“You can use my soap, Shane,” Clark offered,swimming to the edge and grabbing the soap he left there.
“Thanks, Clark, but I’ll need to get myclothes anyway.”
“Just wear what you’re wearing now,” Bucksaid.
“No, I don’t want to get clean only to put ondirty clothes again.”
Buck and Clark shared a sly look. Clarkclimbed out and walked towards her. She held her ground. It wasn’teasy; she didn’t like the grin he was giving her.
Buck climbed out as well, and now she had twonaked men closing in on her.
“I think the Lowlander is afraid of a littlewater,” Buck told Clark.
“I’m thinking so too. What should we do aboutit?”
“Well, they always say that if you want toconquer your fear, you’ve got to face it.”
Buck reached for her. Shea shied back,evading his hands only to be brought up short when Clark reachedout and snagged the back of her shirt.
“What are you doing?” Shea shouted, battingat his hands.
“Don’t worry, little buddy,” Buck told her,grabbing her other arm and dragging her towards the water. “We’llhelp you face your fear.”
Shea flailed trying to get the two off ofher. “Damn it. Let go. I don’t need any help facing my fears.” Shedislodged Clark only to have Buck grab her again and force hercloser. Clark crowed and urged him on.
“Man, he really doesn’t want to go in,” Buckgrunted as he muscled her near the water.
“That’s enough,” Eamon rumbled. “Let himgo.”
“Ah, come on. Nobody wants to put up with hisodor once the rest of us are clean,” Buck argued.
“If he doesn’t want to get in, he doesn’thave to,” Eamon told him firmly. He was giving Shea a strangelook.
“Fine.” Buck released Shea.
She tugged free and whirled on him. Her fistflashed out, connecting with his solar plexus before she couldthink better of it.
Clark’s resulting guffaw was cut short whenShea shoved him into the water.
“Why you little shit,” Buck gasped.
Shea took off before he could recover,heading back to camp in a near sprint. No sounds of pursuitfollowed her. No rustling of underbrush or heavy foot falls.
She slowed and looked back, searching thewoods. Looked like they had decided to stay and enjoy the water.She heaved a sigh of relief.
That had been close. She didn’t want to thinkwhat would have happened without Eamon’s intervention. She hadn’tthought they would be so persistent.
Now, all she had to do was avoid gettingcaught at the pool before they left in the morning.
She stopped and pulled her shirt from herneck and sniffed. Crap. Buck was right. She didn’t exactly smelllike sunshine and flowers. The smell would become overpowering oncethe others had cleaned. Not a critical problem but one that shecould avoid easily enough if only she could figure out a way toaccess the pool when everyone else was asleep.
If she didn’t miss her guess, there might bea similar one above the water fall. Instead of heading straightback to camp, her feet took her back in the direction of Eamon andthe others in a heading that would place her above the smallwaterfall. She wouldn’t be able to bathe now, but it was apossibility for that night, if she could find a secluded spot.
Nobody paid much attention when she slippedback into camp an hour later. Most chores had been finished, andthe men sat around playing games. A few had lain down, using theirgear as a makeshift pillow as they ribbed each other or tooknaps.
Shea headed to her pack and reached in it forher notebook. She wanted a plausible excuse for why she didn’t goback to bathe when the others returned. Studying her notes on thearea was as good a reason as any.
Her notebook sat forgotten in her lap as shepeople watched.
