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“Enough.” Reaching overhead I turn on my reading lamp and lean up on my elbow looking toward her. “That has to be the most uncomfortable bed ever made. Hell, you’d be better off in a sleeping bag on the floor. Except it’s too cold for that. Get in this bed before you hurt yourself or freeze.”
She doesn’t hesitate. A couple shivers wrack her body as soon as she’s beside me.
“Aw hell, come here.” I snuggle her back against my front and wrap my arm over the blanket holding it and her in place as I share my warmth with her. It takes a few minutes before she finally relaxes and stops shivering.
Damn, she fits perfectly against me. The sweet scent of her shampoo fills my senses.
“Thank you, Micha. I just couldn’t get comfortable tonight or warm enough.”
“It’s my fault. With the wind, I missed some spots between the logs that are letting the cold air in. I can stuff or cover them from the inside for now, which will help, but may not be able to fix them properly until spring. Unfortunately, they seem to be mostly by where you were bunking down.
“It’ll be okay,” I continue, “This bed is big enough for both of us. Unless you still sleep cattywampus?”
She slams her elbow into my rib. “Oof!”
“It was really hot that summer and I was outgrowing my junior bed. Sleeping diagonal seemed more comfortable.”
I remember. She also had nightmares that year. Her dad and I had been deployed, and she caught some disturbing military footage on a newscast when her mom was busy. Death became a reality for a sensitive nine-year-old.
“Just behave yourself. No hitting me with the pillow. If you get too pushy, I’ll make you sleep on the too short couch.”
“Just give me a heads up if you feel like kicking me out of bed and I’ll move.”
“Will do.”
With her finally in my arms my heart is purring like a fully grown cat and probably sending out mated pheromones. You can lie to her, but don’t lie to yourself, my heart tells my mind. She’s right where you want her. In your arms. In your bed. If only you could keep her here.
Minutes later she’s sound asleep and I’m wide-awake, wishing for what can never be.
The next morning, I wake on my back, her head on my shoulder, her body pressed to mine, one leg hooked over my thighs. I lay savoring the connection for a good ten minutes before I force myself to slide out of bed before she wakes.
I start coffee, stoke the fire, and go outside to grab more wood. The temperature has dropped and there’s a light dusting of snow on the ground. Back inside I realize she’s in the bathroom.
When she comes out fully dressed, I have her coffee waiting. “Extra cream, right?”
She smiles. “The way you make coffee, yes.”
I hand the mug to her. She takes a healthy swallow, then goes to the refrigerator to add a little more cream and sips again. “Perfect. The breakfast casserole is in the oven and almost ready. What’s on the agenda today?”
“I’ll check in with SAR to make sure they don’t need me. Then I thought I’d just take you on my routine walk around. Let you familiarize yourself with the things I watch and listen for. Basic stuff. You have cleated outsoles, right?”
“Multiple pairs, styles, and purposes. As well as my 24-hour SAR Pack and trekking poles.”
I smile. “Okay rookie, after breakfast meet me outside dressed in your gear and pack. This is not official, but I want you to get used to transporting and handling the gear. As a ranger your requirements will be different. But you should always have your SAR gear with you in case”
“Is that a required? Or is it Micha’s law?”
“Micha’s law. Always be prepared.”
I am so damn proud of her. She has almost everything secured that I would want her to have. Standard Navigation & Comms, Medical & Hygiene, Shelter & Protection, Hydration & Nutrition, Tools. The only things missing are a selection of pulleys and a flexible rescue sled.
As a senior volunteer I carry one, as well as a few other things that I’ve learned are essential while surviving the wilderness and war.
We discuss the cleats we’ll use with today’s conditions and her logic and responses are spot on. As we head up the mountain, I test her knowledge, her read of the land, and her judgement.
Being a forest ranger and SAR volunteer are dangerous jobs. She’s done her homework, studied the history of the location, wildlife and basic terrain.
Some things you learn with time and doing. How to read the terrain and how it might change tomorrow or after a heavy rain or snow. I’ve run these trails since I was a kid and every time I make my way up the mountain, I notice what changed overnight. She’s already asking the right questions and surmising things that we need to keep an eye on.
