Page 38 of Riverside Reverie

“Sure!” Zoey called out, and Jasmine tossed the beers over to us while Lux got situated in her life jacket, sitting on it the way Zoey and Jasmine were.

Talia was still wearing hers like a giant diaper, both legs in the arm holes and the strap around her waist.

Baz and Rhiannon were still up at the camp, taking their time, but they’d be along shortly. I knew from previous camping experiences with the two of them that damp, rainy weather was hard on Rhiannon’s body, and Baz did everything he could to make sure she didn’t suffer too greatly.

Rhiannon didn’t complain outwardly, but we could always tell if she was in pain. She’d be quieter, move slower, her joints stiff and unyielding. Most of her pain came from the spinal surgery she’d had as a child to put rods in her back and straighten it. She dealt with more pain than the average person and typically didn’t let it slow her down too much. She was tough as hell, and busy running her own photography business.

During her free time, she and Baz loved camping. They went more than any of us combined. Slowing down completely wasn’t in Rhiannon’s vocabulary, and she’d once confessed to me that she’d be in pain whether she took it easy at home or went camping—and that she’d much rather have the adventure than the regrets.

Rhiannon and Baz appeared at the top of the pathway, Moose running in front of them. The dog had his life jacket on too, so that Baz wouldn’t have to worry about him getting tired while we lazed about in the river.

Baz helped Rhiannon down the pathway, holding her hand and supporting her weight. She said something to him and he smiled, shaking his head. Once they’d made it to the ledge, Rhiannon pulled her hand away and tucked her blonde hair behind her ear, her eyes going to the river.

“Is it cold?” she asked us, sliding her legs into the arm holes of her life jacket like Talia had done. According to the two of them it was the comfiest way to sit on the life jacket, even if it looked like they were wearing giant orange diapers.

“Freezing!” Lux chattered. She was about five feet away from me, floating near Jasmine.

I wanted to bridge the gap but also didn’t want to appear over eager, so I stayed where I was, keeping my distance and my gaze off her, but I was still painfully aware of her every move. It was as if each movement that made a ripple in the water made a ripple through me, too.

Rhiannon smiled and shrugged before jumping in. She resurfaced, letting out a sigh of contentment. “It feels good though,” she murmured, dipping her head back and letting the rain fall over her face.

Moose jumped in too, swimming over to Rhiannon like he couldn’t bear to be apart from her. He sniffed at her, checking that she was okay, then swam after the stick Baz had tossed in for him.

Baz jumped in, and once he resurfaced, he swam to the ledge to grab beers for himself and Rhiannon. “Anyone need a refill?” he asked over his shoulder.

“Me!” Talia called out, paddling a little closer to the ledge so she could toss her crushed empty on it. We’d pile the empties there and bring them up after we were done soaking in the river.

One of the best things about camping with this group is that they were serious about leaving no trace behind. We brought back everything we couldn’t burn, and we often did a clean sweep before we left to ensure we got everything people before us had left. I’d been camping with others who hadn’t cared as much, and that was always frustrating.

Baz tossed her a fresh beer, and she caught it with a grin. “Thanks!”

The rain was beginning to let up, though if the dark grey clouds in the distance were any indicator, the storm was far from over.

Lux leaned back and looked up at the sky, her red hair fanning out in the river behind her. She was gently moving her legs, propelling herself backwards as she kept her chin tilted towards the sky, her eyelids closed against the raindrops.

She floated until she bumped into my shoulder. I knew it’d happen and hadn’t bothered moving because I’d wanted her to bump into me. It gave me the perfect excuse to talk to her.

“Oops, sorry!” she exclaimed, her eyelids popping open she turned her head to look at me.

“I’m not,” I grinned, loving how her cheeks heated. She bit her lower lip, her eyes dropping down to my lips, and I knew she was thinking about last night too. I couldn’t resist touching her a little, so I reached out and gently tugged on her leg, turning her so that she was facing me, and then I left my hand there, stroking along the underside of her knee.

“Oh,” she murmured, her breath caught on an exhale. She blinked at me, her eyes—so much like the grey in the sky above—darkening with desire.

“Still…enjoying yourself?” I asked, cocking a brow as my hand worked her calf muscle beneath the water and hoping like hell she didn’t regret our kiss.

“Despite the rain? Yes, actually,” she replied, a knowing smile gracing her lips. It was as if she was thinking of the night before too. She bit her lip again, her gaze dropping to my mouth, and I knew without her saying so that she had zero regrets.

I moved on to her other leg, massaging her calf and letting my hand travel above her knee. Not enough to be completely inappropriate, but enough to make her lids flutter with wanton need.

“It’s supposed to stop soon,” I replied, lifting my chin to look up. I pushed my hair back from my eyes with my free hand so it wouldn’t obscure my vision. It was still raining, but not as much as before. The water droplets were smaller and less frequent, and in the distance, I could see a slice of the blue sky. “We should be able to have a fire tonight.”

“Won’t the wood be soaked from the rain?” she asked, drawing my attention back to her.

“No, Desmond covered our firewood with a tarp last night, so it’ll be dry,” I answered.

“He thinks of everything,” she grinned, glancing over at Desmond. He was floating near Jasmine, and they were talking.

“He does, he’s a good guy.” I remarked.

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