The alarm went off, and she woke, refreshed, and looking forward to the evening with the gentleman from Texas. She got up, and put on her lacy bra and matching panties. Stockings, and slip, and a summer dress that she had brought along for dining out. A light dusting of powder to her face, and a bit of blush, and a touch of lipstick. She ran her fingers through her curls, and she was ready to go.
A knock at the cabin door told her that her dinner date was on the other side. She offered to drive, as she knew the area, having lived and worked there years ago.
They set off in her SUV, and the drive down the mountain was pleasant at this hour of the evening. They got to the Lodge, and the dining room was quiet, their table was by the window, so they could admire the scenery. Conversation was light and enjoyable, as they sipped wine, and waited for the meal to arrive.
He asked her if she had given any thought to being his guide for the next couple of weeks. He didn’t want to pressure her, but something about her made him want to spend time with her.
She had thought about it, and knew her husband would want her to be happy, and enjoy her time in the mountains.
She agreed to show this handsome stranger around the area. She was actually looking forward to showing him all the wonderful places. The opportunity for photos of the area was endless, and if he wanted to do some nature photos, well, he had indeed come to a great place.
He smiled at her, pleased that she had agreed. The rest of the evening was spent making plans for the next day.
She asked him if had been to Johnston’s Canyon. It was a walk, cut into the side of a mountain, that led to waterfalls. The lower falls were okay, and the walk was not very strenuous. The hike to the upper falls, was a bit more taxing, but worth every step, as the upper falls were simply magnificent. They decided to do that the next day.
Their meal arrived and the food was as spectacular as the scenery! The gourmet chefs had outdone themselves, and she asked to speak with them, as she knew them from her days of living here. They were brothers, and one of them came into the dining room from the kitchen, and she spoke with him in German, his mother tongue. They conversed, slipping from English to German and back again. She introduced the two men, and they shook hands. The German chef asked her about her husband, and the sadness fell like a veil over her face. Her dinner companion, watched as she told the other man in German, that she was a widow. He kissed her on the cheek, and told her to call him and his wife, before she left the area.
Dinner conversation was somewhat subdued after that, and she apologized for the change in her mood. She still grieved the loss of her husband, and at times that loss was still overwhelming.
He understood that loss, but gave her time to tell him about it in her own way, rather than asking questions. He had been there, not so long ago himself. His wife had also passed, but he saw her passing as a relief. Their marriage was troubled from the beginning, but once they had children, in an attempt to revive the marriage, he thought divorce was out of the question. So when his wife died, he saw a new lease on life.
They finished their dinner and lingered over coffee, and visited, but her mood remained somber. They left the dining room, and drove back to the cabins. They arranged to meet for breakfast the next day, and he walked her to the door. She thanked him for a lovely evening. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have spoken to August. We all used to hang out together, when ever we would come here. He hadn’t known that my husband had passed away. It was not the time to tell him.”
“Don’t apologize, please. It was spur of the moment, and you wanted to talk to an old friend. No worries.”, he told her sincerely.
She looked down, but he lifted her face, with a finger to her chin, and forced her to look at him. “Good night, thank you for a wonderful evening” he told her, and kissed her gently on the cheek. “Breakfast tomorrow, I’ll knock on your door at 9:00 AM.”
“I’ll be ready, and don’t forget your camera!” She watched him turn and walk away, and let herself into her cabin. She smiled to herself, and was looking forward to showing this handsome, gentle, man the wondrous beauty of this area she loved so much. She promised herself, to enjoy this time and knew in her heart, her husband would approve of her choice.
