Merryville

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

December 26

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Chris rolled over with a groan.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and lolled his tongue around his dry mouth.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

He thrust his feet to the floor and padded unsteadily to the door in his boxers. "Yeah?" Chris blinked at the bright lights in the hall. As the yellow-white haze cleared, Madison appeared in front of him.

"I told you I was going to help you and this is a good way to start. Wake up! You said you guys wanted to be out of bed early. It is five now."

"Oh, yes, you're right. Thank you! I will have to wake up the two hundred pounds of Arthur now."

"Leave that to me." Madison dropped an ice cube down Arthur's shirt. He awoke with a start and jumped out of bed.

"W-what's going on?!"

"Well, gentlemen, my job is done here. I'll see you downstairs when you'll leave."

Arthur grabbed the robe on the end of the bed.

"What a woman!"

"Yeah...," Chris responded, his voice drifting off as his mind turned to her. He shook his head to bring his thoughts back to their plans for the day. "Okay, let's go. We have a lot to do today."

Chris picked up his clothes that he'd tossed on a chair when he undressed the night before. He almost shivered in disgust at the thought of putting on previously worn clothes. He only ever wore clothes one day and then washed them. With all the investigating yesterday he had forgotten to stop by Dan's shop to get more clothes.

Freshly showered, Chris rejoined Arthur in the bedroom. Arthur had dressed in the same blue jeans and orange turtleneck he wore the day before.

"Don't you have anything else to wear?"

"Nope." Arthur spread his arms out at his side. "This is it."

"You mean you've worn the same clothes for the last ten years?"

"Yep."

Ewww! "Well, you'll have to go shopping later then. If we're going to be doing parties and things we will certainly need more than one outfit. I'll go get my stuff later today."

Chris and Arthur left the hotel, with Chris waving to Madison as they passed through the lobby, fifteen minutes before 6 A.M. When they arrived at the tree shop, Jack was already inside his little market. Two other men were heading into the woods.

"Good morning, Jack," Arthur said, extending his hand.

"Ah, good to see you, gentlemen. I assume this is your friend, Arthur?"

"Yes, this is Chris."

"Good to meet you, Chris." Jack turned and pointed after the first two men disappearing into the trees. "I've sent Dave and James to cover the south. I'd like you two to work in the northwest." He waved a finger in that direction.

Chris' heart sank. How would they be able to work on the house when it was in the south?

"Remember, you can use my tractor and tools over there in the shed. Just make sure to bring everything back at the end of the day."

"All right, Jack. See you later."

"Okay, here's the problem," Arthur said as they crunched through the snow to the shed behind the store. "We have two days to bring back the most cut trees as possible in the northwest, and still figure out how to get all those tools to the house without being seen."