Megan could not believe how easy and beautiful it was having Hunter here beside her, working in her home every day. As she cleaned up the kitchen and he was out chopping wood in the back, it seemed as if they’d been together like this forever. Every night they would go to his cabin, make love all night long, then come back to the house in the morning. Mallory’s room wasn’t ready yet and she slept at Megan’s parents. Megan’s parents thought that Megan was sleeping back at the house. It didn’t matter what they thought, it was none of their business.
The other guys in the crew only came in the afternoon. When no one was around, Hunter would take little breaks from work, come into the house, hold Megan, tell her how beautiful she was, then return to the job. Megan had never received that kind of spontaneous love and attention. In fact, she could think of nothing but Hunter, all day long. She planned their meals, bought delicacies and even started a collage of wild flowers for him, something she hadn’t done for years.
It was all easy and natural, things flowed on their own. Megan couldn’t even get over how happy Mallory was around when she came home in the afternoons. She’d giggle, laugh, hug Megan and run out to where Hunter was working to talk to him, show him her drawings and receive his warm praise.
“I love having him here,” Mallory said to Megan one afternoon. “I hope the job lasts for a hundred years.”
Megan laughed, and as she watched Hunter and Mallory together. It made her love him even more. She was grateful that he was so loving towards her, could replace the empty place in Mallory’s heart since her dad had disappeared. Most days it seemed as if they were already a family, a different family from the one before, too. They were closer, warmer, filled with laughter. It was only now that Megan was realizing how lonely her days and nights had been with Kyle. Actually, he was gone long before he disappeared. She felt badly that she’d been so unaware, had never really known her husband, and knew Hunter so much better even after this short time.
Megan suggested to Hunter that they go into town together for dinner, but he said it was too soon. He was cautious, balanced, aware of repercussions. Hunter took his relationships with others slowly and carefully. Not his relationship with Megan, though. There he was impulsive, had completely thrown caution to the wind. Both of them were flowing with a strong stream of energy that was taking them into a region they’d never been before. The current was too strong to swim against anyway, and neither had the desire to swim against the tide. Why should they? This was a stream that was taking them exactly where they’d always longed to be.
“I love you, I love you,” she’d whispered to Hunter all night long.
He held her closer. “I loved you the minute I saw you,” he whispered. “I’ll love you until this very earth disappears.”
Words were unnecessary and yet needed to be spoken. Neither of them ever asked what was going to happen next or where they were headed. It was a wonderful relief to just let the stream flow on its own and trust life completely.
The telephone rang now in the kitchen, interrupting her thoughts. Megan was startled, no one ever called this early. She picked up.
Angela was on the other end of the phone. It wasn’t like her to call first thing in the morning. Megan was momentarily concerned.
“It’s been ages since I’ve seen you,” Angela said, her voice pouty.
“I’m so sorry,” said Megan, “it’s been crazy here.”
“I can only imagine,” Angela was sympathetic. “But I need to talk to you. I have news.”
Megan’s heart started beating. Finally, Angela and Brian were getting engaged. She was so happy for Angela.
“What’s the news?” Megan got excited. “Brian finally proposed?”
“No,” said Angela, silently.
“What?” asked Megan, nervous.
“I’m breaking up with him,” Angela said.
Megan was startled. “Really? How come?”
“For all the reasons you and I have talked about for years. The relationship is going nowhere,” Angela’s voice sounded sharp.
“I know how hard it must be, “said Megan softly then. “I’m proud of you.”
“It’s actually not so hard,” said Angela, bitterness still in her tone. “What’s harder is not having a chance to be with my best friend and talk about it in person. You’ve stopped answering the phone.”
“Not always,” said Megan. “I’m just busy with this and that.” She couldn’t say a word about Hunter to Angela, not yet, not now.
“Are you free tonight for dinner?” Angela asked.
Megan wasn’t. She and Hunter were planning to take a hike near the cabin before dinner. They’d both been looking forward to it.
“How about tomorrow night?” Megan suggested.
“Why not tonight? What are you so busy with to put me off?”
Megan took a deep breath. She wasn’t going to take this personally. Angela could go on the war path in a moment’s flash. Then she was herself again. It was natural that she’d be edgy these days if she was breaking up with Brian after all these years.
“I’d love to do it tomorrow night,” said Megan. There was no way she could cancel plans with Hunter. “What’s wrong with tomorrow?”
“What’s wrong with tonight?” Angela asked, zoning in. “What more important?”
“It’s not that it’s more important,” said Megan, “it’s just that I already have plans.”
“With who?” Angela was relentless.
It was nobody’s business. Megan wouldn’t be under the gun. She’d tell Angela about Hunter when she was ready, when Angela could be happy for her. For a long while Megan said nothing.
“Look, you can stop pretending. Word is out. I’ve heard about it already,” Angela’s sounded incensed.
Word was out? Megan’s heart started beating fast. What was she talking about?
“You heard about what?” asked Megan, pretending to be calm.
“Heard that you’ve taken up with some workman who’s at your house every day.”
Megan’s face flushed and she felt punched in the stomach. Angela spoke in such a disparaging tone.
“Some workman?” Megan echoed, offended.
“Come on, let’s have it,” Angela said.
“I don’t refer to people as some workman,” Megan responded.
“Oh Jesus, sounds like you’re hooked, taking a ride on the merry go round.”
Megan wanted to hang up, but didn’t.
“I don’t know what you’ve heard, or from whom,” Megan retorted sharply, “but I don’t like the tone in your voice.”
This was a new Megan responding, Angela was taken aback.
“Okay, okay, hold on a minute. Peter told me that this guy was hanging around, the gorgeous one that the women in town are talking about. Peter doesn’t like it, one bit.”
Rage flashed through Megan. What business was this of Peter’s anyway, and how dare he going talking about it to others?
“Don’t believe everything Peter tells you,” Megan quipped back.
Now it was Angela’s turn to grow silent. “I thought you and Peter were good friends.”
“Not if he’s spreading rumors about me,” Megan said.
“In fact,” Angela went on, “I always thought you two were more than friends.”
Megan thought Angela was going a little crazy. It was understandable though if she and Brian were just breaking up. Anything was understandable when love failed.
“I never liked him that way,” said Megan. “I told you many times.”
“He liked you though,” said Angela in a biting tone.
“What difference does it make?” said Megan. “I never lied to him, always told him how I felt. Feelings have to be mutual, or else what have you got? Seems like you’re learning that now, yourself.”
“Yes, I am,” said Angela quietly.
“Good. Well, I never had romantic feelings for Peter,” said Megan “and I never will.”
“You’re making a mistake, Megan,” Angela said softly then. “Peter’s a good man, he cares for you. I don’t know who this new guy is, but it can’t lead to anything worthwhile.”
Megan bristled from head to toe. How dare Angela say that? How did she know? What did she know about Hunter, or about Peter for that matter?
“I always thought you and Peter were perfectly suited,” Megan said quietly now.
“But he doesn’t care for me, he cares for you. He always has, he always will,” said Angela sadly.
“Maybe right now, but feelings change,” Megan said. “Give it some time.”
“He doesn’t care for me that way,” Angela repeated.
“Well, that’s his loss,” said Megan. “Because you’re terrific woman and you deserve someone worthwhile, too.”
“Who knows if we get what we deserve?” Angela responded. “Look at you, caught up with a perfect stranger, someone you don’t know a thing about. He could make a huge fool of you!”
That was all Megan could take. “I’ll talk to you later, Angela,” she said then, breathless.
“Wait a minute, wait a minute,” I’m not trying to hurt you.
But Megan quickly hung up the phone.
Sweat broke out on Megan’s forehead. She’d grown so much since all of this happened, she couldn’t relate to Angela anymore. How could she ever explain to Angela the deep happiness she’d found with Hunter? She couldn’t and didn’t want to.
Megan sat down on a chair, momentarily exhausted and drained.
In a little while Hunter came up into the house, to refill his coffee mug.
“Hey, what’s going on?” he asked. “You look like someone knocked the life out of you.”
Megan was glad he was there. “Just a call from an old friend,” she said.
Right away Hunter realized what happened, it was easy to see that.
“And?” Hunter said, coming over to where she was sitting and kneeling down.
“That guy Peter’s spreading rumors about us in town,” Megan said.
“Jesus Christ,” said Hunter, “hasn’t he got better things to do?”
“I wouldn’t have expected this,” said Megan.
“He’s probably jealous,” said Peter.
“He spoke to my friend Angela about it. She didn’t have a good thing to say.”
“Nobody will,” said Hunter. “They’ll say I’m a wandering man, floated in from nowhere, and will float out in the flash of lightening.”
“She didn’t say that exactly,” Megan shivered. The thought of Hunter’s being gone in the flash of lightening was awful.
“But she said something like that, right?” Hunter kept his eyes glued to her.
“It was the tone of her voice that hurt me,” said Megan.
Hunter took Megan’s hands in his. “Listen,” he said, “if we’re gonna be together, you’ve got to realize that people like that are like vultures flying around, hunting for something to swoop down on. They can’t stand the happiness of others, have to find a way to chew it apart.”
“I thought she was a good friend,” said Megan.
“A good friend can turn into a bad friend,” said Hunter, “then turn back into a good friend again. I’ve been through it myself, plenty.”
Megan stared at him. “Is that what happened with the woman you loved in Upper Valley?” she asked. Angela’s comments had made her insecure. She wanted to know more about Hunter and his life.
“Laurie and I did fine for over a year,” Hunter said simply. “She had a son from a former marriage that I got along with great, cared for him like my own.”
Megan sat up straighter, “And?”
“Things changed,” Hunter looked away. “She got edgy, began drinking, hanging out late in town. She turned into a stranger, someone I hardly knew.”
“So you left?” Megan said.
“We both decided it wasn’t working,” Hunter said quietly. “We talked about it plenty of times. I didn’t just leave. And, I will never leave you.” The words flew out of his mouth on their own.
Megan stared at him amazed. “You will never leave me?”
“I’ll never up and desert you like your husband did. I’m not the kind of guy who just wandered into town and will wander out again.”
Megan’s eyes filled with tears. She opened her arms and Hunter flew into them.
“I’m so sorry to have doubted you,” Megan whispered.
“Never doubt me,” Hunter murmured. “It hurts.”
“I won’t,” said Megan.
“You promise?”
“I do,” she said.
“People can plant all kinds of poison in our hearts. We have to be strong and let it go,” he said.
“It’s true,” said Megan softly as the telephone rang again and she stared at it from inside Hunter’s arms.
“Pick it up,” he said. “We’re not in hiding here. We haven’t done anything wrong.”
Megan picked up the phone. This time it was her mother.
“Megan, what’s going on there? Angela just called and told me you aren’t able to see her tonight, that you have plans with someone else? Who?”
Megan trembled at her mother’s irate tone.
“Who do you have plans with for tonight, Megan? You’ve got to tell me right now.”
Megan was dumbstruck. There was not a word she could say. Instead, she just hung up the phone.
“That was my mother,” she said to Hunter then, “demanding to know who I have plans with for tonight.”
“Okay,” said Hunter. “Looks like the time has come and the wild birds are circling around.”