Chapter 28

When Christopher wakes up, he is sitting on the couch but leaning back into it. Cathy has her head on his thigh and he has his left arm wrapped around her petite waist.

He shakes her awake. She gets up sleepily. "Oh, we fell asleep."

"We might as well get an early start. That way we can spend as much time as possible in Maine. It will take us about three hours to reach the place, and it'll be seven by the time we get out of here, so it should be about perfect. We can stop and eat breakfast on the way."

"Give me five minutes and I'll be ready."

"You're telling me you can look that pretty in five minutes." He whistles. "Wow, I am a lucky man."

Cathy looks at him with a silly grin and then sits in his lap and kisses him. "You better make it ten."

Christopher laughs and helps her get out of his lap. "Sorry to tell you this, but you don't even need one. Let's see, tomorrow is your birthday. What, you are going to be twenty-five?"

"Keep talking like that and you might just get lucky tonight." Cathy giggles then wiggles her tush for him as she disappears upstairs to get her bag and to use the bathroom. Cathy puts on lovely black slacks and a red and black top outfit.

Under his breath Christopher says, "How about tonight and for the rest of our lives?"

Cathy is truly a pretty woman. She is a five foot four, one hundred and twenty pound intelligent sweetheart with medium long brunette hair. She has curves galore and everything is in perfect proportion, and when she smiles it reflects though her beautiful soft hazel eyes.

As a girl she was shy and survived the world by getting lost in the stories of other worlds. As a teenager she was a good girl and driven. She knew early on that her life would have something to do with the books that gave her so much courage and comfort as a girl. In college, if she had gotten a B the world probably would have come to an end. Now upstairs getting dressed and getting her stuff, she feels like a silly teenage girl again. She can't wipe the smile off her face.

Christopher always knew her to be a woman of quality and exceptional beauty, but now that he has allowed himself to admit what she truly means to him she is even prettier in his brown eyes. For the first time since he got out of the military he is letting his brown hair grow longer. It's not long by any sense of the word, but at least it's not the usual near crew cut. His six foot, two hundred pound muscular frame is helpless when it comes to his favorite girls.

As a boy he was withdrawn, or at least preferred the rock piles of Folsom to school and socializing. In his teen years he was wild and quite uncontrollable. He counted the days until he was seventeen, and with his mom's signature he joined the Army. He proudly served for ten years.

In all this time he has always been able to maintain his sanity through his writings. In the last ten years since he has been out of the Army, he has let the weight of his past interfere with his present. He treated people dismissively and only wanted to be left alone to write and live his life like he figured he had earned the right to do so.

For some reason, a phenomenal woman saw something in him and together they became a success. For some reason she put up with his bullshit and weathered the storms of his mood swings. He is still a young man, and now has high hopes for a wonderful future. For some reason he can't seem to wipe the smile off his face either.

"Ready?"

"Ready."

"Portland, here we come."

"So the place is in Portland?"

"Technically it is just a little outside of Portland, but it is supposed to be a very special vacation spot right on the coast, with an elegant town for heartfelt romance." Cathy raises her eyebrows to him and smiles. He smiles back. "Well, that's what it said in the on-line brochure, anyway."

They laugh as he pulls out into the street. With their bags behind the seat and maps galore in the glove box just waiting to be needed, they begin their adventure. Christopher laughs to himself as he thinks that how much of life is just that. Waiting until you are needed or wanted. He is not going to let his cynical shadows stop him from sharing a wonderful moment in time with Cathy.

As soon as they gas up at the Chevron and hit the freeway, Cathy scoots over to the middle to sit right beside Christopher. Christopher looks down at her and smiles and she leans her head on his shoulder. "You hungry?"

"Not yet."

They travel for a while where no words are spoken out loud, but there is no silence. Their hearts are beating to the sound of endless possibilities. Their minds are content to explore those possibilities. At last Cathy reaches over and turns on the radio. The station is a classic rock station, and from it flows a song that meant something to them in their times in their own unique way. Bad Company serenades them with their song Feel Like Making Love, and before long both are singing along. They make eye contact almost shyly, but they smile.

They travel for two hours straight, talking about little things. Both of them want to get to where they are going, because the conversation will take a turn for the meaningful and it could guide them into a wondrous new life.

They pull into another gas station and it appears that Portland, Maine, is not as far as originally thought. Maybe another hour and they should be at their destination. It being Saturday, they will have no commuter traffic to slow up their beginning.

"Looks like a decent restaurant across the street."

"Yeah, now I'm good and hungry."

As Christopher is topping off his gas tank he is watching Cathy watch him by way of the mirror. He opens up the door to climb into the truck, and the power of her beautiful hazel eyes looking at him makes him freeze as he gets lost in them. He smiles, and for a second his eyes tear up.

"What's wrong?"

"Absolutely nothing. Maybe I'm a little annoyed with myself that it has taken this long for me to show you your worth."

Now her eyes tear up, but they cannot hide the smile reflecting there. Christopher gets into the truck and it all just feels right. They pull across the street and into the restaurant parking lot. Christopher gets out and opens the door for her. As soon as she is safely out, he takes her left hand into his right and they walk into the restaurant. They wait their turn to be seated and then they sit on the same side with her on the inside.

"Actually, I'll take some orange juice." says Christopher.

"Coffee for me, please. Cream and sugar."

As Christopher watches the server walk away he turns to Cathy and says, "I have to tell you something."

"Okay."

"I rented two rooms right next to each other, but I was really hoping we could share the same room."

"We are, but thank you for the show of respect."

Christopher smiles and says, "You're most welcome." Christopher is running through a Rolodex of topics that they can talk about, but most of them seem to be work related, so he lingers in silence.

Finally Cathy breaks the silence. "This area of America is very beautiful. I love the colors and the smell." Cathy can tell he wants to say something so she prompts him by saying, "What?"

Christopher smiles. "Do you think you would ever consider moving out this way?"

"I could see myself living in a place like this or Connecticut. So much of my work is done through mail and phone that it wouldn't really disrupt my business."

"I know I may seem to be asking big questions too early in whatever is happening now, but Sarah's love has set me free, and I am like a race horse coming out of the gates. If for a moment I seem to be taking advantage or assuming anything, please set me straight."

"Haven't I always told you the truth?"

"I know, it is a part of what excites me about you. You tolerate my bullshit for only so long, and then you make me see how I was being. Again, I am sorry for how I treated you sometimes. How I took you for granted and definitely did not let you know how much everything you've done for me has really meant to me."

Cathy smiles and leans her head on his shoulder again. He kisses her hair. They eat with a purpose and get back on the freeway, heading to who knows what kind of beginning.

Near ten thirty they pull into the quaint little two story white colonial style building with black trim. They had been traveling on a coastal road for about a half an hour, and the salt air guided them to this marvelous place of another time.

The inn is set back a little from the town that is mostly little shops. There are other inns or big homes spaced about further away, but the rocky beach and the whole area is very secluded and beautiful, with spectacular views. There is a gentle breeze blowing in from the ocean, but there is also a welcoming warmth that is radiating graciously from the sun that is almost directly overhead.