Read Online Pride's Prejudice by Misty Dawn Pulsipher - Free Book Online
Authors: Misty Dawn Pulsipher
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Just a little embarrassing, standing
there in his blanket waiting for a reaction." Beth was mortified by
the memory once again, and unsettled by the fact that her confession did
not bring the comic relief she had been seeking. In fact, it didn't make
her laugh at all. She decided to turn her full attention to Jenna, who
still watched her with wide eyes.
"Are
you hungry or anything?"
"A
little. Mostly I just want to go home." Jenna turned onto her
side and nuzzled down further into her sleeping bag.
"At
least you got to sleep next to Les," Beth said, a teasing smile creeping
across her lips. "I guarantee you were warmer than me."
An image of herself flashed in her mind, being encircled in William's
arms. Where did that come from? She scolded herself,
appalled that such an idea could exist anywhere, let alone her own head.
Brushing the thought away, she folded William's shirt and placed it on his
blanket.
"I'll
be back, Jenna. I'm going to see what there is to eat, and get you some
Tylenol or something." Jenna started to protest, insisting that she
was neither hungry nor in pain, and didn't want to be a burden.
"Whatever.
I think Les is pretty glad you sprained your ankle." Beth smiled
hopelessly at Jenna and smoothed her golden hair with her fingers.
"Stay," she warned as she unzipped the tent and stepped outside.
Kara
and Lucy sat at an old picnic table that must've been red at one time.
The paint was cracked and peeling, and Kara had a disgusted look plastered on
her face. The camp chairs were all puddled with rain, and the picnic
table was the only place to sit. Kara and Lucy grumpily jabbed at a large
pile of crumbs. Les stood next to his truck, talking to a man in a khaki
uniform and looking concerned. Beth noticed that William was absent from
the scene, and it bothered her that she noticed.
"Do
you think she needs medical attention?" The man in the uniform
asked.
Les
bit his bottom lip, and looked vastly relieved to see Beth walking toward
him. "What do you think, Beth? Is she getting worse? I
thought she felt a bit warm this morning."
"Well,
she is in a lot of pain, but I don't think it's too serious. We do need
to get her home as soon as possible, though."
"Well,
that's the problem, miss," the ranger interrupted. "There was a
mudslide early this morning after all the rain last night, and the mouth of the
canyon is completely blocked. No one coming in or going out."
"What?!
How are we supposed to get her home?" Beth felt hysterics coming on.
Les
looked thoughtful. "How long before the mouth of the canyon is
open?"
"It'll
be at least two days to get it cleared, barring any more storms like the last
one. In the meantime, I have a first aid kit in the jeep. We can
wrap her ankle and at least give her something for the pain."
As the
ranger went to his jeep for the first aid kit, William trudged back into camp,
a few trout swaying from his fishing line. Beth almost burst out laughing
at the sight of him in his fishing hat. It was all wrong; like a GAP
model milking a cow. He glanced up at her briefly and then back down
again, as if she hadn't been there at all. He walked over to the picnic
table and very unceremoniously plopped the trout on the table next to
Kara. She jumped and shrieked.
"What is that?"
"These
are called fish, Kara. Tonight's dinner, actually. Unless you had
something else planned?" William feigned innocence, his eyes
swiveling from Kara to Lucy. Beth had to suppress the urge to laugh.
"Oooooh!
Is that salmon, William? I love salmon."
William
rolled his eyes. "No, Lucy, it's trout. And, just so you
know," he added, eyeing the two heaps of crumbs atop the griddle,
"you're supposed to use this handy little spray on the griddle before
cooking pancakes on it." He set a can of Pam cooking spray on the
table between them. "Helps it not to stick." He turned
his back on them and grinned, a very
there in his blanket waiting for a reaction." Beth was mortified by
the memory once again, and unsettled by the fact that her confession did
not bring the comic relief she had been seeking. In fact, it didn't make
her laugh at all. She decided to turn her full attention to Jenna, who
still watched her with wide eyes.
"Are
you hungry or anything?"
"A
little. Mostly I just want to go home." Jenna turned onto her
side and nuzzled down further into her sleeping bag.
"At
least you got to sleep next to Les," Beth said, a teasing smile creeping
across her lips. "I guarantee you were warmer than me."
An image of herself flashed in her mind, being encircled in William's
arms. Where did that come from? She scolded herself,
appalled that such an idea could exist anywhere, let alone her own head.
Brushing the thought away, she folded William's shirt and placed it on his
blanket.
"I'll
be back, Jenna. I'm going to see what there is to eat, and get you some
Tylenol or something." Jenna started to protest, insisting that she
was neither hungry nor in pain, and didn't want to be a burden.
"Whatever.
I think Les is pretty glad you sprained your ankle." Beth smiled
hopelessly at Jenna and smoothed her golden hair with her fingers.
"Stay," she warned as she unzipped the tent and stepped outside.
Kara
and Lucy sat at an old picnic table that must've been red at one time.
The paint was cracked and peeling, and Kara had a disgusted look plastered on
her face. The camp chairs were all puddled with rain, and the picnic
table was the only place to sit. Kara and Lucy grumpily jabbed at a large
pile of crumbs. Les stood next to his truck, talking to a man in a khaki
uniform and looking concerned. Beth noticed that William was absent from
the scene, and it bothered her that she noticed.
"Do
you think she needs medical attention?" The man in the uniform
asked.
Les
bit his bottom lip, and looked vastly relieved to see Beth walking toward
him. "What do you think, Beth? Is she getting worse? I
thought she felt a bit warm this morning."
"Well,
she is in a lot of pain, but I don't think it's too serious. We do need
to get her home as soon as possible, though."
"Well,
that's the problem, miss," the ranger interrupted. "There was a
mudslide early this morning after all the rain last night, and the mouth of the
canyon is completely blocked. No one coming in or going out."
"What?!
How are we supposed to get her home?" Beth felt hysterics coming on.
Les
looked thoughtful. "How long before the mouth of the canyon is
open?"
"It'll
be at least two days to get it cleared, barring any more storms like the last
one. In the meantime, I have a first aid kit in the jeep. We can
wrap her ankle and at least give her something for the pain."
As the
ranger went to his jeep for the first aid kit, William trudged back into camp,
a few trout swaying from his fishing line. Beth almost burst out laughing
at the sight of him in his fishing hat. It was all wrong; like a GAP
model milking a cow. He glanced up at her briefly and then back down
again, as if she hadn't been there at all. He walked over to the picnic
table and very unceremoniously plopped the trout on the table next to
Kara. She jumped and shrieked.
"What is that?"
"These
are called fish, Kara. Tonight's dinner, actually. Unless you had
something else planned?" William feigned innocence, his eyes
swiveling from Kara to Lucy. Beth had to suppress the urge to laugh.
"Oooooh!
Is that salmon, William? I love salmon."
William
rolled his eyes. "No, Lucy, it's trout. And, just so you
know," he added, eyeing the two heaps of crumbs atop the griddle,
"you're supposed to use this handy little spray on the griddle before
cooking pancakes on it." He set a can of Pam cooking spray on the
table between them. "Helps it not to stick." He turned
his back on them and grinned, a very
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