Mountains of Dawn

"Yes. It's a super-secret." She giggled.

"No, no…no super-secrets allowed from a future husband. Out with it, Tanya." Kevin tried to look stern.

"Malcolm received a long fax on my neighbor-to-be, Mr. Kevin Matwin. The office was empty, except for me. I read it all." Again, she giggled.

"Tsk…bad girl! Had you seen pictures of me before we met?"

"Oh, yes, a few photographs, along with several newspaper clippings about your work."

"That proves it: you need someone mature to keep you out of trouble." He gulped the remainder of his coffee. "Can you get a move on? Hurry it up a bit? I really want to get going."

The phone rang. Kevin moved into the den, but Tanya could hear him distinctly.

"Yes, Jeff." Pause. "No, I couldn't return your call immediately." Long silence. "No, no. Don't jump to conclusions. Things didn't work out as planned, that's all." Kevin sounded calm. "It will happen. Don't worry. I have faith in our new man."

A short pause followed. "I've already told you, there has been a change of plans. I'll call you when it's done." Another pause. "I have no time to discuss it further, Jeff. Trust me. I'll call you real soon. Goodbye."

Near Mont Tremblant, Quebec

"Oh, Kevin, it's beautiful!" Tanya stared at the wood cottage with cathedral ceiling and windows all around. "And the interior-" she said as she walked inside. "Rustic style. Very nice." Soft white sheepskins covered the wide-board floor; alpine reproductions hung on the walls, each representing a site where the Winter Olympics had taken place.

"It looks exactly like a ski resort," Tanya said. "Unique and very, very classy. Nice pictures…Garmisch, 1936. And this of Innsbruck, 1964-well, incredibly picturesque with all those snowy peaks…" She turned toward Kevin. "You were right. I'll love it here."

"This cottage was a wedding gift from my second wife. She decorated it especially for me. After the divorce, I never came back to stay."

"Regrets?"

"Not really. Milena was very exuberant and generous, both with her money and her body. Not much anyone could do about it." He glanced at Tanya. "You can't fight nature, or fate." He looked deeply into Tanya's eyes, his expression somber. "That holds true for us, too, Tanya."