Timberline Trail Read Free Page B

Highways. Joe had grown so successful he now owned three trucks and their two grown sons helped maintain his successful business. The petite Mary made their home in Timberline, using it as the base for their operations, receiving all the company’s orders and requests for shipping via the internet.
    Mary missed Joe, who she referred to as her ‘dri ving man’ as well as her two boys, Jason and Martin. Because of her loneliness she often visited Tia and the two women had formed a mutual bond of respect and camaraderie. Mary brought in two bags of supplies and set them upon the pine counter of Tia’s immaculate kitchen.
    “I’ll never get over how much I like this place,” commented Mary as she stood in the large front room, noticing the 17” screen of Tia’s computer monitor glo wing. “Been busy at work I see. Well you know what they say, all work and no play makes Tia a very boring girl. Which reminds me, I have some juicy news. But before the tasty gossip, I want you to peek into this bag.”
    Tia could tell from the delighted expression on her friend’s face there was something wonderful in the sack.
    “What have you got here Mary?”
    “Nancy only received ten and I bought five. Two of them are for you pumpkin.” With a flourish Mary’s dark hand dipped into the paper bag and produced two large ripe cantaloupes.
    “My goodness!” exclaimed Tia. “I haven’t seen a cantaloupe for at least a month. When did these arrive?”
    “Only this morning and I just couldn’t resist. The blasted things were about three bucks apiece but they’re my gift for you as long as I can have some of your scrumptious iced tea.”
    Tia nodded happily, fingering the ripe melon. “This will be delicious with dinner; or shall we cut one up with your tea now?”
    Mary steadfastly held up a brown hand. “No, I’m limiting myself to half a cantaloupe a day and I’m not about to steal yours, but some of that tea would taste awfully good.” Within minutes Tia poured two frosty glasses of peach iced tea and placed still-warm oatmeal bread upon the golden pine table. The delicious aroma tantalized as butter melted upon the freshly baked loaf, and both women sat down, munching the fragrant bread compatibly together.
    “I can see you’re nearly busting at the seams,” said Tia, looking at her friend shrewdly. “You might as well tell me your news before you break a blood vessel!”
    A conspiratorial grin settled over Mary’s face. “I ’d been at the Timberline Lodge dropping off some supplies that Gerald asked for on his last run and guess who I saw there?”
    Tia took another bite of warm oatmeal bread and wiped her mouth with a napkin, “Well don’t keep me waiting,” she said with mock impatience.
    “The most handsome man my sore eyes have seen for the longest time in this little town.”
    “Was he a tourist?” asked Tia good-naturedly, well used to Mary’s matchmaking efforts.
    “ Nancy told me he’s looking for some property up here for an investment, though I’m sure nothing in this area fits that bill. Apparently he’s tired of the city and needs a place to escape. But let me move on to the good stuff, girl. He’s about six-foot-two, has sandy blonde hair and dark brown eyes, and is enough to make any woman start dreaming about Caribbean vacations.”
    “And what do you know about the Caribbean?” asked Tia mildly. She leaned back in her chair and gazed at her friend affectionately. “And just what line of business is our new dream man in?”
    “I’m certain Nancy mentioned he’s in advertising of some sort and comes from the lower northwest. He’s the best looking thing I’ve seen in town since that documentary film crew arrived a couple of years ago to make the National Geographic segment on that big moose near Crane Lake. Anyway, I was thinking that maybe tomorrow you could come into town and stop by the hotel for lunch. We could meet around noon and just happen to bump into him.”
    “Mary you