Stave and Hoop by Jennifer Bramseth

Author:Jennifer Bramseth
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Jennifer Bramseth

Leaving Littleham, they drove west into the setting sun. The sky was a tangled melt of fuchsia and orchid, blending into the deepest indigo. Her emotions were reflected in the heavens, a mixture of excitement yet calm, anxiety but acceptance.

Because they would have this night, and it would be enough.

It would have to be enough.

He was driving, of course. The bourbon had given her a nice buzz but had not completely dulled her mind and certainly not her body. And although Ting was trying to project an aura of assurance, his tight grip on the steering wheel failed to match his façade of confidence.

This far beyond Littleham, there was nothing except farmland, dotted by homesteads, more livestock per square mile than people.

They were headed into essentially the middle of nowhere, her curiosity increasing with every passing mile. This patch of Kentucky was devoid of quaint bed-and-breakfasts, of resorts, of out-of-the-way yet charming hotels.

He’d better not have fibbed about that camping thing.

Finally, Ting began to slow the vehicle and signaled a right turn.

And right onto one of the narrowest country roads she'd ever seen. Well, at least it was paved.

"Where in the world are you taking me?"

"Patience. You’re about to find out."

"Yeah, but by the time we get there, I'm not going to be able to see it. It's getting dark."

"Don't worry, it's not far. And you will be able to see it. The moon’s out.”

Ting was as good as his word. Within the next few minutes, they were turning onto a gravel driveway which gradually sloped upward. Even though the night was closing in she could tell that the hill that they ascended was mostly cleared, with a few scattered trees serving as insufficient windbreaks. With the nearly full moon overhead, it was as though the sun had slowed its slumber to keep the landscape illuminated especially for them.

And then their ultimate destination came into view.

She gasped.

"Oh my…"

Before them was a towering log structure. To call it a mere cabin would've been an extreme disservice to its monumental size. Candace could discern a wraparound porch and a pointed, pitched roof. It looked like a ski chalet had been plucked off some mountainside and dropped into the middle of Kentucky.

Ting pulled right up to the front door and killed the engine.

"It's a hunting retreat," he said, answering the question she held in her head. "Got invited out here once to hunt. The place encompasses almost a thousand acres. Deer are as common around here as birds in the sky.”

"Let me guess. You were the guest of the gentleman we encountered back at the restaurant, weren't you?"

"Yes and no. This retreat doesn’t belong to him, although it does belong to one of his best friends. He brought me along once a few years ago." Ting looked across her at the cabin. "Never thought I'd be back here. But it’s out of season for hunting pretty much anything right now, so I called in a favor and got this place for us."

True to form, Ting came around the car and opened her door.

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