"Close your eyes, darlin'."

"What for?"

"I got a surprise for ya."

"Oooh, sugah, ya know how Ah love surprises. OK, eyes closed. Now what?"

"Now we take a little walk. Hold my hand."

"Where we goin'?"

"I thought ya said ya liked surprises."

"Ah do."

"Then quit askin' questions and just trust me, OK?"

"OK."

*~~~*

"Logan, where are we? It feels like the temperature just dropped about fifty degrees."

"Ya been gripin' about the heat for days, darlin'—"

"So have we all, ever since the A/C went out durin' the hottest damn week on record in Westchester County. Is that the surprise? Ya fixed it?"

"No, that ain't the surprise. Keep yer eyes closed."

"What's that smell?"

"You tell me."

Sniff

"It smells like…sniff…snow?!?"

"Uh-uh-uh. No peeking!"

"Logan, what is goin' on?"

"We need a break from the heat, darlin'. If I had my way, we'd be at the cabin in Alberta by now, but Hank says ya can't travel in yer condition, so I had t' be…uh…creative."

"Meanin'…?"

"We're gonna take a little trip t' the Great White North without ever leavin' the boathouse."

"Huh?"

"You just keep yer eyes closed and do like I tell ya, and I promise this will be a vacation ya won't ever forget."

"Where did the snow come from? Ah doubt you'd ask Bobby t' help ya."

"Yer damn right I wouldn't. I know a guy at the ice rink in town, but that ain't important. As far as yer concerned, this just fell out o' the sky over the Canadian Rockies. It's knee deep an' we just got done havin' a snowball fight and now we're back in the cabin workin' on warmin' each other up. So, c'mere, woman."

*~~~*

"Yeeeow! Ya hands are freezin'!"

"I told ya we just had a snowball fight. Here, turn yer hand over. There, yer very own snowball. If it'll make ya feel better, hit me."

"Ya gonna duck when Ah throw it, ain't ya?"

"No, ma'am, I won't. Go for it."

Splat!

Thunk!

"Logan!"

"I said I wouldn't duck. I never said I wouldn't hit ya back."

"Ya got snow down mah tank top!"

"So take it off."

"Oh-ho, no, ya don't. Ya ain't touchin' mah overgrown boobs with frozen fingers, Logan Howlett!"

"I wouldn't dream of it, although the idea o' all that chilled milk has left me with a powerful hankerin' for ice cream. Off it goes—"

Snikt. Rip.

"Ah don't believe ya jus—"

Snikt.

*~~~*

"Oh, mah, sugah, how did ya get ya hands so warm so quick?"

"While you were gabbin', I held 'em b'tween my legs—where it's gettin' hotter by the second, by the way. Here, feel."

"Mmm. Ah think my knees just melted. Ah may need to lie down."

"Go ahead."

"Ya mean on the floor?"

"Not exactly. Kick yer shoes off an' tell me what ya feel."

*~~~*

"A bear skin rug! Oh, Logan!"

"I thought you'd like it."

"Oh, sugah, Ah love it! How big is it?"

"Are we still talkin' about the rug?"

"Yes, ya big dummy! Is it big enough for us t' make love on?"

"Oh, yeah, waaay big enough."

"Then get ya clothes off an' help me an' mah big belly get down there."

"Now yer talkin'."

*~~~*

"Comfortable?"

"As much as Ah can be at eight an' a half months pregnant, naked, snuggled on the floor o' the boathouse on a bear skin rug with mah highly aroused husband—an' still forbidden t' open mah eyes."

"Good. Now there's just one more thing I need ya t' do before we get t' the good stuff."

"What's that, sugah?"

"Switch yer skin on."

"WHAT?!?"

"Now, Marie, don't panic. I talked t' Hank an' he said if ya let it go for just a minute and I keep my mind on…well, what it has t' be on…this will work and no one will get hurt."

"What about the baby?"

"He's not touchin' yer skin, darlin', remember? He's floatin' in all that water. I swear, honey, ya gotta know I would never ever ask ya t' do anythin' that would hurt our child."

"Is this really that important?"

"Yeah, it is, t' me. But if ya really think it's not right then we don't have t' do it."

"Ya sure Hank said it would be OK?"

"Cross my heart, Marie."

"Alright, but only for a quick minute now, ya hear?"

"Thanks for trustin' me. Ya won't be sorry, I promise."

"Ah do trust ya, Logan. Always have, always will."

"I know. OK, hold my hand and when I say 'go', switch it on."

"Alright, Ah'm ready."

*~~~*

"Go."

*~~~*

Cold. Biting, bitter wind. Enormous mountains. Sharp, gray, snow-capped peaks. Lush forest. Dense evergreen backdrop. Clear lake. Smooth, mirroring azure sky. Cozy cabin. Logs and stone. Warm inside. Home.

*~~~*

"Logan! Sugah, open ya eyes!"

"I'm fine, darlin'. Ya gave it just enough…Did ya see?"

"Ah sure did. It was so beautiful it took mah breath away. Tell me about that place, sugah. It's special to ya, ain't it?"

"It's a real memory, Marie. I lived there when I was a boy."

"Oh, Logan! That's wonderful! How…I mean…when—"

"Chuck's been helpin' me. He calls it 'tearin' down the walls an' rebuildin' the bridges'."

"Have ya remembered anythin' else? Do ya know where this place is?"

"The shape o' the mountains is familiar an' the way the trees grow right down t' the water's edge reminds me o' Lake Louise in Alberta, but I can't say for sure if that's where it is."

"Still, it's somethin', a place t' start. Are ya gonna try t' find it?"

"One day, maybe, after the baby comes."

*~~~*

"Aww, darlin' why're ya cryin'?"

"Ah'm just so happy for ya. Thank ya, sugah, for sharin' this with me."

"Yer welcome. Now, I got somethin' else I'd really like t' share with ya…"

"Ooooh, yeah, Ah was hopin' ya might..."

*~~~*

*~~~*

*~~~*

"Logan?"

"Oh, baby, just lemme catch my breath for a minute before round four, would ya? Damn, woman, yer one hot mama!"

"Take ya time, sugah. The third earth-shatterin' orgasm was definitely the charm. Ah couldn't ask any more of ya."

"Ya know I'd do anythin' for ya, darlin'."

"Well, there is somethin' Ah was wonderin'…"

"What is it?"

"Ya got any other memories ya wanna share? Like say, Paris? Or Hawaii?"

"Nope, neither one."

"Oh."

"But how does Japan strike ya?"

THE END