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 Winter Heat (Part 1) --------------------- I bolted to a sitting position
and focused on the clock.  Four in the morning.  It was the same dream as
always.  And as before, my body was drenched in sweat.  My breathing was
shallow.  Everything in the house was quiet.  I leaned over and clicked on
the reading lamp on the night stand.  The cat at the end of the bed
squinting to adjust her eyes to the light.  I was wide awake.  I slipped on
my robe and started down the stairs to find something to drink.  My mouth
was parched.  The house was as quiet as ever.

   I'd lived in this house for 5 years now.  It was a circa 1880's farm
house on 40 acres.  The Czech and German influence in the architecture was
apparent.  All of the bedrooms were on the second floor grouped around a
single brick flue.  There was a circular opening in the flue at each
bedroom to accommodate a wood stove for those cold Minnesota nights.  But
now the heating system had been long since replaced by a boiler and the
opening of the flue was covered with one of those paper-plate shaped tins
with a whimsical picture of a Greek garden.

   I knew which floorboards creaked and just by changing the location of
each step I could walk across the room noisily or as quiet as the cat. 
"Ouch" I yelled, as I bumped my head on the door frame.  I suspected all
the abnormally tall sons of the farmers had done the same thing so many
years ago.  The 5 foot 4 inch openings for the doors were definitely made
for a normal sized Czech or a smurf.  You'd think after 5 years I would
have trained myself to duck for the opening.

   Rubbing the bump on my head I peered through the floor register in the
hallway and spied down to the kitchen below.  I often wondered how many
times this grate was used to eavesdrop on conversations in the kitchen. 
All business, whether personal or farm related, was conducted in the
kitchen.  A den or living room at that time was considered a waste of space
and much too far from the warmth of the stove.

   They stopped making homes like this years ago.  The architects felt this
home was much too functional.  But as the years went by, the practicality
of this type of home became as desirable as any of the artistic designs of
the day.

   The steep stairs made a bend at the fifth flight down.  A right angle
bend.  A door at the bottom of the stairs opened up into the kitchen.  The
bump on my head reminded me to duck once again as I passed through it.

   I flipped on the light in the kitchen and walked over to the
refrigerator, got out a bottle of water.  As I tilted the bottle up to take
a drink I looked out the window, past the barn, and noticed the lights were
on at the rental house.  It was a small structure with four rooms
originally built to house the extra hands required during the harvest.  I
had updated it recently and rented it to a couple of ladies from the east
coast that transplanted here.  They had rented it temporarily until they
could find a suitable home to purchase.  I gave them a generously low
rental rate partly cause it had been vacant for a couple of months and
partly because they were two of the most gorgeous things I'd seen around
here in a while.

   As I gazed out the window I noticed fresh footprints in the snow.  The
footprints led from the rental house to the rear of my house.  At that same
instant I heard the knock at the door.  As I opened the door I saw Karen
standing there.  She was swaying her body from side to side trying to keep
warm.  I invited her in.

   "Jeff we've got a problem.  The heater is not working.  I'd have started
a fire in the wood stove but we didn't have any wood.  I was on my way over
to get some firewood when I saw your light on and thought you wouldn't mind
coming over to check it out." Then smiling, she said: "Besides, you can
grab a load of firewood on your way over."

   "Oh so what you really want is help with the wood huh?" I said, teasing.


   "Well the thought had crossed my mind." she replied, with a wide smile.

   "Let me get my boots on and I'll come over and see what's the matter. 
Come on in and warm yourself while I get dressed.  Help yourself to some
tea or hot chocolate, or whatever.  I'll be right back" I left Karen in the
kitchen and started up the stairs.

   I peered down though the floor register at the top of the stairs to gaze
at Karen briefly .  She was a gorgeous brunette, a medium build, about 5-7,
with her hair cut short and sexy.  Her skin was olive and her hazel eyes
always sparkled with energy.  It was the memory of seeing her sunbathing
last summer that never escaped me.  She had no tan lines and always knew
when it was time for me to cut the grass.  There was an attraction between
us but because of our work schedules, we were never able to spend time
together.  The sunbathing was something she loved doing and I suspected all
along it was for my benefit.  This gal had a figure to die for and a sassy
attitude to match.

   I quickly dressed in a flannel shirt and jeans, grabbed my boots and
carried them down the stairs.  As I opened the door I was a little stunned
to see Karen sitting there.  She had left her sweat pants on but taken off
her parka.  Under the parka she was wearing a simple, very sexy, dark blue
satin bra with wide shoulder straps.  The shiny satin made my heart drop as
it hugged her exquisite breasts.  She had taken off her snow boots and left
them at the door.  I always found those heavy bunched up knee-high socks to
be very sexy too.  Trying to conceal my excitement, (and not doing too good
of a job of it), I asked her if she was ready to make the return trek to
her place.

   She smiled slyly and said "Sure" and added.  "Hope you're ready to get
some of those muscles working, I want to make sure I've got plenty of
firewood since I'm off work tomorrow."

   I smiled back and bowed saying "My dear I would go out, chop down a
tree, split the wood, deliver it, and stack it if that's what it took to
keep you warm".

   "Oh would you now?" Karen smiling broader.  "How delicious!  You make
such a wonderful grounds keeper.  I had no idea you'd be a lumberjack too!
I wonder what other talents you have?"

   I knew she what she was alluding to and I just smiled at her, knowing
that a response would only prolong the agony of my desire.  God this woman
was sexy!!  I held up her parka so she could slip into it and watched her
bend over and slip on her snow boots.



   I got the sled at the back door and pulled it over to the barn.  I slid
open the 12 foot door and began loading the wood onto the sled.  Karen was
working just as hard as me since it was so very cold.  The work warmed the
body and helped us forget that it was five degrees below zero.  The sled
was full in no time.

   Both of us pulled the sled over to the house and parked it outside.  I
grabbed a handful of wood and held my arms out as Karen stacked even more
on top.  She was laughing as she stacked the wood so high I couldn't see
around it.  "Hold still Jeff," she said, laughing.  "Just one more log".  I
was laughing hysterically knowing she was such a fun gal.  She wanted me to
fall over in the snow but I balanced the stack of wood as she opened the
door and guided me in.

   Once inside I stood there holding the wood, unable to bend over lest
they all fall over.  "Uh Karen darling?  Could you help me out?"

   "What do you think Tammy?  Should we make him stand there a little
while?" Karen teased.

   "Poor Jeff, lets help him with that.  As long as he promises to warm us
up" Tammy responded.

   "Ok Ok girls.  I promise!" I said, pleading.  The wood was heavy in my
arms now.

   I was relieved as both of them removed enough wood from the stack to let
me set down the rest.  As the wood in front of my face was removed I was
able to see Tammy's lovely smile and pretty platinum blonde hair.  She
smiled back at me.

   (Continued)