seem distracted." Madeline asked as she turned to look into his eyes.
Sig snapped out of his reverie. "Hmmm, I think my brain is fried. I can only concentrate for so long before I need brain food, like a burger and fries or a brat with onions, peppers, and kraut."
"Yummm. You know how to romance a girl. Where can we get something like that?"
"The best place in town is Bull McCabe's. It's at the end of Main Street, near the snowmobile trail. It's a main stop when the trail is open. I'll warn you that with the recent snow, it may be crowded."
"Snowmobile trail? You're serious?"
"You betcha, it's a big sport around here. You can go from one end of the state to the other on snowmobile trails. Almost every two miles there's a bar and grill."
"We don't have snowmobile trails where I come from and there are more yogurt or coffee shops than bars and grills."
Sig stared over her head for a moment.
She waved her hand in front of his face. "Hello?"
He shook his head and smiled. "I'm trying to picture a bunch of guys talking sports over yogurt and a smoothie. Every time the picture comes into focus, they're all wearing tutus."
She chuckled. "I don't want to see it. It sounds frightful."
He sighed. "I changed it to a beer and brats and now they're back in regular clothes.'
She gathered her books into a backpack. "Let's go and join them. Studying makes me hungry."
They met at Bull McCabe's. Sig arrived first and watched her pull a BMW convertible with California plates into the space next to his four-wheel drive pickup. BMWs aren't very practical for rural Minnesota. She probably looked forward to the coming warmer weather. Dad told a college buddy from Texas, when asked what they did in Minnesota during the summer, "If summer falls on a weekend, I like to go fishing."
Sig pointed out six snowmobiles parked on the side of the building.
Madeline asked, "It's getting dark; do they leave them here all night?"
"No, they have headlights." He pointed to the front of one. "They can drive all night."
"Oh, I'm learning a lot. I'll stick close and let you teach me about my new home."
Inside, six of the twelve tables held patron's attention focused on two large screen TVs tuned to hockey.
Sig directed her to a booth in back.
"Do you play hockey?"
"Everybody in Minnesota plays hockey. Even Mrs. Booth, at the bank, played goalie."
"You're kidding."
"No, she really did. Not everyone plays. I only played a bit when I was young before I got interested in other sports."
"What sports?"
"Football, basketball, martial arts, and riding. Now, mostly martial arts and riding."
"Oh a tough guy. Are you a black belt?"
"Yeah."
"Did you decide you didn't like football and basketball?"
"We had a family issue last year and I lost interest in team sports."
"I heard that your father died last year. I'm sorry to hear that. I know it hurts."
"Thank you. Yes, it does."
"I know because that's why I moved here. My parents died last year in a plane wreck and my uncle asked me to move here until I go to college."
"Both parents? I'm sure sorry to hear that. Wow, and you had to move from California to Minnesota. Your life has really been screwed up. At least I still have Mom."
She bit her lip and looked down at the menu. After a lengthy silence she said, "Mom was my best friend."
Sig reached across the table and rubbed her shoulder. "I'm so sorry."
After a few seconds, she looked up and smiled at him. Her eyes were red. "Thank you. Sometimes I forget how much it hurts."
Looking back down at the menu, she asked, "What's a California burger?"
Sig startled at the change of subject said, "I guess they have tomatoes and lettuce."
"Don't all burgers have that?" She frowned at the menu.
"I guess in California they do." He said with a wry smile.
She looked up at him with a grin and they both laughed.
They both ordered California burgers, fries, and root beer. Over the meal they continued to discuss their geology project.
The Dark Mage hurled
Sig snapped out of his reverie. "Hmmm, I think my brain is fried. I can only concentrate for so long before I need brain food, like a burger and fries or a brat with onions, peppers, and kraut."
"Yummm. You know how to romance a girl. Where can we get something like that?"
"The best place in town is Bull McCabe's. It's at the end of Main Street, near the snowmobile trail. It's a main stop when the trail is open. I'll warn you that with the recent snow, it may be crowded."
"Snowmobile trail? You're serious?"
"You betcha, it's a big sport around here. You can go from one end of the state to the other on snowmobile trails. Almost every two miles there's a bar and grill."
"We don't have snowmobile trails where I come from and there are more yogurt or coffee shops than bars and grills."
Sig stared over her head for a moment.
She waved her hand in front of his face. "Hello?"
He shook his head and smiled. "I'm trying to picture a bunch of guys talking sports over yogurt and a smoothie. Every time the picture comes into focus, they're all wearing tutus."
She chuckled. "I don't want to see it. It sounds frightful."
He sighed. "I changed it to a beer and brats and now they're back in regular clothes.'
She gathered her books into a backpack. "Let's go and join them. Studying makes me hungry."
They met at Bull McCabe's. Sig arrived first and watched her pull a BMW convertible with California plates into the space next to his four-wheel drive pickup. BMWs aren't very practical for rural Minnesota. She probably looked forward to the coming warmer weather. Dad told a college buddy from Texas, when asked what they did in Minnesota during the summer, "If summer falls on a weekend, I like to go fishing."
Sig pointed out six snowmobiles parked on the side of the building.
Madeline asked, "It's getting dark; do they leave them here all night?"
"No, they have headlights." He pointed to the front of one. "They can drive all night."
"Oh, I'm learning a lot. I'll stick close and let you teach me about my new home."
Inside, six of the twelve tables held patron's attention focused on two large screen TVs tuned to hockey.
Sig directed her to a booth in back.
"Do you play hockey?"
"Everybody in Minnesota plays hockey. Even Mrs. Booth, at the bank, played goalie."
"You're kidding."
"No, she really did. Not everyone plays. I only played a bit when I was young before I got interested in other sports."
"What sports?"
"Football, basketball, martial arts, and riding. Now, mostly martial arts and riding."
"Oh a tough guy. Are you a black belt?"
"Yeah."
"Did you decide you didn't like football and basketball?"
"We had a family issue last year and I lost interest in team sports."
"I heard that your father died last year. I'm sorry to hear that. I know it hurts."
"Thank you. Yes, it does."
"I know because that's why I moved here. My parents died last year in a plane wreck and my uncle asked me to move here until I go to college."
"Both parents? I'm sure sorry to hear that. Wow, and you had to move from California to Minnesota. Your life has really been screwed up. At least I still have Mom."
She bit her lip and looked down at the menu. After a lengthy silence she said, "Mom was my best friend."
Sig reached across the table and rubbed her shoulder. "I'm so sorry."
After a few seconds, she looked up and smiled at him. Her eyes were red. "Thank you. Sometimes I forget how much it hurts."
Looking back down at the menu, she asked, "What's a California burger?"
Sig startled at the change of subject said, "I guess they have tomatoes and lettuce."
"Don't all burgers have that?" She frowned at the menu.
"I guess in California they do." He said with a wry smile.
She looked up at him with a grin and they both laughed.
They both ordered California burgers, fries, and root beer. Over the meal they continued to discuss their geology project.
The Dark Mage hurled
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