Then Came Love

©2011 Mona Ingram

All rights reserved

This is a work of fiction.

Names, characters, places, and

incidents are either the product of

the author’s imagination or are

used fictitiously, and any resemblance

to actual persons, living or dead,

business establishments, events,

or locales is entirely coincidental

The fawn leaped onto the road and stood frozen, huge eyes watching her approach. Maybe if Amanda hadn’t been looking for the sign to Loon Lake Resort she would have seen it sooner, but it was too late now. She yanked the steering wheel and her SUV slid over the gravel shoulder, down the slight incline and came to rest with the passenger side against a tree.

Sunlight filtered through the trees, illuminating patches of forest. It was an odd time to think of it, but she loved this part of British Columbia and had been thrilled when Vince told her he owned a cottage on Sandy Lake. Unfortunately, that first flush of excitement hadn’t lasted.

Don’t think about that now
, she told herself.
Think about how you’re going to get out of here.

Surprisingly, she was unhurt. Vince would be angry when he found out about the Land Rover but she didn’t care; the deer was safe and that was what mattered. He’d told her more than once that it was better to “hit the damned things” than swerve to avoid them. Last summer he’d hit a doe not far from here and unceremoniously dragged the still twitching body to the side of the road, muttering about “vermin”. She’d held back an angry retort, afraid of him even then. It was a chilling realization.

The car was still running; that was a good sign. She turned off the ignition. Birdsong filled the air and she recognized the distinctive song of a Vireo. And then the sound of flowing water filtered through. There was a stream nearby; no doubt one that emptied into Loon Lake. Many of the lakes in this area were connected by channels large enough to accommodate a canoe or a shallow-draft boat. That, coupled with the excellent fishing was responsible for the increase of fishing resorts over the past twenty years.

She unbuckled her seat belt and grabbed the empty water bottle. A few deadfalls littered the forest floor; thankfully she’d worn an old pair of jeans and a T-shirt. Vince hated her to dress casually. It had felt good to pull on the old jeans this morning knowing that she had a whole week without him harping at her for one thing or the other. It was going to be heaven. She reached the stream and filled the bottle. The water was cool, clear and sweet. She drank greedily, laughing at herself when some water dribbled down her chin.
It doesn’t get any better than this
, she thought, swiping at the drops with the back of her hand.

Movement along the creek bed caught her eye and she stared for a moment, unsure of her eyes. It was a puppy. Cold and bedraggled, it appeared to be on its last legs, clambering over the rounded rocks at the creek’s edge.

“Oh, you sweet thing.” She spoke aloud and the puppy looked up. It spotted her and wagged its tail.

She was quite sure it was a spaniel. Even at this young age, its ears were droopy, and even moreso since they were soaking wet. She picked it up and pulled it to her chest. The dog was a mass of movement, shivering, squirming with excitement and trying to lick her face all at the same time.

“Are you lost?” she asked, burying her face in its fur. She raised her head and looked around. “That was a silly question, wasn’t it? Of course you’re lost.” She stroked the dog’s head and it calmed. “You can’t have wandered too far from home. I’ll bet the people at Loon Lake know about you. Come on, let’s get up to the road and start walking.”

She wrapped the dog in her fleece jacket, grabbed her tote bag, locked the vehicle and climbed the bank. “Someone will come along soon,” she said, not sure if she was reassuring herself or the dog. “It may be remote up here, but it’s not the end of the world.” She started walking. The few times she’d come to the cottage she hadn’t been driving, but she knew that Vince used the sign to Loon Lake as a marker. Their driveway was a mile and a half beyond that, and led into Sandy Lake.

She’d been walking for about fifteen minutes when a pickup truck came up from behind and stopped. The driver leaned toward her, one arm on the steering wheel and the other draped along the back of the seat. “You okay?” he asked, eyeing the bundle in her arms. “I’ll bet a deer jumped out in front of you.”

She met his eyes. “That’s right. How did you know?”

He gave her a gentle smile. “It happens a lot around here. Some people say you should just hit them.” He paused. “Thankfully, they’re in the minority. Can I offer you a ride?”

She hesitated and looked ahead. “I’m going to Loon Lake. I can walk, thanks.”

He shrugged. “I’m going there myself. It’s no trouble.” He leaned across and opened the passenger door. “My name’s Jackson. Hop in.”

Vince had warned her against talking to strangers in this area. Sometimes he treated her like a child. But then she had to admit that she’d been acting like a child, letting him boss her around. “Okay,” she said. “I’d appreciate that.”

She climbed up into the cab of the truck. “I’m Amanda.”

“What have you got there?” He looked at the bundle again. “Is it a baby?”

She cradled the puppy, which was being surprisingly quiet. “No. Yes. Well, sort of.”

He frowned, but there was a glint of amusement in his eyes. “It either is or it isn’t.”

The puppy chose that moment to shake free of her jacket.

The man looked like he’d just won the lottery. “It’s Rocky”.

“Rocky?” She started to giggle as the dog licked her face. “You know this dog?”

“Sure do and I also know two kids who are going to be very happy to see him. He belongs to Hannah and Logan.” He reached out to pat the dog. “I work for their parents at Loon Lake Resort. The dog went missing a day and a half ago and we’ve all been looking for him ever since.” He put the truck in gear and pulled back out onto the road. “It’s a good thing he wasn’t gobbled up by a cougar.”

Amanda instinctively covered the dog’s ears. “Don’t say that. You’ll frighten him.”

Jackson’s lips twitched and she studied him as he drove. He hadn’t shaved for a day or two but it wasn’t the look affected by celebrities these days; it was the beginnings of a real, honest-to-goodness beard. He wore his dark hair tied back at the nape of his neck. The only thing missing was an earring. He glanced over and seemed about to say something, then changed his mind. Amanda was disappointed; there was something about this man that made her want to get to know him. He was nothing like Vince, she knew that instinctively. Her husband was a slick, perfectly groomed city type who wore suits that cost enough to feed a third world village for a month.

Deep down she sensed that the man beside her didn’t need the outward trappings of success. He exuded a powerful aura of masculinity that made her light in the head. She studied his hands on the steering wheel and for a wild, heart-pounding moment she wondered what they would feel like on her body.

Enough. She couldn’t think like this. She was a married woman, and although Vince had been treating her like dirt recently, he was still extremely jealous. She hated to think what he would do if she was ever foolish enough to get involved with another man. She shuddered and turned her attention back to the dog.

“Why is this little guy called Rocky?”

“Because he’s a fighter.” Jackson chuckled. “He’s got lots of spunk, that one. You should see him attack Jesse.”

“Jesse?”

“Yeah, Dave’s old lab. This little guy is all over him like a bad rash.” They passed a driveway leading to one of the other resorts on the lake. “And before you ask, Jesse is named after Jesse James. When he was a pup, Dave used to hang one of those western scarves around his neck. We all thought he looked like a gunfighter and the name stuck.”

She nodded. It sounded like something out of a fairy tale. She pictured dogs and children growing up together, the way it was supposed to be. A jolt of longing made her look away.

“Hey, are you okay?” She couldn’t believe that he’d picked up on her mood. She’d known Vince for two years now, been married for almost as long, but he’d never shown this type of sensitivity. It was unnerving.

“I’m fine,” she said and turned back toward him just as they drove into a clearing. Sunlight flooded the cab of the truck, lighting his eyes. Slate grey, shot through with slivers of blue, they watched her, and for an irrational moment she wondered if he could read her thoughts. Because in spite of his appearance which was scruffy at best, he struck her as highly intuitive.
Now where did that come from
? she wondered and buried her face in Rocky’s fur.

Her husband’s cabin was on the adjoining lake but Amanda had never been to Loon Lake Resort. She’d been curious about it last year and had looked it up online, learning that it comprised twenty rental cottages, thirty fully serviced camping spaces, boat rental and a convenience store with attached coffee shop. The most popular of the fishing resorts in the area, it was now being operated by the grandson of the original owner, along with his wife.

The resort was in an uproar when they arrived. A middle-aged Asian man sat on the arm of an Adirondack chair, rocking back and forth, his arm swathed in white gauze. Customers stood in random groups, looking back toward the building as the last few people scurried out.

“Uh-oh.” Jackson pulled into a spot below the ‘Office’ sign, jumped out of the truck and raced through an open door at the back of the building. Amanda petted the dog nervously, waiting for him to re-appear. When he hadn’t come out after several minutes, she settled the dog into her jacket and climbed down, closing the door quietly behind her. She poked her head inside. Judging from the supplies stacked on shelves lining the hallway, it was the back entrance to the kitchen.

“Hello?” she called tentatively. “Jackson?” She stepped into the kitchen.

“Sorry
Senora
, you can’t be here.” A young man accosted her.

“It’s okay, Carlos. She’s with me.” Jackson stepped forward.

Amanda looked around and surveyed the damage. There had obviously been a kitchen fire. “At least you had a K class fire extinguisher,” she said. “Looks like you caught it early.”

Carlos raised his eyebrows. “
Si
, but Tran is badly burned.” He looked back at the mess in the kitchen. “I’m not surprised.”