strength Dave
hadn’t even suspected. Not like delicate fine china at all. He
cheerfully did all that he was asked, and more, too, when he saw
something that needed doing. Well, he was cheerful right through
the task of putting up Nicholas’s tent. But his face fell when he
realised that they were about to put up a second tent for Dave. His
face fell, and then resentment sparked in those deep dark
eyes.
“ Do you really
not trust me?”
“ It’s not
that,” Dave said uncomfortably.
“ I’m not
the kind of guy to insist where I’m not welcome. I promise I’m
not.”
“ I know,” said
Dave. “I know.”
“ These tents
are … well, not enormous. But certainly large enough for
two.”
“ They’ll sleep
four if necessary. I usually allocate a tent for every two or three
people.”
Nicholas stared at him
hard. “Well, then?”
“ Don’t you
appreciate having your own space?”
The stare flickered a
little, and some of the righteousness ebbed away. “I suppose. Yes.”
Nicholas sighed. “Yes.”
“ I
always have my own tent,” Dave explained. “ Always . It’s one of my
rules. And no one gets to come in. That’s my space, d’you
see?”
Nicholas sagged a little
further. “Yes, of course. I do see.”
“ It’s nothing
to do with you. I mean, no more than any client.”
“ I
understand.”
“ Good.” Dave
turned away. It’s not as if anything would have happened, anyway,
whether they shared a tent or not. Such a thing didn’t even factor
into his calculations.
“ I suppose you
have a non–fraternisation rule, too. You’d never sleep with a
client, would you?”
“ Of course
not.”
A beat of silence. Another.
“ Come on,
then,” Nicholas said with a friendly kind of briskness. “This tent
isn’t going to assemble itself.”
And Dave turned back to the man
with an appreciative laugh.
Dave lit a campfire, of
course. Partly for warmth, partly for the focus it provided, partly
because it was expected. He set a billy to boil over it for bush
tea, but otherwise cooked their meat, potatoes and veg on the gas
stove. While waiting for dinner to be ready, he pottered about
happily, organising everything just so. And he didn’t forget to
call Denise on the satphone, to give her their coordinates and
reassure her that all was well. Dave might have wandered around the
far side of the Cruiser before making the call, but that didn’t
signify anything. In any case, Denise only had time to jot down the
details, as Zoe was crying for attention, though she made a point
of telling him to take care. Which warmed his heart, even now. Dave
hung up, and went to attend to his own charge.
Dinner was a success.
Nicholas ate ravenously and gratefully – and, as he finally set his
empty plate aside, declared, “That was delicious!”
“ Food always
tastes better outdoors.”
The man laughed, but
insisted, “No, it was really great.”
“ Thank you.”
Dave measured out the tea into the billy, and added a couple of gum
leaves he’d saved for the purpose, then left it to steep. “Come
on,” he said, beckoning to Nicholas. “Come away from the
fire.”
Nicholas cast a somewhat
nervous look around them. “Are you sure? Why?” He’d stood up,
though, and stepped after Dave. “What’s out there?” he asked in
hushed tones, as if predators could be avoided by
whispering.
“ Nothing.
Don’t worry.”
But Nicholas’s hand had
slid into Dave’s, just as easily as if Dave had been holding it out
in invitation. Trust the gay English earling to interpret his
gesture that way! But when Dave turned to tell him off, he
discovered a wide–eyed Nicholas, honestly innocent and genuinely
fearful.
“ If there’s
anything out there, it’s either asleep or it’ll avoid you if you
give it the chance. I promise. You’ll be fine.”
Nicholas’s hand squeezed
his, as if returning his reassurance. “Then what –”
“ Just keep
your back to the fire. Let your eyes adjust.”
They did
hadn’t even suspected. Not like delicate fine china at all. He
cheerfully did all that he was asked, and more, too, when he saw
something that needed doing. Well, he was cheerful right through
the task of putting up Nicholas’s tent. But his face fell when he
realised that they were about to put up a second tent for Dave. His
face fell, and then resentment sparked in those deep dark
eyes.
“ Do you really
not trust me?”
“ It’s not
that,” Dave said uncomfortably.
“ I’m not
the kind of guy to insist where I’m not welcome. I promise I’m
not.”
“ I know,” said
Dave. “I know.”
“ These tents
are … well, not enormous. But certainly large enough for
two.”
“ They’ll sleep
four if necessary. I usually allocate a tent for every two or three
people.”
Nicholas stared at him
hard. “Well, then?”
“ Don’t you
appreciate having your own space?”
The stare flickered a
little, and some of the righteousness ebbed away. “I suppose. Yes.”
Nicholas sighed. “Yes.”
“ I
always have my own tent,” Dave explained. “ Always . It’s one of my
rules. And no one gets to come in. That’s my space, d’you
see?”
Nicholas sagged a little
further. “Yes, of course. I do see.”
“ It’s nothing
to do with you. I mean, no more than any client.”
“ I
understand.”
“ Good.” Dave
turned away. It’s not as if anything would have happened, anyway,
whether they shared a tent or not. Such a thing didn’t even factor
into his calculations.
“ I suppose you
have a non–fraternisation rule, too. You’d never sleep with a
client, would you?”
“ Of course
not.”
A beat of silence. Another.
“ Come on,
then,” Nicholas said with a friendly kind of briskness. “This tent
isn’t going to assemble itself.”
And Dave turned back to the man
with an appreciative laugh.
Dave lit a campfire, of
course. Partly for warmth, partly for the focus it provided, partly
because it was expected. He set a billy to boil over it for bush
tea, but otherwise cooked their meat, potatoes and veg on the gas
stove. While waiting for dinner to be ready, he pottered about
happily, organising everything just so. And he didn’t forget to
call Denise on the satphone, to give her their coordinates and
reassure her that all was well. Dave might have wandered around the
far side of the Cruiser before making the call, but that didn’t
signify anything. In any case, Denise only had time to jot down the
details, as Zoe was crying for attention, though she made a point
of telling him to take care. Which warmed his heart, even now. Dave
hung up, and went to attend to his own charge.
Dinner was a success.
Nicholas ate ravenously and gratefully – and, as he finally set his
empty plate aside, declared, “That was delicious!”
“ Food always
tastes better outdoors.”
The man laughed, but
insisted, “No, it was really great.”
“ Thank you.”
Dave measured out the tea into the billy, and added a couple of gum
leaves he’d saved for the purpose, then left it to steep. “Come
on,” he said, beckoning to Nicholas. “Come away from the
fire.”
Nicholas cast a somewhat
nervous look around them. “Are you sure? Why?” He’d stood up,
though, and stepped after Dave. “What’s out there?” he asked in
hushed tones, as if predators could be avoided by
whispering.
“ Nothing.
Don’t worry.”
But Nicholas’s hand had
slid into Dave’s, just as easily as if Dave had been holding it out
in invitation. Trust the gay English earling to interpret his
gesture that way! But when Dave turned to tell him off, he
discovered a wide–eyed Nicholas, honestly innocent and genuinely
fearful.
“ If there’s
anything out there, it’s either asleep or it’ll avoid you if you
give it the chance. I promise. You’ll be fine.”
Nicholas’s hand squeezed
his, as if returning his reassurance. “Then what –”
“ Just keep
your back to the fire. Let your eyes adjust.”
They did
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