“Who, me?”
“Yes, you.”
“Ah, last night’s rations didn’t agree with me.”
It’s a lie, and I’m almost certain she sees straight through it, but what can she do? Accuse me of lying in front of everyone?
I wink at her, which just makes her scowl harder.
“Let’s get going. I want to get to the clearing and get wood before the weather hits us.”
The sky has turned an ominous steel grey, and the wind has picked up. Bonnie was right. The weather has changed for the worse.
We walk single file, and no one really talks.
It’s nearing mid-afternoon when we finally get to a clearing. There’s a small river that is only a few inches deep running to one side, but it’s easily fifteen feet wide. The ground is relatively soft with thick grasses but scattered with boulders that sit half buried in the earth. It’s the prettiest place she’s brought us yet. Bonniedoesn’t head down to the river, though, or even to the open space; she goes straight to higher ground. She peers up at the trees, purses her lips, then turns and walks away from them.
“We’re setting up here,” she says and indicates a place that’s got no trees around it but a slab of rock that sits shoulder high on one side. It’s on the far side of the clearing and appears to be a natural staircase up and out of the small bowl and to higher ground.
“The trees would be better!” Nathan snarls. “We’ll freeze.”
“Huddle for body heat,” Bonnie says.
“I’m not fucking doing that!” Kevin snarls.
“You don’t camp under trees in bad weather because of the widow makers,” Bonnie says without looking at anyone. She holds out her hand and takes Kota’s pack, pulling out the tent.
I look up at the trees. Yeah, good call. I don’t want to be splattered
“What’s a widow maker?” Kendall asks.
“Branches, debris, or dead trees that can be dislodged during bad weather. Also, there’s the threat of lightning. Let’s just camp here, where there’s less chance of us dying.” She sounds like she’s had enough and is barely holding her temper.
“What about the river? What about flash floods?” Kendall surprises us by asking.
Bonnie smiles at Kendall. “That is a good point and is why we are setting up here. But during this time of the year, there will probably be a hell of a lot less chance of flash floods. Regardless, if anything does happen, our escape is this way.”
Bonnie points up the slabs of rocks that climbs and climbs until it hits a section of land that sits much higher than this valley.
“So, are we all good to set up?” Bonnie asks in exasperation.
Vale grabs my jeans at my ass and pulls slightly, putting pressure on my cock and balls.
“Vale,” I warn.
He tugs a little harder, and when I inhale, lets go. “How did your fossicking go?”
“Perfectly. They are going to have a very unpleasant evening,” I say with a smile of pure satisfaction.
He leans forward, putting his chin on my shoulder. I press back into him, a thrum of a satisfied growl rumbling out of me.
Bonnie pauses in what she’s doing and looks at us. Her eyes get wide before she looks down at Dakota and starts trying to set up the tent. He shoos her off, which leaves her with no choice but to find something else to do or look at us.
As if she can’t help herself, her gaze is drawn right back like a magnet, and I swear, her eyes heat.
“I’m going to get firewood!” she shouts.
“We’ll help!” I say before anyone else can.
