Mail Order Bride

Chapter 19

            Together they cooked the meal in silence. It took about fifteen minutes for everything to cook, and by then Jess was finally awake and sitting at the island.

            “Good afternoon, sleepy head.” Cassie told her as she set a plate of food in front of Jess, and then sat next to Jess with her own plate. Next, Anna followed suit, and sat on the other side of Jess.

            “How much wine did I have last night,” Jess asked as she put her head in her hands and sighed. The brightness of the light was killing her. The aspirin, and glass of water helped, but not enough.

            “I’d say a little over a bottle,” Anna told her, as she ate a bite of her eggs. “I think you had about three glasses of wine, I know that I only had two.”

            “That would explain it. I’ve never been able to stand my own when it comes to wine.”

            “Wine makes me sleepy.” Anna said as she yawned.

            “Could you two stop bragging about drinking?” Cassie pouted. “I can’t have any for another two, or three years.”

            Jess and Anna both just laughed. “Stop winning, you’re the one who did the horizontal tango,” Jess spoke up.

            “Okay, ha, ha. You guys can have the last laugh,” She laughed at them. “I’m going to go and take a shower.” Cassie snatched her bacon up and left the table.

*****

            Middle Fork was always stunning in the winter time. Brent wished Anna was there to see it with him. Maybe this time next year they’d be married, and could come up for a short vacation. Although, with the way he was feeling about her, they probably wouldn’t make it farther than the bed in their hotel room, or tent if they decided to stay in one.

            There he went again, getting ahead of himself. He didn’t even know if Anna would still be there when he got home or if she was going to end things when he got back. He hoped, and prayed not, but their fate wasn’t in his hands anymore.

            “What’s got you so distracted, Brent?” One of the guys, James asked.

            “Nothin’ that some good huntin’ can’t fix.” All the guys erupted in laughter.

            “Here, here to that!” They all cheered as they took sips of their beers. They were at the bar in town having a little kick-off to their trip. Tomorrow they’d kill some deer and elk, but tonight they were going to get a little rowdy, drink a little too much.

            Two beers later Brent,  was tired of the bar scene. He paid his tab, and walk out into the crisp winter night. It was a little before seven thirty, so he knew that most of the shops in town were still open.