Chance Encounters

I walk the line pt 2

Jane and Ken both about dropped their forks at the question. Mark put his hand on my thigh underneath the table. “You want our son to go to the upper peninsula with you? And hunt?!” Ken asked finally breaking the silence. I nodded,my food hardly touched as the nerves kept taking over. “Yeah,I am serious. I’ve been hunting since I was a kid,and so has he. With all due respect sir it should be fine.” Jane and Ken looked at each other. Mark interjected, “She’s not wrong. Hell,I met her bench pressing a transmission for her truck.” Ken laughed. “Yeah,but can she handle a gun?” I tilted my head and chuckled. “Is that a challenge sir?” He smiled some nefarious looking grin. “Tell ya what,if you can hit a clip full of bullseyes then he can go with ya.” I raised an eyebrow. “Consider it challenge accepted.” He responded, “Meet me at my house tomorrow at 6:30pm.” My face flushed out of nerves. Outreaching my hand I shook. “Deal.” I went to pay the bill,yet Ken beat me to it. Mark excused us and I told his parents that we had a great time and thank you for inviting me.

Back in Mark’s car I breathed a sigh of relief. “I think they like you.” He said kissing the back of my hand. I shot him a glare. Sitting up from my slouched position I reached into his glovebox and took out a joint. “Look babe,your father has a way of intimidation. He made a shiver go up my back.” He smiled and gently took my face in his hands. Planting soft kisses on my cheeks before giving me one on my lips. “Do I do that to you?” He asked. I shook my head grinning. “Quite the opposite actually.” He smiled then added, “Don’t worry I’m sure you will be fine. I’m going regardless of what he says.” I smiled, “Do you wanna maybe spend the night at my place?” He nodded, “As long as Frank is ok with that.” I shrugged, “Only one way to find out.”

We made the drive back to Frank’s house. Blasting my favorite band Creedence Clearwater Revival and both of us singing at full volume. We passed back and fourth quite a few joints and it was safe to say that we were stoned. I grabbed the key I stashed in my boot and unlocked the door. Frank left me a note: I’m at the shop working still. Thank you for helping that farmer out yesterday. If you do end up bringing Mark over he can stay the night,just don’t be stupid. -Frank. I smiled. “Well that takes care of that issue.” Mark laughed. “It’s almost like he knows your thoughts.” I shrugged, “It happens when you work with someone long enough.” We took our shoes off at the door and I led him through the hallway. “This is my room. It’s pretty bare,but it’s my space. Anyway I’m going to hop in the shower.” I planted a kiss on his lips. Grabbing my change of clothes I went to the bathroom.

I turned on the faucets, deciding for once that I wanted a bubble bath. It was well earned after the last two months. I felt the nice warm water coming out of the Spicket,and dumped a healthy amount of soap in it causing the water to froth and foam. Undoing my blouse and skirt I got in. Leaning against the back of the tub I let out a sigh. Mark knocked on the door, “Mind if I come in? I’ll face the door if it bothers you.” I chuckled at the gentle soul he is. “Not a problem,come on in.” He walked in and blushed seeing me with bubbles all over my body. He abruptly turned and sat on the floor facing the door. “You looked very nice tonight.” I said still smiling and wondering how I landed a man as amazing as him. “You looked equally as nice. You look really pretty when you clean up.” I shifted my body and dipped to where just my head was above water. “Mark. I just wanted to let you know what an amazing person you are.” He turned his head and stood up, walking over to me and quickly planting a kiss on my lips. “Helps when someone actually has the same hobbies as you.” I smiled and asked him for a towel. He handed it to me and let me dry off alone. I quickly brushed my teeth and got dressed.

I fed Cam and took a blanket motioning for him to follow me. We went to the back of the house. “Why is there a ladder against this wall?” I smiled, “Come on, I’ll show you why.” We climbed up to the roof and the view was a sunset against the farm fields. I wrapped us in the blanket and by instinct he pulled me into his arms. I felt the warmth radiating off of him. The orange and pink sky kissed the fields making silhouettes of the corn and other crops growing. The crescent moon was drowned out by the vibrant sky. “This is what I discovered living here. Far enough away from people and the city.” He kissed my cheek and I turned my head to face him. Creasing his face with my hand I pulled him in for a kiss. The sun setting was one of my favorite times of day. Right before the day turns into night, was peaceful. The night fell over us and with the distant sounds of coyotes howling the stars came out. I pointed out all the consolations I could find. Mark sat back and held me. Eventually the cold autumn air won and we climbed back down to go inside.

Frank was still MIA which meant he was at the shop or the more likely with his brother and buddies getting drunk. Good,I wouldn’t want him to drink and drive anyway. I took a few logs and built a fire in the fireplace. Mark sat down and was petting Cam while I went and got my cot, the current bed I was sleeping on. “It’s not much,but it beats the floor.” He smiled sitting down on the edge then gave me a solid yank making me fall next to him. He stretched out and had me laying in the middle of him with my head on his chest. He threw a blanket over us and Cam took it upon herself to curl up with us. The crackling fire and Mark’s steady heartbeat lulled me into contentment. It wasn’t long before we both fell asleep.

It was late when I heard the front door open. I laid there feeling the warmth of Mark and the hot embers in the fire. The footsteps were unmistakably Frank’s. I heard a chuckle and some rummaging around then a click of a camera. He walked away and Cam being her loyal self stayed nestled up with us on the cot. I found myself drifting further asleep as Mark moved his arms around me again.

Frank’s typical alarm clock went off and I sat up. Wishing that I had a joint to hit I got up. Frank mumbled some curses from the other room and smashed his clock. Today is Sunday. I forgot about that. I let Cam outside then put food in her bowl while I went to get dressed. Mark stirred around and sat up with the blankets wrapped around him. I seen the clothes Frank donated to Mark. A pair of jeans,a zip up coat and a t-shirt. I came back out by the fireplace shutting the door, I noticed his ocean eyes shining as he looked at me. His sandy hair was disheveled. “Morning baby.” He said with the biggest smile. I smiled back and kissed him on the lips. Getting up I put water into the kettle on the stove. Walking out to my truck grabbing a box and letting Cam in to eat. “What’s in that box?” Mark whispered. Opening it up revealed a .22 Colt Woodsman pistol. It was the longer barrel made for small game such as rabbits and squirrels. “This was my first gun and I’m quite good with it. Your father may be shocked. I also have my model 12 Winchester in my truck if a pistol won’t suffice.” Mark held out his hand and I gave him my pistol. He was checking it out, looking at the engraving on the grips. It had the USMC logo burned into the one side of the grips and on the other side my uncle engraved Semper Fi 09-14-1942 in his pretty cursive writing. “My uncle gave me his gun for my 8th birthday. It was his back in WWII and he got it issued when he was a marine. It has the date of a major battle he was in and the marine motto engraved on it.” Mark nodded handing me back the gun. “I bought my Winchester when I turned 16 so that gun is still fairly new to me.” He smiled, “I’m sure you’ll be fine.” I nodded, going into the kitchen and making us both a glass of tea. “We are taking my truck to your house today. I want your family to know that you truly are with a country kid,plus I like driving her.” He laughed, “Yeah I know you do. I take it that’s what we are taking to the U.P.?” I nodded with a grin, “You know it.” We sat and finished our tea.

It was around noon when we left the house. Frank had gotten up and went to the bathroom,yet that’s about all he did. Before we left I slapped together a sandwich and some tea for him. He wouldn’t admit that he started to drink tea because of me,but it was. I put them both in the fridge,filling up Cam’s water bowl and then leaving. My truck hesitated to start which indeed means that it was starting to get cold outside. Sporting my father’s USMC bdu coat and my pistol in the holster on my jeans I looked like I just walked out of the woods. Mark was calm and held his hand over top of mine on the shifter. I tore down the dirt road purposefully fish tailing my truck and down shifting around every corner. Finally hitting the city paved road I cleaned up my act.

Pulling into Mark’s driveway felt weird. I was used to sneaking around at night with him. Mark opened the back gate to the yard as his father was setting up the targets. One for a hand gun and the other for a rifle. “Well,you look the part now let’s see if you can act it.” I nodded pulling out my pistol and loading the clip. “Huh,a woodsman?” Ken asked. I shrugged, “Didn’t know I wasn’t allowed to own one.” I said. He looked it over in my hand. “I’ll give you this it’s actually a really nice looking gun.” I told him my thanks and shoved the clip into the gun. I aimed down my sights and rapid fired my 10 rounds. Then walking down range I picked up the paper target. 8/10 hit the bullseye and the last two were on the ring before the bullseye. Ken’s eyes got wide as Mark’s brother Matt made his introduction. “This is the girl you left May for??!! She’s practically a guy!” Ken back handed him. “Don’t you see this target?” Matt nodded, “You have a good shot dad.” Ken shook his head, “This is her doing.” Then looking over at me, “Can you set another target and show my son how to shoot a pistol?” Mark stifled a laugh as I stared in shock. 8/10 wasn’t even my best.

I indeed set another target and loaded up the magazine again. This time holding my arm more steady I shot my gun in another rapid fire manner. I set my pistol down to retrieve the target. This time 10/10 bullets made it to the bullseye. Ken dropped his jaw and Matt stood there with wide eyes wondering how I managed to do that. “I’m quite comfortable with this gun, I’ve had it since I was 8. Do you think Mark can go with me to the U.P. and hunt?” Ken shook his head and answered, “Yeah he can. I didn’t think you were serious about shooting.” Mark and I looked at each other. I’ve finally met his parents and proved that I wasn’t wrong about where and how I grew up.