“Now that he’s close, maybe,” Tess said matter-of-factly. “Especially when we finally catch some fish and fry ’em up.”
“Thanks a lot, Ashton,” Carter said. “So much for sleeping on this trip. Why do you think you’re above the rules anyway?”
Ashton didn’t defend himself, just mumbled an insincere apology. Logan figured his cocky attitude would be back before lunch. Probably with a vengeance, considering his dislike for being chastised and need to seem better than everyone else.
“I do have one idea,” Tess said, getting everyone’s attention. “I wasn’t planning it until later in the week, but we could hike to the falls today, pick some berries along the way, and leave them there. If Beary White follows his nose out that far, he’s less likely to come back here.”
“You named him?” Logan asked, and she shrugged.
Carter stood. “Yes. Let’s do that.”
“Maybe we should all stick together from now on,” Grayson said. “You know, just in case.”
Tess, fighting a smile, agreed. “Fine. Let’s clean up breakfast and get going then. Bring your fishing poles and a swimsuit if you want a swim.”
Logan helped extinguish the fire, double-checked that allhisgarbage was sealed, put on his swim trunks, and reconvened with the others.
“Your feet okay?” Logan asked Ashton.
“No,” he grumbled. “But there’s no way in hell I’m gonna complain about it.”
“Smart.”
They hiked for about an hour, picking berries as they went. As tempted as they were to eat some, they were more interested in making sure the bear didn’t return.
Another thirty minutes, and they popped into a clearing with the most amazing, picturesque scene. A hundred-foot waterfall, encircled by vibrant green trees, cascaded into a glassy emeraldpool. It was late June, and at this altitude, Logan imagined the water was still very cold.
“The water’s chilly this time of year,” Tess confirmed. “Consider yourself warned.” Then she stripped off her shorts and T-shirt, revealing an athletic, lithe body. The plain black one-piece was utilitarian, but Tess made it look good! Curves in all the right places, long, lean legs. Logan wasn’t the only one open-mouthed gawking as she entered the water via a graceful dive.
“Oh, yeah,” Carter said. “I’m gonna get me some of that when we get back.”
“You don’t have a shot,” Ashton said.
“Why not? I’m rich and basically famous. Why wouldn’t she go for me?”
Logan could think of a lot of reasons, but kept his mouth shut.
Tess surfaced with a gasp. “Yeah. Freezing.”
The rest of them scrambled to undress and jumped in. Luckily, they’d gotten hot and sweaty while hiking, so the water was refreshing. At first.
And while it felt good to wash off the grime of the last couple of days, the water’s temperature was not conducive to lounging. Logan scrubbed at his hair and armpits and got the heck out.
For the next hour, they sprawled on massive sun-drenched rocks and dried out.
“Hey,” Carter said, peering into the water. “There’s fish in here. Should we try to catch one?”
“Sure,” Tess said, not moving from her spot in the sun. “If we get lucky, we’ll gut it and leave it here. Tempt the bear to stick around after we leave.”
Carter and Logan redressed and got out their fishing gear.
“Tess,” Grayson said. “Do you know of anything that might lure Bigfoot to us? He probably eats just about anything, and I’m sure he’s not dangerous.”
“Beats me,” Tess said. “You’re the Bigfoot expert.”
“A hot chick in a black swimsuit might bring him ’round,” Carter whispered.
“Heard that,” Tess said from her perch on the rock, eyes still closed. “Not appropriate.”
