Angela loved her job. The photography bug had bit her hard in high school. Now twelve years later what had begun as a hobby had become a nice way to augment the family income. It was her newest and most favorite paying job. Angela had been through a string of jobs but she was sure that this one would stick. Even in this digital age, the right image could bring a nice price from the right website. Angela felt fortunate that her husband, Daniel, generally supported her endeavors. True, he was usually too busy at his job to accompany Angela on her excursions, but Angela told her self that lots of couples had different hobbies. She did wish that Daniel would not spend so much time at the office. Angela wondered what Daniel could find at his office that was more compelling than her trim blonde self. The visage of her husband's raven haired young assistant came to her mind but Angela pushed it away, "I'm imagining things." she told herself for the thousandth time.
Angela specialized in landscapes. Sometimes to capture just the right picture, Angela would drive far into the country. Daniel said that he worried about her, that he knew that his wife was a smart woman who would not do anything dangerous. He helped her in his own fashion, packing Angela a lunch and a dinner and kissed her goodbye. To Angela's complete delight, what had begun as a trip to capture the late autumnal landscape, became a winter wonderland when an unexpected snow storm blew in. While it had been cold the last few days, the snow had not been predicted. Angela marveled at the snow dusted vistas as she delightedly hiked through the deep woods.
As she walked it became bitterly cold. Angela raised her collar about her ears. Angela was acutely aware that she was not entirely adequately dressed to repel the cutting wind. Seeking to capture one last photo, Angela stepped into a hollow to minimize the wind. Angela was too caught up in capturing just the right angle to notice that she was actually walking upon an ice sheet until the sudden crack and the frozen plane beneath her feet parted.. The cold was numbing and painful in ways that she had not believed possible. As the water closed above her head Angela realized that this is the way she would die. She thought about Daniel and fought for life. Somehow Angela managed to crawl back upon the ice sheet she had tumbled through. In the numbing air, Angela rapidly lost consciousness, her last thought was a profound wish for a second chance.
Almost beyond her comprehension Angela returned to the living. Her naked body was swathed in blankets. The smell of cooking food hung deliciously in the air. She was supine on a couch in what appeared to be a cabin. Eyes wide, Angela drank in her surroundings. She was not alone.
"Good morning Angela!" The owner of the voice was tall and broad, with a neatly trimmed beard and mustache, his large brown eyes were luminous and full of concern. He was rather handsome Angela thought, before a thousand questions assailed her mind.
"Where am I? Who are you? What happened to my clothes?"
The man smiled and sat in a chair next to the couch close to Angela's head. And replied,
"You are in my cabin. It is some fifteen miles away from that pond you fell in. You can call me John, that name is as good as any. As to your clothes, obviously I had to remove them to prevent your death from exposure. You have been feverish and very sick for more than two weeks. I nearly lost you more than once, fortunately, I'm a rather competent nurse."
Angela stared at the man. At last she processed his words.
"I'm going to bring you some soup now. When you finish that its into the tub with you for a hot bath, after that if you would like to talk I will be all ears."
Angela continued to sit dumbly when the man returned with a bowl of soup on a tray. Angela sat up on the couch to make a lap for the soup. The blanket covering her fell away, exposing Angela's fine breasts. Angela flushed with embarrassment and quickly restored the cover. Ordinarily she was shy. The only man she had been completely comfortable exposing her body to was Daniel. Angela had thick, honey colored hair that fell to her shoulders, her brilliant blue eyes often reminded men of sapphires, her tummy was flat and toned and her modest sided bust and trim figure drew envious stares from other woman as well as most red blooded men. She noticed the familiar gleam in John's eyes and tried to ignore it. Angela realized that she was famished. The soup tasted like manna as it slid warmly down her throat.
"Eat slowly, I have not been able to get much solid food into you since you have been here. If you eat too quickly you will get nasty cramps. After your bath I will give you some more substantial food."
Angela thought it strange that this man had not summoned and ambulance and sent her to a hospital. She did not like what those omissions implied.
"Who knows that I am here?" She asked between spoonfuls of soup.
"Well Angela, I know and now you know. It doesn't really have to go beyond the two of us."
"People are looking for me!" stated Angela.
"Not anymore. The search was called off after they figured out that you ended up in the bottom of that pond you tumbled into. Last I heard they were planning on dredging the pond for your body in the spring. They did not even find your car until three days after you turned up missing, so even when they WERE searching, you already were under my care."
"But my husband, my life."
"Are irrelevant at this juncture. That snow storm turned into a blizzard. There are several feet of snow in every direction. It is amazing I was able to get you here before even the deer trails became impassible. I already know you intimately. You were delirious for the better part of a week, you told me ALL about yourself during that time. I have a feeling that deep down your life was not entirely happy. You complained for example that your husband ALWAYS found some excuse to avoid accompanying you on your excursions. You like to tell yourself that it doesn't bother you but it does. Why would you want to go back to a life that was making you miserable? The amazing good fortune I had in stumbling across you was a sign that the little oasis of my cabin is the new beginning you need."
Angela looked at the man. He did not look dangerous but she did not like the direction this conversation was taking.
"Look Mister, I don't know what you are expecting but I have no intention of staying here. That Daniel may be avoiding sharing my passion does NOT mean that my life is 'miserable'"
"I'm SURE you believe that Angela. You also claimed to not care that he takes business trips with his young and pretty assistant. I know that you WANT to believe him when he tells you that they always pay for separate rooms. Of course you have NO way of knowing if that is true. For something that doesn't bother you, it sure is on your mind a great deal. I'm sure that after a few months under my roof, you will see the wisdom of a new life for both of you.."
"Months!" gasped Angela.
