“You don’t want to do that, Teresa,” Dale said. “Those companies do incredible damage to the planet. Damage that future generations will have to endure.”
“You mean benefits future generations will reap,” Mr. Duggar said. “Our modern civilization is built on lots of energy, and for the time being that means fossil fuels.”
Denise came back to the table, dropping plates in front of us without fanfare.
“Now let’s just eat so we can get back on the road,” Mr. Duggar said, ending the conversation.
We all set in to eating. I made the best of my salad, but lettuce is still lettuce. The others seemed to enjoy their meals more than I, even Mr. Duggar and his plain toast. Denise dropped off the check without asking if we wanted dessert or anything else.
Dale pulled out a credit card and put it on top of the check. “I’ve got dinner,” he said.
Mr. Duggar shook his head. “No, that will not do.” He slapped Dale’s credit card on the table back in front of Dale. He then picked up the check and walked to the counter to settle the tab.
In cash.
“What do you think that’s about?” Jimmy said.
Dale just shrugged, putting his card back in his wallet. “Some people get weird about generosity. They think it’s like an attack on their personhood.”
“You’re really getting into that psychology class, aren’t you?” I said.
“Yeah, I guess I am,” he said.
“Carlita’s in that class, right?” Jimmy said. He hid a mischievous smile behind his water glass.
“Bro, come on,” Dale said. His cheeks were turning red.
My heart sank a little. I didn’t have any boyfriends in college, but some part of me held onto a short list of available guys who were possible. If there was another woman in Dale’s life, then my chances were pretty much nil.
“She’s just a friend,” Dale said.
“Let’s go,” Mr. Duggar said, returning to the table. “We’ve wasted enough time.”
We all piled back into the Jeep, the immaculate vehicle Mr. Duggar picked us all up in the day before. It had was the first time the three of us had ever met him. He insisted on picking us up at the edge of town outside a derelict shopping mall. I was so glad Jimmy and Dale were there with me: the place was frightening.
Eventually this shiny brand new Jeep pulled up and we met Mr. Duggar. He took our cellphones, insisting that they would be returned after the expedition. His reasoning is that they wouldn’t work in the mountains, and besides the contracts we signed forbade us from talking about any details of the trip with anyone.
Dale and Jimmy gave louder protests than I, but eventually I cajoled them into coming along. I was taken back by Mr. Duggar’s demeanor, but I knew some people just needed some warming up. So we three piled into the Jeep and headed for the Smoky Mountain National Park.
The orange glow from the diner illuminated the inside of the Jeep, and again I was surprised by how clean it was. Usually when you have a car, even when it’s brand new and you try to keep it clean, you let little things slip by. This thing was either less than a week old or professionally detailed every weekend. Either explanation could make sense for Mr. Duggar.
I got into the front seat, and Jimmy took the wheel. Dale and Mr. Duggar hopped into the back. We pulled away from the little trainer diner, our bellies full and the car warm. I yawned, and closed my eyes to rest them a moment.
I was back on campus. Well, kind of. I was dreaming that I was back on campus. I’d been a lucid dreamer for years, and I could recognize the signs that it was a dream. I was in the Science Lab building, but I didn’t feel like dreaming about running a composite analysis on some igneous rock samples.
Instantly I was somewhere else. Somewhere I’d never been before. I was inside the athletic complex! Rows of trophies behind glass extended down the entire length of the hallway. I heard running water coming from nearby, and I instinctually followed it.
I rounded a corner and found a large open entryway. Clouds of mist poured out of the room, and the sounds of steamy showers came from within. I stepped into the clouds of steam, and looked down at my body. My clothes were gone, replaced by a bath towel.
Through the steam clouds I heard humming, and walked towards it. Hot water ran past my feet, swirling delightfully between my toes. The steam cleared and I saw Dale standing in front of me.
His head bent forward, the shower spray was cascading down his broad back. I saw the droplets flow over his muscles. I slowed them down, enjoying the way they randomly chose to go left or right around a bulging bicep or shoulder. The water trailed further down, slinking past his waist and down to his stunning ass.
This ass was mouth watering. It had the perfect amount of width and a strong definition. I thought about what it must feel like, to run my hands across it. To squeeze it. To dig my fingernails into it. I bit my lip, needing him. A tiny voice whispered to me from somewhere that I could have him. I could take him right there. It was my dream. But I knew that would cheapen it.
Dale turned letting the water pour down his face and chest. His chin was sculpted from granite, the kind you wanted to sit on and ride all night long. His pecs were solid, his nipples small. The water ran down him the way I wanted to run my tongue down him. His abs flexed, showing off his six pack. His innie belly button was like a small island amidst the flat sea of his belly.
My eyes went further down. They wouldn’t stop. They couldn’t stop. He had that little treasure trail of hair that extended down from his belly button that drove me wild. This treasure trail led down to a trimmed nest of short hairs right above his lengthy cock. It hung thick, low and full of power. He turned briefly and I could actually see it swing! His ballsack was nestled behind his prick, two massive stones full of seed and needing to be emptied.
I didn’t need a written invitation. I dropped my towel and stepped forward, my hands reaching out to his chest, my mouth tilted up to meet his.
“Teresa. Hey Teresa!” Jimmy said, nudging me awake.
“Wha? Huh?” I said. Sputtering awake, I tried to make sense of the lack of naked man in front of me. Sighing, I yawned and looked over at Jimmy. “Yo.”
“Umm, I think we’re here,” Jimmy said, barely above a whisper. He glanced back at Mr. Duggar, who was now snoring. Dale was also asleep. “Think I should wake everyone up?”
“You woke me up to ask if we should wake everyone else up?” I said. I sensed a little more edge in my voice than I meant, but damnit that dream was about to get good! Sighing, I looked at the dashboard clock. It was just past 2 in the morning. It was pitch black outside, with nothing but the deep forest as company.
“Are you sure we’re here?” I said. Out the front and to both sides there was nothing but trees.
“Service Road 43-B, right?” he said.
“Yeah, then I guess we’re here,” I said. I wiped a little cold drool from the side of my mouth and spun around. “Hey guys, we’re here.”
The two men in the back groggily woke up and rubbed their eyes. Dale stretched and looked outside the window. Mr. Duggar stifled a yawn and shook himself awake. “I trust this is the right location?”
“Yes, Service Road 43-B. It ends right here. We can’t go any further in the Jeep,” Jimmy said.
“Then we continue on foot. Let’s get our gear, please make sure you have everything. We won’t be back here for a week,” Mr. Duggar said, opening the door and stepping outside.
A gust of freezing air flowed into the Jeep and made the three of us grit our teeth. This was going to suck. I inhaled sharply, as if holding my breath would do anything, and leapt out into the frigid air of these ancient mountains.
Ancient and unique. It was known that there were many species that only existed on small stretches of these mountains. The unpredictable weather and inaccessibility made exploring and cataloging its inhabitants difficult. I knew a group that had come here seven years ago discovered a new species of salamander, and I was excited at th
e possibility of us having the same luck. Maybe it would even be named after me!
Ok, probably not. And we were here looking for fungi, not critters. Getting a fungus named after me would be kind of cool, I guess. But a frog or worm would be so much cooler!
I closed the door behind me and immediately wanted to get back into the vehicle. there’s something about being out in the wilderness that is really discomforting. Everything is sharper, more enhanced. With no traffic, no street lights, no signs of civilization at all, your senses turn up to eleven. That evolutionary part of your brain kicks in, that little part that kept your ancestors alive for tens of thousands of generations.
And right now that little part of my brain wanted to book a hotel room at the nearest Mariott and order some room service. I swore at my rotten luck, ignoring the fact that I volunteered for this and luck had nothing to do with it. I walked to the back of the vehicle where Mr. Duggar was putting on his pack.
I reached past him into the open trunk to retrieve my pack. I pulled it out of the trunk and it landed with a dull thud against the forest floor.
Thirty-two pounds didn’t sound like a lot of weight when I was deciding what to bring. A week was a long time, and I thought there couldn’t be any harm in overpacking. Better safe than sorry, I told myself as I wandered the aisles of the sporting goods store. Tent, sleeping bag, camp stove: those were defensible purchases. But why did I buy a collapsible camping chair? A folding knife and a comically large bowie knife? Why yes, I would like the canister of bear mace!
I dragged my pack away from the trunk so everyone else could reach their stuff. I lifted the pack up with both hands and tried to swing my arm into the shoulder strap. I succeeded, then got pulled backwards and fell down onto the forest floor. “Help,” I said, my arms flailing like an overturned turtle.
“Whoa there,” Dale said, rushing over to me. He took both my hands in his and pulled straight back. there was no strain in his effort: he lifted me like one would lift a pillow off a couch.
I practically flew up into the air and crashed into him, my breasts pressing into his firm chest. I felt my cheeks go flush, and a bit of warmth inside me fought against the cold night air.
“Let’s make that the only fall of the trip,” Jimmy said, coming around to the back of the vehicle. He plucked his pack from the trunk and locked in the straps that went across his waist and chest. He hesitated, then said, “I’m sorry if that came out rude. But we’re out here with no way to call for help. Let’s just be careful.” He leaned back into the trunk to rummage around.
I nodded, turning away to hide my embarrassment. I pulled the wide waist belt around and snapped it closed. It had two large pockets and I squeezed them to make sure nothing had fallen out. I unzipped one pocket and pulled out my headlamp, slipping it over my head and turning it on.
“What…” Jimmy said, the light from my headlamp shining into the trunk. He was looking down into the trunk.
Mr. Duggar slammed the trunk down. “Time to get moving. We lost a lot of time already,” he said. “We walk down this service trail until we come to the river.” He hoisted his pack onto his shoulders and began walking down the trail, not waiting for us.
We scrambled after him, Dale giving Jimmy a questioning look.
Jimmy shook his head, indicating it was nothing. He was ahead of me, picking up the pace to catch up to Mr. Duggar.
Dale was behind me, kind enough to not make me feel like I was the slowest in the group, even though that was the reality.
But, I reminded myself, I was the only one who could get us where we needed to go. Once we got to the river, we’d need my map skills to reach our destination.
Behind me, Dale began humming. Ahead of me, Jimmy joined in. Some endearing brotherly quality bonded them, and these cute little affectations were evidence of that. I didn’t know the song, but it had a cadence, and that helped my walking speed.
As we got seriously into the hike, the warmth from our bodies kept the cold at bay. It was oddly comfortable, and I had one of those eureka moments when I realized that we’d evolved to do this. Our ancestors had walked thousands of miles across ice flows to populate the planet. And they didn’t have Gortex or Icebreaker to do it in!
Up ahead, Mr. Duggar stopped on the trail. He raised a hand and froze. He was searching for something in the treeline, or something further down the trail. He must’ve heard something.
“I heard something big up ahead. It crashed through some branches,” he whispered back at us. He didn’t have to say what he thought it was.
Black bears can be found all up and down the Smoky Mountain National Park. They’re the largest predator east of the Mississippi, and they’re unpredictable. Normally, they behave like huge raccoons. They get into garbage, steal food, and climb trees when they’re threatened.
But then there’s always the dreaded situation when you inadvertently get between a mother bear and my cubs. At that point, all bets are off. She might call to her cubs and have them go up a tree, or she might charge you. Oh, and everything you heard about to do when you run into a grizzly bear, you do the opposite with a black bear.
“It’s a deer,” Dale said from behind me.
“Or it could be a bear,” Mr. Duggar said. He spoke curtly, indicating his agitation.
“It’s just a deer,” Jimmy said.
“How do you know that?” I said.
Mr. Duggar and I both looked at Jimmy.
Jimmy sighed, eventually giving us a shrug.
“Whatever it is,” Dale said from behind us, “It knows we’re hear and it’s leaving. If we stop to analyze every sound, this is going to take a month.”
“Right, right,” Mr. Duggar said. He took a drink from his water bottle, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and turned back towards the trail. He pulled his shoulder straps tighter and continued down the trail.
As we followed, a branch caught a strand of my hair and I turned my head to free it. I saw the white tail of a deer go bouncing further into the dark woods.
“It was a deer!” I exclaimed.
“Oh yeah?” Dale said. I could hear his grin, ear to ear. Thankfully Jimmy didn’t rub it in also.
After a while we heard the sound of rushing water, gurgling somewhere ahead of us. I got excited, because that meant our first landmark and the chance for me to shine. I’d gone over the maps Mr. Duggar gave me, and I was pretty sure in myself. But things that looked clear as day on a map were sometimes indiscernible on the ground level.
I guess that was one of the reasons I always liked maps. They gave you a bird’s eye view, let you know the contour of the land. there would be surprises, but the point of the map was to limit those.
We came to a turn in the trail and found the river running down below us. It was about twenty feet to the other bank, and I guessed it couldn’t have been more than five feet deep. Right next to the river was a designated spot for camping. A few flat tent spaces were clear of debris and delineated by wooden boards.
“We should make camp tonight,” Dale said.
“Why?” Mr. Duggar said, checking his watch. “It’s only three AM. We have a lot of ground to cover.”
“I get that, but we’re all pretty tired. We slept in the Jeep if we slept at all,” Dale said. “The cave’s not going anywhere.”
Mr. Duggar began to chuckle. “Oh, the cave’s not going anywhere? So we can just waste as much time as we like? Of course, let’s just stop to smell every flower. It’s not like this is a scientific expedition or anything.” His sarcasm was dripping.
“Look man, we’re all tired,” Jimmy said, trying to ease the situation.
“Just because you’re whining, doesn’t mean we need to stop,” Mr Duggar said, advancing on Jimmy.
I didn’t understand what was happening. Were they about to fight? Out here in the woods?
“I bet Teresa can keep walking,” Mr. Duggar said. “Right Teresa?”
“Well, I-“ I said.
“Don’t
make this about her,” Jimmy said, not backing down. He took a step towards Mr. Duggar.
“If we sleep now, we’ll move faster tomorrow in the daytime,” I said. “Everyone wins.”
Mr. Duggar threw his hands up in the air. “Fine, we make camp here,” he said. “The kids these days…”
We all set about setting up our tents for the night. Mine was set up rather quickly, and I crawled inside to lay out my sleeping bag. I thought about eating something before I went to bed, but the warmth of my bag was too much to resist. Even a few hours of warm sleep would do me a world of good. I heard some struggling outside and what sounded like a tent collapsing.
“Son of a bitch!” Mr. Duggar yelled.
I covered my mouth, trying to silence my laughter. He certainly didn’t seem like much of an outdoorsman. The more I thought about it, the stranger his participation in this seemed. There were too many unanswered questions, and if I didn’t have Jimmy and Dale with me, I’d probably be worried.
John (BBW Country Music Bear Shifter Romance) (Bearly Saints Book 4) Page 92
