driving, hiking with the right equipment, and what to do if you come across a wild animal, including bears, coyotes, and mountain lions. The more she read, the more she realized that there was actually good information in the book. She picked out a magnet with a picture of Emerald Bay, and she took both items up to Marcy.
Shawn laughed when Marcy held up the book and raised an eyebrow. “There’s a lady staying in the cabin up the street from my house, and I’ve already had to get her heater lit and start a fire for her.”
Marcy’s body shook with laughter. “There are so many things I can say about that. So. Many. Things.”
Shawn felt her face warm and knew she’d never live that down. “What I meant was—”
Marcy held up her hand to stop Shawn from digging herself further into innuendo. “I know exactly what you meant, Casanova. Does Shawny have a crush?”
There weren’t too many people other than her grandfather who she’d allow to call her Shawny, but since Marcy was her best friend and didn’t have a mean bone in her body, Shawn let her get away with it.
“No, you know I’m seeing Paige. I’m just trying to help her out so she stops calling on me to save the day.” Shawn bit the inside of her cheek, anticipating Marcy’s next comeback.
“Uh-huh. How old do you think she is?”
Shawn shrugged. “Maybe about my age, give or take a couple of years.”
“Is she pretty?”
“I mean, she’s not bad to look at.” Shawn rubbed the back of her neck. That was the understatement of the year. Shawn could spend her days and nights looking at Morgan and not miss another thing.
Marcy looked like she might slap Shawn upside her head. “So why wouldn’t you want her to call you if she needed help? Are you nuts?”
“Marcy, look, she’s a tourist, okay? Besides, hi, remember Paige? The girl I’m dating? You know I’m trying to settle down with just one person. I really don’t have a desire to continue being promiscuous.”
“I know, but you said you didn’t reciprocate her feelings. Maybe it’s time to send ole Paige packing. Maybe see if your new neighbor is the one to set your loins on fire.”
“Oh, my God, you did not just say that. Marce, she’s a tourist. She won’t be sticking around. I want to be with someone I can see a future with. Sure, it’s not Paige, but it won’t be with the neighbor either.” Shawn needed to stop procrastinating and break up with Paige. She just didn’t want to hurt her. She needed to find the courage to talk to her. She’d considered just acting like an asshole so Paige would break up with her, but Shawn wasn’t an asshole and she’d feel like an even bigger one if she behaved that way. Possibly the biggest asshole of all the assholes.
“Are you sure about that? How much do you know about her?”
“I know she doesn’t know how to start a fire or light a pilot light.”
“Besides that, Lumber Jane. Is she psychotic?”
“What? No!”
“Well, she has that going for her. Look, you’re not getting any younger, and it seems like you’re wasting time with Paige since you aren’t feeling it with her. Even if nothing comes out of your time with the neighbor, you might even make another friend. Or, and hear me out, she might just end up rocking your world.”
“Jesus. Just ring up my things so I can leave you and your crazy ideas.”
“You still love me, right?” Marcy looked at her with puppy dog eyes even though they were half covered with her wavy bangs.
“I do, and I appreciate you looking out for me, but I’m not interested in just sex. I want a relationship, a partner I can grow old with. I won’t get that from Morgan.”
“Ooh, her name is Morgan? I love that name. Very sexy. Morgan and Shawn.” Marcy looked like she was rolling the names around on her tongue. “Your names sound good together. I wonder what her sign is and if it’s compatible with yours.”
“Stop. It’s not going to happen. Can you just ring up my stuff please?”
“Fine.” Marcy’s bottom lip jutted out like a pouting three-year-old.
Shawn leaned over the counter and gave Marcy a kiss on the cheek. “Love you. Let’s go riding soon before winter comes.”
“Love you too. Tell Morgan to come by my shop.”
“Hell, no!” Shawn laughed as she left the store. She looked at her watch and she still had thirty minutes before her car would be done. She ducked into her favorite sandwich shop that was in the next building over from Marcy’s.
“Hey, Shawn. What’re you doing out and about?”
“Hi, Chris. Al’s putting new tires on my car so I thought I’d walk around a bit. I just came from Marcy’s then decided to come over to my favorite sandwich shop and get some lunch.”
“It’s good to see you. Want your usual?”
“Yeah, that sounds good. Wrap it up to go, will ya? The day’s too pretty to be inside when I don’t have to.”
“I hear that. A storm is supposed to be coming early next week so enjoy it while you can.”
“Thanks, Chris.” Shawn took her sandwich and soda and walked down the sidewalk until she came across the beach access. She hopped up on the stone covered retaining wall and unwrapped her sandwich. A sign it was off-season, there weren’t too many people on the beach. The sky was the color of sapphires, as was the lake. One thing that always amazed her was that the lake was a microcosm of the sky because of the clarity of the water. Shawn found it was easiest for her to get lost in thought when she could sit by the water and listen to the tiny waves lap up on the beach.
Shawn thought about what Marcy had said while she ate her lunch. Yes, it was true she didn’t feel romantic feelings for Paige, and the sooner she broke it off with her the better. It wasn’t right to lead her on knowing that she wouldn’t feel more for her. But she also was at the point where meaningless hookups didn’t appeal to her either. Besides the fact that Shawn had no idea if Morgan was even interested in women, the fact remained that she wasn’t a local. Starting something with Morgan didn’t feel right to her knowing it would end when Morgan left. Shawn could never move off the mountain to follow anyone. She shouldn’t say never. She’d never fallen in love with someone hard enough that she would follow them anywhere. Even as a child, though, spending her summers at the lake with her family, she knew that was where she’d end up. It took her a while to get back to Tahoe full-time, but now that she was there, she didn’t ever want to leave.
There was something magical about Lake Tahoe. Maybe it was the clean air. Maybe it was the clear water. Maybe it was the laid-back lifestyle of living in the mountains. But no matter how busy she was at the diner, Shawn always felt at peace. She’d continued her grandfather’s legacy, and she’d made some really good friends. This small community watched out for each other, and it would be really hard to find that family atmosphere anywhere else.
Her thoughts went to Morgan as she took a drink of her soda to wash down her sandwich. She couldn’t deny her initial physical attraction to Morgan, but she hadn’t spent any significant time with her to see if there was anything more. Shawn was too busy to spend any time with her, that is, even if Morgan wanted to spend time with Shawn. Maybe she could invite her for a hike, or a kayak trip out on the lake. According to Chris, she might not be able to go kayaking much longer if a storm was heading their way.
Shawn crumpled up her wrapper and dumped that and her empty cup into the trash can as she made her way back to the garage to pick up her car. Shawn had decided she would drop off the book at Morgan’s cabin before she went home. Maybe she’d appreciate an invitation to explore the outdoors of Lake Tahoe. That might be asking for trouble, spending more time with Morgan. Hell, she might not want to do anything with Shawn anyways. Shawn drove by Paige’s ice cream shop and felt a twinge of guilt that she’d had no desire to see Paige today. She would have to call her later to see if they could get together and talk. Marcy was right. The sooner Shawn broke it off, the sooner they could both move on.
Shawn stopped by the diner to see if they needed her, but by the look of the parking lot, they probably weren’t busy. She spoke to Shorty, and after he assured Shawn they didn’t need her, she drove home. There was still plenty of daylight, and the weather was warm enough, so she decided she’d take Jameson on a hike. There was a nice trail that started up the street, one that only the people in her neighborhood knew about since it was pretty much made by them. The hike led to a small pond that was surrounded by wild grass and aspen trees. To Shawn, that was her happy place.
She packed a small backpack with some just-in-case essentials—waterproof matches, compass, first aid kit, a space blanket, some protein bars, and water. She grabbed her bear spray and attached it to her belt. The black bears up in Tahoe typically weren’t aggressive, but it was always better to be safe than sorry. Shawn leashed Jameson’s harness and started toward Morgan’s cabin. The Steller’s jays were squawking from the trees, and the whisper of the wind rustled the pine needles. A pair of squirrels bravely crossed before them and scampered up a pine tree, but Jameson knew better than to give chase. He’d chased after a skunk a couple of years ago and got sprayed. Ever since, he’d left the wildlife alone.
She climbed up the wooden stairs to the front deck of Morgan’s cabin and knocked on the door. Morgan’s eyes grew wide when she opened the door.
“Hey, sorry to bother you, but I got you something and I wanted to drop it off.”
Morgan opened the bag and laughed when she saw the book. She pulled out the magnet next and smiled. “Thank you. That was very sweet of you to think about me.”
If only Morgan knew how much Shawn thought about her in the past couple of days. Shawn looked down at her feet and shrugged, now feeling embarrassed by her gifts. Morgan was probably the type of woman who was used to the finer things in life, and here Shawn was giving her a book and a magnet. Geez.
“You want to come in for a bit?”
“Oh, no. I have Jameson and we’re about to take a little hike.” The frown on Morgan’s face made Shawn ask the next question. “Would you like to go with us? We’ll only be gone for two or three hours.”
“Really? I’d love that!” The smile on Morgan’s face made Shawn really glad she asked her. “Come on in. Let me change.”
Morgan had been in lounging-type clothes, but she returned from her room wearing loose-fitting jeans, a zippered hoodie, and hiking boots that looked and smelled like they just came out of the box.
“Uh, are those new?” Shawn pointed at Morgan’s boots. Her feet would be full of blisters by the time they finished their hike.
“Kind of.” The blush that colored Morgan’s cheeks was adorable. “I wore them around the house for a week before I came up here. They’re clean but broken in.”
“Excellent. You ready?”
Morgan grabbed her keys and slid them into her front pocket after she locked the door. Shawn chuckled.
“What’s funny?”
Shawn shook her head. “Nothing. We just don’t normally lock our doors around here, at least not during the day. We only lock the doors at night or if we’re going away.There’s no one around except for the ten or so people who live in the neighborhood. We all look out for each other.”
“Well, I live in Sacramento near downtown. I lock the doors even when I’m home. Unfortunately, there are a lot of homeless people down there. A few politicians too, which I think I’m more afraid of.”
Shawn laughed. “I used to live in Citrus Heights so I know exactly what you’re talking about. That was another lifetime ago, and a totally different world from here.”
They walked easily on the road that would lead them to the trail.
“Did you work in a restaurant in Sacramento?”
“No, nothing like that. I used to work in advertising, but I got sick of the office politics and I needed a change.” Shawn didn’t want to go into exactly what caused her to leave. Even though she’d been in Tahoe for ten years, the fact that the woman who was not only her colleague, but also her lover, betrayed her for her own corporate ladder-climbing still stung. She shoved that memory to a back corner in her mind. What good was it dwelling on the past since she couldn’t change it? Besides, she loved where she ended up. If she had stayed in advertising, she might have been burned out by now. It wasn’t unusual for her to put in over fifty hours a week. The money was good, but she never had time for fun or relaxation.
They reached the self-made trailhead and started their trek deeper into the forest. Sunlight streamed through the trees providing them plenty of light to see but kept the temperature cooler.
“This is an interesting hiking trail.” Morgan glanced at Shawn with a smirk.
“That’s because it’s not technically a hiking trail. Some of the residents around here made the trail themselves. You won’t find any forest rangers around here. Just us and nature at its finest. Besides, it’s easier to hide the bodies if no one knows where to look.” Shawn winked and Morgan cuffed her on the arm.
“That’s not funny. I’ve seen plenty of slasher films that involve crazy guys like Jason and Michael. The people always get knocked off in the woods.”
“I promise to protect you if we run into anyone I don’t know.”
“Going from advertising to working in a diner is quite a drastic change.”
“True, however, I own that diner. My grandfather, Ray, started it in the early seventies, and he left it to me when he died. My home used to be my grandparents’. They built it themselves and we would come up to spend time with them often. When he died, I had our two chefs run the place since they’d been with my grandad for a while. They still pretty much run the place, and I just try to stay out of the way,” Shawn said with a laugh.
“Well, you’re obviously doing something right. It seems like it’s pretty busy, and the food there is delicious.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it. What do you do for work?”
“Outside sales for a medical device company. We manufacture joint replacement prostheses and surgical tools. I love my job, but it’s stressful and busy.”
Shawn and Morgan exited the canopy of Jeffrey pine trees into the view of a medium-sized pond surrounded by tall wild grass that was so bright green, the blades nearly shined. The field was rimmed by quaking aspens, their golden leaves quivering with the light breeze.
“Here we are.”
“Wow.” The look of wonder that engulfed Morgan’s face was a sight to see. Shawn had been here too many times to count, but she continued to be in awe of the splendid beauty this hike had to offer. It was even more special to see Morgan experience it for the first time.
“Shawn, am I dreaming? Is this for real? Maybe I was killed by a serial killer and this is heaven.”
Shawn laughed at Morgan’s sense of humor. “It’s heaven all right, but right here on earth.”
“I can’t believe a place this stunning actually exists. There are no words that can do this justice.”
Shawn followed Morgan as she moved closer to the pond until they were standing on the bank. “I don’t get stressed out often, but when I do, this is what I think of as my happy place. If the weather doesn’t allow me to hike it, I have a large portrait of it in my bedroom that I can look at.”
Morgan took out her phone and started taking pictures. Shawn took a few steps back to give Morgan some room. She unclipped Jameson’s leash and told him to stay close. Shawn took that opportunity to study Morgan. She certainly looked more relaxed now than she did just a couple of days ago. Morgan was an attractive woman, even with the worry lines etched into her forehead. Shawn had a desire to smooth them out with her thumb and ask Morgan why she was worried. She also seemed sad, but Shawn didn’t know how to go about asking her about it.
Jameson walked into the pond and slowly stepped into it until he started swimming. Morgan laughed, and Jameson became the new subject of her photographs. The dog swam across the pond a few times before he got out and shook the water off him and onto Morgan. Shawn quietly called Jameson and clipped his leash back on.
“Morgan, look behind you but move slowly and be quiet.” The fear in Morgan’s eyes was hard to miss. “It’s okay, just do it. I promise it’s not a serial killer.” Shawn stood close to Morgan and could feel her tremble. She pointed to a mama bear and her two cubs walking across the meadow, and Morgan gasped as she grabbed Shawn’s arm with a death grip.
Shawn kept her voice low so as not to disturb the bears. “Don’t worry. They’re far enough away that they won’t bother us.”
“Easy for you to say,” Morgan whispered anxiously.
“Once they go into the trees, we’ll head back. Do you want to take pictures?”
“I can’t. My hands are shaking too bad.”
Shawn took Morgan’s phone, zoomed in, and took some shots. She switched to video when the bear siblings started to wrestle with each other. Shawn snuck a peak at Morgan whose eyes were wide and her lower jaw dropped. Morgan obviously did not believe what she was seeing. Black bears were commonplace in Tahoe, but as far as bears went, they were pretty docile as long as they were left alone. They got into trouble occasionally if trash wasn’t properly disposed of in bear-proof trash cans, or if people tried to get too close to the cubs.
The bears had disappeared into the trees, and Shawn took Morgan’s hand. “Come on, let’s go.” Shawn’s heart was pounding, and she wasn’t sure if it was because of the bears or Morgan’s hand in hers. Morgan’s hand was warm, and Shawn could feel herself warming up. They headed back to the trail, and Morgan’s breathing was loud, so Shawn stopped them.
“Are you okay?”
“Shawn, we could’ve been mauled. How are you not freaking out?”
She chuckled and squeezed Morgan’s hand before letting go. She immediately missed the contact, but she wanted to pull out a bottle of water for Morgan. “Here, drink this and try to slow your breathing before you hyperventilate. I’m used to seeing the bears around, but I still get a little nervous.”
They started walking again, and Morgan grabbed Shawn’s hand and held tight until they got back to the road. As they made their way toward Morgan’s cabin, Shawn gave her a brief Bear 101 lesson.
“Listen, they won’t bother you as long as you leave them alone and give them a wide berth. They’re around people all the time, and mostly they’re just looking for food. Make sure you throw your trash in the bear cans, don’t leave food in your car, and don’t cook with your windows or doors open unless you want company for dinner.”
Morgan unlocked the door and invited Shawn inside. Jameson was mostly dry by the time they arrived, but Shawn told him to lie down right inside the door.
“What do you mean don’t leave food in cars? Surely they can’t get in.”
Shawn laughed when Jameson let out a loud huff as if he was saying, “Trust me, lady, don’t chance it.”
“They break into cars and even know how to open the car doors if they’re unlocked. Take a look at the video I shot for you.”
Morgan pulled the phone out of her pocket and unlocked the screen. As the video started rolling, Morgan was amazed at the slow, lumbering gait of the mama bear, and she laughed when she saw the cubs chase and wrestle each other. Morgan was too freaked out at the time to truly appreciate how special that moment was, but she was grateful that Shawn had the inclination to take the video.
She looked at the other pictures she had taken of the meadow and pond, and they were good, but they couldn’t do the reality of it justice. The vibrancy of the greens of the wild grass and pine needles, the golden yellows of the aspen trees, and the rich blue of the sky. Even if Morgan hadn’t taken any pictures, she knew she’d never forget that place.
“I can’t thank you enough for inviting me with you today, Shawn.”
“I’m glad you could go with us. So, I never asked. How long will you be staying?”
Morgan looked upward and scrunched her nose, trying to think how long she’d been there already. “About another week and a half. I got here Saturday night. What day is today?”
Shawn laughed. “It’s Tuesday. Hey, I get it. Time is easily distorted when you’re here. When I came up here for the summers when I was a kid, it seemed like the days would last forever, but before I knew it, my summer break was over and I had to go back to school.”
“Yes, that’s exactly it. I haven’t done much since I’ve been here, but just like that, three days have passed.”
Shawn stuck her hands in her pants pockets and rocked back on her heels. “So, what do you have planned for the rest of your time?”
Was it Morgan’s imagination, or did Shawn seem suddenly nervous around her? “Well, I’m supposed to be working on myself, sort of self-reflection, but I’m having a difficult time trying to quiet my mind.”
Shawn looked confused, but Morgan knew how she felt. She was still confused how her personal life had blown up in front of her face. “It’s a long story that I’d rather not get into now.”
“No, no, that’s fine. I just wanted to offer my services to you.”
Morgan smirked and raised her eyebrow in suspicion, but she was amused at the look of mortification on Shawn’s face.
“That’s not what I meant.” Shawn ran her hand down her flushed face and blew out a loud breath. “What I meant to say before I stuck my foot in my mouth is that the diner closes at three, and I usually do something after work, so if you’d like to join me, I’d like to invite you.”
“What kind of things are you talking about?” Morgan so wanted this conversation to go in an innocent flirty direction. Morgan could think of all kinds of activities she’d like to do with Shawn if she had her head screwed on right. But maybe she could split her time. Until Shawn got off work, Morgan could work on herself, then in the afternoon, she could enjoy her time with Shawn.
“We could go hiking again, kayaking, ride bikes, or go for a drive so you can see more scenic spots of the lake and mountains.”
“That sounds magical. Are you sure you don’t have better things to do than hanging out with me?”
“Sure, I’m sure.” Shawn’s grin and the sparkle in her eyes almost made Morgan swoon. She hadn’t noticed the shallow dimples that adorned both of her cheeks, but there they were and they just added to her good looks. There were certainly worse ways to spend her time over the next week and a half.