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And why would she, at the age of
sixty-two, be interested in marrying him or anyone anyway?  
    He liked his life, tending to his house and the two cabins
that stayed rented most of the spring, summer, and fall seasons.   The variety of people who came to spend
a few nights or a few months at Bloodworth Cabins kept most of his boredom at
bay.   It was times like now, when
winter just started to pass, but things were still slow, he tended to itch for
company.   It was getting harder and
harder to lure Ty away from his friends and the girls he refused to admit he
chased.   And Jesse was so busy getting
his business ready for the season he rarely poked his head around more than
once a week.   And considering the
way things were between them lately, that seemed about all either one could
take.
    Besides, Cal found Lita’s company better than average.   She was smart and sassy in an unassuming
way.   And it sure wasn’t a hardship
to look at her.   She was gorgeous
and built with the kind of curves that reminded him of his favorite
actresses—Hedy Lamarr and Ava Gardner.   Those were real woman, with real bodies
a man could sink his hands into.  
    He’d ambled down the steps of the deck, assuming she’d taken
off for a hike on one of the many paths that meandered through the property,
when he heard something that sounded like a grunt from around the side of her
cabin.   He walked to the edge and
peered around the corner.   He saw
Lita on all fours yanking weeds from the bed he’d been meaning to clean out,
but hadn’t gotten to yet.  
    “What are you doing?” he asked.   “You’re going to get your pretty clothes
all muddy.”
    She sat back on her heels and swiped a dirty hand across her
forehead.   The streak of dirt she
left behind didn’t take away from her beauty one bit.   “I’m thinking.   I hope you don’t mind, but I think best
when my hands are busy.   I usually
design, but my heart wasn’t in it today.   This was the next best thing.”
    “Honey, you can weed my garden any day, but you may want to
borrow some gardening clothes next time.   I’m sure there’s something of Ellie’s in the house you could wear.”
    She looked down at her soiled jeans, if that’s what you even
called the rhinestone covered denim things she wore.   He’d never seen anything like them.  
    “Oh, well, that might be a good idea.”   She clapped her palms together to
dislodge most of the dirt and pointed to his hand.   “What ya got there?”
    Cal looked at the forgotten bottle cradled in his arm.   “Wine.   Can I interest you in a glass?   It’ll give your hands something to do.”
    “Yes.”   She took
a look at the mostly weeded garden.   “Yes, I think I’d like that.”
    “I’ve got a great view of the sunset from my porch.”   Cal held out his hand to help her up
from the ground.   “Looks to be a
good one tonight.”
    “Perfect.   Give
me five minutes to change and I’ll meet you there.”  
    ***
    The nights bordered on frosty in the mountains, so Lita
rooted through the dresser for the mittens and warm sweater she’d found in one
of the dresser drawers.   The sweater
smelled of cedar and both the smell and the appearance of them reminded her of
the ski trip she’d taken two years ago.   What a disaster it had been.   While Lita could walk for miles in three-inch heels, she couldn’t go two
feet in skis without falling over.   She’d spent more time on her backside than the last time she and Sophie
had gone to a spa.  
    Cal was right where he said he’d be, gently swaying in one
of the four rockers on his front porch.   He greeted her approach with a smile.
    “Show’s about to start.”   His grin widened as she took a seat in
the rocker next to him.   He handed
her a glass.  
    “Thanks.”   She
sipped and closed her eyes as the warm red coated her throat.   “Ummm.   What a way to end the day.   You’re a lucky man, Cal.”
    “Most times I’d