Before long, it was time for me to start dinner, so I suggested to Jill that I grill outside on the barbecue. Since Ann had passed, I didn't really use the grill that much, as it was kind of a waste to use that much wood or charcoal for one person, and I didn't care for gas grilling. You just don't get the flavor with gas, that you do with charcoal or wood.
"I have a nice, big venison steak that is just begging to be cooked over an open fire." I said persuasively. "I haven't really had an opportunity to fix it, as it's way too big for just me, and I don't get many visitors up here. I'm kind of a recluse I guess."
"You don't have to twist my arm!" Jill exclaimed. "I've never had deer meat before, but you're a great cook, and meat cooked over a fire sure sounds awesome to me!"
I retrieved the large slab of frozen meat from the large chest-style freezer in the basement. It was an old 1950's era commercial freezer I had gotten from a mom and pop grocery that had closed up, and I use it to hold the deer meat I shoot each year, plus veggies and other frozen items I buy in bulk.
"Wow, that's a LOT of meat!" Jill said excitedly, as I unwrapped it. "I haven't had London broil in a long time."
"Well, this isn't beef, so why don't we call it... a Carolina broil instead?" I suggested.
"Sounds good to me!" she replied enthusiastically. "I don't care what it's called, it looks like it will be delicious!"
I smiled at her vivacity. Her entire demeanor had changed since I had bought her that new outfit. She seemed so much more outgoing now; as if she didn't need to be dependent on Ann's things completely, anymore. Those clothes were hers alone.
"Come on," I invited, "I'll show you how to cook with wood on an ordinary charcoal grill."
"I didn't know you could cook on anything other than propane." Jill giggled. "I guess I really must be from the city, huh?"
I put my arm around her waist, and we went out onto the deck that was located off the living room. The house was built on the side of a ridge facing the mountains, so we were about fifteen feet off the ground on the outside edge.
"This view is gorgeous." Jill marveled. "I know I've said it before, but it is. This is the most beautiful place to build a house, Jack. You are so lucky to live here."
"This deck faces due south." I replied. "I can watch the sun rise on that end of the mountains and set on the other end there. Sometimes, I can sit out here and watch a thunderstorm coming across the river valley. It looks like a silver curtain moving toward me."
"It sounds beautiful." Jill responded. "Maybe I can see it sometime."
"I sure hope so." I replied. "I really like you, Jill, and I hope you can stay."
"Me too."
I smiled, and showed her how I build a small wood fire in the charcoal grill and add larger pieces. It's a combination of alternately grilling over an open fire, and then closing it to smoke for awhile. The result is a piece of meat with some terrific flavor to it that simply cannot be duplicated by any other means. Topped off with some lemon herb seasoning and sliced thin, it was a mouth watering entree.
Jill in the meantime, had made herself at home and rummaged through the refrigerator and freezer to make a complimentary side dish of broccoli and cheese sauce. By the time the meat was finished, she had the table set and the steaming broccoli sitting in a bowl on the table.
"Smells good!" I said with a smile.
"So does that!" she responded. "Looks like we make a good team, eh?"
"It does." I agreed. "I sure hope you're not married or anything. I'd hate to lose you. I feel so comfortable with you; like we were meant to be together or something."
"I feel that way too." she concurred. "But I just don't think I'm married. I don't feel it, Jack."
"You don't have a dent on your ring finger either." I pointed out. "Even if someone had stolen it, there would be an impression where it had been. It takes several weeks to go away, so if you ARE married, you've been separated for a while."
"You're a regular Sherlock Holmes" Jill laughed. "I had no idea."
"I used to be a cop." I replied. "I retired as a detective, and started writing crime novels about ten years ago."
I stood up and walked over to one of the bookcases in the living room, retrieving a hard cover book.
"This is one of them." I said, as I handed it to her. "It's my latest one."
"'The Strangler of High Hill,'" she read, "'By Jack DeVille.' I'm impressed. You are a man of many talents, Jack."
I smiled and beeped her nose affectionately.
"And you are a woman of many mysteries, Jill." I replied. "Do you like playing board games?"
Jill thought for a moment before answering.
"I think so." she responded. "I'm not sure, but I think so. It sounds fun anyway. What do you have?"
"A ton," I said with a laugh, "but our favorite was a three dimensional Parcheesi board I made about twenty five years ago."
"I thought that was a flat game." Jill said with a puzzled tone. "Like checkers."
"It usually is," I replied, "but I had just seen 'Stargate' at the movies, and decided to make one with a stepped pyramid in the middle, instead of a printed ladder. Wanna see it?"
"Oh yes!" she exclaimed.
I pulled the board out of one of the cabinets along the wall and put it on the coffee table. It was about three inches deep, with removable bases that were lined with green felt, to store the transparent colored dice and painted wooden pieces that matched the color of each base. The board itself was made of maple, with mahogany bases that were hand painted. In the center, was a shallow stepped pyramid, with a mahogany center. Each step was a different hardwood.
"Oh Jack!" Jill gasped. "It's beautiful! You made this?!"
"Thank you." I replied. "Yes, I made it a long time ago. The idea was to make a lot of these games like this; a checkerboard, Monopoly, Scrabble... but this was the only one I ever made."
"What happened?" Jill inquired. "Why didn't you make any more?"
"The idea was to make one a year for my brother and sisters." I explained. "This was the prototype, and was destined for my little sister and her husband for Christmas, back in 1993. I drew and painted some really nice pictures for my brother and older sister, because I couldn't make but one project a year. Well, my older sister made a smart-ass comment about how I always made such nice things for my other sister and I got pissed. I didn't give it to her and it sat unfinished for five years. I never made anything for anyone in my family again, unless they all got the same thing. I finally finished it and this is it; the only one in existence."
"It's beautiful, Jack." Jill repeated. "Like I said, a man of many talents. Now, why don't you teach me how to play it?"
We spent the next five hours playing game after game, and Jill finally yawned.
"I am so tired Jack." she confessed. "I'm sorry. I'm always falling asleep on you."
