All her calls were done, everyone had been reassured and were happy she was okay. She then pulled her jacket on and stepped outside to find Daniel. She was surprised to see that there was a light dusting of white on the ground. The door was recessed back from the entrance of the cave and Daniel had conveniently placed indoor/ outdoor carpeting which provided a sensible barrier between the ground and her sock covered feet.

Gray bounded up to her, bouncing around her and yipping, like an excited puppy. He was huge, much bigger than what she had initially thought. He probably weighed in at 125 pounds. Her mind scrambled to convert that to kilograms-about 55.

She spotted Daniel to her left, he was chopping wood and the tarp covered stack grew with each cut of the axe. He had not noticed her, so she turned without calling and went back inside. She poured herself more tea and sat next to the fire pit, thinking some rather deep thoughts. At this point she would be delighted to stay if Daniel asked her to. However, she didn't want to be a bother, perhaps it was best if she went to the B & B.

Gray had stretched out beside her and her hand ran through his fur, it was soft like a kitten's, not at all course as she had expected it to be.

It was so peaceful here. She stood to wander around the cave. She was amazed that he was able to have so many gadgets that required power and that that power came from solar panels. She understood the concept but that was about it. Could the energy be stored and if so where?

She knelt to the floor which were fitted panels of wood planking, covered with various scatter rugs. The entire area of the cave was covered in these panels, except for about three inches of space around the fire pit. She noticed that the wood was elevated about five inches above the dirt floor and had been packed with insulation. This probably accounted for the comfortable temperature to walk on. The walls were covered with different animal skins and a couple of native designed blankets. The only thing left bare was the ceiling. He had power for his gadgets and the fire pit provided warmth.

The fire pit itself was a fantastic structure. It was circular with half of it being in what could be called the kitchen area and the other half in the living room area with two comfy chairs close by. The table was off to one side between the pit and the bed. What was fantastic was that there was a flue and chimney just above head level when standing, which directed the smoke outside.

The kitchen was equipped with a long counter that doubled as an eating space with two bar stools. A wall had been constructed behind this counter to facilitate the addition of cupboards and drawers. The fridge was small but adequate as was the freezer. Among the gadgets was a small ice machine if needed. The water system was plumbed into a natural spring in the hill. She did not know and would not know until she asked later, that there was a small adjoining cave that could be accessed via a door behind the bathroom paneling. This cave was not finished and because of its coldness even in the heat of the summer, provided a great storage place for anything hunted.

It was over an hour before Daniel came in. His arms were full of wood. He actually made about six trips, stacking it in the corner baskets yet making it handy for the pit.

He filled the kettle and placed it on the grill that covered the kitchen side of the pit. He rinsed the tea pot and restocked the honey jar. His last act before sitting to wait for the water to boil was to turn on the stereo and put in a CD. Soft music once again caressed the room.

"Okay, now that your calls are done, and I have more than enough wood, let's talk about what you want to do. I can call Todd and have him bring up your bags and we can fly out tomorrow to your parents, or Todd can come and pick you up and take you back to the B & B. Which would suit you best?"

"I guess, having Todd pick me up would be okay, I don't want to go home to the folks just yet."

The kettle was whistling, so he got up to make the tea. She waited while he did this.

"I know, I am being pushy, but could I stay here for a few days. I thought I wanted to be alone. I changed my mind and having you and Gray around would be nice. Todd could bring over the vehicle and my things, maybe have one of the workers take him back. Would that work? Or would it be inconvenient?" She held her breath while waiting for her answer.

"Wow, that was not the answer I was expecting. Hey, you are more than welcome to stay. I have enough food, Todd can certainly do that. The B & B is only about twenty-five miles away. If there is anything you need he can grab it from the general store. I usually get my bread from the little bakery. It's quite a little settlement there, lots of tourists stop for a few days. Oh, I have a fold up cot under the bed. So yes, stay."

Gray took that moment to offer his little woof.

"Great, thank you. I don't think we need the cot." She smiled and blushed.