36

It was an amazingly beautiful night for the end of March. Especially in this part of the province.

There was a huge full moon shining on the, unusually still, Atlantic Ocean and the temperature was in the high teens. It was not t-shirt and shorts weather, but it was jeans and sweater weather.

.

I was sitting outside my cabin, a fire burning in a small portable fire bowl, that I had purchased. We were intending to put fire pits behind each cabin, at the beginning of the summer, but for now, each cabin had a portable one outside.

I was the only cabin resident, apart from Evangeline.

Ghost and Spirit were running back and forth, near the cabin, chasing imaginary ...

somethings.

.

I had not seen much of Evangeline, as she spent a huge part of her time, locked in her cabin, working on the website or travelling the immediate area, photographing and videotaping the various tourist sites and special tours.

The past two weeks have flown by and really the only time I had seen her were the quick meetings all 4 of us had to check out the site.

Elaine was now a part of the website too, as it was decided that Evangeline would train her to maintain the site, once it was up and running.

That would leave Evangeline free to pursue other contracts.

.

As I put a couple more birch logs on the fire, I heard a voice.

.

"I do love fires."

Evangeline was walking toward me.

.

I patted the lawnchair next to mine.

"Come and sit for a while. I am sure you could use the break."

.

She stretched her back.

"I will stand, if you don't mind. Been sitting on my ass so long.

I need to stretch my legs."

.

"Would you like a beer?

Have a cold case of Black Horse here. It best da bist beer 'round dese parts."

.

Evangeline laughed.

"That is the worst Newfie accent I have ever heard."

.

I stood and passed her a beer.

"That's what Hank and Cavelle keep telling me."

I watched my cats heading for the chainlink fence.

"Hey, you two."

They both stopped and turned.

"What did I say about the fence?"

.

Ghost meowed at me.

.

"I don't care. Do you both want to go back inside?"

.

She meowed again and the two ran back toward the cabin, playing within the glow of the fire.

.

"That is amazing," Evangeline gasped.

"Its like they actually understood you."

.

"There are times, I believe they do."

Ghost was at my legs, rubbing against them and purring.

I leaned down and petted her.

"You are a flirt. I love you. Now go play."

She ran off.

.

"I can see why you love those cats."

.

I nodded.

"There is a whole story there, Ms. Carson."

.

Evangeline put her hand on her hip and glared at me.

"I thought we agreed to be friends."

.

I nodded, sipping my beer and snickering.

.

"Cavelle said you were a pain in the ass, sometimes," she joked.

.

"Yea. I can be."

.

There was a moment of silence. I could see Evangeline through the corner of my eye, playing with the label on her beer.

.

"I really want to thank you," she finally said.

.

"For what?"

.

"For this opportunity."

She took a deep breath.

"I had so many interviews. It really was beginning to get discouraging. I thought I would be able to find work on the Avalon Peninsula. With all that is happening out there, now, I was sure I could at least get some small jobs, to get my foot in the door. But it was the same thing, every time.

They wanted or need someone with experience."

.

I turned to her. Her face, illuminated in the firelight, reminded me a little of Whisper.

I took a deep breath.

.

Evangeline mistook the action.

"Sorry if I am boring you."

.

I shook my head.

"No. Just looking at you in the firelight, reminded me of someone. That's all."

.

"Someone special?"

.

I nodded.

"Yea. Very special."

.

"The woman you messed up the relationship with?"

.

I laughed.

"You remembered that?"

.

"I have a good memory."

.

"No," I informed her.

"It wasn't her. Someone else close to me, that I lost."

.

"I'm sorry."

.

I simply nodded and silence overtook us, once again.

.

She held up the bottle.

"Do you 'ave another one of dese?" she asked in a mockingly terrible Newfie accent.

.

I laughed, as I took another Black Horse from the cooler.

"And you say my accent is bad."

.

"Ha, ha."

She sipped the beer.

"I also wanted to apologize to you, for the way I acted at the interview."

.

"How so?"

I knew what she was talking about.

.

"Assuming, that you were hitting on me. I wanted to get a job based on my ability, not my looks."

.

I shook my head.

"Then you had better change the way you look."

.

She went silent for a second.

"Why did you hire me?"

.

"I did not have a good life growing up. Was never give the chance to show what I could do and I became a miserable, bitter man because of it. A man bent on self destruction."

.

"What changed?"

.

"I got a break. Not the kind of one that you think, but a break, none the less.

And I made a conscious effort to change me."

I opened another beer.

"Everyone needs a chance to prove what they can do. I am giving you that chance and quite honestly, from what I have seen so far, I made the right choice."

.

She smiled. And in the glowing firelight, she honestly looked like an angel.

"Thank you, Will. I won't let you down."

.

I nodded.

"I know."

.

We stood in silence, on opposite sides of the fire, staring into the flame, each of us, lost in our own thoughts.

.

"Well," she said finally.

"I had best be getting to bed. I have an early morning."

.

"Where you off to tomorrow?"

.

"I have to go to St. John's. My final divorce hearing is day after tomorrow."

.

I didn't know what to say.

"Don't know if I should comment on that."

.

She laughed.

"Its all good. I will be back by the weekend. Maybe we could have another fire and talk some more?"

.

I nodded.

"Its a date."

.

She walked to me and kissed me on the cheek.

"Goodnight, Mr. Templeton."

She walked away laughing gently.

.

I stayed at the fire for about an hour or so and then, after rounding up the animals, I went inside for the night.

I checked my cell phone.

There was a text message from Bobby.

.

'Call me ASAP'

'Bobby'

.

I looked at the time. It was nearly 1 am.

I decided to text him, instead of calling, letting him know that I would call him in the morning.

I had no sooner laid the cell phone on the small desk, than it rang.

.

"Hey Bobby."

.

"Will. There you are."

.

"Hey man, what's up?

You sound a little frantic."

.

"I think you best come home for a while, Will."

"Why? What's wrong?"

.

"Its Sheila."

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