“I do. I love it.” She did.
He squeezed her fingers and pulled her toward the body of water that was so clear she could see down into the rocks that stair stepped their way deeper into the center of the pool.
“This is what they call a natural spring. What’s neat is that it is surrounded by rocks so it’s clear and not as dirty as if it were at the lake. And there are several places where you can sit and dangle your feet in the water around the edge. See them?”
“I see. How deep is it?” Lucy stared at the center of the pool and wondered if she’d sink to the center of the Earth if she dared step inside this large pool of water.
“It’s only about ten feet at the very deepest place, I promise.” Axel led her to a grassy spot about three feet from the water’s edge. A natural wall of rock looked like it had been drilled out of the very surface of the earth with a fifty-foot diameter bauxite bit and then water had been poured into the drilled space. She’d read about the history of bauxite during the ten days she had been away from Earth, wanting to be up to speed on area facts.
Axel reached into the bundle and pulled out a multicolored blanket she believed was called plaid. He straightened the material out, spread it on the ground and gestured for her to sit. She seated herself in the center of it, feeling the springy grass sink beneath her weight under the blanket. He sat beside her, his expression exuberant.
“They call this place the Hidden Hope Springs.”
“Oh? Why do they call it that?”
“Probably because everyone hopes that they’ll stay hidden when they are swimming here.” Axel laughed.
She smiled and wondered what the joke was. “Why do they hope they’ll stay hidden?”
He grinned, and her cheeks heated up. He was so attractive and even more so when he grinned. “Have you ever heard of skinny-dipping?”
Another flash of heat warmed her face. She knewexactlywhat skinny-dipping was. That was where Earthers swam naked.
“Ah, I see by the blush on your cheeks that you know what skinny-dipping is.”
“Imayhave heard this term. But I don’t really want to participate.”
He was instantly contrite. “I would never expect that of you. But that is why they call it Hidden Hope. Besides, most people don’t go skinny-dipping here anymore. Too many local folks know where this spring is. They can hope they’ll stay hidden all they want, but there is no guarantee of privacy.”
Lucy turned her attention to the scene before her. She tilted her head toward the sun in the clear blue sky and felt the warmth on her skin. She looked around at the tall trees surrounding this place, making it more of a private oasis.
Axel grabbed the bag with the drinks and the mysterious M&M’s. “Want to try a Dr Pepper and some M&M’s?”
“Sure.”Whatever those are.
He twisted the metal cap off the drinks and gave one to her. He sipped from the bottle and she did the same. It was bubbly and sweet and she loved it. “I like this Dr Pepper.”
“Good. Try these.” He opened one end of the bag and poured a small handful of what looked like colorful beads into her palm. He popped a few into his mouth. She did the same. “It tastes like chocolate. Crunchy chocolate.”
“Yep. This is my favorite snack. Dr Pepper and M&M’s.”
“Mine, too.” She would never forget this treat or this man or this perfect day. “This place is lovely. Thank you for bringing me here.”
“My pleasure. Are you ready to dip your toes in the water?”
Lucy glanced at the inviting water. It looked cool. She wasn’t hot, exactly, except that she was warm all over because of Mr. Axel Grey, a man who put a whole new meaning of heat into her world. “Yes. I really would like to dip my toes in, maybe up to my kneecaps, maybe my whole leg.”
Axel pulled his boots off and then his socks and rolled up his jeans until she could see his hairy calves. She followed suit, taking her shoes and socks off and rolling up her pant legs all the way to her knees. She was grateful not to have hairy legs.
He stood up and offered his hand to pull her to her feet, leading her to the area where flat stones descended into the clear pool. Something about being so near a large pool of water made her a little nervous.
She laced her fingers, placing the pads of her thumbs together and pressed hard for a count of three to quell her fear. She then reached out and wrapped both of her hands around his forearm. She wanted to make sure she didn’t slip.
“I won’t let you fall in, Lucy. The rock is granite, but there are slick spots, so be careful.” The first two steps were warm, but as they moved deeper into the water, each step got cooler. His warning in her head, Lucy wanted a firmer grasp of him.
She slid her arm around his waist to hang on as they eased into the pool little by little.
“I’m not used to seeing so much water, you know what I mean?”
