16
.
“Yer serious, ya never met Matt before?” Steve asked as he drove the forest-service-green crew cab pickup down the mountain towards Ash Creek.
“I’d never even heard of him.”
“Jis’ as well,” he replied.
“He said something about being framed for something he didn’t do – and that because of what you grow, he couldn’t tell the rest of the truth.”
“Dat’s right. I’m sorry I couldn’ help him outta his mess. His step-fader, Andy Cowan, and his step-broders, Keith and Garth, are nasty, selfish people, eh. Maybe one day, we will find da evidence ta clear Matt’s good name, but until den, he must not exist ta anyone in Ash Creek, got dat clear?”
“Yes,” Zenna replied. “I wouldn’t hurt him.”
“Ya’d bedder not or ya’ll have me ta answer ta!”
“Who are you? Are you related? You look like you’re cousins or something.”
“Yah, we’re related all right. But den, most people in Ash Creek are – if ya go back far enough.”
“Sure, but you look closer than that.”
“Don’ dig, Zenna. Der are secrets in Ash Creek dat could kill people, eh. I’d hate someteen bad ta happen ta ya. Fer Matt’s sake – he’s obviously partial ta ya. I’ve known him a long time – all his life, in fact.”
Zenna wasn’t sure what to say. What secrets could she uncover that might hurt someone? What did it have to do with Steve and Matt? Was it just the robbery that had made Matt a fugitive?
“I hope ya know I was jis’ teasin’ ya up der, eh. It ain’t no concern of mine who sleeps wid who, if ya git my drift. Ain’t none of us dat got here widout some form of hanky-panky!”
She was still not sure what to say. “I know you were just teasing,” she finally replied.
As soon as they were within sight of Ash Creek, Steve used his cell phone to call the police to let them know Zenna had been found alive and well.
“Dat’s dem off yer tail,” he said as he put the phone back in his pocket. “What are ya gonna tell Baxter?”
“I don’t know. The same as everyone else?”
“And yer old car?”
“What should I say? Just that it’s going to Madison with Mom and I?”
“Sounds reasonable,” he replied. “Dey’re not gonna find yer Buick in Lake Superior unless someone wants ta dig up oder skeletons too, if ya know what I mean...”
“Would anyone do that?” Zenna asked, slightly afraid.
“Ya already know da only person I know personally who’d do someteen dat crazy, eh!”
“Who?”
“Matt. But he needs someone ta loan him da equipment fer diving… or ta go wit him, eh. He may be crazy, but he’s not stupid!” The pickup pulled up to her mother’s house. On the porch, her mother sat, Jerry’s arm around her. She was on her cell phone with a tissue up to her eyes which were puffy and red with crying.
Zenna got out quickly. “Mom! I’m safe!”
Lenora stood quickly, dropping her phone and tissue. “My baby!” she cried out, reaching Zenna with a big, tearful hug. “Where have you been?!”
“I had car trouble. Steve came to my rescue.”
“Thank you, Mr. Nygaard.”
“We have tings ta discuss inside, eh,” Steve informed, ushering them inside. “Ya too, Jerry, if yer serious ‘bout Lenora.”
♥
Matt worked hard to enlarge their bed. They needed to have space for two, for sure – maybe large enough to have a third one with them. He loved the idea of it.
He also started cutting limbs for the next project. They needed a separate bedroom. When it was just him, it didn’t matter, but he had a woman now – a warm, willing woman, who seemed to be as crazy for him as he was for her. It hardly seemed possible!
It was only yesterday when she was puttering up here with that junker car, playing chicken with the Phantom. He couldn’t believe that his teasing hadn’t driven her away, yet brought her closer – let them join together as only a man and a woman could.
His father had given him a thorough education when it came to understanding sexual relationships. He understood the temptations better than most – because his father had been through more than most as well…
“It’s not my fault dat I fell in love wid my teacher,” he had explained. “Nor her fault dat she wanted me in return. Still, I should have behaved an’ waited until I turned 18 so dat der wouldn’ be a scandal, eh. But, at my senior party – she was our class adviser, ya see… someone spiked da punch – we never knew who… I took advantage of her tipsiness an’ took her ta anoder room an’ created ya, Matt.”
The scenario was the dream of any teenage boy who had ever felt arousal towards one of their teachers.
His father had shook his head and continued with the story. “When she found out she was preggo, she told me in a student-teacher conference. She explained dat cuz of her position over me, dat she would be guilty of rape if anyone ever found out. So, she never told anyone who had given her a baby, eh. Don’ tink anyone oder dan Andy ever knew. She had cheated wid me, ya know… but it wasn’t her fault – it was all mine… I killed her, Matt. It was my fault! I loved her, an’ she died, cuz of me!”
It had eaten him up all these years and tainted his future relationships. Matt thought that Steve’s marriage to Julie Baxter had helped him a lot, but the specter of the past still influenced his father.
He would marry Zenna properly – the moment they were free to do so. Until then, he would have to ask her to live in faith of him and his promise. That was a big ask – could she do it? Especially when he was still a virtual stranger?
A branch fell to the ground, as if to punctuate his thoughts. All he wanted now was to make Zenna a bigger home so that she would be happy – and never leave him again.
♥♥♥
Back to chapter 1
Character Info and Notes
Available to purchase (in print) at Amazon. Ebook version coming soon. (As soon as Draft2Digital formulates the link.)
Image Credits
Matthew Nygaard
Genesis 8 by DAZ 3D Studio
Myles Beard by AprilYSH (sold through DAZ)
Adrian Hair by yitao0526 (sold through DAZ)
Hunt Pants by DragonBreath
Native American top by Pusey Designs
.
Zenna Williams
Genesis 8
Mitzy hair
Basic Wear by DAZ
Set
willow trees by Stonemason
fallen tree by Hivewire
grass by Erock 3D
background image from Pixabay
Previous Stories:
Catch up on LBRY.
Location:
Ash Creek is a fictitious town in the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I've attempted to keep the spirit of the people as well as make liberal use of the Yooper accent/dialect. Yes, I've heard it spoken, but it's an inexact science, so please forgive me any errors and enjoy this work in the spirit with which I write... with deep love and affection for the area.
Please read my note on romance, teenage intimate relationships and underage sex. I apologize if my understanding conflicts with your sense of morality, but I'm only looking at things realistically, not ideologically. I hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoy writing!
Writing and artwork copyright myself 2005-2105 – all rights reserved.
If you are interested in helping me publish these works, please contact me on Facebook or Discord, viking-ventures#2883.
Lori Svensen
author/designer at A'mara Books
photographer/graphic artist for Viking Visual
(Buy my work at RedBubble, TeePublic, PicFair and DeviantArt.)
verified author on Goodreads
(Buy my books at Books2Read and at LBRY)
find me on Twitter
Join The Best Natural Health Community on Hive
