The Road that Leads to …

Thanks to Jason once again for stirring my imagination with another one of his photos. You can see more of his photography at http://jasonfrels.com/2022/03/08/waiting-for-spring/

 

 

Mason was kicking himself, he needed to go back to the coffee shop. He had left his favorite comb there along with his special hair gel that he had stopped and bought yesterday. The hair gel would be needed on the three day weekend trip that he was going on. Hopefully he could slip in and out of the coffee shop without Cara noticing.

The parking lot was pretty full when he got there. That was a good sign, Cara would be busy. A good thing that Sarah had offered to help her. She had a dependable girl helping her out at the flower shop now, so she was able to get away some.

He slipped in the back door went to his office and grabbed the gel and headed out, breathing a sigh of relief, Cara was busy out front. CRASH! In his hurry to leave he had accidentally knocked the cannister of sugar off of the shelf. Sugar went everywhere and the crash brought Cara running to the back.

“Mason! What happened?”

“Sorry, I knocked down the sugar. I will clean it up, you can go back to your customers.” He said, trying to keep his head down.

“I see that the sugar spilled, but why is there a bruise on your forehead?”

“Oh, nothing to worry about.” he mumbled, “I was working in the garden and stepped on the hoe that was lying on the ground.”

“Ouch!” Cara did sound sympathetic, but Mason could see the teasing look in her eyes and the smile she was trying to hide. Now Sarah would find out, which meant Grayson, his brother would find out too. He let out a groan.

Cara helped him clean up the sugar without saying a word, she couldn’t, as she was trying hard not to laugh. When they were done he grabbed his hair gel and headed for the door. “Have a good trip and watch your step.” Cara said, as he walked out.

“Whoa! That’s quite a shiner that you have, what did you do?” Tippner asked, when Mason pulled up to his house. Tippner gazed sympathetically at him for he had a similar experience before, leaving him with a bruise as well. “Well, we are going out into the woods, no garden tools to worry about. Lets get this weekend started. Quincy texted, he is ready and waiting. I told him it would be at least another hour until we got there. He said that would be fine, he was checking his stats, and grading papers as well. Quincy, an accounting professor, lived a little ways out of Bittersweet Creek. He had invited them up to do some hiking in his area and they were all for it.

A couple of hours later found them finally in the woods, reveling in its serenity. Tippner didn’t have to deal with a hundred questions from customers, Mason had a break from Cara’s chattering at work, and Quincy didn’t have to battle with trying to make accounting exciting enough to keep his students awake.

After hiking for some time they came to a trail that Quincy hadn’t been on before. “Should we try it?” asked Mason.

“Why not! It has to lead somewhere, maybe there is a pot of gold waiting for us?”

“Either that or maybe a den of snakes.” said Tippner.

Quincy yelled, “On second thought, maybe we better not.”

“Don’t worry, if there is, I am sure Tippner will take care of them.” said Mason. So off they went, down the trail that led to somewhere.

Mason was stopping and taking photos along the way, the golden grass stood out in a lovely way. Once something rustled in the grass and Tippner jumped. “What was that?”

He had grabbed hold of Quincy’s arm, and they all watched a white cottontail rabbit scurry out of the golden grasses.

“Get a handle on yourself. I don’t think a rabbit is going to hurt you.” Quincy told him, as he released his death grip from Quincy’s poor arm.

“Hey guys, remind me to call Amanda when we get somewhere where we have service, okay. I was supposed to call her before we left, and I forgot.”

“Oooh, you forgot to call your girl, not good Mason, but Amanda seems like an understanding girl, you may be OK this time.” Tippner joked with him.

Thunk! Part of a branch broke off and landed on Mason’s head. “Maybe that is Amanda reminding you to call her.” Quincy said, as he and Tippner laughed.

They kept walking, as they went around the bends in the path that seemed to continue stretching on and on to somewhere. They were beginning to wonder if they should turn back, for the path seemed to lead to nowhere, and then they saw it.

(to be continued…)