Page 91 of Beauty and the Beard

Sasha squeezes my hand tight as we turn to survey all our hard work. Since he presented me the plan for re-starting my sugarshack, we jumped right in. With help from Perry when he was available, the three of us did as much work ourselves as possible before hiring local people to finish. Turns out Sasha isn’t half bad with power tools and paintbrushes.

While I thought the cabin here could be used for his studio later with Roman, he had bigger ideas and I’m glad I listened.

“I know it’s small, but when you come to the source of the maple syrup, you should be able to have it on pancakes.”

My former two-room cabin has been transformed into a self-serve pancake house. We cleared an area next to the cabin and built several picnic tables for people to sit and enjoy what they stuffed into their takeout containers. And of course there’s no shortage of maple syrup and other maple products—like Millie’s maple crème-filled cookies.

“And it has nothing to do with your addiction to pancakes?”

He bats his eyelashes with a grin. “Not at all. But it’s rather convenient.”

Together, we cleaned all the tapping lines and spouts, the buckets, and machines. We worked our whole first winter together on this project as much as possible. Once the spring came, I had to be full-time at the lodge and Sasha had to concentrate on finishing his photography course.

Not to mention his own business venture with Roman.

Sasha was someone I wasn’t prepared for. Not the first time he arrived here with his designer clothes and uncertainty. And definitely not when he came back to stay with his newfound confidence and sense of self. His determination to make something of himself, and us, never fails to leave me wondering how lucky I am to be the recipient of his affection.

“I love you. If it wasn’t for you, none of this would have happened.”

“It would have, Leaf. Maybe not like this, but you’d have made your way here, eventually. This is who you are. You just needed a push to get back to life.”

He kisses the back of my hand, and I focus on his pink, glossy lips. The same lips I kiss every day and listen to encouraging words from.

“I know that look, Leaf, and we can’t.”

With a chuckle, I kiss his neck and walk him back to the doorway.

“What look?”

A nibble to his ear and he sighs.

“The one that says you want me naked and spread out in three seconds.”

A whisper near his ear so my beard feathers across his cheek and neck. I know he likes that. He sucks in a sharp breath.

“You’d be right. And I know we can’t… yet. And the whole time we do this event and the reporters ask questions, just think of what we used to do here before it became a pancake house.” I feather a kiss on his neck. “Because I’m doing it as soon as we get home.”

He turns his head and takes my lips in a desperate kiss. And I’d lose my control and strip him naked anyway if it weren’t for the sounds of tires crunching into the lot.

“Our first guests. You ready for this?”

“I’m ready for anything. Let’s do it.”

Sasha

The grand opening is far more successful than I imagined. People came out for Leaf by the hundreds on this chilly February day and I don’t think it’s possible for my heart to be more full for him.

Perry drove the tractor, pulling wagons of people through the bush while Leaf explained the tapping lines and collection process. A few times I joined him on the ride and it was a thrill to see him so animated, talking about something he was a thousand percent into.

Mostly, though, I manned the cash and sold maple syrup by the crapload.

And ate pancakes.

Talk about living a magical life.

The door to our apartment closes behind us and after Leaf drops his keys on the counter, he collapses on the sofa face down.

“That was a long day, beauty.”

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