trying! It’s slippery!” Dakota yelled as the cold water pelted them. “The tub is filling up. Unplug the drain! I’m gonna drown!”
“You’re not gonna drown!” Sierra shouted, and reached for the soap holder to hoist herself up. “Just stop squirming and calm down!”
“Easy for you to say. Whatever you do, turn the doggone water off!”
5
A Fish Out of Water
As Trace passed Dakota’s cabin on the way to his own, he heard a little scream come from an open window. He paused on the gravel road and sighed, and then saw Grady pull up in his battered pickup truck and hop out.
“Hey, Trace, you got any cold beer in your fridge, buddy?”
“Isn’t it kind of early?”
Grady laughed. “It’s five o’ clock somewhere.”
Trace hesitated, thinking he had already experienced more conversation and interaction than he wanted for one day, but then nodded. “Maybe we can toss back a couple later on,” he reluctantly agreed. If Grady was put off by his short answer and lack of enthusiasm, it didn’t faze him.
“Cool—I’m on it,” Grady said, and slapped Trace on the back. “Been a long-ass week, and I’m ready to cut loose. How ’bout you?”
“Thought you were going into town later on to cut loose?” Trace asked, but was saved from once again telling his young friend that his partying days were a thing of the past when another high-pitched scream followed by a lower-pitched curse came loud and clear from the small side window.
“That cussin’ sounded like Sierra,” Grady commented with a frown.
“Yeah, there’s her golf cart,” Trace commented while shading his eyes in the direction of Dakota’s cabin.
“Wonder what the hell’s goin’ on?”
When they heard another scream, this time higher pitched and seeming to echo in the trees, Trace said, “We’d better go check it out.”
Grady nodded. “Yeah.”
Trace knocked on the front door, but he and Grady didn’t wait for a response and quickly entered the cabin. They followed the sounds of the commotion coming from the hallway and paused at the closed bathroom door. Trace raised his hand to knock, but his fist paused in midair when Dakota said, “Move to the left. Dear God, I’m soaking wet!”
“I’m trying, but it’s damned slippery and my hand is stuck,” Sierra answered.
“Higher! Left!” Dakota said, and then she groaned. “You were so close!”
Trace turned to Grady, raised his eyebrows and mouthed, What the hell?
Grady stared back at Trace with wide eyes and shook his head. Grady and Trace turned their attention to the closed door and strained their eyes, as if hoping for X-ray vision.
“Right there?” Sierra asked. “Oh yes, I feel it too.”
“Now wrap your fingers around it. Yeah, you’re doing it! Whatever you do, don’t stop! You’ve almost got it!”
Trace blinked and Grady gulped. I hear water. Are they in the shower? Grady mouthed.
Trace shrugged and tried not to think about the image that came to mind.
“Arch your back. Yes! Right there!” Dakota yelled enthusiastically, then she groaned. “Ugh, it’s no use!”
Trace elbowed Grady and mouthed, We should go . He jammed his thumb over his shoulder.
“Not on your life,” Grady whispered fervently, and cocked his ear toward the door.
After a thump and a muffled curse, Sierra said, “Maybe we can get the guys to help. Damn, I’m starting to shiver too.”
Trace turned to Grady and whispered, “Help?”
“I’m willin’,” Grady offered with a grin, and reached for the doorknob, but Trace stopped him with a sharp shake of his head.
“Are you crazy?” he whispered, and pulled Grady’s hand back.
“No, man, but you must be! I’ve dreamed of something like this.” He lifted his hands skyward. “Thank you, God!”
“It’s hard to get my hand down this wet denim. Oh, damn, the battery’s dead.”
Dakota groaned. “We’re going to have to yell for help.”
“This sucks,” Sierra
“You’re not gonna drown!” Sierra shouted, and reached for the soap holder to hoist herself up. “Just stop squirming and calm down!”
“Easy for you to say. Whatever you do, turn the doggone water off!”
5
A Fish Out of Water
As Trace passed Dakota’s cabin on the way to his own, he heard a little scream come from an open window. He paused on the gravel road and sighed, and then saw Grady pull up in his battered pickup truck and hop out.
“Hey, Trace, you got any cold beer in your fridge, buddy?”
“Isn’t it kind of early?”
Grady laughed. “It’s five o’ clock somewhere.”
Trace hesitated, thinking he had already experienced more conversation and interaction than he wanted for one day, but then nodded. “Maybe we can toss back a couple later on,” he reluctantly agreed. If Grady was put off by his short answer and lack of enthusiasm, it didn’t faze him.
“Cool—I’m on it,” Grady said, and slapped Trace on the back. “Been a long-ass week, and I’m ready to cut loose. How ’bout you?”
“Thought you were going into town later on to cut loose?” Trace asked, but was saved from once again telling his young friend that his partying days were a thing of the past when another high-pitched scream followed by a lower-pitched curse came loud and clear from the small side window.
“That cussin’ sounded like Sierra,” Grady commented with a frown.
“Yeah, there’s her golf cart,” Trace commented while shading his eyes in the direction of Dakota’s cabin.
“Wonder what the hell’s goin’ on?”
When they heard another scream, this time higher pitched and seeming to echo in the trees, Trace said, “We’d better go check it out.”
Grady nodded. “Yeah.”
Trace knocked on the front door, but he and Grady didn’t wait for a response and quickly entered the cabin. They followed the sounds of the commotion coming from the hallway and paused at the closed bathroom door. Trace raised his hand to knock, but his fist paused in midair when Dakota said, “Move to the left. Dear God, I’m soaking wet!”
“I’m trying, but it’s damned slippery and my hand is stuck,” Sierra answered.
“Higher! Left!” Dakota said, and then she groaned. “You were so close!”
Trace turned to Grady, raised his eyebrows and mouthed, What the hell?
Grady stared back at Trace with wide eyes and shook his head. Grady and Trace turned their attention to the closed door and strained their eyes, as if hoping for X-ray vision.
“Right there?” Sierra asked. “Oh yes, I feel it too.”
“Now wrap your fingers around it. Yeah, you’re doing it! Whatever you do, don’t stop! You’ve almost got it!”
Trace blinked and Grady gulped. I hear water. Are they in the shower? Grady mouthed.
Trace shrugged and tried not to think about the image that came to mind.
“Arch your back. Yes! Right there!” Dakota yelled enthusiastically, then she groaned. “Ugh, it’s no use!”
Trace elbowed Grady and mouthed, We should go . He jammed his thumb over his shoulder.
“Not on your life,” Grady whispered fervently, and cocked his ear toward the door.
After a thump and a muffled curse, Sierra said, “Maybe we can get the guys to help. Damn, I’m starting to shiver too.”
Trace turned to Grady and whispered, “Help?”
“I’m willin’,” Grady offered with a grin, and reached for the doorknob, but Trace stopped him with a sharp shake of his head.
“Are you crazy?” he whispered, and pulled Grady’s hand back.
“No, man, but you must be! I’ve dreamed of something like this.” He lifted his hands skyward. “Thank you, God!”
“It’s hard to get my hand down this wet denim. Oh, damn, the battery’s dead.”
Dakota groaned. “We’re going to have to yell for help.”
“This sucks,” Sierra
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