Primal Obsession by Susan Vaughan Page A

paddling could combat the calorie intake. So much for the ten pounds she was going to lose. Oh, well. She dipped succulent claw meat in melted butter.
    After the clean-up, Annie, Nora and Ray sat on the picnic bench facing the fire. Sam and Carl arranged upturned logs by the fire ring. The crisp evening air, birdcall, and the wood smoke lent the illusion of autumn.
    Sam grinned as his gaze browsed her body.
    She rolled her eyes. Would he ever give up?
    He’d changed into warmer clothing, as had everyone. Except for his Sox cap and rakish air, he looked every inch the woods guide in his windbreaker and green trousers tucked into laced woods boots. He was describing the rest of the expedition route to the group.
    She cast a glance over her shoulder toward the rebel’s tent. Pretty quiet in there, not even a lantern glowing. Poor kid, he was probably waiting for someone to cave and feed him. Forcing his hand seemed the right thing. Sam’s tactic was clever, admirable. He’d make a good father.
    Not that she cared. He was a jock, they had nothing in common and she wasn’t interested.
    Footsteps crunched the sandy soil, and Frank appeared. Not sulking in the tent after all. He dumped a load of arm-sized logs beside the fire ring. “There. You satisfied?”
    Sam smiled warmly. “Nice load of wood, Frank.”
    “So’d you leave me anything?” Distrust narrowed his eyes. His spiked hair smeared across his head like finger-paints.
    When Sam nodded, his mom pointed to a pan at the edge of the fire. “I saved you a lobster and some corn.”
    “Sorry, kid,” Carl said, covering a grin, “but we ate the rest of the brownies.”
    “I hate brownies.” Frank carried his booty to the table and snorkled in his food fast enough to suck up the shells.
    “Now’s as good a time as any to break a little ice.” Sam jabbed a stick into the crackling blaze. “I’d like each person to tell why you came and what you hope to get out of the trip.”
    “I’ll start, if y’all don’t mind.” In the firelight, Carl’s florid face glowed like a sunset. “I wanted to get away from email and cell phones. And I remembered canoeing with my grandpap when I was a tadpole.”
    “What about you, Ray?” Sam smiled encouragement to the slighter man.
    Annie noticed that behind her Frank had finished eating and was tossing corn toward the firelight’s edge. A chipmunk hunkered in the shadows. It gobbled each kernel that fell close. Annie smiled. A good thing this hurt and confused boy could behave like a normal kid.
    “I came because I need to experience something real, something I can feel and live.” His voice soft, diffident, Ray stared at the fire, apparently not willing to face anyone. Tension hunched his shoulders, crimped his prominent brow.
    “What do you mean, real ?” Sam said.
    At the far end of the bench, Ray threaded fingers through his pale hair. “I design software for a medical technology company in Boston. On weekends I create game software freelance for different toy companies.”
    Frank stopped feeding the chipmunk. Computer geeks were probably his heroes.
    “From blood-test analysis software to the Mutant Killer Slugs from Saturn game, my life is virtual,” Ray continued. “It’s all I have. Out here in the wilderness, this is real.”
    “Slugs from Saturn.” Awe filled Frank’s voice. “The one with the exploding orbs?”
    “Nah, the orbs are in Moon Moles. But I did both.”
    “Eipc cool.” Frank returned to his meal.
    Silence held them for a minute. How sad for Ray to feel that he existed only via electronic wizardry. How brave to seek reality in primitive nature, as alien an environment for him as it was for her.
    “That’s very commendable.” Nora patted the man’s arm. “You dared to enrich your life, to grow. Not everyone would have had the courage.”
    As the others murmured in agreement, Ray slanted her a smile of gratitude.
    “I’ll go next,” Nora said. “I’m here to regain some peace