Chapter 20. Our Own World

Content warning: Contains sexual content which may be unsuitable for readers under the age of 18.

Bucky

We did it. We got married, with the rings, the wedding cake, the wedding dance (surprised Jane with that as I chose our song, Bobcaygeon) and now we were on our way to Vermont to stay with a man who apparently was a legend in the computer field. Jane told me about him on the helicopter flight there, as best she could during the loud 90-minute flight, but she finally gave up when it was evident we were in a losing battle against the loud rotors.

She looked so beautiful at the wedding, in a blue dress that matched my tie. Now, as she held my hand in the helicopter, she looked just as gorgeous, as a sense of anticipation was on her face. Even though it was just going to be a few days in a Vermont cabin it was still time with her, time we both wanted and needed.

When we finally landed at a small private airport there was an older model Range Rover waiting for us. It looked pretty well used but so did the man and woman who got out. Both of them appeared to be in their late 60s or early 70s but still quite fit as they smiled at us while waiting beside the vehicle. I helped Jane out and reached inside the helicopter for our bags. We both bent over while we got out from under the still turning rotors. As soon as we arrived at the vehicle the helicopter lifted up and we all watched it ascend into the sky before returning in the direction of New York.

"Mr. and Mrs. Barnes," said the man, with an English accent. "Edwin Jarvis. This is my wife Ana."

"Bucky and Jane, please," I replied, shaking their hands. "Thank you for taking us in."

"Well, it's my pleasure," he said. "The back is open if you want to drop your bags there. Mrs...Jane, how is working for Anthony?"

"He's a wonderful boss," she replied. "He's been so supportive through all of this trouble that seems to surround us. We wouldn't have been able to get married without his and Happy's help."

"I'm glad to hear it," he said, opening the passenger door for his wife as I opened the back door for Jane. "I still have a high clearance level and am aware of the software your ex-husband created from the code you wrote and what he attempted to do after. What terrible things to do to someone you took a vow to love and cherish. From what Mr. Hogan told me your new husband is a much better man."

I smiled. The man might be old, but he obviously already had strong feelings of protection for Jane. As he drove us to his property, we were surprised to see the leaves were already changing colour and I brought it up.

"Being in a more northerly and mountainous area the seasons change sooner here," said Ana. "There is already a crispness to the air in the evening so make sure you stoke the fire in your stove as it will keep the cabin warm overnight." She looked fondly at her husband. "We built it ourselves when we were first married as Edwin wanted a country place to retreat from the stresses of his job. Many happy evenings were spent in that cabin. I'm sure most of our children were conceived there."

Jane took my hand and squeezed it. These two might be old but they were definitely still in love.

"Our house is above yours, separated by several levels of terraced landscape," said Edwin. "You'll have complete privacy. You're welcome to join us for dinner but there is no obligation on your part. The kitchen is fully stocked as our children and grandchildren stay there when they come to visit. Unless they show up as a horde then we have to let the ruffians into our house."

Both he and wife laughed lightly at the personal joke that they shared. They seemed to be a delightful couple.

"Jane told me you've known Tony for a long time," I said.

"Oh, yes, Anthony's father and I were colleagues," he said. "He was in it mostly for the money, but I was in it mostly for the challenge. We still got along together and did quite well on both fronts. Of course, when Anthony expressed an interest in the same field it was only natural we exposed him to both aspects of the industry, the profitability as well as the satisfaction of solving some difficult challenges. After his father died suddenly, I treated him as one of my own sons. He's been as much a source of pride as my own children have. I'm especially proud of how he uses his wealth and standing in the community to help those less fortunate. What's the point of having lots of money if you can't spread it around a little, right Ana?"

She gave her husband a dazzling smile that just emphasized the feelings of adoration I picked up between these two. It was something to aspire to in my own relationship, correction, marriage with Jane. She gave me a smile as if she were thinking the same thing. After a short time driving on the highway Edwin turned off onto a gravel road that seemed to wind forever in the increasingly challenging landscape. He looked back at me after one particularly rough piece that had us bouncing around a little in the back.

"You alright back there?" We both nodded. "I value my privacy and deliberately built the cabin, then our home, in an area that requires a more sturdy vehicle with four wheel drive. In the winter we live in the city but we're out here as soon as the roads are clear. We still have electricity and water from a very good well. The septic tank serviceman grumbles every fall when he comes to clean it out before freeze up but he still takes the job so it can't be all bad, not at the price I pay him."

After another ten minutes of rough driving, we finally saw their place; a house almost at the top of the hill with a view of the valley below. Some distance below it was a small cabin, beside a large pond. The road passed right in front of the cabin, and he pulled in next to it, onto a gravelled area. We all got out and I took our bags out of the back, following the elderly couple to the door. It wasn't locked, as Edwin just walked right in. It was rustic inside, with the floors, walls and ceilings in the same exposed wood finish. The kitchen area looked surprisingly modern with stainless steel appliances, and marble countertops. Part of an open great room living space there was a table and chairs and two couches placed near a wood burning stove. Just off the kitchen was an open entry way that led into the bedroom where a large rustic bed was covered in a forest and bear themed quilt.

"This is the main bedroom," said Edwin. "When our children were a little older we built a loft for them to have their own sleeping area."

He led us to another door to the outside, onto a porch overlooking the pond. The fall colours of the leaves were reflected in the water of the pond, just adding to the beautiful ambience of the location.

"We eat dinner at 6 pm, every day, no matter what," said Ana. "Please join us for one of the days that you're here. If you put the red card in one of the back windows before 3 pm I'll know to expect you and make enough for us all. Otherwise, please enjoy our cabin. I hope it makes you feel as much in love as it did us."

They left us there and got back into the Range Rover, taking the short drive up the rest of the hill to their home. Putting our arms around each other, we both sighed as we listened to the sounds of serenity out on the porch. It was so quiet and peaceful there, a real oasis. Once inside, I put some kindling and wood into the fireplace and opened the damper before lighting it. Within a minute we had a roaring fire heating up the interior of the cabin. The sun would be down soon, and I noticed it cooled off considerably even while we were there.

"Look, they left us something to eat," exclaimed Jane, as she opened the refrigerator while I was starting the fire.

Inside was a tray of cheeses, smoked meats, olives, and pickles. A note on it said, "To tickle your palate." Beside it was a small chocolate cheesecake, enough for two servings. There was a bottle of red wine on the counter as well as several packages of artisan crackers, locally made.

"What lovely people they are," said Jane, turning to me.

The sun at that moment was low enough to come directly into the windows on the west side of the cabin bathing the interior in a golden glow. She looked so beautiful at that moment, her blonde hair catching the highlights of that glow. Placing my hand on her neck I drew her closer, pressing my lips onto hers. With only the sound of an occasional pop or crack from the fire we kissed in the dimming sunset that still shone through the windows. I knew I wanted her then as much as she wanted me as her hands roamed over my back pulling herself closer. A pause filled with heaving breaths ended with her pulling me by the hands towards the bedroom. Our bags were on the bed, and I swept them away onto the floor as we both tried to remove as much of our clothing as we could, anxious to feel the sensuous touch of fevered skin.

Despite our host's assurances that we would have privacy I wanted there to be no one to intrude on our coupling, pulling the shades down in the bedroom as I unbuttoned my jeans and unzipped them, letting them fall at my feet. Jane had also removed the last of her clothing except for her panties, visible from the last of the sunset shining through the main part of the house. We stood at the foot of the bed, gently caressing the other as if it were the first time we had seen each other without clothing.

"How is it you're so damn beautiful?" I murmured as I cupped her breasts in my hand, my mouth almost salivating at the thought of tasting their softness.

Jane reached out with one hand and pulled the quilt back. "Don't want to defile this work of art," she murmured as she sat in front of me and began to run her hands gently over the bulge in my briefs. "Take them off."

"Only if you take yours off as well," I smiled, kneeling in front of her. "Ladies first."

She leaned back on her elbows and bit her lip, almost daring me to do it for her. I obliged her, pulling them off her hips and down her legs to where I lifted each foot individually to free them from the lacy lingerie. She laid back then and I pulled her closer to the edge of the bed, her legs over my shoulder as I bent down to the enjoyable task of tasting her essence, and hearing her moan in pleasure until she cried out in the ecstasy of coming. When she did, I pushed her back towards the pillows and climbed on top of her, caging her in so I could watch her smile up at me. Then I smiled back at her while she ran her hands inside my briefs pulling them carefully down my legs to where I could easily kick them off. Wasting no time I slipped into her warmth, both of us moaning with the pleasure it gave us. A glimpse of the wedding ring on my hand caught my attention for a moment and Jane followed my eyes as it went from there to her left hand which now cupped my face. I kissed her ring on the inside of her hand.

"Mrs. Barnes," I whispered, feeling myself get even harder at the sound of it.

"Mr. Barnes, my husband," she gasped. "We're married."

If I could have absorbed our bodies into one at that moment I would have, as I felt so close to her, so joined in more than just the literal sense. With me deep inside her, and our mouths consuming each other, Jane's legs locked around my back, pressing us together like a vice. She felt it as well, the need for this first union of our marriage to be as deep and complete as possible. It was a rite of passage, a surrender from both of us to the other, and a promise that from this moment on there was no other, just the one we had committed to mere hours before. As the desires built inside of my body, I thrust harder into my wife, just the thought of her as my wife filling me with elation. I must have voiced it because Jane called me her husband again before crying out my name in bliss, her body rising several times against mine as she lengthened out her climax. Her mouth opened on my neck, searching for the spot where she could light the fire that would send me into sweet oblivion. She found it and I emptied myself into her repeatedly until I was spent, a small part of me wishing she didn't have an IUD because this was the type of sex I wanted to conceive our first child with. It's a man thing, I guess, but I wanted that moment to be a red-letter day for all of eternity, the day I married my wife to be the same day our first child was conceived.

"You're far away," said Jane, in such a loving voice that I raised my head from where it was buried in her neck to gaze at her.

"I'm right here, with my wife," I replied. "I love you."

"I know," she grinned. "You're also heavy."

First, I kissed her then I pulled out what was left of me out of her warm centre and shifted to lying beside her on my side. She faced me and ran her hands through my hair before kissing me back. The room was considerably darker now and cooler, the heat from the fireplace barely noticeable. We both reached for the bunched-up quilt that was sprawled at the bottom of the bed and pulled it up over our shoulders as we cuddled underneath it. I looked at my watch, still on my wrist, then unstrapped it and put it on the nightstand. An hour, we had been making love for an hour even though it felt like minutes. No wonder I felt like I had no energy left.

"I should go throw some wood on the fire," I said, not moving.

"We should eat as well," replied Jane, also not moving.

We both started to laugh, neither of us wanting to leave this warm cocoon. Even though we knew the Jarvis's were nearby we both felt as if we were isolated in this little wilderness cabin paradise. Isolated in the best sense of the word in that nothing outside of these walls was of concern. There was no investigation or case to worry about. In our world all that mattered was under the quilt of this comfortable bed.

"I have to go to the bathroom," whispered Jane, and she quickly pulled the quilt back, running to the small rustic ensuite.

Since she had braved the cooler confines of our cabin, I decided to get all manly and put some more wood on the fire. Slipping out of the bed and stepping over to the wood piled near the stove I used a hook to open the hot door and slid in several more pieces, which fired up immediately before I closed them in again. Turning back, I saw Jane, wearing a robe she must have taken from her bag pulling the rest of the shades down on all the windows. Then she turned on one of the lamps and we were once again bathed in a soft glow. Leaning back against the couch I patted the rug next to me and she giggled a little, as she curled up next to me.

"Not a roaring fireplace but still cozy," I commented, putting my arm around her. "You hungry?"

"Actually, I am," she answered. "Should we start on that plate of palate ticklers? We can have it out here on the rug."

"I better put something on then," I grimaced slightly. "This rug is a little hard on my ass."

I went back to the bedroom to get some pyjama bottoms to wear. When I returned Jane had placed a throw blanket from the sofa onto the rug. She was at the counter putting some crackers on a plate.

"Pepper jelly as well," she said, pointing to three small jars.

I picked them up, a red pepper jelly, a jalapeño pepper jelly and a sweet red chili pepper jelly.

"I don't think I've ever had these," I said.

"You don't know what you're missing," she replied, opening the red pepper jelly jar and spooning a little onto a cracker.

Carefully she held it to my mouth, and I took a tentative bite. The taste was tempered by the coolness and texture of the jelly. As I savoured it, she ate the rest of the cracker, making a satisfied sound.

"That is really tasty," I said, pleasantly pleased at the lingering savoury but sweet glow of the pepper.

"For Christmas Eve at home, we always had an assortment of these for the charcuterie boards," said Jane.

We took the crackers, and plate of meats to the blanket, coming back for the wine, glasses, and jars of pepper jelly. It became an indoor picnic as we picked away at the different meats and cheeses, putting some pepper jelly on them as we washed them down with that excellent red wine. I even ran to the bedroom for my phone to take a picture of the label. Maybe it was the food or the fact I was enjoying a romantic evening with my wife ... my wife, I still couldn't get over that ... but I wanted to remember that wine for a future occasion. I should be ashamed to say it, but we finished the whole plate of food, the cheesecake, and the bottle of wine.

After some serious foreplay on the blanket we took it back to the bedroom, slightly drunk on that incredible red wine. Our inhibitions loosened, we tried some different positions, occasionally losing ourselves in laughter as we collapsed on the bed in mid fuck, but we talked throughout, and laughed together when we felt we were being a little too silly. It ended up being the best night I ever spent with a woman. The best part of that best night was that it wasn't just any woman, it was the woman who said yes to a lifetime together, with me, Bucky Barnes. I'm a lucky son of a bitch, I know that, but I felt it even more throughout those few precious days with Jane.

We took up Edwin and Ana's offer of dinner the next day, putting the red card up in the back window after we returned from a walk around the property. It was a magnificent place, filled with trails that overlooked incredible vistas, several small streams that we carefully stepped over using the boulders seemingly placed for just that purpose. Not once did we hear another person's voice, or the sound of a vehicle, not even a jet in the sky. We did see deer, and the odd coyote who ran from us as soon as they saw us. I had never seen one, having lived in an urban area my whole life but Jane said they were common around the populated edges of her home town, Edmonton and the surrounding countryside.

"There's all sorts of wildlife in the city itself," she commented. "Our river valley has been left as this massive natural area, with the occasional golf course or recreational area along its banks. But there have been sightings of deer, coyotes, moose, cougars, and every few years a bear finds its way from outside the city as it follows the river. I miss it sometimes."

"We really have to spend time there with your family," I said, sincere in that desire.

That too brief stay in Bobcaygeon had shown me a different mentality than a lot of my own countrymen in most of the people we encountered. Jane joked that the politeness of Canadians had become a stereotype, having encountered many who were not and some who challenged some of the lesser mannered people from the States for designation as the worst people to meet. Overall, I found most of the people incredibly nice, helpful, and interested in where I came from. It always seemed to be accompanied by helpful suggestions on where to eat, or where to see the best waterfall, or some such superlative but I never once felt out of place there. I imagined if Edmonton produced the miracle that was my WIFE, then there was good reason to go there as soon as we could arrange it.

Shortly before 6 pm we presented ourselves at the door of the house shared by Edwin and Ana. Both of them were dressed casually, in jeans, with a pullover sweater over a shirt. Edwin kissed Jane lightly on the cheek before shaking my hand, so I followed suit with Ana, who also kissed Jane lightly on the cheek. Whether it was politeness or a genuine affection that they felt for us didn't matter, for they gave us all of their attention. They must have been outstanding parents with their calm manners, but absolute joy and humour over some of the things we talked about.

The meal was excellent; a pot roast accompanied by mashed potatoes and roasted root vegetables, with a rich gravy. For dessert they kept it simple; home baked apple pie, with ice cream, accompanied by tea or coffee, our choice. After we insisted on helping them clean up. Our reward was a fine brandy brought out by Edwin, pouring a generous amount for each of us.

"No one is driving, so we can indulge ourselves a little," he said, as he poured out the amounts in the glasses. After handing the glasses to the ladies he raised his glass to us. "I wish you and your bride many happy years of marriage. Ana and I just hope the shelter we've been able to provide has been the beginning of many cherished moments."

He didn't elaborate but I got the feeling they knew exactly what we did, and heartily approved and encouraged it.

"I saw you leaving for a walk late this morning," said Ana. "Did you enjoy our little sanctuary?"

"It was beautiful," said Jane. "You're fortunate to have this. I take it the snowfall is too heavy to live here year-round?"

"Being Vermont the snowfall in the winter can be quite excessive," replied Edwin. "We did try it shortly after I retired. Never was I so happy to see a snowplow as the one that dug us out of here in January of that winter. It was never to be tried again but from spring to fall we live here exclusively. In the winter we have a small apartment in Burlington. The quiet life is where we are happiest."

The older couple smiled at each other, and I suddenly envisioned Jane and me at the same age. That romantic sap in me couldn't help it. It was something that I felt deep in my innermost feelings; the desire to grow old with someone I loved, to be at a point in our life where words weren't needed, just looks and smiles that said so much instead. For two more hours we chatted on all manner of things, finding the Jarvis's to be incredibly well read and informed on many things that affected our society. In many ways, it was an eye-opener to me. Never before I had met someone that I would consider my intellectual superior, who had treated me with such decency and respect. When he found out I was a father as a teenager, an army veteran, and a college graduate through night classes he seemed incredibly impressed with all that I accomplished in my life. As we prepared to leave, he drew me aside and looked intently at me with those grey eyes of his.

"Mr. Hogan was right about you," he said, with conviction. "You are a driven man, but you balance that with care and compassion for those you love, and for society in general. The world needs more men like you, Sergeant Barnes. It has been a pleasure becoming acquainted with you and your bride."

"The pleasure was all ours, sir," I replied. "You and Ana have been so kind to us. We'll always remember our stay here in the best way possible."

On the walk back down, we held hands then Jane looked up as we cleared the trees around the house and stopped.

"Look," she said, pointing upwards.

It was more than beautiful, it was spectacular. Coloured ribbons of red, green and white unfurled above us, swirling and dancing around each other as the Northern Lights gave us a show that wouldn't even be visible in New York City. Slowly, we went back down to the cabin so we could watch the entire spectacle from as much of the horizon as we could see. We sat in wooden chairs placed in front of the pond, that allowed us to lean back and watch as the swirling changed to a formation that resembled the curtains that used to be in movie houses. As the curtains of colour rippled and grew, coming together at the zenith directly above us there were no words to describe what I was witnessing. It was nature putting on a show, just for us it seemed. Gradually it began to lessen until there was only a ribbon of green low in the north.

Jane got out of her chair and slid onto my lap, placing her arms around my neck and shoulder. Even in the starlight I could see the features of her face, and could feel the warm breath from her lips as she placed her face close to mine. Then she shifted so that together we were looking out over the star-filled sky that overlooked the entire valley. We sat like that for minutes or maybe hours. I didn't know and I didn't care. It didn't matter as we were in our own world, with each other, and nothing else was of importance at that moment. With all my heart I hoped to be worthy of the woman in my arms. She deserved no less than my best and I wasn't going to make the mistakes of my youth. Jane was it for me, my brass ring, the pinnacle of my hopes and desires. With eternity in front of us I promised to whatever external force there was to make this marriage work.