Chapter 37
Leah and Hailey were able to spend one more day together the following Sunday when Hailey let her know they would be going up to Port Angeles for Thanksgiving. The whole town knew to get all their necessities by Tuesday because they would be leaving Wednesday and wouldn't be returning until Saturday. Hailey promised he would bring her something despite her telling him not to bother. They also agreed that next week would be the last Sunday they would meet at his fishing spot. They agreed they would use the time they were apart to think of a different place to meet on Sundays and reconvene the following week.
Before leaving on Wednesday, Hailey left the shop after they closed to go to the Cullen home for a post-op checkup. He told Mitch that he was only going out for a breath of fresh air with his horse and road out of town with no one being any the wiser. It started to snow as he made his way to the Cullen house. It had certainly been freezing on Sunday when Hailey and Leah met. It had only been a matter of time before it would finally snow. When he arrived, he brought his horse to the stable where it was warmer. He was surprised how warm it was in the stables. The horses all seemed downright comfortable. It was warmer than his bedroom; that much was certain. Once his horse was settled, Hailey went to the front door of the large house and knocked on the door. Esme answered as she did last time; once again, much faster than he might imagine is feasible. But he ignored it. He accepted Esme's offer of hot tea to warm him up after being outside for so long. Carlisle came to get him after he received his tea and went upstairs with him to his study where the surgery had originally been done.
"So how have you been feeling, Mr. Dauer?" Carlisle asked after closing the door to his office.
"Fine, Doctor," Hailey said. "I felt like new by Tuesday."
"I'm pleased to hear it," Carlisle said. "What we'll do today is perform a test that will confirm if you are completely sterile yet. For that, I will need a sperm sample." Carlisle handed Hailey a little cup. "Will thirty minutes be enough?"
"15 will be plenty," Hailey replied. "I must say, I never thought I'd ever put masturbation down to a science," he managed to joke.
"And you've not been intimate since the surgery, correct?"
"No," Hailey confirmed in a mumble. In truth, he was beginning to get restless since the surgery. He'd already met the minimum ten times that Carlisle had recommended, even exceeding it by five when he and Leah met that passed Sunday. "Don't think I wasn't tempted."
"So long as you resisted, Mr. Dauer. Otherwise, you'd have had this surgery only to get Miss Jagger pregnant with the last you had left."
"Indeed," Hailey said.
"Well then, I'll return in 20 minutes, just for good measure." Carlisle finally left the room leaving Hailey alone.
When Hailey was alone, he wasted no time getting started. It was strange 'needing' to do it on the spot rather than doing it whenever he felt like it. Regardless, he tried to relax and thought of what he always did: Leah. He would think about the kisses they'd shared, specifically their passionate ones. He would think of what it might be like for her to touch him more intimately and for him to touch her. Eventually, he was able to forget his surroundings entirely and just feel, though he did ensure to remember to cum in the cup Carlisle provided. As it turns out, he needed that extra five minutes as he required nineteen minutes before he was done. Carlisle returned 20 minutes later on the dot. Hailey had placed the cup on his desk and readjusted himself before Carlisle returned and waited for the man to do whatever he needed to do. Whatever it was he needed to do did not take very long. He was finished in less than five minutes and returned reassuringly, removing cloth gloves he'd been wearing.
"Congratulations, Mr. Dauer. You are completely sterile."
"For certain?" Hailey asked.
"You could not impregnate unless God himself made Leah fall pregnant." Hailey smiled and breathed a final sigh of relief.
"You haven't the slightest idea how happy that makes me, doctor."
"Excellent," Carlisle said. "And unless you had any additional questions, I'd say we're done here. Would you like another cup of tea or something to eat before you leave?"
"No thank you, I'm alright. Better than alright." He truly was. He'd not stopped smiling since Carlisle's affirmation.
"I'm happy to hear it."
When Wednesday finally came, Hailey slept in until he felt someone nudging his foot telling him to get up and come downstairs for breakfast so they could leave. Rather reluctantly, Hailey finally got out of bed. However, he went to bathe and shave before coming downstairs dressed and ready. Mitch was eating several slices of toast with apple butter smeared on top and looked at Hailey with a look of irritation.
"I asked you to be out of bed 20 minutes ago," he said.
"I needed to shower, uncle," Hailey said. "Or would you have me suffer mother nagging me because I smell and have a five o'clock shadow?"
"Fine," Mitch said. "Just eat your breakfast. We've got a long ride ahead of us." Hailey grimaced. By horse and cart, they could get there in about 3-5 hours depending on how fast the horses went. It was a long and miserable ride.
Hailey didn't bother warming his slices of bread and just spread what was left of their last jar of apple butter before they finally left. The two of them sat up front and made small talk here and there. Mitch told Hailey of anything his mother had written him lately and told him to be prepared for her to ask the same thing over again.
"You never ask me any of this stuff," Hailey said. "What do you tell her whenever she asks?"
"If she asks, I just tell her what I know. You're doing fine, you're a thorn in my side, and you haven't met a nice girl."
"I would hardly say I'm a thorn in your side," Hailey said, smiling a little. "You're exaggerating."
"Not by much, Hailey," Mitch sighed. "I love you to death, boy, but you're a nuisance at times. Robert was never so troublesome."
"Didn't he grow up a slave or something?"
"That's irrelevant. Besides, it's not as though he wasn't a spitfire with a mind of his own. He just had the good sense to do his job at the same time."
"I get my work done, Mitch," Hailey said. "You must admit your books have been a dream since I came."
"The only reason I don't ship you back," Mitch said. "Were I more sound in that skill, believe me I would find someone else to replace you."
"Who? The whole reason I was sent was because no one in town wanted to help you. What with having to work with Squaw and all."
"Whom you seem to be somewhat friendly towards I might add," Mitch said.
"Friendly is a strong word," Hailey lied. "They've just figured out who's in charge, that's all."
"Ah, yes, of course. That's why you came home from fishing with a limp," Mitch started chuckling. Hailey pretended to be upset.
"Leah is a special case," Hailey said. "Woman wouldn't know her place if you smacked her across the face."
"Watch your tongue, Hailey," Mitch said, no longer laughing. "You're to not lay a hand on that girl. Do you understand me?"
"I've not, Mitch," Hailey said, rather annoyed. That was truer than he cared for it to be, especially given the past few weeks of circumstance. "She has nothing to worry about. So long as she remains all bark and no bite, I'll remain the same."
"I'm relieved you consider her kicking your family jewels as 'no bite'," Mitch finally started chuckling again. Hailey said nothing. "She also will demand to know why you haven't been writing her."
"She already gets letters from you regularly. I can't imagine there's something more I could tell her that you haven't already."
"That's not the point, Hailey. The point is letting her know you're thinking of her and you miss her. She certainly misses you."
"She didn't miss me when I'd first left the house," Hailey said.
"You were a block away and went to her house for dinner every night. It was like you'd never left."
"She said I could," Hailey replied a little defensively.
"Of course she did," Mitch said. "You were her little boy all alone without a wife to cook for him."
"I don't need a wife to eat, Mitch," Hailey said. "A man can and should be perfectly capable of making his own damn food."
"You don't," Mitch said. "You usually leave that to me."
"You never asked me to cook."
"Oh enough," Mitch said as he waved his hand dismissively. "And for the record, I would have asked had I known you were capable of the task."
"Cooking is just a matter of following directions. How hard can that possibly be?"
"You seem to have trouble with it at work," Mitch jabbed. He started chuckling while Hailey glared at him, but otherwise said nothing.
They continued to talk a little here and there while they were on their way to the city. They finally arrived in Port Angeles around 1:30 in the afternoon. When they arrived, the first thing they did was look for a place to keep their cart and the horses while they were there. They found a barn area and rented some space for the horses to rest and be taken care of while they were visiting family. Once the horses were situated and their cart locked in storage, they grabbed their luggage, making sure to have packed light, and walked the 14 blocks to Mrs. Dauer's little townhouse she had in the city. When they arrived, Hailey held Mitch's bags while he went up the steps of the little house and knocked on the door. A moment later, Mrs. Dauer opened the door and grinned widely when she saw them.
"Mitchell!" she yelled with her arms open to hug her brother.
"Kathleen!" Mitch replied just as kindly and hugged his sister back. "You're looking well as always."
"I try," she replied. She was a very short woman; perhaps 5' 1" at best under the most generous of circumstances. And she had brown hair, brown eyes, a round little face and a frame that one might describe as slightly scrawny. Were it not for the wrinkles around her eyes and mouth, one might mistake her for a child. "You look like you've been well too." Then Mrs. Dauer switched her attention to Hailey. "And how's my baby boy?" she asked, stepped down to the street to Hailey and hugging him, only reaching up to his shoulder.
"Just fine, mom," he replied. "Forgive me for not hugging you back. Uncle Mitch made me carry his bags."
"Well, come inside and you can put them in your room," she said, leading them into the little house. As last time, Hailey stayed in his old room and Mitch used the guest bedroom next door. When they returned downstairs, Mrs. Dauer proceeded to assault them with questions. "So, Mitch, has anything interesting happened since you last wrote me?"
"I can't say anything in particular occurred," Mitch said.
"Hailey, have you been a better employee? You most certainly better have."
"I complete all tasks Uncle Mitch asks of me," Hailey said.
"Fine, I'll ask you," Mrs. Dauer said, looking at Mitch since Hailey was intent of being coy. "Has he been a good employee?"
"He's been Hailey," Mitch chuckled. "He is right that he gets all his work done and the boy crunches numbers like no one else I've ever worked with. He's just a pill sometimes. I must say, though, his attitude has improved quite a bit as of late, though I'm not sure what's caused the change."
"A young lady perhaps?" Mrs. Dauer asked eagerly. "Mitch tells me you've not met a nice girl, but surely he's wrong. A handsome young man like yourself should have no problem finding a nice young woman to marry."
"There's no one in town that I'm interested in, mom," Hailey said. Leah wasn't in town, so he wasn't technically lying to her. "I know that upsets you, but if I'm not interested in anyone, than I see no need to marry."
"There most certainly is a need, Hailey," Mrs. Dauer pouted. "You need to find a nice young woman to marry and have children with. It's only the natural thing to do, dear."
"Yes, mother," Hailey sighed, taking a sip of his water.
"Mitch," Mrs. Dauer went on, "surely you've introduced him to young ladies in town."
"I suggested Mrs. Marshall's daughter Bernice, but Hailey wasn't terribly interested."
"Is she still single?"
"As far as I'm aware," Mitch answered.
"Well, then, introduce them anyway. Hailey, you can't be such a sourpuss and turn your nose up to a young lady without meeting her or getting to know her. It is only fair."
"Mother, the woman's ten years my junior. Forgive me, but I'm not interested in courting a child."
"Is she twenty?" Mrs. Dauer asked Mitch.
"Either 20 or 19. I can't remember honestly."
"Well, no matter. Age difference does not determine worthiness of a match. Why, your father was much older than me, but I loved him all the same."
"Yes, mother. You loved him," Hailey emphasized. "It makes the union far more pleasant I hear."
"Goodness, Hailey, stop being so fussy. You won't know whether you love her or not unless you give the poor thing a chance. Mitch," Mrs. Dauer said, "I expect you to have that boy engaged by this time next year or I will come down there and arrange it myself."
"Don't tease, Kate," Mitch smiled. "He's still young and there's still time. Don't fuss so much; he'll give you grandchildren soon enough." Hailey nearly covered his face with his glass as he drank his water trying to keep quiet.
"I'll trust your judgment, then," Mrs. Dauer said.
"Oh stop, Kate, don't be so pushy. The boy won't find love if you keep nagging at him like a dog nipping a sheep's ankle." Mrs. Dauer grumbled and sipped her tea. Hailey stayed quiet, willing the awkward conversation to shift to anything else.
"If you insist," she finally said. "So tell me how business fairs otherwise."
Finally, they moved on to a more comfortable subject of business at the shop. Mitch said once again that, despite Hailey's tendencies towards laziness, the business has benefited financially thanks to his knowledge of numbers and tax loopholes. Mitch was making more money just by tax write offs that Hailey knew about and he knew how to manage Mitch's books better than he or Robert ever could. Mrs. Dauer was delighted to hear such glowing news about Hailey and told Mitch, "I knew my baby would help." She also let them know that everyone was coming to the house tomorrow by noon and that Mitch and Hailey were expected to assist in the kitchen.
"You wouldn't believe the deal I got on this 25 pound turkey. I made sure that I picked one that was big and plump. We'll be eating well this Thanksgiving. And I've prepped the bread already for the biscuits so they'll be ready and fresh out of the oven by dinner. Oh! And Mitch, there will be green bean casserole for you."
"It would not be thanksgiving without it," Mitch smiled.
"Naturally," she said. "And Hailey, you had better thank your sister. She agreed to prepare the sauerbraten this year. It's been marinating since Monday."
"I'll only thank her if she remembers to make the gingersnap gravy too. You forgot last year."
"Well, dear, I can't read your grandmother's old cookbook. The whole thing's in German and you know I don't speak or read a lick of it."
"Honestly, mom, married to the man for over 30 years and you don't know any German?"
"He never spoke to me in German, dear," Mrs. Dauer said. "He only did that with you and Leslie. Speaking of which, I told you she and Patrick had another baby right? Little Charlie! He's just so precious!"
"Yes, Kate, you've told me," Mitch chuckled. "How has Clarice been?"
"She and Howard have been well," Mrs. Dauer smiled. "Still only one little girl and no news of another."
"How is my little Jenny doing?" Mitch asked.
"She's just wonderful," Mrs. Dauer said. "She's so excited to see you. She misses her old grandpa."
"Don't 'old' me, Kate. You're just as old as me."
"I most certainly am not!" Mrs. Dauer laughed. "You have 6 years on me. I'm still only a tender 54. That's hardly old."
"Fine, Kate, whatever you say," Mitch chuckled. "But you be careful, dear sister. You'll be 60 before you know it."
"How dare you spew such blasphemy in my house!" Mrs. Dauer teased. "You should be ashamed of yourself, Mitch. Isn't that right Hailey?"
"Truly deplorable," Hailey laughed and sipped his water.
"Forgive my depravity, Kate," Mitch said.
"You are forgiven," Mrs. Dauer smiled.
"Now, will Howard and Patrick's families be coming to dinner?"
"No, they won't. Howard's parents are out of town at present and Patrick is taking Leslie to his family's house earlier for a Thanksgiving breakfast before coming here. They'll probably be late getting here."
"Less people to feed, then," Mitch smiled.
The three of them spent hours talking well into the evening. She made them a small dinner as they talked some more and finally all went to bed later that night. Hailey woke up to the smell of something already cooking. He didn't get out of bed until Mitch came into his room and nudged his foot to get out of bed so he could come downstairs and help with preparing dinner. Hailey got out of bed and dressed before going downstairs. When he was down there, he was tasked with shaping the bread into acceptable little balls so they could be ready to bake before dinner was served. Then he was tasked with chopping vegetables for the stuffing. Clarice and Howard arrived with Jenny around 1 that afternoon, and Jenny ran straight to Mitch and gave him a big hug.
"Oh, honey, I've missed you," he said when Jenny was in his arms. Then he put her on her feet and his hand on her head. "Gracious, child, you were up to my shoulder when I last saw you. You're shrinking!"
"No I'm not, grandpa," the little girl laughed. Clarice went to Mitch and hugged him with Jenny sandwiched between them.
"Good to see you, daddy," Clarice said.
"Good to see you too." Then he looked at Howard. "And how do you fair?"
"Well as always. It's always a pleasure to see you. It must be a relief returning to civilization."
"Oh, the country's not so bad," Mitch said. The two chuckled and then Howard looked at Hailey.
"How about you, Hailey? How've you been taking country life? Better than before I hope. For the sake of your health if nothing else."
"I've come to appreciate the peace and quiet," Hailey smiled. Mitch looked at him strangely, but said nothing.
"So tell us how business has been for you?" Mitch asked Howard.
"There's not much to say," he replied. "The bank is the same as ever. It will pick up in the spring when tax season comes along." Hailey groaned and continued chopping vegetables. Howard laughed. "You still have nightmares of tax season I see."
"The worst one can have," Hailey said.
"Well, have you heard our great Union has a new state?"
"Oklahoma isn't it?" Hailey said. "Yeah, I remember that being in the paper recently."
"Roosevelt's had one hell of a reign I must say," Howard said.
"As I recall, you've likened the man to a…what is the term you used, dear? Tree hugger?" Clarice teased.
"Well, he has been that in spades," Howard said.
"It's nothing to scoff at, Howie," Hailey chuckled. "Forests are worth keeping around, are they not?"
"It's a waste of space," Howard said, waving his hand dismissively. "America's booming and we need space. We're one of the largest and most diverse nations in the world and we squander it on Indians and bears."
"None of those preserves President Roosevelt created have any Indians on them," Clarice said. "Not to my knowledge anyway."
"No, we just keep them in little villages outside good, respectable towns. Like the ones next to Forks. The…..what do they call themselves?"
"Quileutes," Hailey mumbled.
"Ah, yes, that's what it was," Howard said. "You tell me their name every year, and every year I manage to forget."
"It's to make room for more important information, dear," Mrs. Dauer smiled. "I don't mind the chitchat, but it needs to be done while helping to cook. Clarice, you start peeling the white potatoes. Howard, I want you to skin the sweet potatoes. Mitch, do me a favor and check if the green beans are done." Everyone moved around the kitchen to address the task they'd been given.
"So tell me," Howard continued. "Are they troublesome as ever?"
"They've been popping over to the shop more often, actually," Mitch said. "I've spoken to them more this year than I ever have. I've mentioned Leah to you, I'm sure. Kate, you remember Leah, right?"
"You mean the 11 year old that shot her father?" Mrs. Dauer said quite meanly. Hailey remained silent.
"Yes," Mitch said. "Don't be so mean, Kate. That poor girl went through a lot. Anyway, I came to find out earlier this year that she'd taken back her grandmother's bible from my room."
"The villain robbed you?" Mrs. Dauer said in a shriek.
"Calm down, Kate, it's all she had taken and, to be frank, the book was rightfully hers. I came to find out about it and I told her that if she wanted anything of her father's, then all she had to do was ask. I brought her back to the shop and let her look at everything. I think she only took the family photo, though. Then, just a week or so ago, the Chief's son's wife made apple butter and apple jam. The chief's son ended up bringing us some."
"At least they're learning their manners, I suppose," Mrs. Dauer said. "You've not been pestering her since last we spoke I hope, right Hailey?"
"She did kick him not long ago," Mitch said. "From what I understand, Hailey went fishing in a different spot than usual, Leah found him, they squabbled and she kicked him right where the sun don't shine."
"Good Lord!" Mrs. Dauer said.
"Oh, calm down, mother," Hailey said. "She's harmless."
"I'm not sure kicking you in the balls in 'harmless', Hailey," Howard chuckled. "It's downright malicious in fact. You know how your mother nags you about having children. What if she made you sterile." Howard and Hailey both laughed.
"Nonsense, Howie," Hailey said with a slightly cruel smile. "That would be silly."
"You should have seen him," Mitch said. "Poor boy was limping all Sunday and Monday. She must have gotten you good."
"Believe me, she did," Hailey replied with a chuckle.
"He keeps bumping into her whenever he goes fishing," Mitch continued. "He insists that he will not be pushed from his fishing where he pleases."
"I shouldn't have to leave," Hailey said. "I fished at that bluff for months before she caught me. She only kept appearing to pester me. Her catching me near the Cullen home was pure chance as well, I assure you."
"I must insist you avoid that beast," Mrs. Dauer said. "She sounds downright vile."
"She was a sweet girl when she was little," Mitch spoke up in Leah's defense, much to Hailey's relief. "But after what happened, I'd be shocked if she could be any more than melancholy. Though the times I'd seen her recently, she seems in much better spirits." Hailey kept his head in his work, saying nothing.
"Oh well," Mrs. Dauer said, "enough talk of those people. Let's talk of family matters. I hear, Jenny, that you've been doing quite well in your studies."
"Sure have!" Jenny said in a chipper song. "Since Oklahoma became a state, we've been learning all about it. And we've been reading so much!"
"Well, that is just wonderful!" Mrs. Dauer said. "Why don't you help me cook the cranberries and you can tell me all about it."
For the next hour, Jenny talked about school while she helped make the cranberry sauce that only Jenny liked. Then Leslie and her husband finally arrived with their two sons in tow. Hailey was delighted. He finally had someone to talk to.
"Guten Tag kleine Scwester," Hailey yelled from the kitchen.
"Guten Tag groβe Bruder," Leslie replied. "Haben Sie in letzter Zeit in Schwierigkeiten bekommon?"
"Habe ich jemals Sie enttӓuscht?"
"Oh goodness, there they go," Mrs. Dauer said. "Will the two of you be speaking English at all today?"
"Nein," they both replied in unison and they started laughing. Hailey pushed all the veggies he'd cut into the bowl with the cubed stale bread. "Sie machte Sauerbraten?" (You made sauerbraten) Hailey asked expectantly and Leslie laughed.
"Ich habe versprochen, ich würde," (I promised I would) she said. "Und ich kochte dei Soβe." (and I cooked the sauce).
"Gut," Hailey said.
"Okay, you two, seriously. Speak English," Howard said.
"I have no one to speak to, damn it. If Leslie and I don't speak German, we'll fall out of practice."
"He's right," Leslie said. "I teach the boys German, but their grasp is still so poor."
"Hailey, you finished the vegetables?" Mrs. Dauer said.
"Yes, mother," Hailey said.
"Leslie, was there anything you needed to do?"
"No, mother. I've prepped the meat, so now it just needs to be put in the oven and we can heat up the gravy a few minutes before we serve."
"Then you two go and catch up," Mrs. Dauer sighed. "I'm sure you've worked hard enough and Hailey's completed everything I trust him with." Hailey and Leslie laughed and Leslie put what she was holding in another oven her mother had so it could cook. She and Hailey hugged and immediately went to the parlor room in the back of the house so they could talk.
"Wie geht es dir?" (How are you) Hailey asked as soon as they were in the parlor. "Ich hasse es, das ich nicht mehr mit dir reden," (I hate that I can't talk to you anymore).
"Du und ich konnte mehr sprechen, wenn Sie gerade zu mir schrieb," (You and I could speak more if you just wrote to me) Leslie teased.
"Es ist einfach nicht die gleiche," (it's just not the same) Hailey complained. Leslie smiled and crossed her legs before answering Hailey's question.
"Patrick und ich hatte ein Baby," (Patrick and I had a baby) she said and Hailey chuckled.
"Das erklärt , das seltsame Kind," (That explains the strange child) Hailey joked. "Er ist Charles?"
"Ja," Leslie smiled. "Er ist ein sehr gutter Junge," (He's a very good boy). "Ich denke, man wird ihn leiben," (I think you'll love him).
"Ich werde ihn leiben, denn er gehört dir," (I'll love him because he's yours) Hailey smiled.
"Und hat Mutter nörgelte Sie heute über die Suche nach ein nettes Mädchen und haben Kinder?" (And has mother nagged you today about finding a nice girl and having children?)
"Ja," Hailey mumbled. "Sie hat gedroht wenn ich nicht eine Ehefrau im nächsten Jahr haben, Mutter wird finden ein für mich," (She's threatened that if I'm not married by next year, she will find a wife for me). Leslie started laughing out loud to the point where she began to cry.
"Das hört sich nach ihrem," (That sounds like her) she teased. "Ich nehme an, du bist nicht jemand sehen? Oder sind sie jemand sehen das ist nicht spezielle?" (I assume you aren't seeing anyone? Or are you seeing someone that isn't special). Hailey didn't immediately answer. His silence told Leslie everything she needed to know. She giggled a little and sighed. "Okay, Hailey, was ist ihr Name?" Hailey blushed. He glanced at the door to make sure no one was there. He did not answer until he was certain no one was there.
"Leah," he finally said.
"Leah," Leslie repeated. "Das ist ein schöner Name," (That's a beautiful name). Hailey sighed a little, realizing she didn't remember the name.
"Sie ist die…" Hailey stopped a moment, realizing he didn't know the word in German. He actually wasn't sure if there even was a translation. "Ich weiß nicht, das wort auf Deutsch," he mumbled. "Indian," he finally said in English.
"Was Indian?" (What Indian).
"Der, den ich letzten Jahres sprachen," (The one I spoke of last year) Hailey said. "Erinnerst du dich?" (Do you remember). Leslie racked her brain a moment to think what he was talking about.
"Die frau, die Sie wurden mit dem Argument?" (The woman you were arguing with?) Leslie asked after thinking long and hard.
"Ja," Hailey replied.
"Sie sind eine Affäre mit einem Indian?" (You're having an affair with an Indian?) Leslie said rather calmly and then signed when Hailey nodded his head. "Wie lang?" (How long?) she asked.
"Seit Juli," he said, but then he shrugged. "Ich sollte sagen seit ende August oder so. Das ist, als wir merkten wir einander lieben," (I should say the end of August or so. That's when we realized we love one another).
"Liebe?" (Love) Leslie said a little stunned. "Du liebst sie?" (You love her).
"Ja," Hailey said bluntly and Leslie sighed.
"Mutter wird nicht glücklich sein, wenn sie herausfindet," (Mother will not be happy about this when she finds out) Leslie mumbled.
"Der Grund, ich habe ihr nicht gesagt," (The reason I did not tell her) Hailey replied with a cheeky smile. "Obwohl," (Although) Hailey continued, "sie warden noch wütender werden wenn sie herausfindet, über die Vasektomie," (she will be angrier when she finds out about the vasectomy).
"Das was," Leslie asked, confused.
"Die Vasektomie," Hailey said again. "Es ist ein Betriebs dass halt mich davon ab Herstellung Kindren," (It is an operation that prevents me from having children). Leslie looked at Hailey a little dumbfounded. She wasn't sure what to say.
"Sie bedeuten, dass Sie steril sind?" (You mean you're sterile) she finally said.
"Ja," Hailey replied.
"Mutter wird sehr unglücklich sein," (mother will be very unhappy) Leslie mumbled.
"Der Grund, ich habe ihr nicht gesagt," Hailey said again.
"Mother is going to kill you when she finds out," Leslie said.
"Der Grund, ich habe ihr nicht gesagt," Hailey said again. Leslie stared at Hailey a moment. She wanted to be upset, but she couldn't say she was surprised. Hailey hated kids. The only one that seemed oblivious to that information was Mrs. Dauer and she couldn't understand why. Leslie could only assume her mother simply refused to believe that Hailey would hate children and not want any. "Warum haben Sie aufhören zu sprechen Deutsch?" (Why did you stop speaking German).
"Because, Hailey," Leslie said. "This isn't a topic I can discuss in German. It's too loaded a topic."
"Können wir nach oben gehen? Ich glaube nicht, dass jemand zu uns gehört," (Can we go upstairs? I don't want anyone to hear).
"Alright," Leslie sighed. The two of them secreted away up to her old room. It was the one furthest from the stairs and the one with a bed and vanity chair. She sat on her bed while Hailey took the chair, making sure to close the door. "Now that it's just the two of us: are you insane? How did this happen?"
"I couldn't tell you, honestly," Hailey said. "One day we were bickering and before I knew it, I realized I loved her and we were kissing in the kitchen at the shop."
"At the-," Leslie began, but stopped out of being so stunned. "You mean you two have been meeting at the shop? I can't believe Uncle Mitch didn't say anything to mother."
"He doesn't know," Hailey said. "Aside from Leah's cousin, you're the only one that knows. The only reason I'm telling you is because I know you won't say anything."
"And you've made yourself barren on top of all that," Leslie sighed. "I'm not sure which mother will be angriest at."
"I can always say I just can't," Hailey said. "Such things happen where one can't produce children for unknown reasons."
"That will be one hell of a hard pill for mom to swallow, Hailey. All the worse when she finds out about….Leah?"
"Yes, Leah," Hailey smiled. "All the same, mother doesn't need to know about her."
"So you plan to never marry then?" Leslie mumbled. "You'll just keep your Indian lover and tell mother you've not found a woman worth marrying?"
"It's not that I haven't found a woman worth marrying," Hailey said defensively. "If there's any woman I would ever marry, it's Leah. I never wished to marry because it required things I didn't want. Leah has no such expectations of me. If I married her, it would really be just the two of us. And she would love me and be happy with just me. What other woman in this society would ever be able to give me that? No one," Hailey vented. "Mother just needs to accept the fact that I don't want what she does. I don't think that's so absurd." Suddenly, as she rolled her eyes, Leslie stood from the bed and gently swung her arm around with her right hand on her hip, snapping the fingers of the hand she twirled and pointing out the door.
"Well, Hailey, you had best make that clear to her," Leslie said.
"Leslie," Hailey said, exasperated. "Don't do this. I'm trying to confide in you."
"I understand, Hailey, and I'm giving you my respective word of advice. Mother will find out eventually, so I suggest you get it over with now."
"I'm not telling mother anything," Hailey protested. "Least of all without talking to Leah. We'll tell her family eventually, but certainly not by me telling mother and Mitch and then it coming out in a chaotic fashion. There's an unfortunate history to contend with."
"I'm more concerned with the fact that this woman shot her father. This is the same Indian correct?"
"She did so in self-defense," Hailey said.
"Self-defense?" Leslie said, and then cleared her throat when she realized she said that just a little louder than she'd wanted to. She made sure to lower her voice before continuing. "Alright, fair enough. Uncle Mitch said as much if I remember the story correctly."
"The man strangled her mother and was about to kill her and her little brother. What else was she supposed to do? Let her father strangle the life out of her? She did what she had to so she and Seth could walk away from that alive. And it's not fair to chastise or blame her for what her father did. But anyway, as you can imagine, the event has left a rather acrid taste in her family's mouths and I doubt they would respond well to it under the best of circumstances. This needs to be handled delicately."
"Good Lord," Leslie mumbled. She paced a moment and finally sat back down on her bed. She crossed her arms, took a deep breath, and finally smiled again. "I'll leave it to your judgment then."
"Thank you," Hailey said.
"So," she said after the two of them shared a moment of silence, "tell me about her. What is she like?"
"She's spirited," Hailey smiled.
"Since she evidently threw a ball at your head more than once, I imagine she would be."
"She's spirited and passionate. She has so much life to her."
"And what do the two of you talk about? I hope you have more in common with her than blind infatuation."
"It's not blind infatuation," Hailey said smiling. "We talk about family, we fish together, I've been teaching her German and we've been reading The Brothers Grimm-"
"You mean the books I wanted but daddy left to you?" Leslie said with a hint of bitterness, though it was playful. "I certainly hope you'll give those to me."
"Maybe after Leah and I have read all of the Brother's stories," Hailey said.
"So you're teaching her German?"
"Yes. She's doing really well. I can't talk too fast, but on paper she's getting damn near fluent."
"I'm sure you're proud of yourself," Leslie teased. "How about what she looks like?"
"Well," Hailey sighed. "She has black hair."
"As Squaws often do," Leslie said.
"Just let me finish," Hailey replied and Leslie snickered and let him finish. "She has very long black hair. She always has it in a damned braid. Sometimes, I'll take out the little tie she has and comb out her hair until it's down. It's always a little wavy because of the braid too. She has tan skin, although she's whiter than her kin for the most part. She has full lips, a square jaw, a straight pointy nose that curves a little, high cheekbones and brown eyes. In the face, she's as German as they come."
"Well, well, well," Leslie said. "She certainly sounds like a beauty. And you said she has a little brother?"
"Seth," Hailey nodded. "I can't say I've seen enough of him to make a proper observation though. He exists and that's about as much as I know about the boy. When I saw a picture of him when he was a child, he looked a lot like his mother. More so than Leah does."
"You saw a picture of him when he was young?"
"Alright," Hailey sighed. "This is between you and me. Uncle Mitch thinks Leah stole her grandmother's bible from the shop. The truth is, she'd described the book to me and I remembered seeing it in Mitch's big chest he has in his room and I gave it to Leah. Anyway, Mitch told Leah that if she wanted any of her father's things, she only needed to ask, so we brought her to the shop and let her rummage through his old things that Mitch had and she took the family photo her grandma had apparently made them take."
"Do you know what her grandma's name was?"
"Oma Evelyn Jagger," Hailey smiled. "I can't remember her maiden name off the top of my head, though. The picture showed her to be a rather waifish woman, but she looked lovely all the same. Apparently she and Leah's mother were close as well."
"So his mother had no complaint about her son marrying an Indian?"
"The woman was basically fresh off the boat from Germany. She had no ill feelings towards them. And, according to Mitch, Uileila brought out the best in Hugo. When a woman does that, it's hard to dislike her no matter her origins."
"Uileila and Hugo? Those are her parents I assume?"
"Yes," Hailey nodded. "Hugo and Uileila Jagger. If I remember the story correctly, the two of them met while Hugo was out hunting and the man 'swore he'd seen an angle' when he returned to town. As far as I know, they saw each other from there and eventually he asked her to marry him."
"Well, that's romantic. It's a shame it ended so tragically."
"It is," Hailey said sadly, reminiscing on the story. "Truth be told, Hugo had an unforgivably cruel childhood and it haunted him until the day he died. Uileila apparently made it better in the beginning, but for some reason he started drinking again after being sober 13 years and everything just plummeted downhill from there."
"I see," Leslie said. "Why do you say 'unforgivably cruel'?"
"Long story short, his father was a monster and I'll leave it at that. Mitch told me all this in confidence and I'd rather not needlessly break that promise. Leah had wanted to know, but I explained to her it was something her father didn't want her or Seth to know and she agreed she didn't want to know."
"She doesn't know what happened?"
"No," Hailey said. "Her father had told Uncle Mitch, but it was under the strictest confidence. You see how well that went, but regardless. He didn't want Leah or Seth to be haunted by his demons as it were."
"I see," Leslie said. "So was he drunk when he attacked her?"
"Yes," Hailey said. "As far as I know, Uileila had warned him to stop drinking and to not hit her again. When he didn't, she threatened to leave him and started getting herself, Seth and Leah ready to leave and return to the village. I suppose, in his drunken rage, it was more than he could take and he strangled Uileila. He was about to do the same to Leah, so she grabbed his gun from his belt and shot him in the face."
"My God," Leslie mumbled. "And her family assumes you will inevitably commit the same crime?"
"Leah sneaks away frequently to see me like her mother had done. It wouldn't be an inconceivable conclusion for them to come to. Leah knows I love her. Her family, on the other hand, might not think that to be good enough."
"Perhaps not," Leslie said. "I say it's best to be realistic and to end things while you still can."
"It's too late for that, Leslie," Hailey said.
"If she is not pregnant or married to you, it's not too late."
"Whether we're married or not is irrelevant. Sure, I could sever my relationship with her and marry a woman more to mother's liking and standards, but I would hate her, we would both be miserable, and mother would pester me about children I would never have. Inevitably, whatever woman I married would be a contemptuous roommate and, if Leah would forgive me for the transgression, I would end up having an extramarital affair with the woman you all wanted me to not be with in the first place. I'd rather forgo all that and remain with Leah."
"You truly are stubborn," Leslie said. Hailey smiled at Leslie and she sighed. "Well," she finally continued. "I suppose if you love her this much, there must be something in her worth seeing."
"There's a lot worth seeing," Hailey said.
"You do realize, though, that you can't keep this quiet forever, right? You'll have to tell everyone eventually."
"When Leah says she's ready to, that's when we'll do it."
"And if her family does not approve? Then what will you do?" Hailey took a deep breath and inevitably shrugged at the question.
"I don't know. I'd like to think I would tell them we'll be together regardless and sweep her up and keep her with me, but then, I don't know how open she would be to that. If it happens, I'll let her decide what she wants to do about it."
"How noble of you," Leslie sighed. "I find it more likely the scenario you presented earlier will end up happening."
"You mean where we sever the relationship briefly only to start seeing each other in secret again?" Leslie nodded and Hailey chuckled. "You're probably right. I hope that won't happen, though. Her cousin said he'll put in a good word for me and help her aunt and uncle be more open to me."
"Putting in a good word is hardly a guarantee."
"You're right, but it's better than nothing. Truth be told, Leslie, I think you'd love her."
"If you love her, I'm sure I would too. It's a shame it has to be so complicated."
"It is," Hailey agreed. "But I love her. I don't what else I can say."
"There's nothing else you can say," Leslie said.
They spoke more of Leah briefly before the two of them were called back downstairs. Charles had started crying and poor Patrick was beside himself on what to do. Hailey came downstairs with Leslie and the two of them didn't mention Leah again. Back in Forks, the Cullens were busy making a huge feast for the tribe in accordance to the tradition. Everyone went to the Cullen house to help with making food and for the children to engage in themed games that Rosalie had put together for them all. Jacob, Quil and Embry took turns keeping an eye on the village so as to avoid leaving it completely unattended. Claire and Bella eagerly played the role of entertainment, playing their violins for everyone. Sometimes, Edward or Renesmee would join and play the piano. Claire did not play when it was Quil's time to patrol, however. She wanted him to be present whenever she played. She had become quite the little master violinist. She'd even started making up her own songs.
"She'll be nine this year, right?" Embry asked Quil, who'd served his shift for the morning and Embry was waiting to take his, as they watched her play.
"I think that was the number Carlisle had said," Quil agreed. "It feels like just yesterday she was a little toddler that I'd imprinted on. How infrequent is it, do you suppose, for a wolf to imprint nearly immediately after awakening?"
"On the line of unheard of," Embry teased. "But then, I think this might be the first time in our history that every wolf in the pack has an imprint. That's unheard of in and of itself."
"It's just a generation of firsts, isn't it?" Quil and Embry chuckled and continued to watch Claire play until Jacob returned and told Embry to take his shift.
When dinner was served, people took spots all over the house as they'd done before. Leah ate outside, enjoying the cold. She'd missed Hailey on Wednesday and was still thinking where they could possibly meet during the winter. She considered the Cullen house, but that seemed rude. It was not right of her to ask them if she and Hailey could meet secretly under their roof. It was bad enough that the Cullens all knew about her and Hailey and were keeping it a secret against their better judgment. The shop was, of course, out of the question. Mitch was not a church go-er, so they wouldn't be alone. And they couldn't meet at the village because that would mean telling everyone. The more she thought about it, the more she thought that, perhaps, the two of them should just tell everyone about them. They would certainly be upset, sure, but at least they wouldn't have to sneak around like criminals.
"I can have Jasper present when you tell them," Edward said from behind Leah. She squeaked in surprise and breathed deeply when she turned and realized who it was.
"You scared me!"
"Sorry, Leah, I hadn't meant to," Edward said. He sat down on the little porch swing next to her so they could speak comfortably. She was the only one eating outside since it was so cold, so they were able to speak privately. "Anyway, Jasper is able to quell emotion. He could make sure Sara and William remain calm."
"When does it ware off is my question," Leah sighed.
"Not until Jasper removes his power. And he won't until they're calm on their own. It would make the task of telling your aunt and uncle far less daunting."
"Can he quell disappointment?"
"Only the expression of it, I'm afraid," Edward said. "Jacob will say good things of him," he reassured. "And Hailey is a good man. Rough around the edges, perhaps, but he is a good man. And he loves you."
"Will that be enough?"
"We'll make it enough," Edward said reassuringly. "I'll be honest, I wasn't keen on your cousin when I first met him. I was angry because he'd kidnapped my daughter and I was suddenly expected to accept him as a member of the family. I can't say they will like him, but if they see how happy he makes you, then they will accept him eventually. I accepted Jacob eventually."
"Do you like him?"
"Perhaps to some degree, I can say with complete honesty that, having learned more of him, I genuinely tolerate him." Leah laughed and Edward joined in. "In all seriousness, I saw how happy he makes Renesmee. And, whether I like the circumstances of their meeting or not, that's what's important. And he's a good man and a good father."
"So Hailey will, inevitably, have to prove he's worthy of me is what you're suggesting?"
"Is that not your tribe's tradition anyway?"
"Well, yes, but this is different."
"Not so much. He needs to prove he loves you and can provide for you. It's not a task beyond his means."
"I suppose," Leah sighed.
"And as far as you and Hailey meeting here-"
"I wasn't going to ask," Leah interrupted. "The thought crossed my mind, but I know that would be wrong of us."
"I was going to say that so long as the two of you keep your behavior acceptable, I've no issue with it but if our house makes you uncomfortable, then it wouldn't be a good place to meet."
"It's not the house that makes me uncomfortable. It's the thought of meeting Hailey here regularly where anyone besides all of you could see us that makes me uncomfortable."
"So is the plait of a secretive love affair," Edward smiled.
"Might you have another suggested meeting place?" Leah asked after a heavy sigh. "I'm not coming up with anything."
"Well," Edward sighed a little, unsure he really should tell her. "I do know of a little shack that's just outside town. Well, log cabin would be a better word. It belongs to the couple that owns the Inn, but they never use it except when it's Christmas and they have a small family gathering."
"So, from December 26th to December 24th they're not there?"
"They're there between the 24th to the 27th every year," Edward said, but then he sighed. "I shouldn't have told you about that."
"And where is this log cabin located specifically?" Leah asked, looking up at Edward hopefully. She wasn't comfortable using the Cullen home, but the Inn Keepers' home? Not a problem at all.
"I'll draw you a map," Edward said before running up to Carlisle's office and drawing an exquisitely done map of Forks and where the little log cabin would be. "They keep the place locked. There's a key hidden under the rock to the right of the stairs of the patio. Make sure you put it back exactly where you found it, lock up before leaving, keep everything clean, don't burn any of the candles and you should be fine." Leah accepted the map and looked at it a moment. The little cabin was a rather decent distance from town so they could have privacy better than at the bluff. And Hailey would be out of town for Christmas anyway, so there was no chance they'd get caught.
"I appreciate this, Edward," Leah said quietly.
"Just don't get caught," Edward warned. "Now come inside. It's freezing and it'll start snowing soon."
Leah hurried to hide the map in her dress so that no one would see before she went inside with Edward as he asked her to. Everyone stayed the night at the Cullen house after dinner, most people at the party so full and tired, they couldn't stand to move. Esme made everyone breakfast the next morning. Several loaves of bread, leftover sweet potato casserole, and plenty of left over apple butter and jams. Some returned to the tribe right after breakfast while some remained at the Cullen house so the children could play on their playground. Caevia and Renesmee were among those that remained and they sat of the little porch swing while they watched the children compete with each other to climb trees, have races, rock throwing contests, and many other means of outdoor entertainment. The two of them were more rounded than ever. On the way to the Cullen house, Embry and Jacob both had insisted Caevia and Renesmee ride in the cart and Caevia's ankles were unbearably swollen and she'd been wearing her winter socks ever since it started.
"How do your feet feel?" Renesmee asked.
"Throbbing," Caevia said. "I feel heavier this time around. I don't think my ankles swelled this bad with any of my previous full term pregnancies."
"Same for me," Renesmee said. "But you look like you're getting bigger than I am. I think we may both be having multiples."
"Does that hurt more?" Caevia asked. "You've helped deliver twins before have you?"
"Only twice," Renesmee said. "As far as I've experienced, it doesn't take much longer. Both times, the second baby was born within minutes at most after the first baby. I can't imagine it would hurt more. Child birth is child birth. It doesn't hurt more just because there's two."
"I've never been pregnant with twins," Caevia sighed.
"You'll be that much closer to having five," Renesmee teased and the two of them laughed.
Leah kept the map Edward had made her out of site and hid it in her bed until Sunday finally came. She made her usual excuse that she was going to go foraging for potatoes. Hailey had, thankfully, starting coming to their meeting spot with tens of potatoes so she wouldn't return empty handed and lead to suspicion. Leah dressed in her winter dress she'd made, her boots, and a heavy jacket and mittens before going off into the woods. The temperature had plummeted over the past few days and it was extremely windy. When she got to the bluff, it was snowing. Hailey was sitting there waiting for her, also dressed in a heavy winter coat, boots, mittens and a wool hat. He heard her footsteps and turned to look at her with a smile. Then she stood up to approach her. He had the sack of potatoes he'd been giving her and he had a the Brothers Grim stories, but he also had something else. It was a book, but a book she didn't recall Hailey having. He'd not given her a chance to ask about it, however, before he placed the things he carried on the ground, took Leah into a hug, and gave her a firm kiss. She reciprocated and hugged around his neck just as tightly. After their lips parted, they continued to hug one another, simply enjoying the embrace.
"I missed you," Hailey said.
"I missed you too," Leah smiled. Hailey pulled away and kissed Leah's head. Then he reached for the things he'd had.
"Here are your potatoes," Hailey said. Then he took a knife and cut open the bag so he could poor the potatoes into the basket. "Feel free to toss some dirt on them before you get home. And," he reached down to pick up the books but handed Leah the new one, "I found that in my father's library. It's a German translation of Taming of the Shrew." Leah raised an eyebrow at Hailey and opened the book to read the description at the beginning. She was able to read most of it, which told the story was about a woman that was a shrew and was made into a humble woman by the hand of her husband's firm hand.
"You're not trying to tell me something, are you?" Leah teased. Hailey smirked and shrugged, so Leah popped him over the head with the book. However, since she knew he was joking, she laughed and he joined it.
"I thought you might like it better than one of his other Shakespeare plays since this one's a comedy. The only other ones my father had were Hamlet and Macbeth. Both are a little dull if I'm being honest."
"Renesmee's a big fan of Shakespeare, so I'm familiar with the stories. I haven't read them, but Jacob has."
"Jacob has read Shakespeare?" Hailey asked in a mildly disbelieving tone.
"Yes," Leah nodded. "I know they've read Othello. They've read Hamlet together, Renesmee and Jacob have I mean. I want to say they've read Romeo and Juliet. They talk about it frequently and sometimes I'll listen in. It seems to be these plays are far more interesting to discuss than to read."
"I can't say I'm a big fan of Shakespeare myself, but I thought it looked the most interesting out of the books my father didn't give to me in his will. It'll be something else to read when you're at home besides the bible."
"Yes," Leah said with a shrug. "I have read through it more than once since getting it. It's becoming rather dull."
"So," Hailey said, changing the subject. "Any thoughts were we should start meeting from now on? I don't know about you, but I'm freezing out here."
"I do, actually," Leah replied. She reached into her dress and pulled out the map that Edward had made, showing the little cabin outside town. Hailey took the map Leah offered and looked it over closely. First, he was surprised at the quality of the map. He'd seen maps of the town made by people in town and they certainly didn't look this clean and detailed.
"Where did you get this?"
"Edward drew it out." Hailey looked at Leah a moment, a little stunned. Then he looked at the map again to further review the detail.
"He's certainly a talented map drawer," Hailey finally mumbled.
"I admit Edward is a man of many talents."
"So it would seem," he replied. He looked all over the map and saw the little note written on it, in exquisite hand writing of course, detailing the cabin outside town that was all but abandoned. He knew of this cabin. "You're saying we should start meeting at the Inn Keeper's cabin?"
"You know about it?"
"Only by word of mouth. They go there for Christmas."
"That's what Edward told me. He said aside from Christmas, they're never there and it would be a safe place for us to meet." Hailey was impressed. Here he was, prepared to say they should suck it up and meet at the Cullen house, and Leah shows him the Holy Grail of private meeting places.
"Well then, I suppose we'd best make our way there," Hailey said with a big smile. He led Leah with him to his horse and told her to leave the potatoes for now. It would be too awkward for the horse to handle. He'd drop her off here so she could return to the village from the same place she left and with food. "Hand me the map again," Hailey said. Leah gave Hailey the map and allowed him a moment to look at it so he could commit to memory exactly where they would need to go once he looped around the town. "Okay, hold on tight, Leah."
Hailey encouraged the horse to begin a trot and the horse went as fast as the trees would allow. He looped around town so no one saw them and, when they were finally out of the trees and out of site of town, he ordered the horse into a full gallop until they reached the little cabin ten minutes later. There was a little hut attached to the house that was specifically meant for a horse, so they went straight for that. The outside of the cabin was rather cute. She wasn't sure why Edward had referred to it as a 'shack'. It looked like a proper house from what she could tell. There was a patio, it appeared to have two floors and there was even a small cobblestone trail right in front of the stairs. As Edward said there would be, there were rocks on both sides of the little staircase going up to the patio. She remembered Edward saying the house key was under one of the rocks. They hopped off the horse and got her comfortable. Since they only came in winter, the Inn Keeper had made a point that the horse's stable was winter friendly, so the horse was comfortable and safe from the cold. Hailey removed the horse's reigns so she could relax and closed the door once they were outside. Leah went right for the rocks and checked both, finding the key under the rock to the right.
"How did you know that was there?" Hailey asked, a little concerned now.
"Edward told me," Leah blurted out. She went up the stairs and straight for the door, unlocking and opening it before walking in.
"And how did HE know that was there?" Hailey asked while he stepped inside, closing the door behind him.
"The man knows everything," Leah said without thinking. In truth, she was looking around the cabin. There was a kitchen with a large wood stove, a fireplace with left over wood from the year before, and there was a hallway directly across from the front door that led to what she assumed was the master bedroom. The bed inside was fit for two people. There was a Christmas tree in the corner that had died a long time ago. The entire cabin was cluttered with Christmas decorations. "They really do only use this place for Christmas do they?"
"It looks like it," Hailey said. He'd thought to enquire further about Edward, but once the door was closed and they were truly and completely alone, he found he didn't give the least bit of a damn anymore. "The Christmas decorations aside, it's a cute little cabin."
"Yeah," Leah mumbled. She felt Hailey getting closer to her and it began to dawn on her what they were going to do. In truth, she felt unprepared. It was not as though she'd not wanted to, yet she didn't want to just proceed like that. Hailey put his hands on Leah's shoulders and Leah trembled a little. It was a combination of eagerness and nervousness. She'd never been this nervous before.
"It's certainly a nice, quiet spot," Hailey said as he wrapped his arms around her completely and started to kiss her neck. Leah trembled again, licked her lips, and took a deep breath.
"We just need to be careful," Leah said breathlessly. "We need to make sure to never leave anything here. And we can't use the candles or light a fire. We can't leave any indication we've been here."
"Mm-hm," Hailey said as he pressed another kiss to Leah's neck.
"Why don't we relax for a while," Leah said suddenly. Then she stepped from Hailey's arms and started looking around the cabin. Hailey watched her a moment, not sure what was bothering her. He waited for her to come back from the quick tour before speaking.
"Are you alright?"
"Yes," Leah said and took a deep breath. "I don't know why I'm so nervous."
"You're nervous?"
"A little," Leah said. "You brought the book, so why don't we read a story first? We can relax a little."
"Sure," Hailey said. "Let's sit on the couch."
Leah walked around the couch and sat down right next to Hailey. He flipped to a new story and the two of them read it together as they always did. They managed to read through two stories in less than forty minutes. Leah was impressed with herself. By the end of the second story, she felt much more comfortable. Hailey noticed and smiled at Leah. Without a word, he gave her a kiss that she returned. He kissed her on that couch for several minutes before he remembered he'd brought a deck of cards with him. He smiled and pulled away.
"How about we play poker?" Leah snickered at Hailey's suggestion and kissed his nose.
"Are you so eager to lose?" she asked.
"I think I know a way we can make this enjoyable no matter who wins."
"How might that be?" Leah asked. Hailey's smile turned mischievous and he stood from the couch, leading Leah over to the big dining table in the kitchen area. They sat across from each other and Hailey took out his deck of cards and proceeded to explain while he shuffled.
"It's called strip poker," he said. "It's very simple. Every time one of us loses, the loser has to remove an article of clothing." Leah looked at him a moment and licked her lips again. However, she refused to be nervous, so she took a deep breath and finally returned Hailey's smile with a mischievous smile of her own.
"That sounds simple enough," she said. Hailey grinned at her and started tossing the cards until they each had five. They agreed they would allow two draws from the deck if desired. Hailey only did one, while Leah did two. She remained stone faced, as did Hailey.
"Lay down your hand," Hailey said. He placed his down: 2 pair. Leah placed hers down: nothing. Hailey chuckled. "You lose, Miss Jagger." Leah smiled defiantly and pulled off her little gloves, placing them on the table.
"I'll deal," she said, taking the deck, shuffling again, and then tossing them five cards each. This time, they both took advantage of the two draw minimum before playing. They both had nothing. "Looks like we both lose, Mr. Dauer."
"Indeed," he said, removing his own gloves. Leah removed her coat. He took the discarded cards and the deck, shuffled, then tossed them five each. They both drew a single card and were both satisfied with their hands. Hailey placed his cards down first: a Flush of spades. Leah smirked and placed down her hand: a Full House.
"You lose, Mr. Dauer," she said. Without breaking eye contact with her, he gave her the same defiant smile she'd given him and removed his hat. Leah shuffled, passed out their cards, and they both took two before putting down their cards. Leah: a Straight. Hailey: a Straight Flush.
"You lose, Miss Jagger," Hailey replied. Leah decided she would tease him, so she reached down and took off her boots, placing them to the side. They smirked at each other while Hailey shuffled, passed out the cards, he drew two cards, Leah drew none. Leah: Three of a Kind. Hailey: a Straight. He just smirked at Leah, but she was determined. So she brought her braid around and pulled out the tie. "If that's what you choose to remove," Hailey said. He stood and walked around the table and stood before Leah. He gently removed her hand from her hair and proceeded to untangle the braid himself until it was completely down. He wanted to kiss her, but he resisted the urge and went back to his seat. Leah found the action of undoing her braid left her feeling strangely aroused. Leah shuffled, passed out the cards, both drew cards, but they both got nothing again.
"Looks like we both lose," Leah said. She reached down to remove the socks she was wearing. Hailey removed his coat. He shuffled, passed the cards, and then they played. Hailey: High Card. The lowest hand he could have, though it was better than nothing. Leah, on the other hand: a Royal Flush. She smirked proudly. "I win."
"Just this hand," Hailey smiled. He reached down to remove his shoes and placed them to the side. "This is turning out to be quite a nail biter," he said. Leah just smiled and took the cards to shuffle and pass out. When they played, they both had Three of a Kind. However, Leah had 7s while Hailey had 2s.
"I win again," Leah smiled. Hailey said nothing while he glared playfully. He reached down and removed his socks next. He could be a cheap shot too. He shuffled, passed out the cards, and then they finally played their hands. Leah: nothing. Hailey: Full House.
"I win, Miss Jagger." Leah smiled defiantly as she stood from her chair. Hailey waited eagerly while she started undoing her dress, thinking he'd won the game. However, when she removed her outer winter dress, she revealed she was wearing a second dress under that. Leah dropped her top dress on the floor and sat down with a little smirk. Then she laughed when she realized Hailey was suddenly disappointed, though he was trying to hide it.
"You didn't think you would win that easy, did you Mr. Dauer?" Leah teased.
"All I need is one more hand, Miss Jagger, and I'll be the winner," he taunted. Leah just smiled as she took the cards, shuffled, passed them out, and they both did what they wanted before placing their hands down. Hailey: nothing. Leah: 1 Pair.
"It wasn't this hand, Mr. Dauer," Leah teased again. Hailey smirked at Leah and her teasing. He reached up to the top button of his heavy flannel shirt and undid each button one by one, revealing more and more of his chest.
Leah watched him intently as he did so and was mesmerized while she watched. She could see chest hair, something she was exceedingly unaccustomed to. She'd not seen such a thing since she was little and her father would walk around the house shirtless in the morning. Seth had started getting hair on his chest, but he was so self-conscious about it that he always wore a shirt to hide it. Regardless, this was the only time she'd seen hair on a man's chest and been around. It was dark like the hair on his head and it was sparse. It didn't rise about his collarbone and trickled down only slightly below his pecks where she could see the faintest hint of ab muscles. He wasn't nearly as muscular as Jacob was or even the two men she'd been with in her whole life, but he still looked strong. Hailey said nothing but he did smile confidently as he took the cards, shuffled them and passed them out. They did what they felt necessary to their hand, but Hailey didn't allow them to play right away.
"That little slip you're wearing is your last article?" he asked.
"Yes," Leah smiled.
"Good, because I'm down to my last. Whoever has the better hand this round wins the game. You ready?"
"Absolutely," Leah smiled confidently. Hailey smiled right back at her.
"Alright, Miss Jagger. Play." They both rested their cards down, equally confident. Leah: Full House. Hailey barely beat her with a Four of a Kind. "I win," he said proudly.
"So you do," she said. Her smile was no longer than confident smile. It remained, she it was a different smile that Hailey couldn't quite read.
He watched her stand from her chair and prepare to remove her warm slip. She got butterflies in her stomach as she looked at him. She started biting her slip, moving her hands to her side and taking the fabric in her hands. However, she didn't pull it off quickly. Instead, she started bunching the fabric, pulling it up inch by excruciating inch, though her hands were placed in a spot where it would not reveal more than just below her hip. Hailey forced himself not to be impatient. So he waited and watched while she slowly removed her slip. It was as though she took an eternity. All the while, his erection began to throb just from anticipation. She bunched up the fabric until it showed her thighs and part of her hips, and when all of the bottom of her slip was clutched in her hands, she lifted it up over her head, finally naked to Hailey's eyes. He began to salivate and his lips went dry. His heart raced, as did Leah's, and he just admired her a moment.
She was everything he ever pictured she would be. Her breasts were full, but obstructed from his view by her long hair. Her waist curved in, then curved out to form her hips, which were wide and looked smooth to the touch. Her thighs were so smooth looking and the patch of hair at her core was present, but not unruly. As Hailey stared, Leah found herself start to blush profusely. She'd never been looked at like that: as if he might leap on her like a base animal. She took deep breaths as he looked. When he finally stood from his seat, she felt as though her heart would beat out of her chest and her breathing accelerated. Hailey finally came before her, only in his pants, and reached around to pull her hair out of the way of her breasts so he could admire them further. He hesitated only a moment before placing his hands on her breasts. Leah breathed deep when he did, watching his hands on her. Her own moved to rest on Hailey's chest, trailing her fingers over the hair. She swore she felt his heart beating and she heard Hailey draw in a sharp breath. He brushed his thumbs over Leah's nipples, causing her to take her own sharp breath from the sensation. He brushed each nipple a few times until both had pebbled completely.
Leah was the one to wrap her arms around his neck and pull him down so they could finally kiss. When their lips joined, Hailey became more forceful. He pulled Leah right up to him while he licked her bottom lip so she would open and their tongues could meet. He trailed his hands down, started at her butt and giving her a firm squeeze, then trailing down her thighs. He kneeled down just enough so he could get a grip on her thighs and hoisted her up. Leah's ankles interlocked behind him while his hands went back up and he held her close as they kissed. He tilted his head so he could open his eyes to check the way to the bedroom. Once he knew where to go, he closed his eyes again and started to walk. It was a slow walk as the two of them continued to pit tongue against tongue, Leah running her fingers through Hailey's hair and Hailey trailing his own all over Leah's back. Hailey's knees eventually touched the soft edge of the bed and, when they did, he bent down to rest Leah on top. Leah did not release her ankles until Hailey started to pull away. He pulled himself up while leaving Leah on the bed, then returned his hands to her breasts.
He brought his head back down and went right to her neck, kissing the sensitive skin. Leah's head fell back and she sighed. That sigh made him that much harder. He continued to trail kisses on her neck, sucking on the skin until he left the faintest little mark where he sucked. All the while, his hands remained on her breasts, squeezing her flesh and pinching her nipples, making her sigh and moan. His mouth began to trail closer and closer to her breasts and Leah felt herself aching at her core. His right hand trailed down, moving aside so he could start kissing her left breast. His hand continued further until he reached her center. Leah breathed deeply as he fingers teased, only touching her outer most skin while his mouth did its own teasing and kissed around her nipple. Then his fingers touched her sensitive nub, applying pressure and making Leah whimper. Then he rubbed her opening to test it, hovering his lips just above her nipple.
After her rubbed her center, he finally slid his fingers inside her and took her nipple in his mouth. Leah moaned a breathy moan and placed one hand on his shoulder and the other on his hand rested on her right breast. She continued to moan and sometimes whisper his name while he sucked and swirled his tongue around her nipple and his fingers curled inside her applying pressure when he found the spot that made her moan the loudest. Then he placed his thumb firmly against her clitoris and rubbed relentlessly. He removed his other hand and reached down to undo his pants while his mouth trailed kisses to her other breast. When his pants were undone, he kicked them off him, never removing his hand or mouth, and then rested his hand beside her head for support. His fingers curled and pressed until he brought Leah very nearly to her precipice. But when she was just about to release, Hailey removed his hand and removed his lips from her breast.
"Hailey," Leah whimpered to protest, but she was silenced when Hailey slipped inside her. They both moaned from the feel and Hailey nearly crumbled before her.
When he finally had control again, Hailey placed one hand on the bed and the other on her hip while he began to move. He started slow to start. She was very wet and tight around him and he wanted to savor the feeling. But eventually, it became too good to resist and he started humping faster and faster. He would slow down a moment to catch his breath, only to return to moving faster again. All the while, Leah's hands held onto Hailey's while her head was thrown back, her black hair fanned on the bed seeming longer than he remembered it. He wanted to touch it so badly. So he stopped suddenly. Then he leaned down so he could take her into his arms. Leah wrapped her legs around him while he lifted her up and moved the two of them further onto the bed. Once situated, Hailey rested his weight on his elbows and kissed Leah passionately. His fingers trailed into her hair and he moved his hips the way he'd been doing before. Leah whimpered into Hailey's lips while he kissed her and he moaned with every other deep thrust. Leah took a moment to spread her arms to gage how much room she had. Afterwards when she was sure she had enough room, Leah pushed on Hailey's chest onto his back and remounted him like he were a horse.
Hailey's hands went right to Leah's hips while she rested her hands on his chest for support and bounced up and down on him. Her hair was everywhere. She would flip it, making it all behind her, then her head would come forward and it would trail forward again. It would tickle Hailey's chest and the sensation would leave him breathless. Soon, Leah fell forward so that the two of them were chest to chest and Leah kissed Hailey while her hips continued to bounce up and down. Hailey's hands remained on her hips and he thrust his hips forward in time with Leah. The two kissed while they both thrust in time with one another and Hailey felt himself getting closer. So he moved his right hand so that his thumb was touching her clitoris and began rubbing vigorously. Leah breathed sharply and took her lips away while she moaned and released her breathy sighs. Hailey continued to thrust faster and faster while he rubbed her sensitive nub. She moved her hips in time with him and if they got out of rhythm, they would slow just a little so they could continue at the same pace.
Hailey rubbed and rubbed relentlessly while they moved their hips and he felt his mind going blank as he felt himself get closer and closer. Leah was getting closer too. He felt her body start to tense in preparation. Then as Hailey rubbed, he finally felt her core implode and crush his erection in a fit of pleasure while Leah moaned and threw her hair back. Hailey didn't stop moving and continued to rub even while he felt her last few shudders. He rolled over so Leah was on her back once again and kept thrusting harder than before until he finally reached his own end and twitched as he released. They both remained still a moment while they both caught their breath. Hailey laid next to Leah after he pulled himself from her and held her close.
"Oh, Leah," Hailey sighed while he breathed. Leah took a moment to recover herself. She clung to Hailey and kissed all over his face until their lips finally met. After their kiss, Hailey kissed his way to Leah's ear and whispered to her, "Ich liebe dich."
"Ich liebe dich," Leah sighed back and hugged him tight while they cuddled in bed.