Saved in the Woods

Authors note:

Sometimes stories start from the weirdest little sparks, and that's what happened here. A single photo led to an idea that wouldn't leave me alone.

This story isn't for everyone, maybe even not for most. There sex, but not a lot and it's towards the end. It's more of a story with some sex in it, instead of a sex story. You'll meet two people who find each other through the love of the outdoors, fishing and hunting. Those themes may be uncomfortable for some readers, if they are please skip this one. :)

Thanks and I hope you enjoy the story.

A. Strange

----

Standing at the trailhead, Sven Braun double checked his pack before locking his Subaru. Everything was where it was supposed to be: he had his tags and fishing licence along with the little telescoping spinning rod, and finally the rifle he still had to wiggle into the side-mounted holder on his frame-pack.

Mentally running through his checklist one last time, he shouldered the pack, tapped the hood of the car for luck, hoping no shithead would break in--he'd left a piece of paper taped to the window with 'No valuables!' written on it in case they could read--and got the rifle into the hip carrier.

Hat on, the hiking poles around his wrists, he set out, his guts a bit unsettled. This was the first time he was setting out on his own, hiking in to hunt solo while camping. All of that in bear country, luckily there were only supposed to be black bears around here, not grizzlies. But still, if one decided to jump on the tent in the middle of the night, it would be a problem. He read about two guys that had it happen: a grizzly collapsed the tent and they couldn't get out, trapped like they were in some sort of Chinese-finger-puzzle. Since reading that, he vowed to always keep a knife next to his sleeping mat, so he could cut himself free.

Part of him didn't care, which worried him the most and made him realize that he needed to get out of town. Get away from all the crap. To say things had been challenging would be an understatement. His life had gone to shit. First, he got laid off--corporate downsizing, all while profits were at an all time high--then Karen had decided that she couldn't date someone who was 'an unemployed bum'. Which, now that he had some time to reflect, might actually be one of the only good things that had happened to him lately.

He'd dodged a bullet. Who wanted to be with someone who would run away at the first sign of trouble? She had already moved on, last week he saw her holding hands with some guy while grocery shopping. Good riddance. Still, the fact that it had taken her no time at all to move on, it stung.

Though, he wasn't in bad shape financially. He had plenty of savings to allow him to take a sabbatical, get over the burn-out. Figure out something better than being a corporate drone in some place that didn't cared if he lived or died.

Hiking with a full pack would be good for letting his thoughts drift, the weight and strain of climbing with a loaded pack fading to the background while he let his mind work through different scenarios. It was similar to long road trips on the motorbike, when the highway stretched to the horizon, and he just had to keep it pointed in the right direction, with the music playing in the earbuds. Sometimes he was surprised how far he'd travelled when the playlist stopped and a few hours had gone by. Of course, the soundtrack he was listening to now was a lot different: a mix of birds, crickets, and squirrels.

He had driven as high as he could into the alpine, and was now climbing on a game trail--having already seen some animal sign--working up the steep slope to head over a ridge. On the other side he had a long traversing descent to reach a valley that he would follow until he reached a meadow that was rumoured to hold an old prospector's cabin. Apparently it was in good enough shape to sleep in and would offer some protection from the weather and predators. That was the plan anyway. The backup plan was to camp in the same spot if the cabin had collapsed.

The fact that there was another vehicle parked at the end of the unmaintained logging road concerned him. Really, 'road' was a misnomer, it was just a two-track that was partially washed out toward the top, he barely made it through with the Outback despite nine inches of ground clearance and chunky tires. He hadn't really expected to share that little slice of wilderness, but then it was all crown land around here, millions of acres of it, so chances were he'd never see the other hunter. Assuming that's who it was. Could be a surveyor, though they would be unlikely to drive such an old pickup, he thought it was a late '70's or early '80's model that had seen some serious use.

On this side of the mountain the ground was hard, it hadn't rained in a long time, and there were no tracks or boot prints visible on the dry rocky ground, so he couldn't be sure that the other guy had taken the same trail. There were multiple options at the end of the road, but only one that headed over to the distant creek.

An hour in and he crested and started the descent. He was working hard, the knee he'd torn up playing rugby in school decades ago was going to give him a tough time tomorrow. He stopped and pulled out his Nalgene bottle, noting that it was already half empty. For the briefest second he worried that he left his sterilization pen behind, but then remembered he double checked at the car to ensure it was accessible in one of the external pockets, not buried deep inside the pack. He shook his head, he knew he doubted himself too much. It had gotten worse the last couple of years as the work stress increased.

The view, now that he'd gotten to the other side, was stunning and he paused to appreciate it. The creek created a sharp cut in the landscape. Steep cliffs led down to the water, and across the valley a heavily forested slope reached up towards the canyon's edge. In the distance more mountaintops were visible, some still with a touch of snow at the top. And not a soul in sight. A woodpecker was hammering away somewhere, and a squirrel was screeching to let the other critters know he was in the area. Or just because that's what squirrels did.

Finding a flat rock he leaned back against it, resting the pack on top before shrugging out of it. It felt great to have the weight off his shoulders. Taking the foldable foam mat, he sat at the edge of the trail, the steep slope at his feet, and got the binoculars out of their chest mounted case. For the next fifteen minutes, he methodically picked apart the far side, looking under the high pines in the shady spots to see if any served as a sheltered rest for a buck during the heat of the day. He checked the time, it was 3 p. m. already. Despite getting up a 6 he hadn't made it to the trailhead until 2 p. m. and couldn't spend too much time futzing around while trying to make the old cabin, or he would be hiking by the light of his headlamp, and that was a recipe for disaster in unfamiliar mountainous terrain.

Besides a lone doe in the shade of a big spruce, and some magpies, there was little to see. But resting had felt good and Sven slipped his pack back on. Maybe another two hours of hiking if everything went well, three or more if he lost the trail and had to make his way by dead reckoning. Taking the bandana off his neck, he wiped his face and back of his head, before moving off again. Heading downhill now, the going was tougher than climbing, each step had to be measured, a slide here would be bad. In case of a serious emergency he had his little GPS locator, but with the steep valley walls it wasn't guaranteed to work. Plus, if he took a big fall, chances were that he would be too injured to turn the thing on anyway.

A brace of grouse flushed ahead of him, and the loud beating of their wings gave him a jolt. He laughed out loud, it wasn't the first time the racket of grouse taking flight had caused him to jump in the woods.

The smell of the pines brought back memories of other back country excursions. There was a unique scent in the high, dry, pine forests, that was so different from the coast. He thought of it as the 'late-summer, early hunting season' smell. In October the rains would come, and everything would change.

Another hour passed and he continued angling lower and could now make out the water in the creek beneath him, though he couldn't quite hear it yet. Around one more corner and he could see the meadow below and... what the hell, it looked like someone was standing in the creek. He pulled his binos out, and sure enough, saw them fly fishing. Checking the clearing, he could see movement, maybe a towel or a shirt, hanging outside the cabin. Glancing at his watch he saw that it was already 5:30 p. m. There was another clearing further along, but the country looked even rougher. Though, given that he was using satellite imagery to make that estimation, he wouldn't know for sure until he got into it.

Either way, it was time to push on. There was still a ways to go to reach the meadow, then to see what the guy seemed like. Maybe camping wouldn't be so bad tonight and tomorrow he could hike further along the creek. As long as the guy wasn't some nutjob. His goal was to reach some spots the deer might use to drink--so remote that he would be the only hunter anywhere near--and setup somewhere along a game trail, to hopefully catch a buck on its way to the river. The creek was the only water source for quite some distance and should draw them in.

Thirty minutes later he stopped at the edge of the trees, now only a few hundred meters from the fisherman, and had another look through his binos. Huh, fisherwoman, he corrected himself. She was standing in a thigh deep pool of water with her back to him, and was casting. It looked effortless, each movement of the rod measured and unhurried, the motion almost meditative. She had on chest-waders, but her tanned shoulders were bare, and her muscles flexed with each cast. Not that she was bulky, but there was more definition than he would normally expect. Looking to the edge of the water, he could make out the top half of a shotgun leaning against a fallen tree, too far from where she was, at least in his mind. If he were the one fishing, he would be looking around more to check for bears between casts, but she seemed focused. Which surprised him since there was bear scat not fifty meters up the game trail. Judging from the size of the impressive pile it was likely a big bear.

Okay, so staying in the meadow might be more tricky. What woman would want some unknown guy staying close while in a dilapidated cabin that was unlikely to have a locking door? Thinking there was only one way to find out, Sven stepped out past the treeline and into the meadow. Once he was within yelling distance, he called out, but the noise of the creek must have drowned out his calls. He got closer until a growl and some loud barking stopped him dead in his tracks. A beautiful, though very angry, dog came running toward him, back hair bristling, teeth exposed. Looked like a Rhodesian Ridgeback, though bigger than any he'd seen before.

"Hi there," Sven held still and spoke calmly, "I didn't mean to surprise you. Good job protecting your owner." He decided to call again, and looking up from the dog he saw its owner climbing out of the water.

"Maxi. Maxi! Get over here, girl!" The dog didn't move, she stood her ground, saliva dripping from her jaws, snarling.

Sven stood perfectly still until the woman reached the dog, and took her by the collar. "Hi there. She's pretty protective of me," she said as she patted the dog's sides. "Good girl. Yes, you are! Such a good girl, keeping a lookout!" She knelt down and hugged the big dog, and Sven started breathing easier.

"Can I say hi, or is she going to try and have me for dinner?" Sven had his hands by his sides and was keeping still.

"What do you say, girl? Can the strange man say hello?" She turned to him, "Make a fist and let her get your scent."

He did and Maxi slowly moved forward, extended her head, and took a sniff. She turned back to her owner, who said, "Go on, it's OK," and Maxi took another cautious step, smelling Sven's hand again, before turning and sneezing.

The woman laughed, and Sven looked at her. Tanned face, short brunette hair, white even teeth, though one of her lower front ones was chipped. He couldn't see much more, given the sunglasses and the ball cap. But so far, wow.

"I'm Brie," she said, extending her hand.

"Sven." They shook, and the dog watched closely, relaxing when they let go. She moved next to Brie, sitting next to her left side, not more than six inches from Brie's leg.

"I was wondering why you weren't looking around more while fishing, till I saw her," he said, nodding towards Maxi.

Brie took off her sunglasses and he could see her eyes, green-grey, as she looked at me, concern showing. "You were watching me?"

Now that her glasses were off he could see a scar that ran from her eye down to her cheek. It added character, making her even more interesting. She looked tough, and was clearly comfortable in this environment.

"That sounds wrong. I glassed the meadow from the last overlook along the trail, and saw someone fishing. I was going to see if the cabin was in good enough shape to stay in, but since you're here, I better get a move on. There's another clearing ahead, I want to reach it before dark."

"You've not been this way before?" She looked concerned.

"Nope, e-scouted it. But first time on this side of the mountain. Why?"

"The path gets rough. There is a tricky slide section where it runs along the cliffs and it's mostly loose shale, a lot of it sloping down to the cliffs. Long fall to the river, and even if you survive that, no place to get out. Not a hike you want to try for the first time in fading light. Plus, the next 'meadow'" she used air quotes, "is not like this one. There isn't a level piece of ground anywhere, and it's mostly rock. Not great for camping." She looked unhappy. "You can camp here, if you want."

"You sure? I realize that we both thought we'd have this place to ourselves."

"Yeah, it's fine." She patted Maxi's head and he got the idea that the dog would tear him to shreds if he so much a looked at Brie the wrong way.

"OK. I'll move on in the morning and leave you be." Sven gave her a smile, and got a nod in return.

"I guess I better try to catch one more trout. I mean, assuming you don't mind some fresh trout for dinner with whatever you have?"

"It'll definitely improve the freeze-dried stuff I brought."

Brie showed a small, restrained smile. "C'mon girl, we got to catch another fish to feed our visitor!" She walked back to the creek, Maxi following after giving him one more look. He wasn't sure yet who was tougher, the woman or the dog.

----

Sven found a flat spot to set up the tent, far enough from the cabin to afford them each some privacy. While he was blowing up the sleeping pad, Maxi came around to inspect his work. She sniffed everything, before coming over and looking at him. Sven crouched down, and extended his fist again, and the dog cautiously moved closer. After checking his hand, she moved within reach and Sven risked a scratch between her ears. After a few seconds Maxi's tongue started hanging out, she almost looked like she was smiling. He stroked her sides and even scratched under her jaw. When he finished she gave his hand a single wet lick.

"She must really like you," he heard and turned to look behind.

Brie was standing watching him, three decent sized fish gutted and skewered through their gills on a stick. She'd taken off the waders, and was wearing a tight workout top and some small hiking shorts, her long legs on display.

Sven bent back down to the dog. "You like me, Maxi?" he asked as he rubbed her head, and she barked once. It was loud and echoed in the canyon.

"Trust me, if she didn't you'd have lost the hand." Brie looked around as she spoke, giving his setup the once over.

"Everything pass inspection?" he asked with a smirk.

"Yeah, not bad. You're in a depression, but hell, it's not like we're gonna get any rain tonight."

"Seems unlikely." He hesitated. "So, you good sharing the fish? I'm happy to split the food I brought."

"Sure. Can't have any fires. You have a pot and burner?"

"Yup. Just need to boil some water, then rehydrate the stuff."

"OK, well, I already cleaned the fish." She checked her watch. "Get some water and come over."

----

They ate sitting in camping chairs out front of the cabin talking about the area and the wildlife. When he mentioned that there was a big bear in the area, Brie hadn't been surprised and told him that Maxi had gone nuts at some point last night, and that the pile of scat was definitely not there yesterday when she arrived.

As part of their discussion she quizzed Sven, clearly trying to gauge if he was competent. The kind of stuff like did he have ways to separate and hang his food up in the right kind of tree so the bears couldn't get to it. He asked about cougars, they worried him more than bears. Brie mentioned that there were some around, she hadn't seen any but had noticed some cat scat.

After a while the sun went down behind the mountains, dipping the canyon into twilight despite sunset still being a couple of hours away.

Once the dishes were washed, they got to telling hunting and fishing stories. It turned out that Brie guided, both hunters and anglers. She even had her own blog devoted to fishing.

When it was time to turn in, she double checked that he slept with his rifle and had a knife close in case he needed to get out of the tent to deal with a bear that had pounced on it. "And listen, if Maxi starts making a ton of noise, it's probably something big, so maybe get a flashlight and be ready to move in a hurry. And don't shoot Maxi or me!"

Not the kind of talk that makes you sleep easy, but he was tired from the day--the last few months really--and passed out shortly after his head hit the pillow. All the vents were open on the tent for maximum airflow to help it stay cool. Not that air much moved in the bottom of the canyon.

----

The angry barking woke him and he didn't bother checking the time. As soon as he heard it he reached for his head lamp and gun, unzipping the tent and quickly stepping out to ensure he could maneuver. The cabin door opened as he got clear of the tent and he heard the distinct sound of a shell being racked in a pump action shotgun. The sound was reassuring.

"Stay!" Brie yelled at Maxi who was going nuts next to her. If Sven had thought she was scary when she first met him, this was a whole other level.

Quickly their flashlight beams dissected the immediate area and there he was, a big chocolate-coloured black bear, not thirty meters from the tent. Sven carefully walked backwards, keeping the bear in sight until he got to the cabin.

"More excitement than I'd hoped for," he said, trying to sound calm, but the adrenaline was coursing through his veins.

"Yup. You want to grab a couple of the bear-bangers? They're on the ground by the door."

He did and together they walked towards the bear while yelling, before Sven lit off the bangers. The bear ambled back towards the trees. Maxi was still barking steadily, but Brie had clipped a leash to her as they moved away from the cabin and she stayed by Brie's side.

Once the bear disappeared in the trees, Brie looked at him. "Grab your mat and sleeping bag, come crash on the floor of the cabin. Chances are he'll be back."

"You sure you're OK with that?" He was happy to have the offer, there was no way he'd get more sleep in the tent, not with that bruin in the immediate vicinity.

"You planning on getting on Maxi's bad side?"

"I'd rather not, to be honest."

"We'll be fine. But if you snore, I'll sic her on ya." She grinned.

He smiled back. "Fair."

Brie kept shining her light into the treeline, while he got his mat and bag and then they went into the cabin. To make space they had to move the small table outside, but he got his stuff set up in a couple of minutes. Maxi seemed restless for a bit, but after she settled he slept until his alarm woke him at 6 a. m.

----

"Getting a bit of a late start, no?" Brie asked from the bed as he got up and quickly deflated his sleeping mat.

"Yeah, today is more a scouting day. Still have to collapse the tent and pack it. Tomorrow I'm hoping to find some spots to build a makeshift blind."

"You should come back here tonight. I'm serious, the other place sucks. And that blackie is just as likely to show up there as here." Brie had sat up and Maxi moved next to her, the big head resting on the edge of the bed as Brie started lightly stroking her ears.

"And mess up your chance to get away from it all and spend some time by yourself?"

"Ha! I live by myself on twenty acres, with only Maxi for company. No phone, no internet, no distractions. It's fine. Come back. Maybe I'll take the shotgun out and try and get a couple of grouse for us for dinner."

"You don't think I should shoot them with the three-oh-eight?" He looked up and smiled at her as he rolled up his sleeping bag.

"Wouldn't be anything left," Brie smiled then yawned, "besides it being illegal."

"Grouse would be great. I'll go further into the canyon, and if I find a good spot, I might relocate tomorrow."

She shrugged. "Sure, if you want. But don't hold your breath, I've been back there as far as you can get..."

----

He ended up just tossing the sleeping mat and bag into the tent--luckily the bear hadn't torn it up overnight--before setting out with his lightened pack. The hiking was much easier today, the pack weighed almost nothing, but Brie had been right, things were rough. When he got to the slide area, he lost his footing twice, and started to slip down the slope, a small avalanche of shale surrounding him. It would have been stupid to attempt the crossing for the first time at night. Even now, in bright daylight, it was slow going, he had to watch every step.

When he got to the next 'meadow' he agreed with Brie's assessment of it. It wouldn't make a good base-camp, too rocky and uneven. But, on the far side, he found the kind of gametrail he had been hoping for. Lots of tracks, some looked fresh given how sharp the edges of the prints were. Size was tough to estimate, they were in small patches of sandy soil that the deer had slid in as they stepped, exaggerating the impressions. Encouraging though.

Doing some math, Sven realized he would have to be up and moving by 4 a. m. if he wanted to get to this spot in time. Which meant crossing the slide area in the dark. Not ideal. But he had some flagging tape, and on the way back would mark the 'path'.

As he sat and rested, taking in the area and watching the chipmunks dart around him, he thought about Brie. Wondered what it would be like to live alone in the bush, cut off from 'civilization'. She wasn't totally alone of course, Maxi was there to keep her company. Sometimes he thought of leaving the city behind, getting away from it all and trying to be as self-sufficient as possible. Build a greenhouse to grow veggies, hunt and fish for meat, maybe raise some chickens and turkeys for variety.

Sven was torn from his thoughts as he heard some rocks tumbling above him. He quickly got his gun up despite the fact that deer weren't supposed to be moving around at this time of day, but then they were lousy at sticking to a schedule. He moved further behind the pine he had been sitting next to, using the top of his backpack up as a gun rest.

The waiting was tough as always. His mouth was dry and he forced himself to breathe slowly, letting his shoulders settle, keeping the rifle pointed in the right area. He double checked the safety, and kept his thumb close to it, ready to flick it off when the--hopefully big--buck stepped out.

Instead it was another black bear, pitch black this time and smaller than the one from last night, but not by that much. Crap. While keeping his eyes on the bear, Sven stood, started talking calmly and shouldering his pack, keeping the gun at the ready. Then he moved away, watching the bear closely for the first twenty meters or so, before he headed back at a steady pace. He had planned to spend the day out and had told Brie he would be back around dinner time, unless he got on something, in which case it could be much later.

----

Stepping back into the meadow it was closer to 2 o'clock than 6, and it became clear that Brie hadn't expected him back early. Because once he rounded the last group of trees, he saw her standing in a calm pool in the creek, nude, washing herself, with Maxi splashing around her, barking. Sven froze and stared. Brie had firm smallish breasts, the pale skin a stark contrast to her tanned torso. His eyes drifted down and took in the trimmed pubic hair before he stopped himself, embarrassed, and put his hands to his mouth and yelled, "Hey, I'm back! Sorry!" as he turned away.

"Shit!" Brie let out. Then she laughed. "Want to come rinse off? You've seen it all anyway now. And you probably smell even worse than yesterday."

Not the reaction he expected. He smelled his armpit--she wasn't wrong--then shrugged and walked to the creeks edge, dropping his pack, double checking that the rifle was unloaded, before turning back to Brie. Maxi was still splashing around, and she came over to say hello and shook herself right next to Sven, showering him with water droplets.

"See, even Maxi thinks you need a shower," Brie laughed.

No time like the present, Sven thought and pulled off his hat and bandana, then the shirt. His boots and socks were next, followed by the shorts and underwear, which came off together.

As he was about to step into the water, Brie said, "Just to be clear, this is just an invitation to get cleaned up, no more. K?"

"You bet. No funny business." He stepped in and the water was cold and refreshing after the hiking and heat. "Going to be some shrinkage anyway. It's chilly!"

She laughed. "Good thing I got a 'before' image in my mind then." She stuck her tongue out at him and he laughed and splashed her with some water, causing Maxi to get exited and bark while she circled both of them.

Brie's flirting wasn't what he expected and he decided to play it cool. "Well, I'll try to forget what I saw. You know, being a gentleman and all."

"That bad, huh?" She was smiling as she said it.

"You're kidding right? Clearly you're in amazing shape." He allowed himself a look.

"Thanks. You're not bad yourself. For a city-boy." The grin remained while she watched him look at her.

"I spend too much time sitting on my ass, not moving." He took the bar of soap Brie held out to him. It looked homemade and smelled good, with just a hint of sandalwood. Brie went back to playing with Maxi, who was having a great time, and he quickly did the private parts, then the rest, before handing the soap back. She went and put it on a rock by the creek side, then let herself sink into one of the shallow pools, sitting on the bottom.

"So, how was it?" Brie asked.

"Like you said, rough going in spots. I put some flagging tape along the path so I can find my way in the dark tomorrow morning. Had another encounter with a blackie and decided to let him have the trail and headed back."

"Ah, that's why you're back so early."

"Yup. Either that or I sat in the bushes the entire morning waiting for you to get naked."

"Eww, creepy!" She made a face, then laughed. "You don't seem the type."

"I'm not. I'm also curious about how well you're handling this."

"Maybe I had a misspent youth." Brie didn't elaborate, but she was obviously comfortable being nude with someone she hardly knew. After a minute she added, "And a lot of time in hunting and fishing camps."

Sven sat down a few feet from Brie and Maxi used the opportunity to lay down between them, drinking where she lay.

"I meant to ask, did your parents really like cheese, or...?"

She shook her head. "My full name is Brielle. But I always thought it was pretentious, so I've gone by Brie for most of my life."

"Ah, that makes sense."

"What about you, Nordic parents?"

"Grandparents on my mother's side. I'm named after my great-grandfather."

"Look at us with the European names."

"Yup. Hey, I meant to ask, did you go for grouse or were you planning on doing that later?"

"I went out this morning, got one. Not enough for two people, so I was going to head out again in a bit. Try for one or two more, if not, I'll do some fishing."

"I brought a spinning rod, maybe I'll give it a shot while you're out."

"Sure!"

----

They gathered up their clothes, neither felt like putting the dirty stuff back on, and walked over to the cabin wearing only their boots. Once dressed in clean gear, they split up, Brie hiking out with her shotgun to try and find some more grouse, and Sven taking his fishing rod down to the creek.

He had been casting for about twenty minutes with no success when he heard the shotgun going off twice in quick succession. He kept fishing, but got no bites. Not even a nibble. He was glad to see Brie walk back into the clearing with two more grouse.

"You had more success than I did," he called out.

"Well, I already caught three fish on this stretch yesterday, probably won't be too many more today."

Sven put his rod away and walked to the cabin with Brie.

She got to work getting the breasts and thighs ready to go into the pan. He again made the sides, really it involved boiling water and letting things steam, so there wasn't any actual work, and they ate together after Brie fed Maxi.

"You must have quite a load with all her food," he said as they ate.

"Oh," she swallowed, "she's got a vest that has pockets. My girl pulls her weight."

They talked for a while about how Brie liked living alone, what the best and worst parts of it were. She said the toughest were the winters. There was only so much she could read, and spending time outside in minus twenty took some getting used to. Sven found out that Brie had been living in the bush for five years and after the first winter got used to the conditions. It was tough, but also rewarding. Most of all, she liked making her own way.

When they finished he took the pan and dishes down the the creek and washed them, with Maxi tagging along to go for another swim. The washing up didn't take long, and he sat on a rock and watched the dog enjoy the water, wondering if Brie had trained Maxi to get comfortable swimming, or if she was one of the few Ridgebacks who naturally took to it. From what he'd heard, they weren't good swimmers, like Labs or Goldens, and had to be coaxed into getting wet. Or maybe Maxi had a bit of something else mixed it. Either way, she loved it. Watching her made him miss owning a dog, his job and hobbies didn't lend themselves to pet ownership.

Maxi came over and shook herself next to him again, she seemed to enjoy that. He said, "Now I'm going to have to rinse all the dishes again!" She barked at him and he petted her, which got him some licks to his face.

"You traitorous bitch!" he heard from behind and Maxi jumped up and ran over to Brie and got petted again. "You trying to steal my dog?" she asked.

"Nope. Though, she seems to like me."

"Yeah, she does. Which is weird, normally she's not big on guys. Or people in general, besides me. She must see something in you." Brie touched Maxi's head. "You like the strange man?"

A quick bark was the only answer.

Brie found a rock close to Sven and sat, stretching her legs. "So, how's your wife or girlfriend gonna take it when you tell her you frolicked nude in the wilderness with some woman you just met?"

"Is that what we did, frolic?" He grinned then thought about the implications of the question for a moment. "That's a good way to find out if I'm seeing someone without coming right out and saying it."

She shrugged. "I thought so. And that's a nice way to avoid answering, by the way."

"Well, my most recent ex wants nothing to do with me, so, there isn't anyone to tell."

"Just your drinking buddies..."

"Yeah, there are one or two guys I might tell about the amazingly fit and capable girl I met." He paused. "And her owner's not half bad either."

"Ha. Ha," Brie acted put off, but he could see a the beginning of a smile, which she was unsuccessfully trying to hide.

"What about you?" Sven asked after they'd sat in silence for a while.

"You mean, guy wise?"

"Yeah. Or girl, whichever."

"Been going through a bit of a dry-spell." She shrugged.

"Self imposed?"

"Pretty much." She slid her sunglasses up and looked him in the eyes. "Who wants to date someone that lives way out in the middle of nowhere, with a dog that she loves more than any person alive, and who's unwilling to play housewife. Easier to spend time by myself."

"Hmm. Seems like a waste."

"Why? I'm doing what I like. Not like I sit around reading romance novels and crying about the lack of men in my life. What about you, you said 'most recent ex' like it wasn't that long ago."

Since they had time, he told her the story, from how he and Karen had met, to some of the strife they'd been through, finally the breakup and his realization that he was better off without her.

Brie listened attentively. When he finished, she said, "Sounds like you two wanted very different things out of life. Like, she was lookin' at you and imagining the house and picket fence, two and a half kids, a mini van and the country club membership. Probably not the kind to dig a pit toilet and wash in a creek."

"No, definitely not. Camping to her would involve an RV with air conditioning and a working toilette and shower inside." He paused and debated just how much to share. "I've been thinking about what to do with my life actually. That's part of what this trip is supposed to be about."

She waited, and when Sven didn't say anything for a while, asked, "What'd you come up with so far?"

"Honestly, I have even more questions than when I started. Like, could I do what you're doing? You know, out in the bush, mostly self-reliant. But living out there, alone... I don't know. Hell, I'm forty-four, got decent savings, but I'm still renting. I mean, it's in a great, busy part of the city, lots of stuff going on all the time. But for the last few years, all the hubbub and people have gotten less interesting."

"My lifestyle's definitely not for everyone. Hell, it's not for most people. When I made the move, I kept hearing that if I could make it through the first winter without losing my mind, then I had a chance. And sure enough, I questioned my decision more than once. But now, I can't imagine fighting with people for space."

"You don't miss friends, family?"

"Sure, some days. But then it's more meaningful when we do catch up. It's just different, not necessarily worse." She reached down and petted Maxi, who licked her hand.

They sat quietly and watched the sun get lower. After a while, something occurred to Sven. "Wait, you said you guided, shouldn't you be out right now, working, making money?"

"Taking this fall off. I got kinda burned out during spring bear season. The people I guided were..." She shrugged.

"Dickheads?" he offered.

"Yes. But also, somehow worse. Rich and entitled, thought since they paid a for a guide they should immediately get on a bear that would break all records. Constantly on their phones, everything was a photo op, and with satellite coverage, they were always making calls and... fuck, it used to be guys would come out to get away from all the noise and shit." She paused and Sven left her with her thoughts. Brie snorted. "There's a guy--outdoor writer, named Petzel--who wrote something like 'Hunting and fishing are sports of solitude, and will end when enough shitheads decide that nothing is worth being out of touch'. Maybe that's not quite right, but you get the idea. That quote stuck with me. And, these particular shitheads decided that absolutely nothing was worth being out of touch for. In fact, they were only out there to show off for their peckerhead friends back in their fucking McMansions. When we finally got to the last couple of days I got them some bears, but they complained the entire time that they weren't big enough, their friends had done better, that they paid for an experience that they hadn't gotten, and had the gall to ask me how I'd make it up to them."

"You don't mean..."

"Yeah. Figured they should get to fuck the guide as compensation. I might have broken one guys nose when he tried to make a grab for me."

"Maxi wasn't there?"

Brie's laugh contained no joy. "No," she reached back down and stroked Maxi's big head, "my girl gets too excited during bear hunts. If she had been, I think we'd have taken the guy back in a body bag. What was left of him anyway. I might stick to fishing for a while, maybe specialize on taking out women who would be uncomfortable with a male guide. I dunno."

"Sorry to drag all that up."

"It's alright." She kept stroking Maxi's ears. "This is the first time I really talked about all that after I had some distance from it. It's fine."

"This would be a good discussion around a camp fire with a couple of cold beer," he suggested.

She laughed. "Yeah, probably would be. Though I don't drink."

"Never or not anymore?"

"Not for years. Not since before I moved." A shadow seemed to pass over her face. "Like I said, misspent youth." She unconsciously touched the scar next to her eye, but Sven got the sense that this wasn't the time to ask about it.

They sat and watched the creek, every now and then there was the shadow of a fish moving. Eventually the sun disappeared behind the mountain tops, and they headed back to the cabin. Brie asked him to give her a hand moving the table outside so he had space to setup his bed.

When they had turned in, Sven lay awake for a while, listening to the sound of Brie and Maxi's breathing, and playing back the trip so far, when his thoughts were interrupted by Brie. "I'm glad I ran into you out here."

"Me too. Both you and Maxi."

The didn't say anything else, but it gave him a warm feeling. Eventually he went to sleep. This time there were no interruptions until his alarm went off at 3:45 a. m.

----

"Ugh, fuck. It's early." Brie complained as she rolled over. "Can you let Maxi out for a minute, but watch her?"

"Sure," he said and opened the door to take his bedding out to the tent. Maxi did her business, sniffed around the tent and he called her back when she started eyeing the treeline. To his surprise she came when he called, and he led her back to the cabin.

"Good luck out there," Brie said when he ushered Maxi inside. "Hope I run into you again. I'm heading home later today," she said and he chuckled. Chances of another accidental encounter were pretty much zero, but he appreciated the sentiment.

"Me too." He wanted to say more, but couldn't find the words. So he quietly closed the door, switched on his headlamp, and headed out.

Things looked very different in the early morning. With just a glimmer of light coming over the eastern ridge, the bottom of the canyon was still completely dark. It was a good thing the trail was now marked with flagging tape. Even with the markers it was tricky in spots since he was trying to use the 'red light' option, which meant less light. It took longer than he hoped, but he made it to the same tree that he sat by when the bear came down the game trail.

Once he got into a somewhat comfortable position, he let his mind drift and thought through some things that had been weighing on him. He thought about Karen and what went wrong. A little about what went right, which was mostly how dirty she'd gotten when properly teased, and sadly little else. Then about work, the shitty state of the market, and how much he hated what he had been doing. There had to be more to life.

Eventually about Brie and Maxi, and the differences between Brie and Karen--really, could they be more different? All of it came down to what he wanted out of life. Maybe he was going through a midlife crisis. The problem was, he already owned the motorbike, and buying a convertible and driving around posing wasn't his style, so what was he going to do? Maybe it was time to go skydiving. Or, hell, wing-suit flying! He had to stifle a laugh. Maybe for his fiftieth, he'd go skydiving to celebrate.

All the while he kept an eye out, and listened to the sounds of the life around him. The light changed, slowly at first, then at a rapid pace as the sun peeked over the mountains, lighting up more and more of the canyon as it rose. He waited till almost noon, hoping to catch some deer moving to different bedding areas to avoid the sun, but saw nothing. One time he thought he heard some rocks being disturbed in the distance, but never saw any wildlife.

This trip was a long shot anyway--too early in the season and way too warm for them to move in the daytime--but the excuse of going out into the wilderness was enough to get him out here. And he'd run into Brie, not that he was looking to date someone. He almost laughed, she probably lived a nine hour drive away from him, with no phone. Not the basis for dating, even if she looked spectacular and backed it up with a great attitude. He wondered if he could find her blog, maybe leave a comment. Perhaps they could stay in touch.

A pipe dream. He tried to make peace with the fact that he had an unexpected, fun, experience. That was over now, whether he wanted it to be or not.

His stomach started grumbling, the couple of energy bars he'd eaten on the hike out weren't really enough, and he started heading back to the cabin, the going much easier now that he could see the path. The entire way, the idea that he would be there by himself weighed on him. Which was strange given that this whole trip was supposed to be him, alone. Nobody to bother him, or interrupt or whatever. Except, Brie hadn't felt like an interruption.

A root that he hadn't paid attention to caught the edge of his boot and he tripped, almost rolled his ankle, and Sven shook his head and told himself to stop being stupid and pay more attention.

The meadow was quiet as he crossed it and he shrugged off his pack, leaving it resting against the cabin door. Then he grabbed his sterilization pen and went down to the creek to get some fresh cold water. It hit the spot and he thought about what to have for lunch.

Deciding to make some oatmeal, he filled up his Nalgene bottle again. Finally entering the cabin, he went to up the light-weight camping stove on the little table. On it, held in place with a small rock, was a note.

'Maxi wouldn't mind if you stopped by sometime. And I'd find a way to put up with you.

You know, in case you happen to be in the neighbourhood.

Maxi & Brie'

Underneath that, was a hand drawn map, with an 'X' to mark Brie's property. Nothing was to scale, but she'd drawn in highway numbers, and rough distances. Turning it over, it turned out to be the wrapper of a can of beans. He became aware of the grin on his face.

After adding water to the oatmeal, he blew the dust out of the ziplock it had been in, then carefully folded up the note and sealed it inside, not risking getting it wet. After a second he shook his head, took it back out, powered up his phone and took a picture. Just to be safe.

That afternoon he explored along the way he'd come in, following some game trails further up the slopes, not really finding any better spots than the one past the shale slide. Sven enjoyed the silence, now and then touching the pocket with Brie's note in it. The stress of life's challenges was finally fading into the background.

----

The next couple of days followed the same pattern: out by 4 a. m., further into the canyon past the shale slide, then afternoons exploring the other direction. In between he did some fishing, manged to catch one more trout and had it for lunch. A couple of times he pulled Brie's note out to look at it, feeling silly, like some crushing school-boy, before putting it away again, carefully sealing the bag.

She was a further two hours north--the opposite direction of where he lived--outside a little town called 'Marysville', which he'd never been to. The distance didn't matter, after all, two hours in the Outback wasn't a long time. He spent days in it when he was out hunting. Had even slept in the back a few times, which was tight, but doable in a pinch.

In the evenings, after dinner, he sat by the steam, watching the water in the fading light. Once it got dark, he would stare up at the stars. There were so many visible here. It made him feel insignificant, and not in a bad way. All the problems in his life, which seem so enormous while at home, became tiny in comparison. He was here, on this little planet, living for less than the blink of an eye in cosmic terms. Nobody would remember him a couple of generations from now, and that was alright. The realization took a bunch of weight off.

Time and again, his thoughts returned to Brie and Maxi. When he packed up for the last time, he was seriously considering driving up to see them. Maybe Brie could give him some tips for places to hunt up her way. That could be his excuse anyway.

At the edge of the meadow he looked back. It was early afternoon, pretty much the same conditions as when he'd first seen it. He took his phone from its waterproof pouch, powered it up, and took a couple of photos. Instead of moving off, he stood there, trying to burn the image into his mind. Breathing in, he savoured the smell of the woods and smiled.

The pack seemed lighter as he hiked back up towards the ridge he had to cross to get back to his car, and he didn't rush, instead checking for animal sign as he went. The bears were definitely using this trail, leaving big piles. He noticed a lot of seeds in them and thought of the rose hips he'd seen in the area. Luckily he hadn't run into any more bears.

At the lookout he stopped again, gazed down into the valley and took another photo. And stared. He wasn't sure for how long, but he felt more whole than when he crossed over just four days ago. His mind wandered, but kept coming back to visiting Brie. Was it the right thing? Did she really mean for him to just drop in? Did he misread the signs?

Soon enough the Suby was in sight, and none of the windows were smashed. Though someone had 'vandalized' it--he grinned at the thought. On the back window, covered in dust from the drive up, there was a big smiley-face. Underneath it, a 'B' had been drawn with a hand print next to it, and a 'M' was below with a fairly clear paw print. Sven wondered how Brie had gotten Maxi's paw there, but then decided he didn't care. He took another photo, the grin stuck on his face.

Based on what little he knew of Brie, he wondered if this kind of stuff was out of character for her. At times she seemed very thoughtful, almost sombre. Other times she was playful, full of joy. Either way, the smiley on his car was the nudge he needed. There was nothing back home that required his attention. His rent was paid via automatic transfer, he had a couple of plants that a neighbour would water. It was time to drive, even further away from home, but towards something this time.

----

Before anything else, Sven had to get off this mountain. Bushes scraped the underside of his car--they'd taken over much of the trail, standing higher than the hood--and at the washout he worried his oil pan or differential would hang up on a big rock that stuck out in the middle of the track, but he just managed to avoid it. After that, while it was slow going and rough, the track down was no longer dangerous.

Once he approached pavement, he stopped, found some bushes to relieve himself, got Brie's map out, scrolled until he found what he thought was her road on the GPS and let it figure out the route. No more hesitation, he was going and set the cruise control to 10 km/h over the limit. Then he put on an up-beat playlist, and let the music roll over him. It took thirty minutes to reach the highway north and the GPS told him it'd be another hour and a half.

As he got gas in Marysville, Sven realized he would arrive empty-handed, which didn't feel right. He managed to find an giant-sized dark chocolate bar for Brie, hoping she'd like it, and a big 'buffalo bone' for Maxi. Most likely she would destroy it in no time, but she'd have fun in the process. Since Brie didn't drink, he added a case of beer for himself.

The roads got successively smaller and rougher, until he finally arrived at the gate to Brie's heavily wooded property. He followed the bumpy two-track until it opened into a small clearing, with a barn to the left, a fenced off field on the other side of the yard, and the cabin to the right, backed by the woods. The old Ford F150 truck he'd first seen at the trailhead was parked next to the barn, so he figured Brie was home.

He took his time getting out, to give the girls a chance to notice him, but nothing happened. The air was still, and so were his surroundings. Stepping up on the front porch, Sven knocked and waited. No response, so he tried the door, finding it unlocked.

He called out, "Hello!" but no one answered. The cabin was empty. Not feeling right being inside Brie's home, he stepped back out and stretched, then settled into one of the Adirondack chairs that sat on the porch. The temperature was pleasant, and after a minute he pulled his hat down to shield his eyes, closed them, and listened to the breeze moving through long grass in the field.

Loud barking caused him to jolt awake, and as he opened his eyes he saw Maxi running toward him. She ducked under the fence and made a beeline for the cabin, jumping up on the porch and sliding to a stop a foot from him, still barking excitedly. Brie was some distance away, but he could see the big smile on her face. Sliding out of the chair and kneeling down, Maxi was all over him, her tail whipping around, dashing back and forth, a couple of times almost knocking him over.

"Hey there strange man!" Brie said once she got to the cabin. "Maxi! Easy girl. Easy!" Brie pulled her back, and Sven stood.

"Hi." He wasn't sure if he should try to shake her hand or...

She made the choice for him, leaning in for a full-body hug. "Glad you found the place."

"Wasn't bad, had a map after all." He paused. "Plus, someone vandalized my car, drew stuff on it, and I came to find the perpetrator."

Brie raised an eyebrow, turned to Maxi, and solemnly said, "What did you do?" Then laughed. "I can't believe you took a freaking Outback up there. I actually looked underneath your car when I left, to see if parts were hanging off the bottom. I wouldn't have thought it could make it all the way."

Sven shook his head. "It got a little dicey crossing the wash-out on the way down, but she made it. I've probably taken this thing more places than most folks who own them."

"You sure you're not some lesbian in disguise? You know, with the Subaru and all."

"Ha. Ha. First time I've ever heard that one." But he was smiling.

"Come in, I'll show you around." Brie opened the door, took his hand, and they stepped into the cabin. It was small enough that she didn't need to move, she could just point. "Kitchen to the left, stairs to the loft with the bed straight ahead, stove, couch and chair on the right." She still hadn't let go of his hand.

Sven spotted some storage under the stairs, every available spot was put to use. "Cozy." He looked around and things were well lived-in and comfortable.

"It's tiny, but enough for the two of us. The bathroom is around through that door." She waved her hand past the stairs.

"I half figured you just had an outhouse."

She shook her head. "The previous owner had power pulled in, stuff costs a fortune and I'm glad he did it. No phone or internet though. If it didn't have power, I'm not sure I could have made the move."

"Right. And you're sure you don't mind me staying? Maybe I can do a little scouting around here."

"Trying to poach my deer?" she asked, faking outrage and making him hold up his hands in mock surrender. "Actually, through that field there's a little creek and I built a stand in one of the cottonwoods. There's a field on the other side and the deer love the alfalfa and they travel along the creek to get to it. I know the owners, and they're OK if we need to go in to retrieve something."

"What about you? Don't you want to set up there? I mean, obviously if I get something I'd split it with you. Half-n-half?"

"Sure, but you don't have to. I'm planning on heading out for moose later in the season. If I get one, I'll have plenty of meat and the freezer will be packed."

"OK." He looked around. "I can set up my sleeping mat down here later."

"Sure. Or, come sleep upstairs. I splurged on a new mattress a couple of years ago, it's super comfy. Your call." She let that statement hang, though he noticed a slight smirk as she turned away, asking, "Want some water?" over her shoulder.

Sven wasn't sure what to say. Had she really just invited him into her bed? Just like that? No big deal, just up to him and she was fine either way?

"And maybe you should use the shower, get cleaned up after a few days in the bush?"

He chuckled. "I can take a hint. I got one last clean set of clothes in the car." He remembered the chocolate and treat for Maxi.

"We can wash some of your stuff after you shower."

He went and got his last clean shirt and underwear, and brought in the few toiletries he had.

"Hey, I got you something small. And for Maxi too." He held up the chocolate and dog bone.

Brie had a huge smile on her face. "You didn't need to do that!" She came over, took the gifts and put them on the table, then stepped up to him and gave him a light kiss, her lips cool and dry on his. "I appreciate it." She turned, and handed the bone of the Maxi who wasted no time taking it back to her doggie bed and started gnawing at it.

Still a bit shocked from the kiss, Sven went to get cleaned up.

Once in the shower the warm water felt great, a luxury after cleaning up in a creek for the last four days. As he was washing his hair, the curtain slid back and Brie slid in behind him.

"Thought I'd make sure you washed properly," she said as she took some soap and started on his back. "And to make sure you understood what I meant when I invited you to sleep upstairs."

He paused, grinned, and just kept shampooing his hair. After he rinsed he turned to face her and she tilted her head up. The kiss started gently, building slowly until they had their arms wrapped around each other, sliding their wet, slick bodies together while hungrily tongue-wrestling. He was hard and Brie kept twitching her hips, grinding on him, until he squatted low enough to position himself between her legs. To help, she lifted one leg and wrapped it around his hip, giving him better access. She was ready for him, dripping from more than the shower. Sven went slow, pushing in a little at a time, letting her get used to him.

"Don't pull out," she said between kisses and he sped up at the thought of cuming in her. The floor was slippery, and he had to be careful so he wouldn't loose his footing, and despite that he wasn't going to last that long.

Luckily, neither could Brie. She was almost frantic, fucking back at him and moaning into his mouth as they kissed. He pushed his hands between them, taking both her nipples and squeezing them, as she froze and let out a loud moan.

"Fuck yeah..." she tightened and froze, but Sven couldn't stop, he was too close and Brie let out a second, more desperate, "Fuck yes! Yessss!"

He came. She held him as he emptied himself in her, and suddenly just standing was difficult, as his knees turned to jelly. They froze like that for a moment, before he kissed her one more time.

"God I needed that!" Brie said, smiling. "But we're gonna run out of hot water any second now. Better rinse quickly."

They did, and once dried off she pushed her naked front against him, wrapping her arms around his midsection. "Thanks for that... It's been a while."

"Thanks? Really?" He laughed. "I feel like I should be the one thanking you! That was unexpected. I mean..."

She silenced him with another kiss. "We can talk later. C'mon, let's get dressed." There was whining from outside. "And Maxi is going to freak out any second now and try to chew through the door." She opened up and Maxi tried to push into the bathroom. Brie used her knee to block the path. "No! You know you're not allowed in here." Brie pushed her back. "Be good, I'm fine." She patted her head.

After they dressed they sat together on the couch, with Maxi laying at Brie's feet. He had his arm around Brie and she was nestled into him.

He interrupted the comfortable silence. "I think I'll take you up on the offer of sleeping upstairs."

"That so? Something make up your mind?" she asked with a wink.

"More like someone."

"Good. I'll help you make up your mind some more later."

He leaned down and kissed her forehead.

----

Sven ended up staying for a week. He got out early some days and used Brie's tree stand by the creek, slept in on some others. They made love in the evenings, and a couple of times during the day when he came back for lunch. After day three he felt at home in the little cabin and started to believe that he could be happy living a simpler life.

He and Brie spent a lot of time sitting on the porch talking, with coffees in their hands in the mornings, beers for him and tea for her after dinner. At dinner on day four he told Brie that he could see the attraction to her lifestyle. He thought he'd miss being connected, but that now he spent some time here, found that he was just as happy not hearing about how fucked up the world was that particular day, or about the shitty things people did to each other.

After hearing him out, she asked, "So, what are you going to do about it?"

He didn't know and mulled it over for a while, sipping his beer. "Where do you think this going? With us, I mean."

"I see us going upstairs later, and I'm going to get naked and let you have your evil way with me," she smiled in a way that he'd come to recognize as her 'I'm not going to worry about it right now' smile.

"Okay. And that'll be awesome. But, really, I've been thinking about this. After I leave, it's going to be difficult to keep in touch. Not like I can call you up and fill you in on my day, or vice versa."

"You know how to write, don't you?" she asked and he nodded. "So, write."

"Like, letters?"

"Sure, why not?"

"I don't remember the last time I wrote an actual letter."

She shrugged, smiled, and had another sip of her tea. Maxi was sleeping, her head resting on one of Brie's sandaled feet, and she reached down to scratch her head.

"OK," he said when it became clear that Brie wouldn't say anything else.

That night after she had exhausted him and they lay beside each other, somewhat sweaty and definitely satisfied, Brie turned to him.

"Look, I made peace with the fact that I would be here, alone, and that's just the way it is. You're the first guy who's ever stayed here. It's not like I make a habit of picking up strange men in the bush." He chuckled. "But I'm not about to change how I live. And I don't expect you to change your life for me. I'm not like your ex, I have the home and lifestyle I want. If that means that I only see you now and then, then I'm not going to fight it. And I know there's a risk you'll meet someone who wants the life you have down there."

He thought about that. "Hell, I'm not sure I want the life I have 'down there'."

"In that case, you're welcome here any time. Tomorrow I'll show you where I hide the spare key. Seriously, come up anytime. Bring whatever clothes you need, stay as long as you like."

"You sure?"

"Totally." She leaned in and kissed his cheek.

"Huh. I just might take you up on that."

"Good."

----

He debated staying longer than a week, but thought that he if he did, he would never leave.

Brie's smouldering kiss as he was about to get into the car made him question his decision, and Maxi ran after him till he got to the end of the driveway, barking the whole way. To Sven she seemed to be upset at his leaving and trying to convince him to stay.

On the drive out of the bush, Sven's stomach felt uneasy, but he kept going.

Once his phone got reception, all the missed alerts started coming in and he had to put the damn thing on do not disturb as the constant buzzing was driving him nuts. He put on Matthew Good's 'Beautiful Midnight' because it matched his mood, and drove, wondering if he did the right thing, or if he should have stayed. He hoped going back, seeing friends, and getting back to his normal life would help him get some clarity about how he wanted to live going forward.

----

For the next month he wrote Brie every week, so she had a letter each time she went into town to check her PO box. She wrote him just as often, and seeing a new letter from her in his mailbox never failed to make his heart beat faster. Frequently their letters crossed, which made for some humorous moments as the topics looped.

When he read about what Brie got up to on her property--the close calls that sometimes occurred because she lived alone--he worried and had to remind himself that she'd been up there for a long time, and knew what she was doing. Hell, much more so than he did. Every night he went to sleep, his bed felt empty. He told himself he was being stupid, they had only spent a week together, but that didn't help make him feel any better.

He made sure to get out, see his friends regularly and several commented on how different he seemed. After some reflection, he could see their point. So much of what he used to care about didn't matter anymore. The new cars, promotions, the latest phone or gadget. Who really cared? It didn't actually improve anyone's life.

He got asked a few times what happened to him, but Sven didn't know how to explain it. They wouldn't get it. But more and more he wondered if the city was still where he belonged. His best friend, Alan, told him that whatever he was doing different, he should keep it up. That Sven seemed calmer, more centred.

When Brie's latest letter came--she let him know she wouldn't be writing for a couple of weeks as she'd be out moose hunting with some neighbours--he made up his mind. It was time to drive up and spend some more time in her cabin in the woods, and more importantly, be there when she got back. Plus, deer season was still open, he hadn't gotten a buck yet, and his freezer was empty.

Having made the decision to go North he felt lighter and things became simpler. Just to make sure, he waited an extra day to see if he would change his mind, and when he didn't, spent the evening putting his fall hunting setup together, adding some extra clothes for lounging around the cabin. The visits to several book stores took up most of the next morning. Brie had sent a list of authors and titles she wanted him to pick up if he was coming back, and he tried to make sure he got every one. That afternoon he gave away his plants. That, more than anything, brought things into focus. It felt like he was 'closing up shop'. Since Brie told him the local library--only an hour and a bit drive away--had WIFI, he packed his laptop and charger. The library was where she updated her fishing blog and corresponded with potential clients. He had found her blog and read all her recent entries. She was an engaging writer and passionate about what she was doing, which came through in her entries.

A couple of the guys gave him a hard time when he mentioned that he was heading back North, but they weren't the outdoorsy types, and wouldn't understand even if he explained it. Which he didn't.

There was one hiccup when he got contacted about a job opening. Though it was still in the early stages the job seemed interesting--it was fully remote--and the pay-range was decent. So, another reason to have his laptop and have a way to get in touch periodically. Just in case, he sent a note to let the recruiter know he would have irregular access to email, possibly only once a week.

It led Sven down a path of 'what-ifs' when it came to his work. He wasn't ready to retire. And while the idea of doing something different with his life thrilled him, he wondered what besides middle-management he was qualified for.

The thing that delayed his departure the longest was getting the car serviced, but even that only took an extra two days. Once that was done, he was set: his gear had been piled up in the living room for a couple of days already--except for the gun which stayed in the safe until he was ready to head out--he'd gotten Brie's books, and food he would pick up along the way.

He was surprised how little he really needed: A big duffel for clothes, his hunting pack, filled with camo, knife and sharpener, gloves, paracord, and the other gear he carried when in the woods. Plus three sets of footwear: a pair of boots, comfortable walking shoes, flip flops. Finally, one extra daypack with his laptop and stuffed full with the books he was bringing up for Brie. The thing he was looking forward to the most--besides seeing Brie and Maxi--was her face when she saw that he got every single volume she'd asked for. There was so much space once it was all in the car, it made him worry that he forgot something major, but he checked his list, and everything was there.

Driving out of town his gut was unsettled. Sven wasn't sure if was due to excitement of getting to see Brie or the worry that she might not be thrilled to see him again so soon.

----

Once he escaped from 'the burbs' and traffic started to get lighter, he set the cruise control just slightly over the speed limit. There was no rush and getting a ticket would ruin his day. As always, he wondered about what he might have forgotten, then reminded himself that as long has he had his drivers license and credit cards, it wouldn't matter. He was planning to go 'into town' every week anyway, he'd just buy whatever he didn't pack.

A couple of hours into the drive, he found himself singing along with the music, having fun. Even the weather had improved. It had been overcast when he left, but once he got past the first mountain range things cleared up and got sunny, with just a few fluffy clouds hanging around to break up the otherwise brilliant blue sky.

After lunch things dragged on, he still had over five hours to go. He left the canyons behind and things flattened out, got boring, more wooded with not much to see, just the other vehicles on the road. He was happy to turn off the highway, on a two lane road with pavement that was rough at times, until he finally reached the gravel road that led him into the bush.

Pulling into Brie's driveway, a moment of tension hit him as he wondered if the key would really be where she told him. Then he reminded himself that Brie had even mentioned it in her last letter. Sure enough, it was behind the loose board at the back of the barn where she had shown him.

He opened up the cabin--it was a little stuffy--and immediately walked through and cracked some windows. Stuck to the door of the fridge with a magnet, he found a note.

'Dear Sven,

(I feel stupid starting a note that way, when I think there's a good chance you'll never see it!)

Welcome!

If you're reading this, I'm thrilled that you'll be here when I come back, hopefully with coolers full of tasty moose meat for us. Make yourself at home. Just in case, there's bread in the freezer out in the shop, beer in the pantry with two bottles already in the fridge. And I hope you brought some fruit, because there isn't any.

See you when I get back (I hope!)

Brie

P. S.: Since it's not that cold yet, the water is still on, but the hot water heater is off. It'll take a few hours. Switch is on the wall.'

Well, that put to rest any worries about her not wanting him here. He couldn't believe she'd even picked up beer for him. Sven found the water heater, and there was a switch with a post-it that read 'Yup, this is the one!' and an arrow pointing at the lever. He laughed and flicked it on, then brought his things in from the car.

Upstairs he found a few empty hangers and wondered if Brie had made space for him, of if they were the result of her packing for two weeks away.

It was too late to head out to the hunting stand so he took his time making dinner. When he finished eating it was after 7 p. m. and had started getting dark. Putting on some warmer clothes, he sat out on the porch--going back in to spray his hands and neck with some mosquito repellent--and watched a couple of bats hunt bugs over Brie's field. He cracked a beer and relaxed, wondering when she would return and looking back on the day.

On reflection, it had been a good one. No problems on the road, the car ran great--as always--a few construction zones but no serious delays, and he even remembered to stop and pick up some peaches, apples and bananas along with the basic groceries he'd bought. Sure, it had been at the last moment and he paid more in Marysville than he would have in a larger city, but in the grand scheme of things, so what?

----

The next three days Sven got up early and sat in Brie's stand until 10 a. m. or so, heading back for lunch, then going 'walkabout' in the afternoons, making sure to bring his GPS and flagging tape, because the trails twisted and turned without any good visual references like mountains to keep him oriented. He slowly expanded his range, building up his mental map of the area and tracking as he went. The grizzly prints he found in the mud, still with water pooling in them, gave him a jolt, and there were apparently a large number of wolves. Some stretches of the path were completely covered by their tracks, like wolf super-highways. He definitely wasn't the baddest thing in the woods.

Luckily he didn't have any run-ins, but at the same time he didn't find 'that one buck' he was looking for. He saw some smaller ones, probably the same ones he had seen earlier in the season, still hanging out in the field by the creek. At least they gave him something to watch in the mornings.

On the fourth evening, there was the sound of a truck pulling up outside, and then some loud barking, followed by scratches and whining at the door. When he opened up, Maxi was all over him, jumping up, and doing loops in the living room. She managed to slide on the rug, hitting the side table by the couch and knocking over the lamp. Luckily the bulb didn't shatter.

"Calm down you stupid git!" Brie yelled as she came up on the porch.

He picked her up and swung her around and Brie squealed.

"Hi," he said, letting her slide down so she could stand, then kissing her. The kiss stretched and they let their hands roam, until Maxi pushed herself in between them. Sven let go of Brie and greeted Maxi properly, which got him a bunch of licks to his face for his troubles.

"Traitor!" Brie laughed as she watched the two of them.

He looked up at her. "Well, how'd you do?"

"Come, help me unload the coolers. They're packed to the gills. Got a spiked bull, he'll make great eating!"

They spent the next fifteen minutes unloading Brie's truck while she filled him in on the trip. She shared the meat with the two guys she'd gone hunting with, but there was still an impressive amount. She was set for the winter, and well into next season.

When they were done, Brie lifted her arm, sniffed at her armpit, and said, "Okay, I so need a shower. And then, maybe you can convince me that it was a good idea to let you come back here?"

He loved the sparkle in her eye. "Well shit, hurry up. I've been waiting days and days." He even managed to smack her ass as she turned away, making her jump and call out, and getting a 'woof' from Maxi, though that was all she did before putting her head back down to snooze some more.

----

They made slow, gentle love once Brie came upstairs and slid off her robe, standing in front of the bed for a moment so he could take in all of her, before Sven pulled her down onto the bed and pushed her onto her back. He teased her, starting on her belly, kissing as he went, enjoying himself and the feel of her skin. It took a while as he worked his way up and down her body, making her moan with need and eventually complain. That's when he flipped her over, smacked her ass, and told her to be patient, before he worked down her back. By the time he was done, she was panting, and when he settled between her legs, her pussy was wet and glistening. Brie had shaved, leaving just a small V. She smelled lightly of soap, and heavily of arousal. Sven took his time and ate her through two orgasms, before she pulled him up by his hair, kissed him, and then told to to 'fuck me dammit, I can't get more ready!'. Sliding into her he felt home, she was tight and wet, familiar and exactly what he needed. Her muscles ripples as they enjoyed each other, frequently slowing to make out more.

There was no hurry, and by the time they finished, it was well past his normal bed time. Tomorrow would be a day to sleep in.

----

"So, last night was amazing," Brie said as she put a cup of hot coffee on the kitchen table in front of Sven, kissing him on the cheek before taking a seat.

It smelled delicious, and he added a touch of cream, before having a sip. "Oh god. So good!"

"Wait, last night? Or the coffee?"

"Yes!" he said, making her laugh.

"Dork. So, what are you up to today?"

"Not sure yet." He checked the time. "Normally this is when I come back after spending the morning in your stand by the creek. What are you gonna do today?"

"Well, I need to process the meat, get it trimmed, portioned, wrapped and ready to go into the freezer. Well except for the parts I want to smoke. Want to help?"

He did and they spent most of the day on it. Brie had to play tetris to get everything into the freezer, and when she was done, she frowned at him. "So, slight problem here. If you get a buck, I have no space left."

"Not actually a problem. You know I came up here to spend time with you. The rest..." He shrugged.

Brie smiled. "OK. In that case, do you want to help me work on the truck over the next few days? I've been putting a few things off."

"You do all the servicing yourself?"

"Yup. Not a full engine rebuild, but short of that... One of the reasons I drive that old thing is that it's simple, and I don't need a damn computer to figure out what needs to be done. But the u-joints need replacing, and that's easier with an extra set of hands. Plus it's overdue for some maintenance. You know, oil change 'n stuff.

"I taught myself most of it--got the service manuals and had to buy a few specialty tools--and it saves me so much money. Same with the quad and the tractor."

"Huh. Sure, I'll help!" He did a fair bit of maintenance on his motorbike. And there was something hot about watching Brie work.

"Good! Because I always stress a little when I pull the truck apart. Once it's in pieces, if I'm missing anything, it's a hassle. My only option is to ride the quad to the neighbours, and hope they don't mind picking up what I need. But we all help each other up here."

"But now, I have my car." He winked at her.

"Exactly! I'm pretty sure I have everything, oil, filter, plugs, leads, distributor, obviously the u-joints. And I have my own welder, drill press and stuff."

"You know, you're kinda sexy when you're all 'I do this stuff myself'. Not butch, but, like..." Sven stopped, not wanting to overstep.

"Oh yeah? Greasy hands turn you on? Just don't expect me to work on your car, that thing requires a computer for even the most basic things."

He held up his hands, then lifted Brie so she was sitting on the chest-freezer, and started making out with her.

They got hot and heavy, until she pushed him back. "I'm not letting you fuck me out here, when there is a nice comfy bed right next door."

That lead to another session in Brie's bed, this time a little rougher, but playful. They took turns being on top, with Brie riding him for a while as he again marvelled at her. The way her abs tensed, and her shoulders flexed when she pushed off his chest, she was built like an athlete. On top of that, her stamina was incredible.

"That was a great workout," Brie laughed, as she let herself fall off him, having ridden him until he went soft.

"Just a workout?" he asked, and she rolled over onto her side, resting her head on her arm and looking at him.

"No. Way more. But I'm not sure if it's too much, or too soon, to talk about."

Sven took a deep breath. "I gave away my plants, before coming up."

"Oh yeah? And what does that mean?"

"It means that if you don't think you'll get sick of me, I might stick around for a while." That was met with silence, and Sven started to tense. He rolled onto his side, facing Brie with just a foot between them. "Too much?"

"No, that's not it. Just... It's not easy, living like this. And, what about work?"

He took a deep breath. "About that... I had an opportunity come through that would be completely remote. So I thought that maybe I could try and find a place to rent, nearby, or maybe find some office space in town. Something large enough for a desk, and with decent enough internet. For conference calls and so on."

Brie rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. Taking a deep breath, Sven figured it was too much, and way too fast. Well, he could just nix that idea and move on. Hopefully it wouldn't put a damper on the rest of his visit.

He was jolted from his thoughts when Brie said, "That's a lot of driving, which in the winter isn't always possible. Same during the spring melt, the roads can get so slimy they're almost impassible until you get to the maintained ones. But, let me sleep on it. I've got an idea, but... I need to mull it over, okay?"

"Sure!" He breathed out, felt some tension go. "Hell, I thought you were about to tell me that I was invading your space, and send me packing!"

"Ha! That's so not it. Plus, if I did, I'm not sure Maxi would ever forgive me. She moped around for several days after you left last time." She laughed, and the sound of it made the tension he felt fade away.

He was curious what Brie was trying to work out in her head, but didn't ask. No need to be pushy.

At the same time, he was heading into town in the next few days, and when he did, he figured it would be good to search for any available rentals. Hopefully she would figure things out overnight and fill him in.

----

They slept in, and all during breakfast, Brie was busy doodling on a scrap piece of paper. When he had a closer look, they weren't doodles, but numbers and measurements, leading to a dollar figure. It was double underlined, and Brie was frowning at it between bites of her toast and soft boiled egg.

Sven couldn't wait any longer. "Want to tell me about it?"

She looked up, shook her head as it to clear out some cobwebs, and smiled. "Sure. So, I was thinking that you driving into town, huge waste of time. Also, not feasible certain times of year. Then I wondered if I--maybe I should say we--should just get satellite internet, because that's the only affordable option, but then, where would you work? Can't sit here at the kitchen table, with Maxi and I wandering around, making noise, distracting you."