weren’t destined to be with these men.
The end of the road appears bright, and I notice the forest clears up ahead. Annie says, "You're about to see my favorite place." We stop at a parking area by a lake. A sloped section leads into the water, and sand is spread out on it, making a small beach. Pine trees stand tall around the perimeter, and I’m fascinated by branches that are broken dead nubs until near the top. "This is our lake. Isn't it wonderful?"
Sierra says, "You have a lake. Yeah, this is wonderful. Can you skate on it?"
I look out and see what looks like a big piece of ice floating in the middle of the water, which tells me it's begun to thaw.
"Sure. When I was a kid we skated almost every day. All of us were great hockey players, and I was even on the high school team." She lets out a big sigh.
I say, "You sound sad. Don't you skate anymore?"
Annie shakes her head. "No, we all grew up, and without children around, the lake is quiet."
Sierra asks, "Don't your employees have kids that would like to play out here? I'll bet a company skating party would be fun."
Annie smiles, but it looks fake. "It would be fun, but nobody has kids."
Strange. I would guess they have a lot of employees to run this place, and nobody has a family? "What a waste. If we stay, maybe someone will teach me how to skate next winter."
Annie says, "That's right, you’re a California girl. Can you surf?"
I nod, "I sure can. But it's not really my sport these days. I leave that to the skinny girls." I pull the warm coat tighter around me.
Annie frowns, and I'm sure Sierra is frowning too when she says, "Carly, don't."
She hates it when I get down on myself, but the fact is I'm just not comfortable on the beach and haven't been since I started to put on weight in my teen years. I wish I could be like Sierra and work with what I have instead of wishing my life away. "I'm sorry. That was rude of me, Annie." Warm heat is blowing gently from the vent, and I hold my chilled hands up to it.
"It's okay, but you won't find me feeling sorry for you. I don't put much stock in women that don't enjoy food." She grins. "And neither does my brother."
That makes me smile too. "I feel like I'm in a reality show. I'm not competing with other women for Brady, am I?"
"Nope. But enough about him. Let's get you both checked into a place to stay." She swings the Hummer around to go back the way we came. "I'd invite you to stay with us, and after tonight you can, but we thought you'd be more comfortable someplace neutral."
She looks in the mirror at Sierra. "No pressure. We’d like you to stay here because it's what you want."
Light fades as we enter back into tree cover, and I wonder if this is what I want. The land is beautiful, and the idea of working it for a living appeals to me. Focusing on Brady's scent, I breathe in, and the twinge of desire in my belly makes me think he might help with my decision. The feeling of danger I had earlier has lessened, as if this family land is safe. But something is still making me uneasy.
This sign stuff got us out here, but why? What is it that makes Sierra, Lily, Taylor, and me the right kind of women for the job? What could larger women with no real ties offer that other women can't? And is it just women? Are men being called too?
My thoughts are interrupted by Sierra's voice. "Carly?"
"What? Sorry, I wasn't listening." I turn back to look at her.
"Annie asked if we would want to stay at a bed and breakfast her cousin runs." I look at my beautiful friend's pixie face framed by her black bob. She's happy to be here and excited by the possibilities, but what if I've brought her to a real nightmare? I nod my head. "Sure, that sounds nice."
Sierra's face falls, but she doesn't say anything. I try to reassure her. "I bet she makes pancakes."
She tries to cheer me up. "And I'll bet you can get bacon and eggs."
I paste on a smile to cover my discomfort and change the subject. "Should we change for dinner,
The end of the road appears bright, and I notice the forest clears up ahead. Annie says, "You're about to see my favorite place." We stop at a parking area by a lake. A sloped section leads into the water, and sand is spread out on it, making a small beach. Pine trees stand tall around the perimeter, and I’m fascinated by branches that are broken dead nubs until near the top. "This is our lake. Isn't it wonderful?"
Sierra says, "You have a lake. Yeah, this is wonderful. Can you skate on it?"
I look out and see what looks like a big piece of ice floating in the middle of the water, which tells me it's begun to thaw.
"Sure. When I was a kid we skated almost every day. All of us were great hockey players, and I was even on the high school team." She lets out a big sigh.
I say, "You sound sad. Don't you skate anymore?"
Annie shakes her head. "No, we all grew up, and without children around, the lake is quiet."
Sierra asks, "Don't your employees have kids that would like to play out here? I'll bet a company skating party would be fun."
Annie smiles, but it looks fake. "It would be fun, but nobody has kids."
Strange. I would guess they have a lot of employees to run this place, and nobody has a family? "What a waste. If we stay, maybe someone will teach me how to skate next winter."
Annie says, "That's right, you’re a California girl. Can you surf?"
I nod, "I sure can. But it's not really my sport these days. I leave that to the skinny girls." I pull the warm coat tighter around me.
Annie frowns, and I'm sure Sierra is frowning too when she says, "Carly, don't."
She hates it when I get down on myself, but the fact is I'm just not comfortable on the beach and haven't been since I started to put on weight in my teen years. I wish I could be like Sierra and work with what I have instead of wishing my life away. "I'm sorry. That was rude of me, Annie." Warm heat is blowing gently from the vent, and I hold my chilled hands up to it.
"It's okay, but you won't find me feeling sorry for you. I don't put much stock in women that don't enjoy food." She grins. "And neither does my brother."
That makes me smile too. "I feel like I'm in a reality show. I'm not competing with other women for Brady, am I?"
"Nope. But enough about him. Let's get you both checked into a place to stay." She swings the Hummer around to go back the way we came. "I'd invite you to stay with us, and after tonight you can, but we thought you'd be more comfortable someplace neutral."
She looks in the mirror at Sierra. "No pressure. We’d like you to stay here because it's what you want."
Light fades as we enter back into tree cover, and I wonder if this is what I want. The land is beautiful, and the idea of working it for a living appeals to me. Focusing on Brady's scent, I breathe in, and the twinge of desire in my belly makes me think he might help with my decision. The feeling of danger I had earlier has lessened, as if this family land is safe. But something is still making me uneasy.
This sign stuff got us out here, but why? What is it that makes Sierra, Lily, Taylor, and me the right kind of women for the job? What could larger women with no real ties offer that other women can't? And is it just women? Are men being called too?
My thoughts are interrupted by Sierra's voice. "Carly?"
"What? Sorry, I wasn't listening." I turn back to look at her.
"Annie asked if we would want to stay at a bed and breakfast her cousin runs." I look at my beautiful friend's pixie face framed by her black bob. She's happy to be here and excited by the possibilities, but what if I've brought her to a real nightmare? I nod my head. "Sure, that sounds nice."
Sierra's face falls, but she doesn't say anything. I try to reassure her. "I bet she makes pancakes."
She tries to cheer me up. "And I'll bet you can get bacon and eggs."
I paste on a smile to cover my discomfort and change the subject. "Should we change for dinner,
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