As the sun began to set he looked up and gasped. Mt. Hood was framed in the distance, with the sun shining off the fresh snow, it appeared to glow. The shadows formed in its crevasses appeared as poorly healed wounds upon the vision before him. He sighed and focused all of his attention on the sight in the distance. The red and gold hues in the surface of the snow reminded him of sunsets on the lake. Remembering that lake was like a shot of caffeine to his system. He knew what would make it special for her.

He picked up his phone and made some calls. While he detested using the damn thing, he had to admit they had their uses. He called airlines, a travel agency and his mother. The first two were to make transportation arrangements, the last was to get childcare while he treated his love like the queen she was.

Secure in the arrangements, he made one last call. The person he hadn't spoken to in ten years. Ring Ring Ring "Hello, Smithson residence." Said the male voice across the line.

"Uncle Dave? This is Bill. Do you have a moment?" He said into the phone, fearful of the response.

"What do you want?" the surliness could be felt as a palatable force, even transmitted across phone wires.

'And people wonder why I hate these damn things.' He thought before saying "Uncle Dave. It's been ten years. Let's not go through this again. Since grandpa's death, you have been blaming me for losing your father. Let's just say it straight. He was a seventy year old man that drank too much and didn't take good care of his body. I am sorry you feel that I was responsible for him, but I just lived in his trailer. You also tried to blame me for Dougie's landing in prison. Again, I will say for the record. I did not have any influence in his decision to pick up that gun and shooting that man. I wasn't even in the state. He made his choices, and I am not the blame for all the world's problems." He stated.

"God damn it you little fuck. How dare you..." the other man began.

"Ray, I didn't call to fight" he interrupted "I called to see if I could use the keys to the cabin."

"You. Want to use MY cabin?" the incredulousness of the voice almost made him stop and hang up. "Why? What do you want?"

Calmly he stated "I want to take a lady friend there for a Christmas present. Which means, I won't be coming over for Christmas dinner."

Silence. An eternity in which galaxies are created and destroyed. All the time from the beginning of time until forever, contained in a moment where silence reigned.

"Talk to your mom. I'll pass 'em on to her. Make sure you clean up and restock after." Followed by a click were the last words spoken.

"That went better than I had any hope to expect" he muttered to himself, and went about obtaining all the elements that would be required for the outing to the cabin. Once completed, he settled in at his computer. He pulled up his Yahoo Messenger and scanned his friends list, seeking out her name. Seeing that she was online and available, he opened a window to send the message.

"BABES! Hugs and Kisses"

"SWEETIE!! I am so glad to see you tonight"

"As I am glad to see you anytime, beloved"

"blush"

"Sweetie, I have to ask you a question that you might find weird, so just answer yes or no. Ok?"

"Uhhh Sure... I guess."

'Ok here goes' he thought.

"If you got a plane ticket to fly to Portland, would you accept it?"

"Yes"

"If you got said ticket, and saw the return date was 2 weeks after the arrival date, would you still accept it?"

"Yes"

"Would you like to come out here to Portland, and spend two weeks with me? My uncle owns a cabin at a lake nearby that he has graciously offered to let me use. I would like to take you there for ten days. Trina, will you come out to be with me for two weeks?"

Those damn lasting silence's always kill me. Some time later. "Yes"

After all that anticipation, the flood gates released all that he had to tell her regarding the upcoming trip. The ticket was paid for, the "limo" S.U.V. and he would meet her flight coming in. His son was taken care of, and the lodgings were arranged. It was to be a Christmas present to both of them.

The day arrived: He was at the terminal where she would be arriving. As he watched the arrivals and departures screen, He saw her flight was on time. Once it said that it was disembarking, He began to scan the crowd. Looking for her, he felt the sweat and trembling of anticipation. Suddenly, she turned the corner of the terminal and he saw his dreams coming true. As she walked down the rampart, he felt the urge to go race towards her and spin her around. Following his desires, he did just that. Running towards her, a security guard loomed in his vision. As he attempted to brush past the intrusion, he felt a strong hand on his shoulder.

"Sorry sir, you will have to wait for your passenger to get passed the security checkpoint." The security man stated.

Sighing in frustration, he eagerly awaited her completion of the obstacle course they called a security checkpoint. As she approached, her eyes were focused on the crowd, looking for her lover.

"Trina! Over here!" he called.

Her head snapped in his direction, and as the movies depicted, moved in towards him in a slow motion reality. The truth was the number of other travelers made any quick motions nearly impossible. As she moved towards him, the security guard let his hand fall from his shoulder. Seeing that amount of adoration for each other, he was not about to intrude.

Moving into each others embrace, she rained kisses down on his face, while he held her in his arms. The internet was a nice place to chat, but nothing could replace the feeling of holding your lover in your arms. A crowd had begun to form around the two lovers as they embraced. Seeing the true love that they displayed for one another was causing some older folk to hug and kiss knowing that the passion never dies: It is always there, just unnoticed at times.

As they broke their embrace, they noticed the crowd that had gathered around them. Embarrassed, they moved off to collect her baggage, only to receive whispered encouragements from others along the way that had seen their display. Once her effects were in hand, they moved to the "limo".

The drive to the cabin was a wondrous time for the two. They spoke in quiet, hushed tones. They viewed the passing landscapes and murmured their appreciation for its beauty. They held hands, rubbed arms and generally spent the 3 hour drive as lovers being chauffeured. He leaned into her shoulder and whispered his gratitude for this vacation to her on several occasions.

All too soon, they arrived at the cabin. He explained to her that the limo would be back in 10 days. Until its return, they were alone. No electronics, no telephones (other than cell phones for emergencies) and no other people around for 100 miles. They took their luggage in to the cabin and waved to the driver as he departed.

Upon entering the wooden structure, they were struck with the sparseness of its decorating. A simple wooden couch, a rocking chair, a dining set, a queen sized bed with simple coverings and a wood stove kitchen area were all to be seen. He knew that there was a bathing facility in the back, but it was not seen upon entry.

She sighed, leaned against his arm and whispered "It's perfect."

Placing their luggage near the bed, he turned to her and pulled her into an embrace. Some might call it smothering and oppressive, but she felt warmed and comforted. Feeling the love that he was giving her, she melted into his strong chest. His moustache tickled her ear as she turned her head to kiss him.

They maintained their embrace, moving only their heads as they kissed. He thought of purity and love in her response to the kiss. She thought of strength and virility in reply to his. Together, they felt the embodiment of love and passion in their tightly held embrace. Neither wishing to release the bond created with their bodies, they moved as one towards the edge of the bed.

Sitting first, he began to pull her in with him. As they embraced, she ran her hands through his hair. Her movement enflamed his desire for her, and made him shiver in anticipation. He rolled them to where they were laying side by side and reached around her to cup her gorgeous ass. When she moaned into his mouth, the vibrations sent him soaring into a state of bliss.

He placed one hand on her hip when they parted, while the other held himself up and asked "Are you sure that you want this, my love?"

"More than air, my dearest man" was her only reply.

With nothing more to say, he began to unbutton her blouse. Its silky texture felt luxurious to his touch. Each button he lingered at, slowly tantalizing her senses: Caressing and massaging her body in that one spot before moving to the next. He moved down her body but didn't untuck the shirt from her skirt. Slowly he reached around her back, slid his fingers in between the clasp there and released her from the clothing. Before moving back to her blouse, he felt her firm globes pressing against his hands and ran his fingers as far into her clothing as the tightness would allow.