“Indeed. Even my chiggers have chiggers atthis point.” Eamon grimaced, scratching his neck. “Well hop to,Shane. We want to get to this pond before the rest of the companymuddy it up with their own grime.”
“Right. Let me just get my stuff.” Sheapointed behind her and backed away.
“I’ll go with you,” Eamon said, standing up.“My stuff is over there as well.”
Shea gave him a sickly smile and turned. Thesmile quickly dropped from her face as soon as she had him at herback.
Panic welled inside. What was she going todo? There was no way in all of the Broken Lands that they wouldn’tknow she was a female if they saw her naked. She really didn’t wantto know what their response would be either.
Perhaps she could grab her stuff and slipaway before anybody noticed. Making it back to the Highlands byherself, with no provisions or the proper gear, would be tough anddamn near impossible, but it had to be better than waiting to beexposed.
A heavy hand landed on her shoulder.
Her stomach jumped up into her throat.
“Where are you going Shane?” Eamon asked. Hisbrown eyes frowned down at her in puzzlement. “Our stuff is overhere.”
She looked in the direction he was pointing.Sure enough, her pack sat next to his.
“Yeah, I don’t know what I was thinking,” shetold him.
She followed him to their packs.
She was overthinking this. She’d just leavesomething behind so that when she got to the lake she’d have tocome back and get it.
Yes, that might work.
Maybe.
No, it would. It had to. The alternative wasunacceptable.
“You two ready?” Clark asked from behind her.A towel was thrown over his shoulder and he held a change ofclothes, soap, and washcloth in his hands.
Shea grabbed a towel and smiled back.“Yup.”
She trailed the three as they bantered amongthemselves. It didn’t take long to reach the pond, if it could becalled that. Nestled into a smooth expanse of slippery stone, thepool was fed by a waterfall that fell in three tiers, creatingsmaller pools at each rock outcropping. A ledge rimmed the waterallowing the men easy access. On three sides, a thin, slow movingstream trickled over moss covered rock.
It was an ideal place to bathe with the sunwarming the shallow water and enough movement to prevent algae andother plants from growing. The water was slow enough that youdidn’t have to be worried about being carried downstream.
Shea felt a little envious that she wouldn’tget to enjoy it. Having only been able to run a wet wash cloth overher skin the previous night, she was still covered in the filthfrom battle. Blood flaked away in little chips in the spots shemissed. A bath would be a decadent pleasure.
Maybe she could find her way back. Later.When everyone was asleep or busy with other things.
The men began disrobing. Shea turned her backand walked to the edge of the rock and set her stuff down.
There was a shout and then a splash behindher.
“Come on, jump in, Shane,” Clark called. Heducked under the surface and then shot up in a spray of water.
Buck and Eamon leapt into the middle of thepool after him, sending water cascading over the edge.
Shea kept her eyes determinedly on the men’sfaces. She hadn’t seen so many naked bodies, in well, ever. Therewas no way she was going in that water.
“I think I forgot some things,” she told him,edging back. “I’ll just head back and get them.”
“What did you forget? Perhaps one of us hassomething you can use,” Buck said. He slicked his hair back andwiped the water off his face.
Shea shook her head. “I don’t think so. Iforgot a change of clothes and my soap.”
