Chapter 2

They got a late start the next morning as Linda realized at the last minute she had to wash some clothes for the trip. Rick became somewhat impatient, but remained in good spirits as he helped around the house. They got away shortly after noon, with Rick driving after having promised his mother he would stay within the speed limit.

It was only a two hour drive to Salinas, but from there the going was slower with most of the highway being two lanes. They stopped for a late lunch on the Monterey wharf, eating hamburgers, though the restaurant specialized in seafood. They both detected a slight fishy taste to the beef, but it was fun nonetheless... and neither had any complaints.

At four that afternoon they reached the Big Sur Coast, and by the time Rick pulled into the campgrounds, it was already getting dark in the dense redwood forest of Big Sur. At that time of year, the last two hours of daylight were like an extended dusk with the sun going below the mountains that stood between Big Sur and the Pacific, and in this half-light, the giant redwoods looked even bigger. Yet, the atmosphere was strangely warm and inviting to Linda as she got out of the car feeling secure and happy.

They went straight to the main office of the campgrounds to check in, and the man there was nice, even walking with them to point out their cabin. At first opportunity, Rick asked him which cabin the Boyds were occupying, and he was surprised to learn they were not staying in a cabin.

"The Boyds are camping in a tent up yonder," the man announced pointing toward the hills across the Big Sur River. "Ain't as far as it looks," he added seeing Rick's expression. "You cross the bridge and go left past the other sites. Their camp's up on the rise. Ya can't miss it, son... It's the only one up there!"

Rick thanked him and immediately got busy transferring luggage and supplies from the car to the cabin. He was anxious to hike up to the Boyds' campsite before it was totally dark, and when he carried the last suitcase into the cabin, only five minutes had passed. His mother was putting groceries into the refrigerator when he joined her in the small kitchen.

"Mom, the car is unloaded, and I put your things in the bedroom. I'll sleep in there," he said pointing to the day-bed in the living room.

"Thank you, dear... Are you getting hungry?" She was always concerned about his eating.

He nodded his head. "In this air I could work up quite an appetite, but we did have a late lunch." He had more important things on his mind than eating dinner.

"Well it will take me a while to get organized in here. Suppose we eat in an hour or so?" she said closing the refrigerator door.

"Swell, Mom! Ah, you mind if I take a walk?" Rick said quickly, and he added, "Thought I'd walk up to the Boyds' camp before dark... See if I can find it! O.K.?"

Linda smiled, "O.K.," and she watched her son as he crossed the living room to the front door. He turned as he opened the door.

"Any messages?"

"You might tell Mrs. Boyd that I'll say hello tomorrow morning... I'm much too tired tonight. Guess the drive wore me out?"

"Yeah, you should take it easy tonight, Mom! And don't worry about the dinner, either..." His voice cut off as he closed the door behind him.

Hurrying toward the bridge over the Big Sur River, Rick felt a little guilty about leaving his mother alone when they had only been there a few minutes, especially since she was so agreeable. If she had said no, he wouldn't have been very upset, as he liked being around her. She was nice to look at - a helluva lot more attractive than any other woman her age. As far as that went, she was downright sexy! She was always going out of her way to do things for him, and that in turn made him want to do things for her... if she'd let him. He had to admit it was difficult to just leave her alone in the cabin, but the familiar twitch in his pants was becoming demanding. He had to let Karen know he was there, and maybe, if things went right, he could take care of that twitch then too. At the very least he had to be sure he could find the camp later that night if Karen couldn't get away just then.

Linda finished putting the kitchen in order, then opened the refrigerator to get something out for dinner. She stared at the contents for a long moment, unable to decide on any one thing. It suddenly seemed like such a bother, and she finally settled on a package of hot-dogs, even though she had bought them with a picnic in mind. They were the easiest thing to fix; and if they went on a picnic, she could always buy more. When Rick came back she could boil them in a few minutes, and there wouldn't be much to clean up either.

Leaving the package by the sink, she took a deep breath and walked into the living room. The cabin was small and furnished with the barest essentials, but it had a quality of rustic coziness that was irresistible. The walls and open rafters were of redwood, and the plank floor creaked as she walked, but it was not artificial and that seemed important.

The furnishing of the living room consisted of a table with benches worn smooth by use, one overstuffed chair with lamp and side table, the day-bed with rough-finished coffee table in front, and a floor lamp by the larger table. In the corner, dominating the room, was a massive stone fireplace, and she noticed that wood had been stacked just waiting to be lit.