Jerking the folded sheet of paper from under the magnet and unfolding it, my hand shook in anticipation. What now?

Dad,

Gone skiing with Eric. See you soon,

Love you,

Janie.

The stark emptiness of the kitchen closed in on me. I stood there, unable to digest the content of the note. I read it again. Skiing? She doesn’t ski. Eric? Something vibrated inside of my ear.

“Hello?”

“Hi, the voice was cheerful.

“Hi, I said, trying to sound just as cheerful to the mother of my children.

“Is Janie there? I have something to tell her?”

“Ah,.no, she’s gone skiing.”

“What? Janie doesn’t ski, why did you let her go? What time is it? When did she leave? Who did she go with?”

“Eric, she went with Eric, she left a note on the refrigerator, I said, answering the only question that I knew the answer to.

“Eric? the boy she’s been seeing?”

“That’s what the note says, Eric.”

“It’s 5:15, that means it’s 8:15 there, are you just getting home? You are, aren’t you? I knew I shouldn’t let her go live with you.”

“We’ve been getting along fine for over a year now, I reminded her. It’s just since she met the boy that things have changed.”

“You’ll have to find her, where did she go? Call her, NO, I’ll call her. You just find her, don’t let her stay over night with that boy. Helen ranted and I let her, dialing Janie’s number with my cell phone while half listening to my former wife, half not.

There was no answer. Helen heard me leaving a voice mail message, asking our daughter to please call us back, adding that her mother was also worried about her being away over night.

“Find her, bring her home! Helen ordered before abruptly hanging up on me.

I read the note again. Where would they go? There were slopes on the outskirts of our town, far too crowded with college kids on a Friday night, all the way to Canada. Canada, I thought. A tickling sensation entered my ear again.

“Hello?”

“Dad? Didn’t you see the note I left? It’s on the refrigerator?”

“Janie, where are you?”

“We on our way to North Conway. Eric’s family has a ski lodge there.”

“North Conway? That’s two hours from here. I said, thinking, at least it isn’t Canada.’

“Yeah, I know, we had a problem with the car, otherwise we would be there.”

“Janie, where are you now, I’ll come and get you.”

“It’s okay dad, we’re almost there.”

“Tell me where this place is, I’m coming to get you, I said, letting my voice become harsh and urgent.

“Dad, relax, everything is fine. There’s no reason for you to come get me, I heard my daughter scold me for getting agitated.

“Janie, give me directions and., there was a click and dead air.

I dialed her number and got voice mail. Janie, I’m sorry I sounded off, please call me. I’ve got to know where you are.”

The phone rang, it was Helen again. She did most of the talking. I wasn’t able to tell her where our daughter had said she and Eric were headed. Not that I didn’t want her to know. She admonished me for not paying attention to our daughter’s needs and ridiculed me for never being there for her, even for having to work long hours.

“We had a problem with the ice, it wouldn’t freeze and there is a hockey match tonight, giving her more information than she needed. It was then that I decided not to give her the name of the town Janie had told me they were heading to. Helen would tell the local police it was a kidnapping and make matters worse than they already were.

It all started when our older daughter got married. I bought a plane ticket and went to give her away. After five years, Helen treated me like a step child. I stayed in a motel and only saw my daughters twice during my three day stay. While talking to Janie at the reception I got the idea for her to come east to college, at the small college where I worked in southern New Hampshire. As my dependent, Janie’s tuition would be next to nothing. Living in my condo saved on room and board, cutting college expenses to a plane ticket once or twice each year to visit her mother. To my surprise, she jumped at the idea. Also to my surprise, Helen let her come, even agreeing to supply spending money.

Shedding the burden of child support, I was able to buy the condo near the college. I took the smaller bedroom to give Janie study space in the larger bathroom and walk in closet.

Everything went smoothly her freshman year. Despite my erratic work schedule, we spent time together and during the course of the school year, renewed our relationship as father and daughter. It was when she met the kid, Eric, that things changed. He is a football player in his third year. They met at the clinic where Janie works part time.

“He should have had one of the trainers look at that, I told Janie, knowing how strict they were about player’s medical treatment.

“It’s okay dad, I did a good job, even the trainer said it would heal just fine.”

“Wait a minute, how do you know what the trainer said?”

“Eric came back to thank me, Janie said, smiling smugly. From that day on, everything was Eric this and Eric that. Eric begin to come around, for help with one of his classes, so they said.

“Jocks have access to tutors, I said, your taking on too much responsibility, patching him up, now your helping him with a class, I don’t want you to get into trouble with the administration.”

“Relax pop, everything’s cool, Janie said, slapping me on the shoulder. She was so cute I couldn’t help but smile and try to ease up on the subject.

Now she was on her way to a ski lodge with Eric hormones and I had an ex-wife

on my ass because of my poor parenting skills.’

If I start now, I thought, I can get to North Conway by eleven. I’ll go gas up, then come back home to check for messages. While pumping gas into my truck I got to thinking, I don’t know where this place is, what if I get lost? I’ll stop and ask the police. Ask them what? Where the Eric hormones ski lodge is? What’s his last name, anyway?

Borden, Eric Borden, that’s it, I’ll call his parents and get directions. That may save time in the long run. Janie had said they lived west of Boston but she hadn’t said what their names were. I would go home, get on the Internet and find them. How many Bordens can there be? Narrowing that down to west of Boston I came up with 21 telephone numbers.

Between no answers and busy signals the first 10 calls yielded two households with sons named Eric Borden. One was age 3, the other one was age 52, neither available to come to the phone. The eleventh number belonged to N. Borden.

“Mrs. Borden? I’m looking for Eric Borden, age 20, he attends school.”

“What’s happened? is he all right? who is this please?”

“Mrs. Borden, I’m Nat Tucker, your son is a friend of my daughter, Janie. They are fine as far as I know.”

“Mr. Tucker, why are you calling?”

“Mrs. Borden, your son and my daughter are on their way to your ski lodge in North Conway and I.”

“Ski lodge, we don’t have a ski lodge, we have a summer cabin on a pond, near North Conway. Who said it was a ski lodge?”

“That’s the message I got. I spoke to my daughter on the phone, she said they had had car trouble but were back on the road, before we got cut off.”

“I’ll call my son, I’ll get to the bottom of this.”

“Perhaps it would be better if your husband. buzzzz.the line had gone dead.

I walked around the house, thinking what to do next, waiting for news from Mrs. Borden or Janie. Even Eric, I would like to speak to him. From my room I collected a flannel shirt, long johns and high boots with two pair of socks. The door to Janie’s room was open. I peeked in. It looked like a hurricane had hit it. Various articles of clothing were strewn on the bed and on the floor, half opened draws had clothing sticking out and her desk lamp had been left on.

It dawned on me that the telephone was not going to ring, Mrs. Borden had not asked for my number. I called the number, the same voice answered.

“Perhaps it would be better if I discuss this with your husband?”

“Mr. Tucker?”

“Yes, sorry, I wasn’t thinking, I’m a little upset, I’m sure you understand?”

Her voice was soft with concern, I understand, I’m upset too.”

“Did you reach them? What did your son say?”

“Mr. Tucker?”

“Yes?”

“There was no answer, his phone must be off, her voice was stained, sounding weak and far away.

“Tell me where your cabin is, I’m going up there, I said, hastily reaching for Janie’s note which I had crumpled and thrown on the table. I would write the directions on the back.

“Do you know North Conway?”

“I can find it, I have a map, I answered, anxiously waiting for her to explain how to get to their cabin on a pond.

“You’ll never find it on your own, it’s way off the road.”

“Mrs. Borden, just give me the name of the road, the police will be able to direct me, I was getting impatient. Checking my watch, shit, it’s already 9:30.sorry, I apologized for my language.

“The road doesn’t have a name, it would be too complicated to explain, even to the police.”

“Try me, I’m good with directions. I was getting agitated, the minutes were ticking by.

“I’ll come and show you the way, it will only take me.”

“Nonsense, I cut her off thinking that she was at least an hour and a half away.

“Mr. Tucker?”

“Yes, Mrs. Borden?”

“I’m on my way, my son may be in danger, tell me where we can meet.”

Reluctantly, I suggested an all night service station out on the highway. I gave her my cell phone number and gave her a description of my truck. See you soon, she said.

“Shit, I had an hour and a half to kill, more if she got lost. I hadn’t gotten her cell phone number and she hadn’t told me what she would be driving. Shit!”

I called an assistant to tell him I was leaving town for a few hours. I made coffee and filled a thermos. Then, with plenty of time on my hands I filled another thermos with hot chocolate, remembering that Janie has always liked hot chocolate.

The telephone rang, maybe Mrs. Borden was calling to say she was on her way.

No such luck. It was Helen.

“Haven’t you left yet? Now that’s a dumb question, I thought.

“I’m waiting for Mrs. Border, she said I wouldn’t be able to find it by myself.”

“Na.than.iel! Why are you waiting for her? She lives in Massachusetts!”

“I told you, so she can show me where the place is. But.How do you know where she lives?”

“Because I talk to my daughter, unlike you, apparently, Helen said, speaking in reprimand, her favorite language.

“Did she tell you she went there for Christmas? I asked her, thinking, while leaving me at home, alone.’

“Yes, I heard all about Eric and what a lovely home they have.”

“I’ve heard that too, I said, thinking, that’s all I’ve heard for the last month.”

“Call me when you find her, Helen said. a sound of distress in her voice, making me feel sorry for her. Better still, give me your cell phone number. I’ll check with you.”

‘No, no, no, I said to myself. Bad idea. But, still sorry for her being 3,000 miles away from her daughter, who may be stranded on a desolate road, and helpless to do anything herself, I relented.

Having the number and feeling secure, she gave me one more shot, he’s probably fucking her senseless right now.”

“Nice, I said but Helen had hung up the phone.

At 11 she hadn’t shown up. I waited in my truck with the engine running, watching every car that pulled off the highway and under the lights. It was a cold but clear night. A foot of snow had fallen a few days before but the roads were clear. A few minutes after 11 a white SUV parked in front of my truck, the dark shadow of a female looked my way.

She sat there, watching me.

“Mrs. Borden? I had made the first move, getting out of my truck and walking around to her door.

“Yes, Mr. Tucker? She greeted me in a pleasant but restrained voice. She had rolled down the window. The fog from our combined breath drifted up into the night.

“I got permission from the station owner for you to park here, we’ll take my truck.”

“I would prefer to drive.”

“I have four wheel drive and a full tank of gas, I countered.

“I have four wheel drive, I’ll gas up while you lock your truck. There was a finality in her voice that I hesitated to counter. She had rolled her window up and was backing toward the pumps. There was nothing for me to do but shut off my engine and lock my truck. As an afterthought, I went back for a small tool chest, knowing it contained was a flash light, and the two thermos.

I warned her twice about black ice on the road. Although the road was clear there were spots where below freezing temperatures had frozen a thin residue of moisture.

She drove the big SUV like a race car, lapping every other car on the road. Her gloved hands gripped the leather bound steering wheel with authority. She caught me sneaking peaks at her. I told myself I was only looking to make sure she was awake and alert. A tall woman, she wore corduroy slacks under a heavy parka and I suspected, a sweater. Short brown hair framed a round face, un-mistakenly Eric’s mother. There was a determined look on her pursed lips, like a race car driver, out in front of the other racers.

I noticed her glance at me also. Except for my two warnings about the unseen, very deceptive ice, we drove in silence.

Helen called. I told her where we were, saying it would be at least another hour before we arrived. In a congenial tone she told me she had tried Janie’s number several times, it was still shut off.

“They’re probably fucking as was speak, she said in a matter of fact way.

“You don’t know that, I answered, defensively as if I thought otherwise.

“At least she’s on the pill.”

“She is? How do you know?”

“A mother knows these things, unlike you, I talk to my daughter. Have you been nice to Nancy?”

“Yes, I answered, thinking she must be speaking of Mrs. Borden, my companion.

“We have allot in common.”

“How’s that?”

“Her man took off, the same as you did, she spat out the words, taking pleasure in giving me a shot while knowing I would not respond.

I had not taken off. The divorce had been her idea. Feeling injured, I had escaped

to the other side of the country, also escaping my parental responsibilities. To Helen, I had taken off, only visiting the girls once each year.

A sudden swerve, followed by a foot being applied to the breaks, briefly, wisely released, another swerve to the other side of the road, missing a passing car by inches, over correction of the steering wheel, another tap on the breaks, a bridge abutment coming at us, our lives passing before us, another swerve, breaking, breaking hard, tires squealing, skidding to a stop, the SUV shook in place before squatting down in its own ruts. The engine having cut itself off.

My body jerked uncontrollably. Slowly, my senses came back. First, I heard the traffic on the road, headlights guiding the way. I smelled fear, mixed with the smell of leather-covered seats. I felt immobile, wilted, molded to the passenger’s seat.

I heard a series of gasps, faintly coming from the direction of my companion.

I unfastened both seat belts and took her into my arms. Her breathing was halted, causing the faint gasps and little jerks of her body. After several minutes I heard her lips make a smacking sound like she was trying to say something.

She pulled away and sat back in her seat. My name is Nancy, please call me that, she said, holding out her gloved hand for me to accept. Please call me Nat, I said, smiling. She smiled back, clutching my hand in hers.

She suggested that I drive. We had come to the stop on the meridian strip, too close to the barrier to open the driver’s door. Don’t do that, she said when I opened the passenger’s door. We’ll do it this way. She put the center seat down and slid onto it. Now, climb over me. We changed places with minimal body contact and got under way again, me driving.

“You don’t happen to have a cigarette? Nancy asked. We both laughed.

As she began to calm down, Nancy became talkative, being very hard on herself for being stubborn, not listening to my advice about the black ice. There was an easiness about her, comfortable being in my presence. No longer in a rush to get there, she cautioned me to stay within the speed limit.

Nancy was a fifth grade school teacher. Her husband, Peter, had remarried and was starting a second family. Because of Eric’s football scholarship, Peter had stopped making child support payments. Although contrary to the divorce agreement, Nancy had let him slide.

She told me of her concerns. It was not, as I had suspicioned, that her son was alone with a girlfriend. She was angry at him for taking the keys to the cabin without permission. He knew there was no electricity, no heat and no water this time of year. There was a small generator used for lights and to pump water during the summer months but the pipes had been drained for the winter. There was a small propane stove used for cooking. But we’re probably low on gas and propane both, it’s better not to have flammable materials around, she lamented.

“Isn’t there a fireplace or stove, I asked, thinking of Janie catching her death in the cold.

“There’s a fireplace that we use to dry out the cabin in the late spring but it’s not to me used this time of year. Besides, there’s no dry wood, I’m sure.”

“Why is he not to use it? I asked.

“Because, the structure is not insured for fire in the winter. The road is a private way and not plowed out. The fire department can’t get in and the insurance company refuses to sell me fire insurance.”

One other thing came to mind, bathroom facilities. I didn’t ask.

She wanted to know about me and was surprised to learn that I was not a professor. Eric had told her that I worked at the college. She apologized for assuming.

“As the head of maintenance I get mistaken for a professor all the time, I joked.

I told her what Helen had said, that Eric was probably fucking our daughter senseless. I went on to say that my ex-wife was probably seeing a parallel because we had been the same age, I had been a 20 year old junior and she a 19 year old sophomore when we started dating. We got married and our first daughter was born the following year. I got a job at the school; Helen had to drop out.

“Do you think that’s what they are doing, having sex?”

I couldn’t answer her directly. What did she think? What did she take me for? It’s just that she’s so small next to him, I said, musing to myself.

“Really?”

I looked over at Nancy. What was she saying?

“You saw them together, she’s only 5’7”, didn’t you think she looked small next to him, he’s what, 6’4”?”

“I haven’t seen them together, where did you get that idea?”

“Sure you did, at Christmas, you were home when they came for Christmas?”

We looked at one another. Nancy put her hand to her lips, her eyes had suddenly gotten very big. He came home for two days, but said he had to go back to school to catch up on his class work.”

We knew. A cramp went through my gut. Janie left the day after Christmas, saying she was going to spend the rest of school vacation at Eric’s house. My daughter had lied to me.

“The cabin, we said in unison. Then we fell quiet, lost in our own thoughts.

Nancy directed me through the village, up and down hills and through snow covered roads. We made a sharp turn onto a narrow road.

“It’s two miles on this road, you’ll see our road on the right.”

It was slow going. The SUV plowed through the ruts, made by repeated thawing and freezing, shifting to lower gears when we hit patches of freshly fallen snow.

I stepped on the gas, nudging the big car off the road, parking next to Eric’s small hatchback. Nancy carried an overnight bag. I carried my tool chest, the thermoses and two gallons of water which she had thought to bring.

We hiked the half mile through drifted snow, following the tracks of our children, made a few hours before. The hard walking made me loose some of the anger which had been brewing inside me since discovering Janie had lied to me. Finding her safe was my only objective. Nancy was breathing hard but there was little I could do to assist her, being weighted down like a pack mule.

Stumbling our way, falling and cursing, we made our way through the thick woods, guided only by the dim light of my flash light. Coming to a clearing, we saw a thin stream of smoke making its way into the dark sky. Nancy grabbed my arm for support, gasping for air, she gave me a brief hug before turning back toward the cabin. I felt a snow flake hit my cheek, then another.

The fire was smoldering but no heat was being generated from it. Remains of a late supper cluttered the floor in front of the fireplace. A small radio lay next to an empty coke can. Stubs of two candles were on the mantle. I lit one of the candles and turned off my flashlight, wanting to conserve the batteries. Off the large room were two doors to other rooms, both closed. The only sound was the flicker of the candle.

Nancy took my flashlight and opened one of the doors. Turning to me and pointing to the open door, she nodded to me before closing it. She went to the other door and soon returned.

“They’ve got all the blankets, she whispered, a forlorn look on her face.

“There’s no wood to burn? I asked her.

“We didn’t prepare for this, it looks like he’s been trying to burn green wood, she shrugged.

I tried to get Helen on the phone but couldn’t get a dial tone. I turned the phone to off, telling myself that I must conserve the battery.

Nancy offered me half of a sandwich from her overnight bag. We drank a cup of hot chocolate and tried to decide what to do. It was nearing 2:00 a.m. We decided to get some rest and wait until morning, thinking that the situation and what to do about it would be brighter in the light of day. The question at hand was how do we go about getting some rest. Looking around the room I did not see a single piece of furniture that looked comfortable.

“Come with me, Nancy said, leading me by the hand to the bedroom. We’ll put your coat and my coat over us. Our body heat will help.”

There was one thin blanket over the sheets on the bed. Nancy spread my coat on the blanket and covered it with her own. We took off our boots. I offered her one of my spare pairs of socks which she gladly accepted.

“Please turn the other way, she said. I did, shivering as I removed my pants, leaving my socks and flannel shirt on.

“I loosed my bra so it won’t bind me if I get to sleep. But don’t get any ideas, she laughed as she dived under the makeshift covers.

“I should have thought to do that, she said, upon seeing my long johns.

“This should help, I said, throwing my pants on top of the two coats.

It felt strange, crawling into bed with the mother of my daughter’s boyfriend, a woman I had met under very tense and trying conditions, only a few hours before. The sheets were like ice, making me shiver as I felt Nancy’s back snuggle up to me.

“Well? she said as if she was speaking to one of her fifth graders, aren’t you going to put your arm around me?”

Clumsily and unintended, my hand landed a little high, briefly.

“Oops, sorry, I said, lowering my hand to the area of her tummy.

“I won’t hold it against you, she giggled. Then turning, our lips touched.

“Now lets get some sleep, goodnight, she said, covering my hand with hers.

“Goodnight, I said, hoping she couldn’t feel my stiffness against her butt.

“Nat?”

“Yes?”

“If I wasn’t so pissed at my son, if circumstances were different.”

“I know, I answered, shivering, feeling only the warmth of her hand on mine.

“Eeeeek! Eeeeek!”

Without opening my eyes I knew that Janie had discovered us. It was the same sound she had made in early childhood when a boy put a frog down the front of her dress.

Nancy jumped from the bed and I followed, more shocked by the cold floor than my daughters discovery that her father was in bed with a strange woman. This triggered something. Strange woman, Janie had lied to me about going to the Borden home at Christmas time. Nancy was a stranger to her. Infuriated, I put on my pants and looked for my boots.

For the next half hour we tiptoed around one another, formulating strategy for the plan of attack. Fully clothed and freezing, we circled one another like wolves scouting a flock of sheep.

Janie was furious with me. According to her I had betrayed our trust, I was treating her like a child and I had invaded her privacy. Try as I might, I could not make her understand how she had let her mother and me down by lying to us twice. Nor was she embarrassed that I had found her in bed with Eric.

“Shouldn’t you be embarrassed, considering how I found you this morning?”

My explanation that we were just trading body heat fell on deaf ears.

Nancy was speaking with Eric in the kitchen while trying to prepare breakfast from the meager food stocks.

Janie and I traded barbs in the great room where I was trying to build a fire, having broke a rickety chair into pieces.

“Call your mother, I ordered, handing her my cell phone.

“I can’t, it’s to early, I would wake her, she said.

“Janie, she’s been up all night, I assure you, you won’t wake her.”

Of course she couldn’t get a dial tone. Things had not changed since the night before. Go outside, maybe you can pick up a signal out there, I said, not knowing if the phone would work. I just wanted to get her out of my sight for a few minutes so I could think.

Fully dressed with boots, snow pants, parka and armed with all four cell phones, Janie got to the door before exclaiming, It snowed!”

Met at the doorway by a wall of snow, we couldn’t get outside. And, snow was still falling.

“Breakfast is served, Nancy announced, adding that we may as well have something to eat while we decided what could be done.

We shared two slices of fried bologna, a banana and a can of peaches, all portioned out to the nearest gram. Nancy gave us each two soda crackers, carefully resealing the cracker box without revealing how many crackers were left. She had reheated the coffee I had brought in the thermos.

Forgotten was the disappointment with our children which Nancy and I shared. The four of us huddled around the burning chair in the fireplace, eating slowly, making our plans as how to dig our way to the road and the four wheel drive SUV.

I cursed myself for not bringing the shovel that I always keep in my truck.

Eric went to the kitchen and retrieved a large pan that was used to boil water for bathing and washing clothes. We can use this as a shovel, he said.

We used the first pans of snow to fill the bathtub for water to be used to flush the toilet. I wondered if it would melt.

Eric and I took turns with the pan, shoveling a path to the road. After an hour we had cleared a distance of ten feet, one person wide. Janie came outside to try her luck with the phones. She and Eric put allot of effort into getting past one another in the narrow path, taking their sweet time trading places, deciding to trade again.

I went inside for a break. The fire in the fireplace had died down, Nancy was searching the cupboards for canned goods. Our kids had brought very little to eat, planning to go into town when they got hungry. Or live on love, Nancy said sarcastically.

“It hasn’t been that long, you haven’t forgotten those days when you lived on love, have you? I asked her.

“Ah, those were the days, she said dreamily.

“It shouldn’t take us more that two days to dig our way to the road, I said, immediately wishing I hadn’t.

Janie came inside, unable to make any of the phones work.

Eric and I worked all day, panning the path. As we got away from the cabin, where drifts were the highest, we were able to increase our pace. Nancy and Janie came out to help, using buckets to widen the path. By the end of the day we were more that half way to the road. But there were still pockets where drifting would make our job more difficult.

We heated snow water to clean ourselves up. I used Janie’s tooth paste and Eric offered me the use of his razor. Feeling refreshed, I looked around our frigid surroundings and silently wished there was a way Janie could contact her mother to let her know she was okay.

Nancy picked out two more chairs for me to burn. We sat in front of a blazing fire, all dressed in boots and heavy jackets, feasting on soda crackers and drinking very weak hot tea. There was a jovial mood among us, knowing that by the end of the next day we would reach the road, where civilization awaited us only a few miles away.

“What I wouldn’t give for a steak right now, medium rare, I said.

“I could go for that, a big juicy one with another one on the side, Eric trumped me.

“A nice hot shower and a clean warm bed, Janie offered.

“Right now, I would settle for some more furniture to burn, Nancy said dryly.

Janie tuned the radio to a station playing music and invited Eric to dance. I sat watching them, being young, carefree. I wondered how I would square things with Janie. For now, we were at peace with one another but there was the matter of trust, she had lied to me. In her mind I had overstepped my bounds by coming to get her. We were at an impasse.

Nancy tapped me on the shoulder. I got to my feet and we danced. Janie and Eric made fun of us, calling us old folks who didn’t know the steps. They were right. It was still fun, holding Nancy, feeling her move with me, against me. As the fire burned down we danced, dreamily, in our boots.

Eric begin to yawn, Janie took it up. I knew what they were up to. Working in the cool air all day had made us all tired. Getting to bed so late the night before had taken its toll on me. I yawned.

Eric brought up the subject to me. Are you going to sleep with my mother again?”

I looked at Nancy, seeking her reaction to the question.

“We could all four sleep together in the same bed, would that suit you? she suggested.

“Oh no, Eric said laughing, looking to Janie who, though embraced, laughed along with him.

“Give us some of the blankets from your bed, we won’t have to sleep so close, Nancy challenged.

“I guess we can spare one of them, Janie offered.

“Make it two, you can throw your coats on top of the bed, that’s what we did last night.”

The deal was struck and I kept my mouth shut, having wanted to tell my daughter that if she wore some clothes to bed that would help. She had been wearing a long T-shirt that morning when she found us in bed together.

There was no pretension when Nancy ordered me to turn the other way. We had spread the two blankets on the bed, topped by our coats. When I turned back, she was standing by the side of the bed, wearing the sweat shirt and corduroys.

“Those should help out, she said, pointing to her sweater and bra on top of our coats. I threw my pants on the bed and jumped in with her.

We lay on our backs, staring into the dark cold air, trying to become accustomed to the cold sheets. I felt her hand touch mine, entwining our fingers.

“I haven’t slept with anyone in a long time, I heard her say, cautiously.

“What did you call last night? I asked, knowing that was not what she meant.

“You know what I mean, she whispered. I squeezed her hand to confirm that I knew.

“I don’t know, I said, I’m a little rusty.”

“You know what they say about a rusty gate, don’t you?”

“No, what do they say?”

“Swing it open and shut a few times and the rust goes away.”

“A little oil does wonders, I said, turning my body her way.

“Oil is good, she whispered, turning to meet me.

Her lips quivered when I kissed her, opening to my gentle nudge. I rolled her on her back and she clung to me, moving her tongue with mine.

The skin under her sweat shirt was warm, quivering to my touch. I stoked her side and back, my hand open and moving slowly, tracing every inch. Her lips quivered with excitement, like a spasm, like quick sand, pulling me under.

“Ohhh, she gasp as I touched her breast, still clinging to me, lips quivering.

“That’s nice, she encouraged me and I felt the nipple grow as I gently rolled it between two fingers.

“It’s too cold for that, she said when I tried to stick my head under her sweat shirt to take her nipples into my mouth. Contentedly, I kissed her, making her tongue a target while squeezing her breasts and rolling her nipples between my fingers.

I felt her hand on my cock, first just rubbing it through my long johns, then finding the way inside and encasing me.

The corduroys made swishing sounds as she wiggled out of them. The panties followed. I could feel the heat from her thighs. Ahhhh, she uttered when my hand made the slightest contact with her pussy. Then, to reassure me, her hand covered mine, holding it there, saying, yes, that’s nice.”

The aroma from her arousal flooded my nostrils. Excitedly, she attempted to pull my long johns down, making my cock ache when it got tangled up in the opening. I raised up and jerked them down, matching her excitement.

“It’s too cold for that, she said when I lowered my head to her stomach, kissing my way to her crotch. Contentedly, I rubbed her wetness, inserting one finger, making her moan when my thumb made contact with her clit. She stroked my cock, pulling me to her.

I hovered above her, letting her move my cock up and down her inflamed slit. No hurry, I assured her as she wiggled me in and around her sensitive lips.

When she was ready she moved one hand to my back while pointing me to the right spot. Three short thrusts and we were joined but I could tell that the excitement had taxed her energy. I remained still, pecking her chin and cheeks with little kisses.

When she brought her lips to mine I resumed the short thrusts, easing in and out, slowly, leisurely enjoying our union. Holding her legs open wide with both hands, Nancy invited me to thrust deeper. For the first time that day, I was actually warm. She let her legs go and clutched me to her, mumbling something about how good it felt to have me inside her. Is it too cold for this? I whispered in her ear, knowing the answer.

“It’s. just. right.swing.that.gate, she whispered back, laboring to breath between words. I placed my arms behind her knees to support her legs. Thrusting deep now I heard the bed springs squeak. I felt her teeth bite down on my shoulder as her hand pinched my neck. Feeling her shudder under me, I measured five long thrusts, dropping her legs and halting deep within her, waiting seconds for the release. Spurt, shudder, spurt., shudder, followed by one last discharge.

Our bodies shuddered together. Breathing haltingly, Nancy held me to her, finding my lips. Her lips quivered. My balls felt slick with dampness and my heart beat rapidly, sending blood pounding to my head.

We laughed when we discovered the coats had fallen from the bed. Nancy found a towel to clean us up. We rearranged the blankets and put the coats back on the bed. We put her slacks my long john bottoms back on.

“That was fun, not bad for a rusty gate, Nancy mused as she lay next to me, rubbing the bite mark she had made on my shoulder. I wonder if they heard us.”

“Not bad indeed, who cares if they heard us?”

“Janie’s wish, a hot shower and a clean warm bed, that’s what I would like. With

you in it, naked of course.”

“We can arrange that, I said, if we get out of here tomorrow. How about staying at my place tomorrow night? Hot shower, clean warm bed, we can sleep naked.”

“Oh, that’s tempting but I have to work the next day. Give me a rain check?”

We both jumped when we heard the racket from the other room. Un-mistakenly, it was Janie’s voice, shrieking but barely audible above the squeak of bedsprings, YES.YES.Yeeeeeeessss., followed by silence, then a few minutes later, voices, soft murmurs, in the cold dark night.

We heard it again as daybreak came, no mistake about it, bedsprings were squeaking in the next room. Nancy stirred as if she was ready to hit the cold floor. I clutched her to me, rubbing her back with both hands. She went still. My hands went under her sweat shirt, feeling the smooth skin on her back. I pulled the shirt up as far as I could. She raised her body and smiled down at me, lifting her arms for the shirt to be removed. She hovered above me as I tested the weight of her tits, seeing them for the first time. She tugged at my top and I raised my body so she could pull it over my head. She ran her hands through my chest hair, smiling, her tits dangling for my pleasure.

Sounds from the next room were becoming louder, more pronounced. Knowing what we were about to do, her pants and my long john bottoms came off quickly and we were naked, except for our socks. It was too cold in the room to stay without clothes for long. Nancy swung one leg over my waist and brought my cock to her pussy. Supporting herself with one hand on my chest, she rubbed me up and down her slit, watching me, total concentration on her face.

She almost brought me off with the contact. I placed my hands on her sides to help support her. With a look of determination, she lowered herself to me, taking three tries to become fully impaled. Smiling down at me with a look of accomplishment on her face, my only thought, how beautiful she is.’

As Nancy begin to move her tits moved with her. When she speeded up our coats tumbled to the floor and I no longer felt the cold that I somehow knew was still there. She leaned forward, suspending her ass so I could pump into her. I moved my hands to her tits to support her as I thrust upward, feeling the warmth being generated by my efforts.

Nancy took over again, throwing her head back like a cowgirl taming a bronco, her hands clutching the mane, my chest hair, each time she lifted her butt.

We took turns with the work, her bouncing on my hardness and then giving me the reins, so to speak, to push myself off the bed and into her warm soft wet cunt. She bit her lip, signaling that she was close. I took her hips in my hands and pumped upward, fast and hard, causing her to fall on me. Don’t stop, don’t stop, ahhhh, don’t ever., her words sounding like she was coughing up gravel that had been lodged deep within her throat.

Our bodies shook together for a minute, until the cool air brought us out of the spell. All was quiet in the cabin.

After a cup of weak hot tea and two crackers each, Nancy later admitted that she had reused two tea bags, we resumed our work. We worked quickly, with purpose and amused ourselves with talk of our favorite food. We had demolished the large pan and had to resort to using a bucket to shovel.

Eric was up ahead when Janie sidled up to me in the narrow path. Dad, I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you the truth, I want you to know that it was wrong. I’m sorry I caused you and mom to worry about me, can you ever forgive me?”

What could I say? I hugged her and said, tap you feet, honey, your mother will kill me if I let your toes freeze.”

Digging through one last drift we were able to see the cars.

Nancy went back to lock the cabin, whispering to me as she slide into the passenger’s seat, did you see my panties anyplace?”

“I didn’t take them, honest, I offered.

When we got out on the road Janie was able to speak with her mother, somehow convincing her that all was well. She shrieked when Nancy gave her the news. My ex-wife was considering marriage.

We stopped at a pancake restaurant and ordered breakfast, then lunch.

“Next weekend, we’ll dig out your car, I’ll bring a shovel, I suggested to Eric

“I’ll bring a bundle of dry wood to burn, he said.

“I’ll bring lots of food and blankets, Nancy offered.

“I’ll bring my skis, Janie said, grinning and turning red.