Shelter from the Storm
written by:
Janet Fremont

Shelter from the Storm

Janet Fremont

The wipers swished back and forth, not even making it to the end of their travel before the heavy, wet snow once again obscured the view. If anything, it was starting to come down harder. As he had climbed higher into the mountains, it first seemed that the snow was becoming a little thicker, less mixed with rain and more with sleet. But, then again, that may just have been his imagination. Now the snow was definitely harder but there was still a lot of sleet and freezing rain. Anyway he looked at it, the storm was becoming worse.

He glanced at the map on the GPS again. It wouldn't make any sense to try and go back - he was past the mid- point. Didn't pilots call that the point of no return'? However, if he kept going he still had to cross the high point of the mountains and besides, the snow seemed to be coming from the northwest - almost directly from the direction in which he was traveling. It wasn't like the blizzards he had known growing up in northern Michigan. There the snow was often two feet deep and the howling wind might be blowing at thirty miles per hour, but at least it was a dry snow. Such storms could last for a couple of days and were often followed by a week or more of sub zero weather. Here there were only four or five inches of snow on the ground and the temperature was probably in the mid twenties, but this was a wet snow - a snow, sleet, and freezing rain mixture, actually. He turned up the defroster a little more in an effort to keep the windshield clear enough to see the road.

Looking out at the two lane road he realized it was becoming harder and harder to actually tell where the edges were. Roads in this part of the Appalachian Mountains were not the best in the country. Once you got off the Interstates or other main highways most roads were fairly narrow and often winding as they worked their way up into the hills and back down again. This one was no exception. In good weather that would certainly not have been a major problem, but this storm had come up much faster than predicted - and it seemed a lot stronger. When he had left this morning, nothing more than rain and maybe a little light snow was expected. Now as he neared the crest of the heavily wooded ridges, it felt like the worst storm he had encountered in years.

Jim Finley was in the middle of his second year of grad school, a business finance major. He was a good student, holding well above a 3.5 GPA and was generally regarded as the type most professors appreciated. That is, until earlier this semester. Classes had started fine and continued that way until he made a mistake in his Econ class. Maybe not really a mistake, but something he had definitely been warned about. He had been told this particular professor would tolerate no disagreement, but hadn't taken the warning too seriously. About three weeks ago the professor had given a lecture with a lot of unsupported opinions told as facts. Jim had done some research and the next time the class met he questioned some of the statements his professor had made and cited his research as back up.

He might as well have brought a bomb into class. First the professor told him he was totally wrong and must be rather dumb to think that way. Jim asked how he could explain the research data in terms of the statements the professor had made. The result was actual shouting and name calling by the professor. By the next day the professor's blog carried a personal attack, branding Jim not only as stupid but as a bigoted racist. Some of the statements were even a little stronger than that. In two more days some of the organizations on campus had picked up the story and embellished it with non-existent happenings and quotes, and by the time the class was scheduled to meet again there were shouting protestors screaming for Jim to not only be thrown out of school but also sent to jail. None of the claims were true but that made no difference - once ignited, the storm of protest would continue until the groups found a new target.

The professor told Jim that there was no way an idiot such as he could pass the Econ class and even pushed the school administration to investigate him for hate speech, citing statements he had never made. In typical college fashion the school threatened to convene a kangaroo court and possibly expel him. His alternative was to drop the Econ class and his other courses and stay away from campus until the following term next summer.

He realized the whole thing had gotten totally out of hand but also knew that the school would never admit any wrong doing on their own part. He decided to follow their alternative. He spoke with a friend in Ohio and arranged to work with a tax firm until May. It was now late February and tax season was starting to pick up, so this would give him some experience in his field as well as provide an income.

He was to start in another two weeks, so this morning he had packed up his things and set out, planning on driving by to see some family in northern Kentucky before heading on towards Columbus. He had headed west and gotten well up into the mountains when the storm had begun to build. He looked at the map again and saw that there were no real towns anywhere nearby at all. No place to stop and get a room or even to find a restaurant. He had eaten a late breakfast and expected to be down the western slopes in time for an early supper, but the weather had slowed him and now he wasn't sure he'd be able to get down today at all.

He rounded a curve in the road and caught the edge of a drift, nearly causing him to lose control. He managed to stop the slide and continued on the pavement but slowed, watching closely for more patches of deeper snow.

The country surrounding him was heavy forest, mostly evergreens. There were some hardwoods standing bare and lonely. It was hard to believe that in another few weeks they would be leafing out once more and the ground below would be carpeted with spring flowers. But that was still a few weeks off. Now he couldn't even see the ground.

He slowly pulled around another tight turn and saw a drift covering nearly half the roadway. It had to be at least a foot or more deep. He navigated his way around and moved on towards the next curve. As he rounded this one he saw that the landscape leveled somewhat and opened up a little. This let a little more light get through but also opened the road to more drifting snow. This wasn't like the dry drifts he had known farther north. This stuff was almost ice as it lay piled on the pavement. If he got stuck here it would be awfully hard to dig himself out with the little plastic shovel in the trunk.

A wider area beside the road suddenly appeared and offered a place to pull off for a short rest. Jim hadn't realized how tense he had become, shoulders locked and hands clasping the wheel so tightly it actually hurt a little to open them. He shrugged and tried to relax his shoulders, rolling them around to loosen tight muscles. He let himself lie back against the seat, closing his eyes. He suddenly jerked them open again. He had almost gone to sleep and he was well aware of the danger of sleeping in a car with the engine running. He had read about many who had done so and never woken again, victims of carbon monoxide.

This brought some other thoughts. Somewhere in the back of his mind he had been considering staying here, waiting for the storm to blow itself out. His gas tank was nearly three quarters full, but he certainly wouldn't let the car run while he slept. He also had nothing to eat and nothing to keep him warm beyond his coat and one old light-weight blanket. Back in northern Michigan, when he traveled during the winter, there was always a sleeping bag and some nutrition bars or similar emergency food, but this far south that habit had disappeared.

He looked over his maps and saw that the nearest town of any size at all was at least sixty miles farther on - an hour and a half on clear roads - maybe even the rest of his life on this one. Still it might be a better chance than the alternative of remaining here. He looked up and stared at the road ahead. Then he looked again. Fifty yards on farther on the road made a sharp turn to the left and seemed to disappear. He looked a little closer and realized that the reason it seemed to vanish was that snow had slid down the hillside above it and there was a pile nearly three feet deep covering almost the entire surface. It looked like he would be stuck here no matter if he wanted to or not.

At least, he thought, he had on hiking boots instead of running shoes. He pulled the hood of his sweatshirt over his head and slipped the jacket back on. He'd at least go see if the slide looked as bad up close as it did from here. He opened the car door and stepped out into the driving storm. The snow and sleet hit him like a knife, taking his breath away. Not nearly as cold as northern Michigan but with the wind and wet it chilled him like the northern blizzards never had.

He slowly made his way the fifty yards to the slide and found it was even a little wider and deeper than he had thought. There was no way he was going to clear that with the tiny shovel from the trunk. He considered trying to go back the way he had come but most likely those roads would be much worse now and he might very well get stuck in a much less safe location. At least here he was well off the road itself. No, it looked like he was doomed to spend a cold and hungry night in the car. Then the thought struck him that it could very well be more than just a night. It might be several days before this road was cleared.

He shook off as much of the wet snow and ice as he could and slipped back into the driver's seat, shivering as he sat. He started the car again and ran the heater for a few minutes until he felt reasonably comfortable.

He turned off the engine and looked at the small pile of things in the back seat to see if there might be something he had forgotten. Yes, there was! One small package of peanut butter crackers. Not much of a lunch and supper, but something, at least. He also had a couple of canned soft drinks remaining - as long as they didn't freeze.

Jim gave a sigh and looked outside once more. It was getting on towards dark. Between the approaching twilight and the driving snow, he could still see but not well and not for much distance. Then, as he was looking, he suddenly saw a light. He moved over and rubbed the window clear and looked harder. Yes, there was some kind of building a couple of hundred yards off with a lighted window. It was downhill across mostly open ground but with a few evergreens scattered along the way. It must be on some other side road but from here he could only see the open countryside between his car and the building. He had no idea just what it was - probably someone's house or cabin or something, but it would probably be better than the car.

He tied the hood of his sweatshirt again. A sudden thought flashed through his mind and he shoved the crackers into his jacket pocket. At least he wouldn't arrive totally empty handed, even if a package of peanut butter crackers wasn't much of a gift. Then with one last glance around the car interior, he opened the door and started towards the light, trying to not lose it. Grimly, he knew if he missed the house probably nothing else would matter.

Lisa Brockton stood in the doorway looking at her old room. It didn't really look like much of anything now but she still remembered when she had lived here and this had been hers From the time she was born until she was five years old. The house itself was quite small: two bedrooms, a living room, a bathroom and a kitchen. But there had just been her parents and herself. No one else lived really close. There was a small town about two miles away. She smiled to herself as she called it a town. It was a company town for the small mine A dozen houses and not more than sixty people total. The sort of small mining town that stereotyped the Appalachian mines. One small company store where people bought almost everything they needed - or could afford, with not a lot of variety or choices, but enough to get by.

Then, when she was five the mine had closed. Not all at once, but over several months the people moved away. Her family wasn't the last to go by any means, but there weren't many left. Her family had owned their home, unlike a number of others who lived in company owned houses in the town, but when the mine closed and the town died there was no market. Her family wasn't as bad off as some of the others. Her dad had relatives in Ohio and he was able to find a pretty good job near Athens in the southern part of the state. There they had a larger house. Still out in the country but she found friends close by and all in all grew up with a very happy childhood.

A year or so after they had settled in Ohio, her parents started to rent out the old house as a summer vacation spot for those who wanted to experience the wilderness or just wanted to try something different. The house was kept in good repair and, although it didn't rent for much since it was in such an isolated location, it brought in enough to supply a little extra income. Lisa's parents had been in their forties when she was born, so she had been eighteen, ready to start at Ohio State, when her father had retired four years ago. Still, she was surprised when they announced that they were moving back to the old place in the mountains. They had never had expensive or exotic tastes and they loved the mountain country there and because they still owned the place, her dad's retirement income would be enough for them to get by with no real trouble.

She had spent the summer after her freshman year in college back there, living in her old room. She had to admit she loved the location as much as they did and spent many, many hours roaming the thick woods, wading the small streams, or just lying in the open, watching clouds and smelling the thick clover.

After her sophomore year, however, she found herself with summer jobs and other things that kept her around Columbus that summer as well as the next. When she graduated her parents were able to come to Columbus to attend the ceremony. But then disaster struck. Within two months of her graduation her dad became quite ill. She suspected it might have been brought on by his years of work in the mine, but no one could be sure. He lasted until November.

Lisa had expected to begin grad school that September but had postponed it until January because of her father's illness. Instead of going back to the remote house, her parents had stayed with Lisa in her apartment in Columbus so her father could more easily get medical treatment. Mostly her mother did stay with her while her father spent most of his remaining months in the hospital. When he died it hit her mother quite hard. Enough so that she herself seemed to give up on living and just seemed to exist from day to day for the next year. Then in December, a little over a year since her father's death, she also succumbed.

Lisa was suddenly left with the responsibility for the old place in the mountains as well as the rest of her parents' affairs, in addition to trying to overcome her own storm of emotions. She talked with her major professor and he suggested she take a term off to settle things. So this week she had come back to the old house, sorting through the material left overs of her parents' lives, and trying to decide what to do. She could probably rent the place again and maybe get someone to manage it for her. She might try to sell it, but she didn't think it would bring anywhere near what it should be worth. She also realized that although she had only lived there five years, she did have some emotional attachment.

Although now empty, the house seemed filled with ghosts of her past. Enough so that she had to admit that she felt, if not upset or frightened, at least a little jumpy. She found herself startled at each small sound and quickly turning to look at shadows when she thought something moved.

Now she looked again into her old room and slowly shook her head. Out loud she said, "Now let us lay this restless ghost that so long has disturbed our quietude so that our lives may go on." Striking a dramatic pose she thought, "Well if Will didn't write that he should have." Smiling, she turned and headed towards the kitchen. "Well, restless ghost or not, I need to think about supper," she murmured to herself. She opened a cabinet to see what she could find. She had brought enough food to last her three or four weeks and didn't really expect to find much else since it had been over a year since her parents had lived here.

As she stopped in front of the kitchen counter, (comma) she noticed a piece of paper, held to the side of the refrigerator with a small magnet. She moved the roll of paper towels blocking it and froze. It was a crayon drawing - stick figures. A man and a woman, each holding the hand of a little girl. Her mind was suddenly flooded with the memory of when she had given that to her mother some twenty years ago. She had been so proud and so had her mother. Lisa remembered watching as her mother had used magnets and mounted the picture on the metal door. It had come down when they moved and certainly hadn't been there when the house was being rented, but her mother must have put it back up when her parents moved back.

For a full minute Lisa stared at the drawing as a wild storm of emotion swirled in her head. Then she finally shook herself and muttered, "Yes, Restless Ghost, my life must go on."

Lisa turned from the drawing, leaving it in its resting place, and opened a cabinet. She looked at the cans and boxes she had brought and then remembered she had some fresh hamburger in the refrigerator and decided she had probably better use it within a couple of days. She reached back and pulled a box of "Helper" from the shelf along with a can of tomato sauce. Setting these on the counter, she retrieved the ground beef and a frying pan. As she set the pan on the stove top, she was suddenly startled by a loud knock. Enough so, in fact, that the ground meat fell to the counter as she jumped and jerked her head towards the door.

She quickly regained control of herself and went to peer through the small peephole. Someone - a man she was pretty sure - was standing there, shivering and huddled into himself. He was wearing a jacket and some gloves but no hat - just a hooded sweatshirt that looked to be soaked completely through. In Columbus she would never have opened her door in a situation like this but up here she wasn't as uncertain. No one would travel this far in this weather just to rob or assult. Smiling slightly at that thought she opened the door and said, "Come inside. Can I help you?"

Jim quickly entered and stopped near the door, letting the wet snow mostly fall to the floor. "The road is blocked and my car is off the side up there."

Before he could say anything else Lisa said, "Just a second." She turned and ducked into the bathroom and almost immediately returned with a large towel which she handed to him. "Here, get some of that off before you freeze."

He smiled at her. "Thanks, but now that I'm inside I feel much warmer. I won't freeze - unless you throw me back out."

She laughed. "No, not likely. You're welcome to stay here until the road gets cleared, but I'll warn you, that may take a little while. However, the propane tank is more than half full and I have enough food to last for a couple of weeks at least. I'm Lisa Brockton, by the way. Where are you headed?"

"Nice to meet you, Lisa. I'm Jim Finley." Then he gave her a wide smile. "Really nice to meet you considering the fix I was in. I was on my way to Columbus, up in Ohio."

She interrupted, "Columbus! I just came from there."

"Really? Small world. Do you live there?"

"Right now. I'm a grad student at Ohio State."

"You, too? I'm a grad student - or rather I was - east of here."

Jim had finished drying his face and hair and handed the towel back to Lisa who quickly took it back into the bathroom. When she returned he had his jacket and the hooded sweatshirt off and she took them to hang in a small closet. They moved over to a couch in front of the stone fireplace, cold and inert at the moment, and sat. Jim could feel the blood returning to sweep away the heavy chill he had acquired on the walk from the car. Two hundred yards! He had often walked many times that far in weather thirty degrees colder when he lived in northern Michigan. But then he was also dressed in a parka, thick socks, and insulated gloves. Besides, at those temperatures the snow was dry.

"Was a grad student?"

"Well, technically I still am." Then Jim found himself telling this total stranger about the events which had led him on his journey. "So, I'm taking the semester off to work at the firm up in Columbus. At least until the storm at school blows over. But I'm not real sure it will ever blow over enough to let me go back there. I guess I'll just have to wait and see."

While he spoke she listened quietly, a sympathetic look on her face, while she studied the man. He was three or four inches taller than her own five foot seven. His dark brown hair was mussed where he had dried it with the towel but looked like it would be thick and soft when fully dry. She guessed he was about her own age and looked like he took care of himself. No extra fat and, as he had used the towel, she had noticed the ripple of well toned muscles. And his eyes... Green with small gold flecks that gave his intelligent looking face the look of empathy.

When he had finished talking, she couldn't think of anything to say. Instead she changed the subject. "I expect you're probably a bit hungry now." He had mentioned that he had missed lunch. "I was just getting ready to fix supper. Just a hamburger dish."

"That sounds wonderful! Can I help with anything?"

She got up and showed him where the dishes and tableware were. There was a small table at the side of the kitchen and Jim set two places as Lisa browned the meat and stirred in the box of seasonings and noodles. She added the tomato sauce and some water, all the while continuing to talk casually.

"Oh, there's some rye bread and butter, if you'd like." She pointed to show him where the bread was. "I'm afraid I don't have any coffee. I drink tea."

"Tea will be fine. I don't really drink coffee myself."

"Really? Sometimes I think I'm the only one."

"Well, I drank it my first two years at school. You know, everyone did. But one day at the beginning of junior year I suddenly realized that I didn't like it at all. Haven't drunk any since then."

Lisa laughed. "Well, I never did care for it, but I'm happy to meet another convert. Would you like tea with the meal or, I guess, water? I don't think I have much else around here."

"Water will be fine. Maybe some tea afterwards." She pointed out the glasses and said there was ice in the freezer part of the refrigerator. Jim filled a pair of glasses and placed them on the table.

With the table set, Jim stopped to watch Lisa finish the cooking. She was really a very pretty girl, he decided. Maybe not beautiful in the classic sense, but more of a fresh faced girl next door look. Dark blonde hair, worn down, falling just onto her shoulders. Blue eyes. Not a dark indigo, but a lovely medium blue. She obviously took care of herself. She was slim but not skinny. Her muscles were firm and well developed but not bulging as a workout fanatic's might be. And her legs and ass... Jim had to pull his eyes away before she noticed him. He would guess she liked a lot of outdoor activities, but whatever she did kept her figure in fine shape.

The only slightly sour note he saw was that she seemed to be under some pressure or strain, as though she had had a lot on her mind. He casually asked, "If you're a grad student, what brings you down here in the middle of the semester?"

She seemed to freeze for just a second. Then, as though she had made up her mind to explain, she began to tell him about her father and mother and the last year. She actually seemed a little relieved to be talking about it, but when she stopped Jim said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up anything unpleasant."

She turned and smiled at him. "That's all right. Really, I don't mind. In fact it feels good to let a little of it out. Oh, I hope it doesn't feel like I'm putting any kind of load on you. I just haven't been able to talk much with anyone about it."

He gave a short laugh. "I certainly don't mind. And, anyway, after I unloaded my problems on you earlier it seems only fair."

She smiled at him again. "Great! Let's make a pact. We can dump our problems on each other and neither of us has to take it seriously enough to be bothered."

His laugh answered her teasing. "Agreed."

"Agreed," she responded. Then added, "Besides, if this storm keeps up we may have enough mutual problems to keep both of us busy."

When the meal was ready she brought the skillet over and spooned some on each of their plates. After she had placed the pan back on the stove and returned, Jim surprised her by holding her chair as she sat.

She turned and smiled at him, surprised. "A real gentleman. Thank you." Her tone made it clear she was not making fun in the least but appreciated the gesture.

They talked some more while eating, but nothing too serious. Just finding out a little more about each other. About halfway through the lights flickered for a fraction of a second. Both glanced up but when everything returned to normal they continued eating.

Just as they were finishing, the lights flickered again and then a third time a few seconds later. Lisa set her plate on the counter by the sink. She reached for the water to rinse the dishes and then suddenly stopped. She looked around towards Jim. "You know, I'd forgotten, but if we lose power we also lose water. The pump won't work. When we lived here we always kept a couple of jugs ready. We should probably see about that just in case the power does go down."

She led them over to a storage pantry off the kitchen and looked inside. Below a set of shelves there were four blue, five gallon plastic cans and four more smaller ones. She picked up one and shook it. "Still full, but I'll bet this has been here for at least a year or more. We should probably dump them and fill them with fresh."

She picked up two of the smaller jugs and Jim grabbed two of the five gallon ones and followed her into the bathroom. She dumped out the first but just as he was starting to empty the first of the five gallon cans the lights flickered again. "Better only empty one at a time in case the power fails before we get them all filled." He nodded in agreement and put the can back down.

Over the next ten minutes they managed to empty and refill all the containers. The power remained steady but Lisa still looked relieved when the task was finished. "OK, now we should be alright if we do lose the electricity."

"I see the stove is gas and I suppose the furnace is also?" Jim looked at her questioningly.

"Well yes, both are LP. The stove will work alright, but the furnace needs electricity to function. But don't worry. We can always build a nice fire in the fireplace. There's at least half a cord of wood out back. Speaking of which, maybe we should bring some more inside." There was a small pile by the fireplace, but not enough for more than a couple of hours.

"OK, tell me where and I'll go out and get it."

"Come on, it will be easier if I show you and we both carry some inside." With that she went to the closet and handed him his jacket and also picking up one of her own. Hers had a hood attached but she looked at his sweatshirt and then his own hoodless jacket. Reaching back into the closet, she pulled out a knit hat and handed it to him. "No use getting that nice hair all wet again."

"Thanks. I'm sure I can manage. After all, I'm from northern Michigan. You know, where summer falls on an afternoon in late July."

She laughed and led the way to the door. As they stepped outside Jim saw that the storm had changed its nature somewhat. It was still blowing as hard as ever but now there was only a little snow in the form of small, hard bits, mixed with a lot of sleet and ice granules. From behind him Lisa exclaimed, "It's turned into an ice storm! We had definitely better get some wood inside."

He stepped down and nearly lost his footing. The ground, the rail by the steps and the nearby bushes were all coated with a slick layer of ice. "He called back, "Watch out. It's really slick." Her acknowledgment was lost in the driving wind.

She passed him and led the way around the side of the house to where a small shed, covered on three sides, held cut and split firewood. They each picked up an armload and carefully made their way back inside. Lisa indicated a place near the fireplace and they stacked the logs. Then she turned to him and asked, "Do they have ice storms in Michigan?"

"Not that I know of. At least not in the northern part. I have heard of ice storms but I've never experienced one."

"You haven't missed much. We get one here every few years. Not more often, thank goodness. By tomorrow morning there may be half an inch or more of ice on every branch of every tree. We can lose a lot of branches and, yes, a lot of trees from one. You'll also find a lot of trees - particularly cedars - that will stay bent over and distorted for up to ten years afterwards. Also, it certainly isn't uncommon to lose power from one and it can take several days to get it back."

He looked at the wood they had just brought in. "Maybe we should bring in some more?" he asked.

"Probably a good idea." They made two more trips and finally had a sizeable pile if it were to be needed."

When the jackets were hung back in the closet, Lisa said, "We probably ought to get out some candles and flashlights or something, just in case." She led the way back into what had been her parents' bedroom and opened a large closet. Jim could see there were only a few items of clothing inside. He supposed that most of it had gone to Columbus with her parents when they went because of her father's sickness. But there were still a number of items stored on the shelves and beneath the rods for hanging clothes. Lisa pulled out a kerosene lamp and a can of oil and handed it to him. She pulled a box down from the shelf and extracted a half dozen candles which she also handed over. Jim turned and took these back into the living area, setting them on a coffee table, before returning.

Lisa was just emerging with an old fashioned, glass chimney candle lantern. She turned and said, "There's another one of these on the top shelf there. Can you get it, please?"

"Sure". He leaned into the closet and retrieved the lantern. As he started to step back, he saw something standing in the corner. He reached in and pulled out a guitar. He turned towards the girl and held the instrument up. "Is this yours? Do you play?"

For several seconds Lisa just stared at the instrument. Then she shook her head. "No, on both counts. It belonged to my dad and he used to play." Then she looked up at him. "Do you play?"

"Some. I used to play a lot of folk and stuff when I was in high school. Haven't done too much of it lately though."

He started to put it back when Lisa suddenly said, "Bring it out. If we lose power the stereo won't work, so you can entertain us," she teased. There had been quiet music playing since he had arrived. Since he often had music playing himself, he hadn't really thought anything about it.

He looked at her. "You wouldn't mind if I did play it? I mean, it was your dad's and I wouldn't want to bring up any unpleasant memories."

She smiled and shook her head back and forth. "No, I used to love it when he played and sang for us but that's past." Then almost to herself she said, "I need to lay these restless ghosts." She looked up at him and smiled wider. "No, bring it along."

They returned to the living area and placed the lamp and guitar out of the way. "Well, while we've still got hot water, I guess I'd better do the dishes."

"I'll be happy to do them."

"No, I will, but you can dry." She moved into the kitchen and in only a few minutes the few dishes were washed, dried and put away. While they were working the lights flickered off and on a couple of times. Once they were dark for six or seven seconds, but mostly it was just a quick flicker.

Lisa pulled a kettle from a cabinet and put some water on to boil. "I'm making some tea. Want some?" she asked.

"Thank you, that would be nice." She reached up and pulled a teapot from a cabinet. Jim was watching her and as she stretched to reach the high shelf, he was suddenly taken with the view of her firm figure against her clothing as she stretched. He shook his head. He certainly wasn't planning on making a pass at her but she was definitely a nice looking girl.

The lights flickered once again. In another minute the water was boiling and Lisa added it to the teapot along with a couple of tea bags. As she set the kettle back on the stove, the lights once more went off and this time remained off.

For a full minute neither of them moved, waiting to see if the power would return again. When it didn't come back on Lisa sighed and said, "Well, I'm not surprised with all that ice." She reached over to the kitchen counter where she had placed a flashlight, picked it up and the beam sprang to life. Placing the teapot on the counter, she said, "Come on. I guess we'd better get some candles going."

Jim followed her back into the living room. She picked up a box of matches from the mantle over the fireplace and handed them to him. He moved over to the coffee table and first lit the oil lamp. Lisa had picked up one of the candle lanterns with the glass chimney. She removed the glass and held it out for Jim to light, replacing the chimney when it was going. She moved over and set it on the mantle. "I suppose we should probably get a fire going, too."

Jim immediately moved to the fireplace. Growing up in northern Michigan he was no stranger to building fires and shortly had a nice blaze started. Lisa had brought the teapot and two mugs in and set them on an end table at one end of the small couch facing the big fireplace. "Do you want sugar or anything?"

"No, thanks. I usually just drink it straight."

Filling a mug, she handed it to him and replied, "All right. Tea, black."

He laughed. "Coffee may be black. I guess this is tea, brown."

She laughed also. "Actually, it's tea, green."

They sat on the couch facing the fire and for several minutes were silent, just sipping the tea and watching the flames. The stereo had, of course, died when the power went off and the only sound was the occasional cracks and pops from the fire and the storming wind and sleet outside. Lisa suddenly shook herself. The quiet ghosts were once again trying to get to her.

"Well, the electricity did go off, so I guess you now get to play and sing for us."

Jim laughed. "Isn't it bad enough we're trapped here in the storm without inflicting that on us?"

Lisa smiled. "I doubt it would be in infliction. Seriously, I would like to hear you play. Singing is optional."

"If you really would, I'll try. But remember it's been a few years since I've done much of this." He set his cup aside and stood to pick up the instrument before returning to the couch. "What would you like to hear? I'm afraid most of what I know is just folk music."

"That would be wonderful! I love folk. That's mostly what my father played."

Jim touched the strings and made a slight face. He found some picks in a small bag tied to the neck of the instrument and took one. He applied it to one string and adjusted the tension until he thought it sounded right. Then he proceeded to use the beat notes to adjust the remaining strings and when he was satisfied ,struck a couple of chords. He closed his eyes in thought for a few seconds and then began to strike a few new chords. Lisa immediately recognized "Barbara Allen" and smiled. Her father had often played that himself. Jim strummed a few bars and then, in a quiet but firm voice, began to sing the words. Lisa sat nearby, entranced. He had a great singing voice. Not quite a bass, but deep and resonant.

When the last chords died Lisa exclaimed, "That was wonderful!" Then she teased, "Now if you just knew some real authentic regional folk for this part of the world... But, of course, they wouldn't have those in northern Michigan."

He looked over at her. "Want to bet?"

"You're bluffing. All right, it's a bet. What are the stakes?"

He smiled at her. "We'll just leave that open at the moment."

He closed his eyes for a few seconds and struck a few chords. Then he started to play and sing.

In the hills of Eastern Kentucky In the houses by the mine A father sought his daughter With news to trouble her mind

"Oh, Daughter, my dear daughter, I fear my words unkind But I have heard that your promised one Is lost in the mountain pines

He left the mine for Greenwood To buy ribbons for your hair He crossed the pine topped mountain But never arrived he there"

As soon as the song had started, Lisa had frozen. This was not going to lay any restless ghost but she reveled in the sound of the chords and words. As Jim started the chords for the next verse, she suddenly opened her mouth and began

"Oh, Father, my dear father I will not believe him lost Perhaps he's sheltered in a house And not tried to continue across"

As soon as she had begun, Jim stopped singing and just played the music. Then, when the next verse came, he again sang

"Oh, Daughter, my dear daughter Alas this can not be There is no house along the way Nothing save the tall pine trees"

At the next one Lisa once more took up the song.

"Then Father, oh my father I will not stay and pine I will seek him on the mountain top Among the mountain pines"

Then she remained silent, entranced, as Jim finished.

She gathered her boots and mittens With nary a single word more And wrapping her cloak about her Hurried on out the door

She set right out and up the hill Into the storm's raging teeth She followed the trail to seek her love And try to bring him relief

She came upon her loved one Nearly frozen to death in the storm She wrapped them both in her traveling cloak And through the night kept warm

In the morning the storm was ended And the sun began to shine She came down the hill with her lover Safe from the mountain pines

Finally, as the last haunting chords died away, she breathlessly asked, "Wherever did you learn that? My dad used to play that all the time and I loved it! I thought it was just a local ballad."

"It probably is. I didn't mention that I had a thing for Appalachian Folk music. Actually, I don't remember just where I learned that one, but I found them in a lot of different places." Then he suddenly realized that the song might have brought back some unpleasant memories. "I hope I didn't hurt you by making you remember things."

She smiled at him and shook her head, her eyes reflecting the firelight. "No, it did bring back memories, but good ones. I loved hearing it once more."

He let out his breath. "I'm glad. I don't mean to make anything harder for you."

"You didn't. I loved it."

They continued to sit in front of the fire. Occasionally he would play some more and one or the other or both of them would sing. Lisa had a very good voice also, perfect for folk. They found he knew a few of her other favorites, but nothing brought the response "Mountain Pines" had. It had been simply chance that he had played it, but something in that song touched Lisa deep in her soul. She had him play it again and this time she joined in with him for the last four verses.

She made another pot of tea and, laughing, Jim brought out his peanut butter crackers for them to snack on. When he stopped to think about it he was surprised how easily they were getting along. More like they had known each other for some time, not just a few hours. Lisa found herself thinking the same thing, although neither mentioned it. The storm continued unabated outside, the sleet rattling the window panes and the wind howling around the corners and eaves of the house.

With the guitar finally put aside, they continued to talk. They found they had other things in common beside liking folk music. Neither had brothers or sisters. Lisa had also been a business major, but specialized in the advertising and sales side rather than finance. Both liked the out of doors and enjoyed hiking and camping and both were familiar with canoes and kayaks.

At one point, as often happens, their talk fell silent and then almost together both yawned deeply. Laughing, Lisa looked at her watch. "It's after one! I had no idea it was so late."

"It couldn't be." But when Jim looked at his own watch he saw it really was. "It doesn't seem like it's that late, does it."

"No. Must be the company." She smiled. "You know, I'm sort of glad your car got stuck." He returned the smile. "You know, I am too."

"I guess we had better get some sleep, though." She stood and carried the tea pot back into the kitchen while Jim made sure the screen was in place in front of the fireplace. She called back from the kitchen, "I expect the house won't cool off too much tonight. I've been staying in my parents' room, so you can have my old bedroom tonight. We can see what the weather is like tomorrow and figure what to do from there."

She came back in and, taking one of the candle lanterns and a small flashlight, led him into her old room, pulling several extra blankets from the closet along with sheets and a pillowcase. She helped make the bed and then turned to him and said, "You can use the bathroom first if you want. Just remember all the water we have is in those cans, so don't waste it. As for the toilet, as I once heard a weatherman say during a California drought, "If it's yellow, let it mellow; if it's brown, flush it down."

He laughed and said, "I expect we can manage. Look, Lisa, I want to thank you for everything you've done. I'd have been really stuck in a bad way without you."

"You're most welcome, but I think you've done as much for me as I have for you." He looked a little uncertain at that comment but didn't say anything, as Lisa thought to herself, "Yes, you've helped me to lay some of the restless ghosts. At least for a little while."

Then she smiled up at him and said, "Good night, Jim. Sleep as long as you want and we'll see about things in the morning."

Surprising himself, Jim reached out and clasped Lisa's hand between his own. "Good night, Lisa. And thank you again for everything."

She smiled and turned back to get the other candle lantern and another flashlight before blowing out the oil lamp. Then, as Jim went into the bathroom, she slipped into the other bedroom until after she heard Jim close the door of her old room before making her own trip to the bathroom.

Lisa opened her eyes to dim, gray light filtering through the window. She glanced at the clock and saw that it was almost eight. She usually woke somewhat earlier but then it had been nearly two when they had finally gone to sleep. THEY? Everything suddenly flooded back. Not only was she here in the old house instead of her apartment but so was a stranger. Well, no longer really a stranger. They had actually gotten to know each other quite well in the short time since she had let him in from the storm. She smiled to herself. Yes, but she would like to get to know him better still.

She shook her head and put aside such ideas. He definitely held an attraction for her, but neither of them had made any move to extend things beyond just two strangers getting to know each other. OK, that wasn't completely true. She had shared some of her pressures and problems with him to a greater extent than she had with any of her friends, even if she had known them for years. She believed he had done the same, telling her about the storm of controversy that had piled up so suddenly around him. OK, maybe they were well on the way to becoming friends - at least if they continued to see each other. That was possible, she mused, since he said he was going to be in Columbus for at least a couple of months. And, for that matter, depending on the weather and the road crews, they might be living together - a sardonic smile crossed her face - for a few days or so.

The clock read the time but it ran on a battery. She checked a lamp and found, as expected, that the power was still off. Rising from the bed she pulled on a pair of jeans and a long sleeve plaid flannel shirt. Socks and a pair of athletic shoes followed. The room had cooled quite a bit without the furnace to prevent it, so she added a thick sweater. She made her way into the bathroom and, as she came out, heard sounds of movement from her old room. Evidently Jim was waking also.

The door opened and he stepped out into the hall. "Good morning."

"Good morning," she replied. "At least it could be a lot worse. Power is still out. You will probably want your sweatshirt, at least until we can get it warmed up a little."

He seemed to take stock of the environment and then acknowledged, "Probably. If you'd like, I'll build a fire."

"OK. I'll see what I can do for breakfast. I hope you like instant oatmeal - that's mostly what I brought. At least I have several kinds for you to choose from."

He laughed. "I'm a grad student too, remember. Oatmeal and granola bars is what I live on most mornings."

He went on into the bathroom and she headed for the kitchen. She filled a kettle again and put it on the stove. Thank goodness the stove was LP and not electric. She had gotten out oatmeal packets along with bowls, spoons, mugs and the teapot when Jim joined her. He had picked up his sweatshirt from the closet and was shrugging into it. "I've got the fire going again. Hopefully that will warm things up a little."

"Probably. Depends on how cold it is outside. She went to look out the window and Jim came over to stand beside her, looking out also. The storm hadn't ended, but the wind had dropped and the precipitation had changed over to all snow. It looked like maybe an inch or two had fallen already, but it was still coming down, although not too hard. However, everywhere they looked that wasn't snow covered, a white layer of ice covered everything. For half a minute they just stood, looking out at the desolate landscape. Desolate, but somehow hauntingly beautiful.

Suddenly Lisa remembered something. "There's a thermometer outside that we can see from the window in the living room. I'll run check what it says." Just then steam from the kettle caused her to alter her plans. "I guess we ought to make the oatmeal and tea first."

She handed him the selection of packages and he picked one. Each emptied their own into a bowl and Lisa added the boiling water. Then she filled the teapot and added a couple of tea bags. "OK, while we wait a WHOLE-LONG minute for the cereal," she said with obviously exaggerated expression, "we can go look at the temperature."

Jim gave a short laugh and accompanied her into the other room where she crossed and peered out the window. She had to wipe away some condensation but then spoke in surprise, "I think it says twelve degrees! Here, take a look and see if that's what you read."

He moved over next to her and looked out. "That's what it looks like to me also. Is this thing accurate?"

"I'm pretty sure it's very close. Yesterday it read twenty eight when the radio said it was twenty seven. I guess a cold front came through and pushed some of that warm, wet air back south."

"Yeah, I guess so. I suppose that will make it a little harder to heat the house with just the fireplace."

"I expect we can keep it livable. If it drops any more we might have a little trouble heating anything more than the living room, especially at night."

They returned to the kitchen for breakfast. When they had finished Lisa said, "Let's just pile the dishes in the sink and wait until when we have a few more before washing them. It'll use less water that way." Jim agreed and they moved back into the living room.

The fireplace had begun to knock off the chill in this room somewhat at least, but they still moved to the couch to settle in front of the fire. For the next three hours they remained in front of the fire and just talked. Maybe "just talked" isn't exactly right. They talked as friends might, discussing personal things. Both were surprised at how easily this came about and how little hesitation they felt doing this. Once Lisa remarked on this. "I'm really surprised I'm telling you all this. I mean I've only known you less than a day. I would never have dreamed I would talk about these things so easily with someone I've just met."

"You're no more surprised than I am. Normally I'm a very private person. I almost never talk about personal things with anyone else. I guess it's just a case of ... What I mean is you know how sometimes you meet someone and can't say why but have an immediate dislike while at other times you instantly know you are going to like someone. I guess I feel that way about you. I just know you'll understand and won't laugh at what I consider serious."

"Yes, that's it. I feel the same way about you. I can't say why, but I do."

"Great!" Jim kidded. "Want to get married right away?"

Lisa laughed. Then she teased right back. "We can't do that yet. I don't even know how you are in bed yet." Then she blinked as she realized she had made such a joking remark with him.

It obviously didn't bother or offend Jim. Looking her slowly up and down he immediately answered, "I'm sure we could remedy that problem if you want."

Lisa turned a little red. Then she almost stammered, "I don't think quite yet."

Jim laughed. "Sorry, I couldn't help teasing."

She relaxed and smiled at him. What he didn't realize was that a lot of the reason she had blushed so was that she had suddenly felt that she might like to actually do just that. Lisa was not accustomed to jumping into bed with someone she had just met. She wasn't a virgin, had had several lovers, but never went in for a short term affair. She was definitely not into one night stands. But there was something about this guy which seemed to really attract her.

She changed the subject. "It's getting on towards one. I suppose we should see about something for lunch." She rose and started towards the kitchen.

Jim turned and let his eyes follow her, watching the sway of her tight bottom with interest. He never went in for one night stands either but it had been some time since he had slept with a girl and Lisa was a wonderful example of what a woman should look like - at least in his opinion. It also helped that he felt a strong attraction on an emotional level. As he had said, she appealed to him as someone who would be supportive and understanding - a real friend. Then he also thought that it was a wonderful bonus that she had such a nice ass. Smiling to himself he rose and made his way after her into the kitchen.

They decided on some canned soup. While it was warming, they went to look out the window once more. The wind had dropped and the snow had stopped. The sky was clearing and sunlight made its way down to flash fire from every surface, the ice covering refracting the beams into a rainbow of colors and reflecting bright spots of light everywhere. For a couple of minutes they remained looking out at the beauty of the landscape that now held them trapped, at least for a little while.

After lunch Lisa again checked the outside thermometer. It now read ten. "I guess with the clear sky it might get pretty cold tonight. We probably should think about trying to keep in here as much as possible. I'll get a card table and we can eat in here also."

"What about tonight?" Jim inquired. "Will the bedrooms still be warm enough?"

Lisa thought for a few seconds. "Probably. I can get out a couple more wool blankets if we need them." Then she stopped for a few seconds more. "Or," she slowly said, "we could drag a mattress in here in front of the fire." Then she shook her head back and forth. "Let's wait and see how much it cools off. We can decide later."

They spent the afternoon in the living room mostly talking, although for a while they played cards. As evening neared and the power remained off, Lisa began to consider what might spoil. She could always bring in some ice from outside, but that would be a bit of trouble. The only fresh meat she had was some chicken, so she suggested - and Jim readily agreed - to use that for supper. She put together a chicken and rice dish with canned mushrooms. The oven was gas, like the stove burners, so about five she put the dish into bake. "Supper in about an hour," she announced. Then offered Jim a choice of canned vegetables.

While the meal was baking, Jim said it might be a good idea to bring in some more firewood. Lisa agreed and started for her coat. "No, let me this time. I know where it is now." She reluctantly agreed and he pulled on his own jacket and went out.

Three trips left them with a large pile of logs which they were sure would last at least well into the next day. As Jim pulled off his jacket he commented, "It does feel like it's cooling off out there." He went and looked at the thermometer. "Down to only seven now."

Lisa shivered. "I doubt the fireplace will be able to keep more than this room comfortable."

They moved the card table in front of the fireplace and ate there. When they had finished and cleared away the dishes, Lisa asked Jim to play the guitar some more. He agreed and they spent an hour and a half singing more of the old folk songs. When Jim stopped for a break, Lisa said, "You know, it surprises me a little how much those songs bring back. I mean I was only five when we moved from here but I can clearly see my dad playing and singing, right here by the fireplace. Mom and I sang along too, and I can remember clearly doing it. I haven't thought of that in years. I guess the songs bring it back."

She turned her face away and Jim saw her reach to wipe at her eye. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to bring back unpleasant memories."

She turned back slightly and he could see her eyes were wet. "No, they really aren't unpleasant. Just that they are past and gone."

She ducked her head and he saw her shoulders rise and fall and realized she must be crying. He put the guitar down and went over to place his hands on her shoulders. "I'm sorry," he said once again.

Then she totally surprised him by turning to face him and suddenly clinging tightly, her arms going around him and pulling him tightly against herself. She buried her face against his shoulder and he could feel small, silent sobs as her body pressed against him. His arms went around her to comfort her, one hand rising to stroke her hair, the other firmly pressed against her back.

They stood like that for at least two minutes while her tears stopped and her breathing returned to normal. At last she looked up into his eyes, her own still wet and red. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to break down. Thank you for understanding." Jim continued to hold her, still stroking her hair. "There is nothing to be sorry about." Then he surprised himself by bending forward and placing a kiss on her forehead.

Lisa looked up, startled, but held his eyes with her own. He was about to apologize when she suddenly raised her arms and pulled him down, bringing his lips hard against her own. Her arms locked tightly around him and she held the kiss for a long time. At first totally startled, Jim was frozen for a second but then relaxed and fully joined her in the kiss.

When they pulled slightly apart, both looked completely surprised. Lisa was the first to speak. "I'm sorry."

He interrupted her. "Are you really? I'm not."

She smiled at him. "No, I'm not either. At least as long as you aren't offended."

He gave a short laugh. "Offended that a beautiful girl kissed me? I would have to be awfully dumb for that. Or gay and I assure you I'm not."

It was Lisa's turn to give a quick laugh. "I expect you often are kissed by beautiful girls, but this time it was just by me."

Jim's tone was stronger than either of them expected. "Don't say that! You are definitely a beautiful woman." Both were surprised by the strength of his reply. He felt he had to add, "You are a lovely and wonderful girl. I hate to hear you put yourself down."

Lisa replied, "I'm sorry. I'm just not used to thinking of myself as beautiful."

"Then perhaps you are not as smart as I think you are." This time his tone was light, teasing. Then it changed to a more serious form. "Maybe it will help if this time I initiate the kiss." Without giving her a chance to reply, he pulled her close once more and pressed his lips against hers and held her close for a longer time than before. His lips opened slightly and the tip of his tongue brushed her lips. Lisa seemed to melt against him and slowly her own lips opened and her tongue met his. This long kiss was followed by several more.

At last they pulled slightly apart and smiled at each other. Jim managed to speak and said, "Well, somehow it seems to have gotten warmer in here."

Lisa laughed, all trace of the tears now gone, and she replied, "Yes, it does seem to have warmed up a little. I hope you don't mind. I certainly don't."

His arms tightened around her. "I would never mind that." He buried his face in her hair and just held her for a long minute or two.

Lisa wasn't sure just what had led up to all this, but she didn't care. The world felt good once more. The arms around her felt strong. Protective. Secure. She felt sheltered. She didn't suddenly feel she had fallen in love or anything like that. No, she couldn't say about love, but she did feel happy and safe, no longer tangled in the huge emotional storm of the last few months. It wasn't just a sexual attraction, although there was that element to it. But looming much larger was something else. Just what, she wasn't sure but for now she felt safe and at ease.

Jim had no more idea what had happened than Lisa had. He had been attracted to her from the first but had not expected it to lead anywhere. Certainly not this, especially so quickly. He had been surprised at the force of the feelings which had struck him when she had put herself down. Uncertain just why, he still felt an incredible need to stop anything even remotely resembling a put down of this woman. He just wanted to hold her and protect her, shelter her and keep her safe and secure. Somewhere in the back of his mind the thought escaped that in addition to this he would also like some more erotic activities, but he laughed to himself at this idea, blaming it on the kisses they had shared. But for whatever reason, the idea was still there.

They spent the rest of the evening still sitting on the couch in front of the fire but now close together, his arm often going around her shoulders. Occasionally they stopped talking long enough to engage in some serious kissing. As the evening progressed the kissing took on a somewhat more erotic edge, which it had initially lacked. Those first kisses were about security and protection. Some of the later ones brought on other ideas. In fact Lisa realized she hadn't felt this much erotic excitement with some of her former lovers. She was finding this guy more than attractive in more than a single way.

Sometime around eleven, Lisa went over and looked at the thermometer once again. Surprised, she exclaimed, "It's down to two below out there!" Twisting to look upwards she added, "Clear sky. It's going to be a cold night."

"Once again I must thank you. I really wouldn't want to spend tonight out in my car. The bedroom is much better, even if it cools off a little in there."

Lisa stopped for a second, inner thoughts swirling. "It probably will be a little cool in the bedrooms. Why don't we drag a mattress out here and keep the fire going all night? We can move the couch and put it in front of the fireplace."

Jim turned and looked directly at her, holding her eyes. "Mattress? Singular?"

Lisa's breath came a little quicker. "Yes, just the double I've been using."

Jim's own breath changed. "Is that what you want?"

She held his eyes and answered, "Yes. As long as you do." Then reducing the tension slightly she added, "It will be warmer that way."

Jim laughed. "It certainly will." Then he stopped and his tone became more serious. "Lisa, am I reading too much into this? Do you mean just to sleep next to each other or do you mean more?"

She simply said, "More."

Jim sucked in his breath. "I would love that. I hate to bring up a problem but unless you are prepared, I don't have any condoms with me. Not even out in the car."

Lisa spoke. "I don't either, but I'm on the pill." She stopped a second and then added, "I haven't been with anyone for the last year and I've had blood tests since. Do I need to worry about you?"

Slowly he shook his head back and forth. "No, it's been over six months for me. I've had tests also. I just want to make sure it's what you really want."

She slowly looked him up and down. "This is not normally my style but yes, I do want it." Then she moved over and kissed him.

They moved to the big bedroom and pulled the mattress from the bed. Jim took it into the living room while Lisa gathered sheets, pillows and blankets. As she stepped out of the room, she looked back. Then her gaze shifted to her old bedroom. At last she took a deep breath and turned towards the living room. The thought flashed through her mind, "Restless ghosts won't be the only ones laid tonight." She almost broke out laughing but suppressed it rather than explain to Jim.

They arranged the mattress and spread sheets and blankets. Individually they made trips to the bathroom. When Jim came back he found Lisa holding two wine glasses. "I found a bottle of Lambrusco. Would you like some?"

He smiled at her. "Trying to get me drunk so you can have your way with me?" She laughed and he added, "I'd love some but you don't have to get me drunk for that."

She handed him a glass. "What shall we drink to?"

He thought for a second and then raised his glass. "To shelter from the storm."

She smiled and raised hers in response before taking a sip. They stood near the fire slowly finishing the wine, his arm around her waist. When the glasses were drained, Lisa took them to set aside and then asked, "Would you play Mountain Pines' again?"

He looked surprised. "Are you sure?" Inside he was afraid it might spoil the mood to make her remember things again.

"Yes, I'm sure. Play it and sing. Please."

He picked up the guitar and struck a few chords. He played through a verse without singing, just letting the clear notes sound in the darkened room. They had one candle lit but had extinguished all the other lights, leaving the shadows broken only by this one candle and the firelight. He struck the next chord and began.

In the hills of Eastern Kentucky In the houses by the mine

Lisa closed her eyes and when her verse came she sang out in a clear voice. They alternated as before and then both finished together, finishing the last verse.

She came down the hill with her lover Safe from the mountain pines

He played the chords through one more time and then let the notes hang in the air until they died. Lisa had her eyes closed and a smile on her face. He moved over and just looked at her for long seconds. Then he bent and placed a soft kiss on her lips. Her eyes remained closed but the smile widened.

At last she opened them and looked up at him. "Thank you."

He answered simply, "You're welcome."

He returned the guitar to its place against the wall and blew out the single candle. He held out his hands to her and she raised her own to clasp his. Jim pulled her towards him and this kiss was much longer, much hotter, and much less chaste than the last.

When they pulled back Lisa said, "I'm sorry I don't have a sexy nightgown or anything. I usually just wear a long tee shirt at night."

"Well I don't have any more than what I'm wearing. Besides I usually don't wear anything at night."

Lisa smiled at him. "That sounds like the perfect sleep wear. For both of us." Her arms went around his neck and pulled him into a deep kiss. Before it was over his hands had moved to her breasts, gently squeezing the firm mounds, first through her flannel and then sliding beneath. He found she wasn't wearing a bra as his fingers slid over the smooth flesh. Her nipples felt long and very hard and, as he rolled one between his thumb and finger, he felt rather than heard a moan rise through her throat and make its way from her mouth to his.

Lisa's finger moved to unbutton his shirt and Jim let one hand leave what it was doing to open her own garment. Soon they were pressing against each other, bare skin to bare skin, hands wrapped around and sliding over backs beneath the loosened shirts. The kiss got hotter but they didn't separate as both shirts made their way to the floor beside the mattress. Both had already removed shoes and now two pair of jeans followed the shirts. Jim at last pulled back and looked at Lisa. Slowly his hand slid down her side and caught the waistband of her panties, sliding this slight garment to her ankles where she stepped out. He tossed it to join the other items. Now it was Lisa's turn and she reached to slide his briefs off, adding them to the discarded clothing.

They stood, arms on each other's shoulders, and looked each other up and down. Lisa was even better than Jim had imagined. Breathlessly he said, "I was wrong when I called you just beautiful. You are far better than that."

Lisa felt a rush of heat flush her but this time it wasn't embarrassment. "You are incredible," she managed to get out as she looked up and down his hard body and let her hand slide over the muscles of his arms. "I can't imagine how you could look better."

They came together for another kiss, naked bodies pressing tightly together, hands sliding over backs and bottoms. Jim was already rigid and Lisa let her hand encircle his firm masculinity, giving it a quick squeeze. She felt herself becoming very wet and knew she would be ready even with no more foreplay.

However she couldn't resist and pulled back enough to pick up a loose blanket. Jim watched as she draped it around her shoulders and stepped to face him. Suddenly she opened it and whipped the sides around him to enclose both of them, pulling him against her as she did so. "It may not be a traveling cloak, but I'll bet we can keep warm through the night."

Jim gave a short laugh and then pulled her even more closely against himself. The blanket slipped from their shoulders and he bent to scoop her into his arms before setting her down on the mattress. He pulled back and watched the firelight play golden and jet over her smooth body. "Lovely, lovely," he whispered as he drank in the sight of her.

He knelt beside her but surprised her by moving between her knees to bend forward and place a kiss at the top of her moist opening. Then he began to play with tongue and lips all along the creases and curves, licking, kissing, teasing. His tongue slid up and down and all around her now exposed bud but avoided the sensitive nub itself. For long, long minutes he teased her, sometimes flicking feather lite touches, other times sliding his tongue forcefully along her soaking slit, pushing it inside. Lisa was definitely reacting to this attention, very vocally and very kineticly, her hips rising and falling, twisting with an almost corkscrew like motion. She had had men go down on her before but none had excited her like this.

After a few minutes she began to tug at Jim's shoulders, trying to pull him higher. He got the message and moved above her, stopping to catch a nipple in his teeth and give it a tug along the way. Then he was above her, his lips a half inch from hers. He whispered, "Are you sure?"

She breathed back, "Very! Do it! Take me. Hard."

He lingered no more and rocked his hips forward. Lisa grabbed him and started him in the right direction and then they were both pushing to sink his rigid organ deeply inside her soaking tunnel. As he slid all the way in, Lisa gave out a loud moan and then they began to work together, the ancient out and in rhythm only set off by its intensity. On each inward stroke they came together in an almost bruising impact. It wasn't surprising when Jim only lasted less than two minutes but Lisa herself felt somewhat of a surprise as his release triggered one of her own and her world exploded into fiery sparks, the rest of her dissolving into blackness.

As she returned to the world, she found them still coupled and both breathing hard and fast. She smiled and pulled him into a kiss. "That was wonderful, Lover."

"Incredible! I'm just sorry I couldn't last longer for you."

"It was exactly long enough. Next time will be longer."

He smiled and kissed her. "Yes, I promise."

She felt him shrink and slip from her and then he slid off to spoon behind her. She gave a slight shiver as the cool room air struck them. He reached down and pulled up the sheet and a thick blanket. "Your traveling cloak, my Lady," he whispered.

She wiggled back against him and whispered back, "Yes, I believe we will both keep warm tonight."

Twice during the night he awoke. Once he slid out and placed more logs on the fire before sliding back to snuggle against Lisa's sleeping form. The other time when he returned from adding wood, Lisa was awake and turned towards him. They kissed and one thing led to another and, yes, this time did last a lot longer.

They awoke with morning sun coming through the window. Jim came awake first and for several minutes just lay awake watching Lisa. She really was lovely and in sleep her face looked totally relaxed. If she had any cares pulling her down, she had not brought them into the sleep world with her. As this thought went through his head, Jim realized that his own problems seemed to have kept their distance also.

Just then Lisa opened her eyes. For just a second she seemed to take in her surroundings without comprehension. Then sudden awareness invaded her mind and she knew she was naked, pressed again a naked man she had met only two days ago and also that everything was wonderful. The problems of the last several months seemed to have receded into the background somewhere. They might still be there but didn't appear so large or threatening. Jim's hand was resting on her thigh and she wiggled her ass against him. "Good morning, Lover. Stay warm?"

"Good morning, Beautiful. With a hot lover like you, of course I stayed warm."

They stayed beneath the blankets for several more minutes. "It's nice in here, but I'm afraid the room has cooled off quite a bit," Lisa said.

"Probably. I'll go out and build up the fire again. Of course, then I'll need to be warmed up when I come back." He kissed her behind the ear.

"I'll try to think of something," she said.

Jim slipped out and, yes, the air had grown quite cool. He quickly built up the fire and made a fast trip over to look at the thermometer before climbing back into the bed. "Oh! You're cold," Lisa squealed as he pressed himself against her."

"Not too surprising as it's eleven below outside. You did say you'd think of something to warm me up, didn't you?"

"How about this?" She rolled to face him and pressed herself against him, pulling him down for a deep French kiss while letting her hand cup his balls. She felt his cock immediately respond. When she broke the kiss she breathed, "Seems to be working."

"Very definitely!" Jim's hands were grasping her bottom, squeezing the firm globes and holding her against him. They kissed again and when they broke from it he said, "Here, let's turn you back around again."

Lisa wasn't sure what he was planning but let herself be turned back so he could spoon against her. But he pushed a little more until she rolled over onto her front. Then he tugged her knees under her, raising her ass and suddenly he was behind her, pushing against her wet lips with his iron hard cock. She was already soaked and he slid in easily, sinking deep with a single long stroke. In fact it felt like he was in deeper than ever. Lisa felt she was being touched where no one ever had before. "Where no man has gone before," flashed through her mind and she started to stifle a laugh but whatever sound she started to make turned into a long, low moan as Jim caught her nipples between his thumbs and forefingers, squeezing and tugging them as he drove hard into her.

The next thrust took him even deeper and the words escaped Lisa. "Oh, God, yes, Lover. Fuck me. Fuck me hard."

He did. For much longer this time he pounded her hard while teasing her nipples and clit with his hands. Lisa came. Not once. Not twice. But three times. The third time was a shattering climax, one where she felt herself seemingly fly apart into a million pieces, to be dispersed throughout the universe. Eventually the fragments returned and she found herself now stretched flat but with Jim firmly atop her, his rod still buried in her depths. He was gently stroking her back and placing feather lite kisses all over her shoulders and neck. She definitely rated him right at the top of the list of the few lovers she had had.

She felt a ripple run up and down her body and knew from his reaction that he had felt it also. He placed another kiss between her shoulder blades and quietly said, "You know, Lisa, I think if you'll keep seeing me when we get to Columbus, I just might fall in love with you."

Lisa was thinking pretty much the same thing, but didn't let her serious thoughts show. Instead she teased, "Oh, you mean you don't just think I'm a nice piece of tail?"

Surprised, Jim still managed to answer, "Oh, you are definitely a nice piece of tail." But then in a little more serious voice said, "But Lisa, you are a lot more than that. You've given me shelter from a lot more than just a snow storm. The world looks a lot better than it did a couple of days ago." He slid out of her and they rolled to face each other. "I may just consider changing schools and finish up at OSU."

"I think I'd like that," Lisa replied. "You've helped me more than you can know. And no, I can't really explain but you've freed me from the past without destroying it. Oh, I can't really explain, but you really have helped me like you wouldn't believe." And then she added almost to herself, "And like I never thought would be possible." Then her voice changed to a lighter tone and she said, "Besides, you are quite a nice piece yourself."

Jim laughed and slapped her ass. She giggled and finally said, "OK, Lover. Want some breakfast?"

"I suppose. Perhaps I should just eat you."

Lisa sucked in her breath. "Later. Maybe after we eat we should come back here and see if we can keep warm all day as well."

"Sounds like an excellent idea." He gave her another kiss and then they threw back the covers. The cold air hit, causing both to suck in their breath. They quickly pulled on their clothing.

In the kitchen Lisa again put on the kettle for tea and oatmeal but this time when it was ready they took it back to the living room to eat. Afterwards they did as Lisa had suggested and once more shed their clothing and burrowed beneath the blankets. Except for lunch and supper they spent nearly the entire day there. They made love twice more but more importantly they talked. Talked on a more personal level than before. It's not too difficult to share secrets when you are cuddled together naked. They were learning a lot about each other and both liked what they were learning.

A second night in front of the fire and a second cold morning but a little warmer outside than the previous day. About two that afternoon the lights suddenly came back on and the furnace began to warm the house once more. By evening it was warm enough to skip the sweatshirts and sweaters. They moved the mattress back into the big bedroom but when night came they still shared it.

The next day the temperature outside climbed into the upper twenties, still clear and sunny. They heard the plows and that afternoon Lisa made the trip with Jim back up to his car. They had to dig out some snow that had piled up around it, but fairly soon they had it free. Lisa showed him the way around to the road which led to her house and he parked out front.

Jim stayed with Lisa for another week, helping her to sort the items in the house. He did leave for Columbus three days before she did, so when she arrived back in town he had already acquired an apartment. He made sure he found one with a large bed.

Jim did transfer to OSU and after graduation he and Lisa both got offers to work for the same firm. Fortunately this firm had no problem with hiring married couples. They also kept the house in the mountains, using it as a retreat and vacation spot.

Years later when they were visiting the mountain house, Jim opened a box of things which had been stored and discovered the old crayon drawing Lisa had pulled from the refrigerator. He said nothing but quietly packed it to take back home with them. After they had returned, Lisa came home from work one day to find it held to the refrigerator with magnets. It was right above the other crayon drawing showing a man, a woman, a boy and a girl all holding hands. The ghost was still there but no longer restless.