Whitewater Rendezvous

“Don’t beat yourself up,” Chaz said. “It happens. Everyone’s okay. That’s all that matters.”

Megan looked at Chaz and laid a hand on her shoulder. “I’m really sorry.”

Chaz nearly jumped at the touch. “Don’t worry about it, I’ll be fi ne,” she said as she dabbed some more at her eyes.

“I doubt very much he’ll be back, but we should get your stuff and put it in a bear-proof canister to be safe,” Sally said to Megan.

Megan nodded and headed to the tent. She came back carrying the remains of her toiletries, a messy collection of chewed tubes and plastic jars. The nylon ditty bag that had contained them was in pieces.

Her minty toothpaste and oatmeal face scrub had been crushed by the bear’s powerful jaws and sharp teeth, along with everything else that had been in the kit.

“And he got this stuff, too. It was all together,” she said. Her head net, makeshift blindfold, and baseball cap were all in shreds.

Megan’s friends gathered around her, staring in horrifi ed fascination at the bear’s leavings.

“Oh, man,” Linda whispered.

“No lie,” Justine seconded.

“There are a couple of huge tears in the side of the tent,” Megan told Sally.

“I’ll get the repair kit,” Sally said, getting to her feet. “While I’m fi xing that, will someone get Megan a big Ziploc to put all that stuff into, and make sure it gets put in a canister with the rest of the bear-proof stuff?”

“Sure,” Pat volunteered. “I’ll take care of that.”

“I’m coming with you,” Linda said.

The two of them took Megan’s mangled items and departed to carry out the task, while Justine accompanied Sally to see if she could help repair the tent.

“Do you want me to pour some more water in your eyes?” Elise asked, sitting down next to Chaz.

“No, I’ll be all right. Thanks.” Chaz kept sipping at the water; it was helping her throat. She still couldn’t open her eyes more than a fraction, though.

“Can we get you anything at all?” Yancey asked.

• 113 •

KIM BALDWIN

“Thanks, no. You all can stop fussing, I’ll be fi ne,” Chaz insisted.

“And you really shouldn’t worry. I think I got him pretty good. He won’t be back.”

“I can’t believe I was so stupid,” Megan said, dropping into the camp chair opposite Chaz.

“Megan, it could have happened to any of us,” Yancey said. She walked over to Megan and stooped to give her a reassuring hug.

“It’s late,” Chaz said after Pat and Linda returned. “Why don’t you all try to get some rest.”

“Sure there’s nothing anybody can do for you?” Elise asked.

Well, maybe not just anybody… The thought fl ashed through Chaz’s mind that she really didn’t want Megan to leave, but she pushed the feeling away. “No, I’m just going to stay here a while. You all go on.”

Elise leaned toward Chaz. “Let me know if you need anything.”

She said it with deliberate fl irtation, in a voice only Chaz could hear.

You are persistent. “Good night, Elise,” Chaz replied, with a trace of a smile.

Elise snapped her fi ngers in disappointment and got up to leave.

“Coming?” she asked Megan.

“In a minute,” Megan answered.

Sally walked up as the other women drifted away after exchanging good nights. “I patched up the tent for the night with some duct tape.

I’ll do a more permanent fi x tomorrow. How are your eyes?” she asked Chaz.

“I’m fi ne, quit worrying.”

“Can’t help it. How about you, Megan? You okay?” Sally asked.

Megan nodded. She had stopped trembling, and her color was back to normal. She stood a few feet away from Chaz, staring off at the horizon.

“Well, I’m going to turn in, then.” Sally yawned. “I’d advise you both to do the same.”

Low murmurs of conversations could be heard from the tent area, but an uncomfortable silence descended on the pair at the fi re.

Finally Megan sat down beside Chaz, about the time Chaz’s eyes recovered enough for her to see without squinting. Megan was chewing on her lower lip, and this close to her, in the soft golden light of the midnight sun, Chaz forgot about the bear and even her own discomfort. She was struck by Megan’s soft, full lips and silky hair, her

• 114 •

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14