Chapter 4

When I awoke the next morning, I was once again facing toward her. The sun was up and sunlight coming through the sheer curtains gave the room a pale cream tint. Astrid was facing me and once again I marveled at her beauty. My thoughts went back to the previous night and the breakthrough I thought we achieved.

I had challenged her about her ongoing conflict with Crystal and it provoked the first sign of emotion in her that I could remember seeing. What followed with our lovemaking, however, was something I was completely unprepared for. Was it a coincidence?

Her eyes flickered briefly before opening. My face was the first thing she saw and once again, she displayed "that smile."

"Mornin', lover." It was a replay of our first morning together, except this time I wasn't holding my breath in concern over her reaction.

"Good morning to you."

As she had so many times before, she pulled herself into me and lay there with our arms around each other as she slowly woke. I don't think I'll ever get over just how powerful was the emotion she created in me with that simple gesture.

We rose, showered, dressed, and headed for the kitchen. Crystal and Henrik were already up and dressed, sitting at the banana-shaped counter on the tall stools, side-by-side. They looked fresh and well-rested.

"Good morning," Henrik boomed, while Crystal added her greetings.

Breakfast was laid out on the counter; cereal, toast, yogurt, fresh fruit, juice. All very healthy and typical of what Astrid and I were used to. We helped ourselves.

As we sat on the stools next to her parents, I noticed a television above the pantry door, tuned to a news channel. Henrik was keeping an eye on it, but the sound was off in favor of closed-captioning.

"Do you play golf, Rick?" he asked.

"Sir, I haven't played ten games since I left college. My travels during summer and getting ready to become a teacher took up most of my time."

"Not to mention my daughter," he laughed.

"Yeah ... that too," I agreed, turning to Astrid and giving her a peck on the cheek.

"I have a game this afternoon and we're short one for a foursome. Would you like to join us?"

"Ummmm ... gee ... I don't want to embarrass you. I wouldn't know what to expect from my game these days. Besides, I don't have any clubs here."

"Not to worry. I have a couple of sets for just such an emergency. And as far as your game goes, the other two in our group will be lucky to break a hundred. We're not all Fred Couples, you know."

"That's very kind of you. I'd enjoy a chance to play Shaughnessy. It's a very fine course. Thank you for the invitation," I said turning to Astrid, hoping I hadn't put my foot in it.

"Will you be OK, Astrid? I don't mean to abandon you."

"Of course. You and Daddy go and have a good time. Crystal and I can find something to do."

I glanced over Astrid's shoulder and saw the surprise register on Crystal and Henrik's faces. I may have shown it too, but Astrid didn't react.

"I'm going to go over to my folk's house to get some golf shoes. Do you want to come, Astrid?"

"Sure. It'll give me a chance to get more dirt on you from your mother," she giggled.

"Oh, great. Maybe I'll just play in my hiking boots." There was general laughter around the counter as we continued to enjoy breakfast and our morning coffee.

Henrik was going to his office for the morning, but gave me instructions on when and where to meet him at his club. He would sign me in as a guest. He loaned me a nice set of Calloway woods and irons and he sported a collection of almost every kind of putter. Apparently, putting was his weak spot and he was continually looking for the magic stick that would solve it all.

I thought it wise to head for the driving range to hit a few balls and make sure I didn't embarrass myself. I stuffed the clubs into my trunk, held the door for Astrid, and drove toward my parents' home.

We didn't stay long. I found a pair of my dry weather Foot-Joy's and cleaned them up as best I was able. I told Mom about Astrid's family and who her father was. I would talk to them later about having the two families meet. Mom was pretty surprised at this turn of events. The thought that her future daughter-in-law might be wealthy had never entered her mind either.

Astrid sat and watched me as I hit a small bucket of balls on the practice range. It didn't take me too long to get some sort of swing back, and while I wasn't crushing my drives, I was at least hitting them fairly straight. I was pretty sure my short game would be hopeless after all these months of inactivity. At one time, I almost earned a single digit handicap, but that was five years ago. I would be happy to break a hundred today.

"You hit the ball well, Rick," Astrid observed as we walked back to the car.

"Not bad, considering. Did you ever play golf?"

"A bit, when I was a teenager. Dad wanted me to learn. I took some lessons, but I guess I was interested in other things and I kind of dropped it."

"Since I'm starting over too, we should find a Par 3 and play nine holes ... just for fun and exercise."

"OK. That sounds like fun. You can help me find my ball when it disappears," she laughed.

"Do you know if I'm expected for lunch?"

"Crystal said she was going to make some sandwiches and wrap them for you. You can take them with you if you're late."

"That's nice of her. I hope you're not going to be too bored this afternoon. I should have asked you if you were OK with me playing golf with your dad."

"You don't need my permission. Besides, I want you and Daddy to get to know each other. I think he likes you already."

"Yeah. We seem to have a lot to talk about, anyway. He's very down-to-earth, considering."

"Considering what?" Astrid looked a bit miffed.

"Well ... you know ... him being an important man and he spends a lot of time with important people."

"Hummphf! Daddy doesn't have a stuck-up bone in his body. He came from a very ordinary background. His father was a furniture-maker in Denmark and he made it the hard way here in Canada. Daddy started in the woods in the logging camps and worked his way up. So, you aren't dealing with royalty!" she exclaimed with a forceful snap of her head.

"Oh ... sorry ... didn't mean to imply ... I mean ... sorry," I finished lamely.

She gave me a cold stare, but couldn't hold it. She began to laugh.

"You take this all so seriously, Rick. Relax. Daddy likes you. Crystal likes you. I love you. What more do you want?"

I was holding on to the steering wheel as we drove toward her home, staring straight ahead. Astrid, knowingly or not, just said she loved me. I wonder if she realized the impact that had on me. I looked over to her and I guess I must have smiled, because she smiled back.

We arrived at the big home and within a couple of minutes Crystal served a plate of sandwiches for us at the counter. I washed them down with a glass of milk, kissed Astrid goodbye, telling them to have a good afternoon, and scooted out the door to my car. I couldn't wait to find out what the two of them would be doing this afternoon. I was keeping my fingers crossed that there would be some kind of accommodation made by Astrid with her stepmother.

I arrived at Shaughnessy and found Henrik already there, having changed in the locker room. I handed over my clubs to be mounted on the power cart at the pro shop. It wasn't five minutes later that I was introduced to our playing partners. Now I was intimidated.

A tall, slim man in his middle forties turned out to be Bill Carsworthy, Deputy Minister of Forests for the provincial government. His playing partner was Milo Remple, short, balding, but fit. A lawyer and chief advocate for the environmental movement. A "tree hugger," I thought.

Both men were members, but both were high handicappers — mid-twenties. I learned Henrik was a fifteen, so I wasn't out of my league I hoped. I agreed to play to an eighteen, since I was just picking a number out of thin air. On the basis of the handicaps, I was paired with Milo against Bill and Henrik. On paper, it should have been fairly even.

I don't remember quite as much about the game as I usually would. I hit the ball well, and kept it on the fairway for the most part. My short game, as expected, was erratic. Milo and I scrambled well, however. We never got behind by more than one hole. I conveniently had my bad holes while Milo was having his good ones, and vice versa.

Henrik played to his handicap, but Bill struggled with his drives and was too often trying to make a miraculous recovery shot. I'd been there in the past and I knew how futile that was. At the end of the game, we were all even. I was very happy with that result. I checked my score and saw that I shot a ninety-three. That was a pleasant surprise.

Everyone agreed it was a tight, enjoyable match, but to have it end in a tie wasn't good enough. There would be a putting contest to determine who would be declared the victor.

Four hours or so of being with these three high-powered men was entertaining on its own. Milo was the furthest thing from a "tree hugger." He understood the economics of the industry and was forever trying to reconcile the radical anti-industry forces with the industry itself. He greatly admired Henrik because he understood there must be a balance, and it didn't mean that industry should be allowed to do whatever was convenient to make a profit.

Milo told me that he spent many long hours with Henrik working out the logistics of salvaging the pine beetle damaged wood, leaving the healthy trees untouched. It was, in Milo's opinion, one of the most important ecological strategies ever conceived in the industry. He told me that if he never achieved another thing in his career, he would be happy with that one victory.

Bill, on the other hand, was being very careful with his comments. As Deputy Minister, he was responsible for directing legislation for the Minister, but also advising him if there were any pitfalls or serious economic consequences in their decisions. He trod a fine line. His contacts with Milo and Henrik were critical to helping him give the Minister good advice. He was careful to be close ... but not too close.

I was being permitted an inside view of the number two industry in the province. It was hard not to be excited at being part of the conversations between these three important men. I kept quiet and listened. It was hard. There were so many questions I would have liked to have asked.

We met on the practice putting green a few minutes after finishing and the suspense didn't last very long. Bill sank a snaking twenty footer and the match was over. I handed Bill and Henrik their winnings happily. I enjoyed an afternoon to remember, and the twenty dollar cost was nothing compared to the value I'd received.

Bill and Milo joined us at the 19^th hole for a drink, and left shortly thereafter. I didn't contain my enthusiasm any longer.

"That was amazing, Henrik. I think I learned more about the industry in one golf game than I ever knew."

"You are a very good listener, Rick. I think that's why you are good at what you do ... teaching. I hope you had fun as well as becoming informed."

"Yes. I was pleased with my score, considering. I have to admit though, the company was more fascinating than my golf game."

"These are important men, it's true. I have worked hard to build a good relationship with the ministry. I don't ask for special favors, but I want to have my voice heard in the right places. The minister listens to those voices. Bill is a very bright man. Milo is also. I can never be close to Bill, but Milo ... we are good friends. I don't see him as the enemy. He is my watchdog."

We sat in the spring sunshine, enjoying the late afternoon.

"I have invited the ladies to join us here tonight for dinner," Henrik said.

"Oh ... great. But ... I'm not sure I'm appropriately dressed."

"Do not worry. Astrid will bring you a change and you can use the locker room to shower. They should be here in a few minutes."

I was still in a state of over-stimulation from my afternoon with the power elite of the forest industry. I was getting an inside look at how policy was formed and just how subtle Henrik Rasmussen was. As we relaxed, another thought came to me.

"What do you suppose happened with Crystal and Astrid this afternoon?" I posed.

Henrik shook his head. "We can only hope, Rick. By the way ... did you say something to her about Crystal?"

I wasn't going to lie. "Yes. Last night, I pushed her a bit. I suggested that she needed to give Crystal a break. Try to understand how much she loved you and you loved her. It didn't mean you loved her mother any less ... but she was gone and that part of your life was in the past. I'm afraid at the time I thought that I might have been too hard on her. I told her I liked Crystal and that I thought she should give her a chance. She got quite emotional."

"Were you surprised by what she said this morning about finding something to do with Crystal this afternoon?" Henrik asked.

"Very. But it may have come from last night. I'm anxious to see what happens when they arrive."

We didn't have long to wait. The women arrived shortly before six. They were dressed in very spring-like fashion and their clothes looked very similar.

"Ah ... you look very lovely, ladies," Henrik saluted with a big grin.

"Thank you," Crystal replied, turning to me a giving me a wink, unseen by Astrid. "How was your game?"

"Great. I learned more about the forest industry than I could have anywhere else."

"It cost you twenty dollars," Henrik grinned.

"Cheap at ten times the price," I flipped back.

Astrid had yet to say anything but moved to me and kissed me, handing me a garment bag with my clothing change. She was a bit subdued, I thought.

"So, what did you girls get up to this afternoon?" I asked, unable to contain my curiosity any longer.

"Shopping!" Crystal laughed. "What else do women do when they have time on their hands?"

I saw a big smile break out on Astrid's face and I began to relax. Up to that point, I wondered if there was a problem, but now I was reasonably confident there wasn't.

The three left for the dining room while I went downstairs to the locker room for a quick shower and a change. I was back within ten minutes and was directed to their table by the maitre d'. Henrik took the liberty of ordering me a beer.

I was sitting beside Crystal and Henrik with Astrid opposite me. We were having a light conversation when Crystal slipped her hand under the table and reached for mine, squeezing it when she found it resting on my thigh. She never once looked at me, but I suspected the afternoon was a success for her, and she wanted me to know it.

We ordered our meals and continued to talk about everything but business. Astrid joined in and I felt she was coming back to her normal self. I was so used to her optimism and lively personality, anything less was discomforting.

"So, Astrid, what did you buy this afternoon," I asked, hoping for a little more information about her day.

"This dress, silly. Crystal and I saw them in a shop at Oakridge and we couldn't resist. Do you like them?"

"Yes, I do very much. They are very flattering on you both."

"I agree," Henrik chimed in.

"We also found some other things I'll show you later," she said with more than a bit of innuendo. The raised eyebrow and the smirk were a giveaway.

Crystal laughed. "You'll get your turn later, Henrik." The two women turned to each other with a look I considered conspiratorial.

I caught Henrik tapping the edge of my foot with his shoe and trying his best not to look at me in surprise. I think he was thinking what I was thinking. Something had changed in the relationship between Astrid and Crystal. I very much wanted to find out, but I knew I should be patient and let Astrid tell me. I would get Crystal's account later, but I wanted to know what Astrid was thinking and feeling.