except at the compound. Go on!”
Kate smiled. “I guess I will.” Her eyes flashed mischievously. “Since all I have to return to for a warm-up is coffee, I guess I’ll go for the coffee.”
“And what does that mean?” Blair demanded laughing.
“I just wish Taylor wanted to warm me up!”
“Kate!” Blair protested with a frown. “Craig is just a friend, but he’s certainly your friend too.”
“That’s the problem.” Kate sighed. “He wants to be my friend, period. He wants to be a whole lot more to you!”
Blair shrugged. She and Kate were too close for her to attempt ridiculous denials. “I don’t know,” she murmured, suddenly grave. “With a man like Craig, I think it might be best to be a friend and friend only. He will travel on, you know.” Her gaze to her friend was slightly wistful. She had inadvertently made another point to herself. Craig would move on. By his own admission his lifestyle wasn’t geared to permanent attachments.
Was that why she looked to find fault with him? She had known love, and love had meant excruciating loss. Was she afraid that the combustion she felt inevitable between herself and Craig would leave her dependent, needing him, when she was sure that though he cared, he would still be gone?
No … she told herself. She knew what she was up against, knew that a physical involvement was not a commitment, but still accepted that she did need to experience that loving again even if it may be only physical and not eternal. She might never meet another Craig Taylor again, and she might go through life with her heart never freed from the past to allow her to live again.
“Don’t underestimate yourself,” Kate advised with a bluish smile. Blair, still standing waist-deep in the water but impervious to its chill, suddenly realized her friend was shivering.
“I don’t underestimate anything!” Blair returned, chuckling and dropping her gravity. “Would you please go back? I can’t stand you turning blue like that right in front me. I’m coming right now, okay?” To prove her point she crawled to the bank and grabbed her towel.
“I’m gone,” Kate replied, zipping up her jeans. “I’ll bring a cup of coffee to your tent.”
“Thanks,” Blair called after her retreating form. She ruffled her towel strenuously through her hair, drying the long auburn locks as best as she could. Then, as she shifted her towel to rub the rough cloth over her shoulders, she paused.
She hadn’t heard anything; she hadn’t seen anything. But she had the sudden uncanny feeling that she was being watched. Pulling the towel around her, she made an alert instant survey of the surrounding foliage.
There was nothing there. Only grass, brush, and trees, occasionally rustled by a whisper of the faint breeze. All that gazed upon her were the brilliant leaves of croton bushes and the heavy green of grass and trees that was a never-ending part of the environs.
The only sounds were those of the rushing water and the faint, barely audible movement of the air.
Shaking herself impatiently, Blair dried off quickly and started slipping into her clothing. Jeans zipped, blouse halfway buttoned, she paused again, peering around her.
Again there was nothing to see, nothing to hear.
But she knew the feeling. It was an extra sense that most people did acquire at one time or another—a sense that was almost a certainty, warning that eyes were watching them….
“What is it with me lately,” she murmured impatiently to herself. Perhaps her imagination was simply working overtime. She was suspicious of every action of Craig’s, she was imagining herself being watched. Annoyed with herself and her lack of rational thinking, she quickly finished buttoning up, slung her towel over her shoulder, and followed Kate’s path back toward the compound. Her thoughts turned back to the fact that poor Doc would be waiting for her all-clear before heading down to the stream for his own bath.
But she
Kate smiled. “I guess I will.” Her eyes flashed mischievously. “Since all I have to return to for a warm-up is coffee, I guess I’ll go for the coffee.”
“And what does that mean?” Blair demanded laughing.
“I just wish Taylor wanted to warm me up!”
“Kate!” Blair protested with a frown. “Craig is just a friend, but he’s certainly your friend too.”
“That’s the problem.” Kate sighed. “He wants to be my friend, period. He wants to be a whole lot more to you!”
Blair shrugged. She and Kate were too close for her to attempt ridiculous denials. “I don’t know,” she murmured, suddenly grave. “With a man like Craig, I think it might be best to be a friend and friend only. He will travel on, you know.” Her gaze to her friend was slightly wistful. She had inadvertently made another point to herself. Craig would move on. By his own admission his lifestyle wasn’t geared to permanent attachments.
Was that why she looked to find fault with him? She had known love, and love had meant excruciating loss. Was she afraid that the combustion she felt inevitable between herself and Craig would leave her dependent, needing him, when she was sure that though he cared, he would still be gone?
No … she told herself. She knew what she was up against, knew that a physical involvement was not a commitment, but still accepted that she did need to experience that loving again even if it may be only physical and not eternal. She might never meet another Craig Taylor again, and she might go through life with her heart never freed from the past to allow her to live again.
“Don’t underestimate yourself,” Kate advised with a bluish smile. Blair, still standing waist-deep in the water but impervious to its chill, suddenly realized her friend was shivering.
“I don’t underestimate anything!” Blair returned, chuckling and dropping her gravity. “Would you please go back? I can’t stand you turning blue like that right in front me. I’m coming right now, okay?” To prove her point she crawled to the bank and grabbed her towel.
“I’m gone,” Kate replied, zipping up her jeans. “I’ll bring a cup of coffee to your tent.”
“Thanks,” Blair called after her retreating form. She ruffled her towel strenuously through her hair, drying the long auburn locks as best as she could. Then, as she shifted her towel to rub the rough cloth over her shoulders, she paused.
She hadn’t heard anything; she hadn’t seen anything. But she had the sudden uncanny feeling that she was being watched. Pulling the towel around her, she made an alert instant survey of the surrounding foliage.
There was nothing there. Only grass, brush, and trees, occasionally rustled by a whisper of the faint breeze. All that gazed upon her were the brilliant leaves of croton bushes and the heavy green of grass and trees that was a never-ending part of the environs.
The only sounds were those of the rushing water and the faint, barely audible movement of the air.
Shaking herself impatiently, Blair dried off quickly and started slipping into her clothing. Jeans zipped, blouse halfway buttoned, she paused again, peering around her.
Again there was nothing to see, nothing to hear.
But she knew the feeling. It was an extra sense that most people did acquire at one time or another—a sense that was almost a certainty, warning that eyes were watching them….
“What is it with me lately,” she murmured impatiently to herself. Perhaps her imagination was simply working overtime. She was suspicious of every action of Craig’s, she was imagining herself being watched. Annoyed with herself and her lack of rational thinking, she quickly finished buttoning up, slung her towel over her shoulder, and followed Kate’s path back toward the compound. Her thoughts turned back to the fact that poor Doc would be waiting for her all-clear before heading down to the stream for his own bath.
But she
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