Dangerous Minds (Knight and Moon #2)(35)

“Crap on a cracker!” Riley said. “What are you doing here?”

“It was getting dark, and we started to worry, so I came looking for you.”

“Well, you found me.”

“Evidently so,” Emerson said, staring at her breasts. “You look . . . cold.”

“Stop looking! And turn around so I can get dressed.” Emerson turned around.

“I saw that,” Riley said. “You’re smiling, aren’t you?”

“Maybe a little.”

“Well, stop!”

“You should be happy I’m not Bigfoot come to have his way with you.”

Riley would have preferred Bigfoot. It would be less embarrassing. She didn’t care if Bigfoot got to see her naked. She didn’t have a professional relationship with Bigfoot, and Bigfoot was always naked. She tugged her jeans on and thought there was nothing worse than being the only one who was naked. Okay, maybe getting thrown into a pit with a couple dead, bloated buffalo was worse. Still, this was uncomfortable.





SIXTEEN




DINNER CONSISTED OF FREEZE-DRIED BEEF stew, Thai curry, and M&M’s.

“The fire is nice,” Riley said, “but I could see the glow from the lake. It might not be smart to let it burn all night.”

“There are other precautions we can take to ward off the animals,” Emerson said. “The book suggests that we mark our territory by relieving ourselves around the perimeter of our campsite.”

“Count me out,” Riley said. “I’d rather be eaten by a grizzly.”

“The book also says that you should seal up your food as airtight as possible and hang it from a tree a good distance from your tent,” Emerson said.

“You take care of hanging the food,” Vernon said, “and I’ll take care of peeing the perimeter.”

“It sounds like we have a plan,” Riley said. “We should douse the fire.”

“I will douse the fire,” Wayan Bagus said. “It will be my contribution. I will douse the fire with sand.”

Wayan Bagus went to gather sand and Vernon wandered off to mark his territory.

Emerson had all the food bagged for hanging. “I should be back in ten minutes,” he said to Riley. “If you have a sudden urge to take off all your clothes, just give me a shout-out.”

“And what would you do?”

“I suppose I would have a dilemma. On the one hand I would want to come back to look. On the other hand I would want to be sensitive to your puritanical sense of modesty.”

“Excuse me? Puritanical?”

“Obviously you have a problem with nudity.”

“It’s not a ‘problem.’ ”

“I’m merely stating what I’ve observed,” Emerson said. “You seem bothered by nudity.”

“And you aren’t?”

“Not at all. I’m very secure about my body.”

“Well great. If you’re so secure, you should take your clothes off.”

“What?”

“You heard me,” Riley said. “And the more I think about it, the more I think it’s a great idea. I don’t like that you’ve seen me naked, and I haven’t seen you.”

“That contradicts what you said earlier when I asked if you wanted me to come to bed naked.”

“It’s not at all contradictory. I don’t want you rolling around naked next to me. I simply want to get a good look.”

“That would be awkward,” Emerson said.

“Not at all,” Riley said. “I wouldn’t feel at all awkward. It would be . . . enlightening.”

“Okay, so if I let you get a good look, would it lead to something?”

“Would you want it to?”

“I believe I would,” Emerson said.

“You’re not sure?”

“There might be things to consider.”

“Such as?”

“Precautions.”

“You didn’t pack any?” Riley asked.

“They weren’t on the essentials list in the guidebook.”

Vernon ambled out of the brush. “I’m empty,” he said. “I got halfway around and ran dry. If I just had a couple beers I could finish the job.”

“Confucius wrote that it does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop,” Wayan Bagus said.

“Yessir, Little Buddy,” Vernon said. “That sure is more sage advice. That’s always been my mode of operandi.”

Wayan Bagus finished smothering the fire and retired to his tent for evening meditation. Emerson trudged off with his bag of food and a coil of rope.

Riley stood close to her tent and crossed her arms to ward off the chill.

“I’m worried,” she said to Vernon. “We’re in bear country, and the crazy Rough Riders are probably after us. How did we get into this mess?”

“It’s not so bad,” Vernon said. “We’re with a holy man and my genius cousin. And I got my lucky gun. I figure we just go with the flow. Besides, my unagi is real quiet so we don’t have anything to worry about for now.”

A low, guttural growl came from the woods.