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Beauty of the Wood

By: LesLumens



The honking calls of geese sounded from overhead, a prelude to their splashdown on the lake some distance away. In the circular pool, large, dark shapes cruised just below the shimmering surface of the water. Here and there, a fin or tail appeared, giving further hints of the exceptional size of the fish that dwelled in the secluded pool.

The sun shown down bright and warm, slowly evaporating the dew that clung to the leaves and grass. Dara leaned back, lifting her bare breasts toward the warmth, and let out a sigh as she enjoyed the morning. The breeze, carrying the scent of damp earth, billowed through her sandy blonde hair.

After long years away at medical school, she was finally home. This spot deep in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area fit that description even more than her father's small house outside Ely Minnesota. Her father had brought her and her brother here whenever possible, and they all loved the peaceful wilderness.

It was here that she'd first set foot on the path toward her career. Always empathic, she sought out shy children camping on the lake and invited them to join her and her brother in whatever activity they were engaged in. Her father was the same way, welcoming newcomers to the lake as though they were new neighbors. It had reached the point where all the local outfitters mentioned them and their regular campsite whenever sending customers to the area.

When she was twelve years old, heeding that advice had proven critical to one family. They had arrived at the camp in a panic. Their daughter — whom Dara had befriended — had a bad gash in her leg, wrapped in a blood-soaked towel. While her father treated the wound with first-aid, she'd sat holding the girl's hand, trying to keep her calm. It was a near thing, and only her father's skill had given the girl the time for a sat-phone call to summon a ranger in a float plane to evacuate her for treatment that saved her life. That incident had shocked Dara to the core, and put her on the path to medical school.

Now, she was prepared with the knowledge and supplies necessary to deal with emergencies in the wilderness. She would never have to feel that helpless again.

The sound of footfalls and crunching leaves caused her to open her eyes and turn toward the trail she'd followed to this spot a half hour before. The average woman sunbathing nude would have made a dash for her clothing at the first hint of someone approaching. Dara knew that only one person could possibly be walking down that trail, and she was unconcerned.

"Morning, Dad," she said when she caught the first glimpse of him through the undergrowth.

He stepped into the clearing — a man as big as a bear and almost as hairy. "Morning, La'Dara," he said, using her given name, known only to the family.

He too was naked, having wisely left his clothing hanging from a convenient tree farther back along the trail, just as his daughter had. His mate had a penchant for splashing that called for keeping clothing one wanted to remain dry a good distance away from her pool.

Neither father nor daughter was concerned with each other's nudity, as they had seen each other so for Dara's whole life. His mate's disdain for clothing was but one of the excuses she used for her splashing.

"I haven't seen Mom this morning," Dara remarked as he sat down next to her. Then, she sat up and kissed his dark-bearded cheek.

"Well, you know your mother. She'll be along soon enough, I should imagine."

Dara sighed again. "It's just good to be home."

"It's good to have you home." He smiled. "My daughter, the doctor."

"Finally. Perfect timing, though. Either that, or Doctor Brown was just waiting for the first possible chance to cut back and retire."

Her father laughed. "Thinking the second." He then nodded toward the far end of the pool, where a finger of the lake connected it to that larger body of water beyond.

Dara saw the shadow beneath the surface of the water darting toward them and smiled. As soon as the rapidly moving shape reached the center of the pool, Dara's mother La'isa burst from the water.

The long silvery hair atop her head whipped, slinging droplets in a fan that caught the light and flashed in a rainbow. Her mermaid tail hovered at the surface for a moment before gravity and the blue-skinned naiad's bending back pulled it along to vanish beneath the water with her once again.

In mere seconds, the nymph's powerful tail propelled her to the bank in front of her mate and her daughter. The momentum continued to carry her up and onto the bank, tail transforming into legs faster than the eye could see. After giving a quick, but ardent kiss to her mate, she turned to her daughter and gathered her up in a tight hug.

"Mom, it's only been a few hours while I was asleep," Dara said as she returned the hug, surprised by the strength.

"But you were gone for too long before," La'isa countered.

"So what were you doing this morning? I've been here for a half hour," Dara teased.

The nymph released her daughter from the hug and let out a silvery laugh. "It is a secret. Come swim with me."

"I'll be right in. I need to check on my wine," her father said as they stood to follow her mother into the pool.

Dara watched him walk to the spot where the plastic jugs sat, a wide smile on his face. He had always made homemade wine and brought it out into the wilderness, but a little experimentation while she was off to medical school had allowed his knowledge and the nymph's magic to combine so he could make it here. Fruit, sugar, and yeast were a lot less cumbersome than finished jugs of wine when paddling in, and in the right seasons, fruit growing wild along the shores made for unique vintages.

No longer limited by how much he could carry in, wine flowed freely — but not too freely — every night in camp. Her mother had even developed a taste for the beverage, which is what had encouraged her to use her magic to keep a spot the perfect temperature for it to ferment.

After an hour of splashing, swimming, and seeing what treasures her mother had acquired recently — quite often fishing lures stolen directly from cast lines, with the barbs ground off — two things combined to encourage Dara to head back to camp. First, her stomach was growling like an angry black bear. Second, she knew the look in her parents' eyes. Even a doctor who had seen her parents nude for all her life had her limits.

Swimming over to the couple, she gave them both a kiss on the cheek. "I'm starving. I'm going to head back to camp and make breakfast."

"I'll be along in a bit," her father absently responded. Food was the last thing on his mind with his beautiful naiad mate tempting him.

Dara swam back to the bank and climbed out. An aroused giggle from her mother prompted her to hurry back up the leaf-strewn trail to her clothing. She slicked the water from her skin as best she could, having not brought a towel, then pulled down the shorts and t-shirt she'd left hanging from a young tree.

Trying not to think of the sad state of her own love life — or rather lack thereof — she dressed and returned to camp. The t-shirt clung to her damp skin to the point of indecency, but the rising heat would remedy that soon enough, and the camp wasn't visible from the water if anyone happened by.

It felt good to cook over the camp stove, after so many meals prepared by a quick toss in the microwave. Her chosen course of study hadn't left much time for luxuries such as a decent meal. It was all too ironic that she'd spent so long eating things she'd spend the rest of her life telling people to avoid. Fortunately, she'd brought along a bag of apples, which staved off the growling of her stomach while she prepared something more substantial.

She tried to ignore the silly grin on her father's face when he walked back into camp as she was filling plates. It helped that her mother had chosen to come with him, which was a rarity. La'isa stayed upwind of the bacon and eggs, curiously going through the tents and packs to see what new things were inside since the last time she'd braved the human world.

Breakfast was relatively silent, other than the occasional explanation of some item or another that had sparked La'isa's curiosity. Her father simply liked to listen to the sounds of the wilderness, and Dara was trying to soak in as much of it as she could before she had to return to start her practice. Though she was home, her profession would likely take up nearly as much time as the study to attain it.

Once they finished eating, Dara headed to the packs to retrieve a large pot for dishwater. Her father had cleaned up after supper, so it was her turn. A quick hike down the hill brought her to the lapping edge of the water, but before she could dip her pot, she saw a canoe moving toward her.

The young man laid his paddle across the gunwales, letting the canoe drift, and broke out into a wide smile. He was rather handsome with his light brown hair blowing in the wind, and the smile made him even more so. It was a little difficult not to notice his muscular body as well.

"Dara?" he called out.

The sound of his voice — though deeper than the last time she'd heard it — snapped the hints of familiarity she felt into focus. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she answered, "Chase?"

He nodded. "I knew that was your Dad's canoe, but I wasn't expecting to see you. How long has it been?"

"Eleven years."

She flashed back as she answered, remembering him at thirteen with a huge crush on her. He and his father had paddled back to civilization a day before her family the last time they'd shared the lake. On the way out, Chase had left her a bouquet of wildflowers with her name on them. Having just gone through a bad breakup of her first real long term relationship, those flowers had been a much needed boost of self esteem.

She chuckled at the memory and said, "It may be a little late, but thank you for the flowers."

His face turned bright red and he groaned. "Oh my god — you remembered that?"

Holding back a laugh at his embarrassment, she said, "Mmm hmm." An idea struck her because he'd drifted up close to the shore, and she held up the pot. "Since you're out there, dip me some dishwater?"

He clapped his hands. "Give it a toss."

Both Dara's throw and Chase's catch were perfect. He filled the pot away from the detritus floating near the shore, and then gave a single tug on his paddle to bring him to where he could hand it off.

Dara sat the pot down and said, "Thanks. Out here by yourself?"

"Advance scout. I'm trying to find a good campsite for some friends coming out in a couple days."

"We haven't seen anyone else on the lake since we got here yesterday. The reputation of the terrible fishing is getting around. The campsite across the way is open."

Chase looked somewhat nervous as he shrugged. "I was looking for something a little more secluded."

"Wondered who you were talking to," Dara's father said as he walked down the trail. "Good to see you, Chase."

"You too, Mr. Owen."

"Paul," he suggested. "There's a new site on the far side of the island there."

Dara's eyes lit up. "Oh, yes. The landing is in a little cove, and the campsite is quite a bit back in the trees. We stopped to take a look at it on the way in."

"That sounds perfect," Chase said.

Paul picked up the pot of water, "You'll have to pay attention to find it."

"I've got that, Dad," Dara protested.

He gave a dismissive wave. "Just carrying it up. Your turn to do the washing."

Chase picked up his paddle, "Well, I'll let you get to it then and see if I can find that campsite."

"Come back by if you can't find it and we'll take you over there," Dara said.

"Appreciate it."

"And come by this evening if you're of a mind," Paul added.

"Still serving up homemade wine?" Chase asked.

"And you're old enough not to have to sneak nips of it now," Paul said, then let out a laugh.

"Might just take you up on that." Chase pushed off the shoreline with his paddle. "Off on the hunt, then."

Dara waved as expert strokes of his paddle turned the canoe toward the tree-covered island near the far shore, then she followed her father up the trail to attend to the dishes.

****

Hidden beneath the surface by both her magic and the blue of her skin, La'isa trailed along behind Chase's canoe. When he turned to skirt around the island to the narrow channel of water between it and the far shore, she darted ahead.

One with her environment, she easily outpaced him and reached the cove where a trail meandered to the new campsite before he had even entered the channel. Still beneath the water, she reached out a hand and touched the rocky shore.

Then she settled in to wait.

****

Her father lay in a shady spot with his hat pulled over his eyes, dozing. Dara retrieved a book from her bag and found a spot of her own to sit and read. The novel was racier than her usual fare, and her cheeks warmed a little as she read, though she was thoroughly engrossed.

"Yeah, I can't find it."

Dara gasped and slammed the book shut, turning toward Chase as he climbed the last couple of steps up the hill to the camp. Her cheeks were far more than warm as she hid the book from sight.

"Sorry, I..." His voice dropped as he noticed her father dozing. "Didn't mean to scare you. I can't find that camp for the life of me. Think you can show me where it is?"

"Sure," she said, and then stood up. Keeping the book hidden by her body, she walked over to the tent and tossed the novel inside.

"Do you want to take yours, since mine's a one-seater?"

"Or, I can just sit in the front of yours and let you do all the work."

He chuckled. "Works for me."

Dara gestured for him to follow her down the hill, trying not to disturb her father. "I can't believe you missed it. We didn't have any trouble when we went looking on the way in."

"I've been paddling up and down the far side of the island since I left. I must be blind."

"Well, you were looking for a secluded spot."

"True," he answered, and then chuckled.

Chase steadied the canoe while Dara made her way to the front. Without a seat, she had to sit on the bottom, but the journey wasn't long, so it wouldn't be too uncomfortable. Once she settled in, he boarded and pushed off toward the island.

"So, I take it you're a doctor now?" he asked as he paddled.

"Mmm hmm. I'm going to be taking patients at Dr. Brown's office as soon as we come in off the water. What about you? Following in your father's footsteps?"

"Uhh — no. I'm an artist." His voice had an edge of something that sounded almost like apology.

Surprised, she turned back to look at him. "Really? I never knew you did anything like that. So, do you paint?"

"Draw, paint, computer painting... I'm learning a little about sculpting from one of my friends. Mostly painting, though. Nature scenes, animal studies, and fantasy creatures are what I'm known for."

"Is it hard to get by? I mean, that's the cliche — the starving artist."

He laughed. "I worked on an ambulance to pay the bills at first, and trained as a paramedic. That kept a roof over my head until I got lucky. We responded to a car wreck one day, and I was talking to the patient, trying to keep him calm. It turns out he was a writer. He got in touch with me afterward, and ended up using one of my paintings for a book cover, and referred me to people he knew. I make enough off commission now to concentrate on my art and donate some pieces to benefit auctions for conservation groups."

"It's great that you're doing what you want to do. I'll be old and gray before I pay off all my student loans, but it was worth it."

"Don't think anybody doubted where you were headed. You were bandaging up your brother since you were little."

"All too often," she added, and then let out a laugh of her own. "The only thing that was hard was being away from here so long."

"I haven't been back in years either. I've been in California. It was just supposed to be a trip to see Bigfoot country, but I ended up staying out west because there's such a great art community."

Dara realized that he hadn't fallen quite as far from the tree as his career choice might indicate. Chase's father was a Zoologist and a Cryptozoologist. Few others knew the latter, because he kept it quiet. Her father was an old friend of his, though — and naturally a believer. Hard not to be when your soulmate is a supposedly mythical creature.

The trip to see the reputed stomping grounds of Bigfoot combined with the preferred choice of subject matter in his art demonstrated that Chase's choice wasn't really a rebellion against where he'd come from, but rather a different way to appreciate it.

"So, are the friends who are coming from California?" she asked.

"Yeah. Artists, poets, and writers. They're big nature lovers and environmentalists. I talked so much about this place that they wanted to come."

The pair continued to chat as the canoe moved steadily toward their destination. The wind blew through Dara's long, blonde tresses, forcing her to push her hair out of her face several times. The breeze created small waves that the canoe chased and then broke through, but speeded their progress. Once the cove was in sight, Dara pointed it out. "There it is. The trail to the camp is up in that cove."

Chase headed that way, and then pulled in his paddle to let the canoe drift once they were at the mouth of the cove. "I don't know how I missed that trail. Hey, do you mind if we look at it from the other side of the channel?"

"No, that's fine." 

A few strong strokes of his paddle took Chase up the channel, where he turned to look again. "Perfect."

The landing was all but hidden until one was right on top of it, and Chase had obviously been checking that exact thing. "Are you trying to find a place to set up a pirate camp?" she joked, wondering at the apparent desire for secrecy.

"Heh... No." He took a deep breath and then blew it out slowly. "Guess I may as well get this over with."

"What?"

"The reason I wanted a hidden spot is that my friends are all nudists. I wanted to find a place where they could get to the water without accidentally shocking a Scout troop or a family on vacation with kids. This is one of the few places they can celebrate Nude Day outside without a better than average chance of getting arrested."

"I guess that explains it," Dara said, and laughed.

"I knew I was going to have to warn you eventually, but it's not exactly something easy to work into conversation."

"Please. I'm a doctor." Little did he know that her lack of concern for nudity went back much farther than that.

"So, you're okay with that?"

"Perfectly fine. Dad will be too. We'll even help keep an eye out so you don't have anyone stumble across you without warning."

His voice betraying relief, he said. "Okay, then. Let's go check out the camp."

"It's really nice because it's brand new."

Chase paddled the canoe up to shore, slowing and turning it with a single j-stroke at just the right moment. This time it was Dara's turn to steady the boat while he climbed out and tied it off to a hearty little shrub. He took the lead up the trail to the camp, since the path was obvious.

After a brief look around, Chase said, "It's perfect. Nice that the latrine is brand new. My friends are used to camping, but this is the first time they'll truly be roughing it. They've never been more than an hour away from civilization. That's why I suggested we make it just a four night stay once they get here in a couple days."

As he turned back toward her, Dara quickly looked up into the trees overhead, fighting a rising blush. She had been unconsciously admiring the sight of his butt clad in tight shorts, and could still feel the grin that had spread across her face as she did so.


Beauty of the Wood



He asked, "Ready to head back?"

"Yes. I should probably get back."

Sitting in the front of the canoe as it cruised across the lake into the wind, Dara was glad that she was facing away from Chase so she could hide her embarrassment. Her residency had consumed her time, and she'd barely dated for the last couple of years for that and other reasons. It had been a while, and being around a handsome man who she knew was attracted to her — or at least used to be — had awakened a lot of suppressed emotions.

He lived in California, though. That and the age gap helped her keep her perspective, and calm her nerves. She'd had plenty of practice staying realistic and keeping an emotional distance over the years from meeting attractive boys who were geographically undesirable on the lake.

Maybe a bit too much practice.

By the time the canoe slipped up to the shore, she wasn't even concerned when he said, "Guess I'll see you tonight," indicating that he was accepting her father's invitation.

"See you tonight," she responded, and then gave a wave before hiking back up the trail.

****

Sweat beading on her forehead in the heat and humidity after lunch, Dara was thinking about stripping off her stifling clothes and diving into her mother's pool when she heard it.

"Hello, the camp."

Dara looked down toward the water, and then turned to her father to remark, "What is this? Grand Central Station all of the sudden?"

He put down the chunk of wood he was whittling and stood up, his brow furrowing. "That's Chase's father. Don't mention that he's here yet."

"Wouldn't he know?"

"I doubt it. When Chase left college and moved, his father all but disowned him."

"Oh no," she said, suddenly understanding why Chase had seemed uncomfortable talking about his career when she'd first asked.

Her father walked over toward the trail. "We'll let Chase decide what he wants to do. Ronald isn't... Well, he's beyond anyone talking to him."

"Okay."

He nodded and then yelled down to the water, "Come on up, Ron."

Ronald climbed up to the camp, and he was much as Dara remembered him. He was every bit as big and hairy as her father, and had been just as wild in his youth. Those days were gone, and his brown beard was now neatly trimmed in deference to his career in academia. Out on the lake, he had abandoned his working attire for a t-shirt and shorts.

"Well, as I live and breathe. Is this Dara?" He said upon spotting her sitting on a log in the camp.

"Doctor Owen," her father said, his voice a mixture of pride and banter with his old friend.

Dara couldn't help but notice that Ronald's questions and observations — right down to mentioning her bandaging up her brother — were almost identical to Chase's. How two men who thought so much alike could be so much at odds was both strange and sad to her.

Noticing that he looked anxious — excited — and seeing him worrying over a folder he was holding, Dara took advantage of a lapse in the conversation to nod her head toward it. "Something tells me you didn't come up here to talk about me."

"Ah, you had to go and spoil it, Dara," her father said, and then laughed. "I wanted to see how long we could keep him fidgeting before he boiled over." After another chuckle, he said, "So what are you about to burst to show me?"

Ron scowled for a moment after finding out he was the butt of his friend's joke, but shook it off. "I was out here last week, at the camp west of the waterfall." He opened the folder and pulled out a printed picture, the cadence of his voice demonstrating excitement as he continued, "I didn't have time to think about catching something to show scale, but look at this."

Dara stepped over next to her father as he accepted the printed picture. She kept her reactions tightly under control upon seeing what was on the page — La'isa's tail breaking the surface of the water.

Ronald's words came out in a rush as he explained. "There's nothing to show the scale, but those flukes were at least two and a half feet across. Look at that color. Such a stunning blue. That's no fish known in these waters."

"Ain't no pike or walleye," her father agreed. "Sure looks like something different."

Dara was amazed at her father's acting ability. Though he knew exactly what he was looking at, he sounded surprised, and excited.

"I went straight back and put in for some of the time I've accumulated. I brought camera traps, sonar, underwater cameras, and anything I can think of. If I can identify a new species — especially something so large and unusual..."

"Turn the world on its ear."

Ron paced back and forth, absently swatting at a fly as he gestured, unable to contain his euphoria. "Even though it would already be protected here, revealing something like this would lend weight to arguments about protecting other habitats that are threatened."

"What you've always been aiming for," Paul said and grinned while clapping his friend on the shoulder.

"You'll keep it to yourself?"

"Of course. Nobody would believe us anyway, without the evidence you're looking for. So — get going and get it. I've known you long enough to know when you're about ready to jump out of your skin."

"I'll be at the camp west of the waterfall," Ronald said, already headed back toward the water.

Once he vanished over the hill, Dara turned to her father and whispered, "Dad..."

"Don't worry. For whatever reason, your mother intended for him to see her. He could put an army out here with sonar and cameras, and never catch a glimpse of her if she doesn't want him to."

"But why?"

"Honey, I don't pretend to understand regular women, let alone your mother." He gave her a huge grin. "I just do whatever I can to make her happy, and I've found that works out pretty well."

"So, you're not worried?"

"Not in the slightest. Probably good for Ronald. He was getting a bit discouraged, and this might just be the jolt he needs."

Dara looked over her shoulder toward the lake. "I think we should tell Chase his father is here."

Her father grunted, the sound apparently agreement. "Why don't you go do that, and I'll see if I can convince your mother to tell me what game she's playing."

A chuckle shaking her, Dara said, "Good luck with that."

"You have to enjoy the chase," he said as he turned and walked toward the trail leading to La'isa's pool.

Not wasting any time, Dara walked down the hill and pushed her father's canoe into the water. Paddling the two-seat wooden canoe alone was a bit of a chore, despite the wind at her back. She'd had years of practice doing it and hadn't let her daily workouts slide during her years away at school, though. The canoe glided along, propelled by her precise strokes, though she knew the going wouldn't be nearly as easy when she was fighting the wind on the return trip.

Chase's canoe was pulled up onto the bank and tied off when she cruised into the cove, so she knew that he had to be somewhere nearby. A few more strokes of her paddle brought her to a good landing spot, and she climbed out to tie her canoe off to a young birch next to his. Preoccupied with breaking the news to Chase gently, she didn't think to call out to him before walking up the trail toward the camp.

It all happened within a matter of heartbeats. Dara stepped into the pine needle strewn clearing of the campsite, her eyes widening and her mouth dropping open when she realized she was looking at Chase's bare — perfect — backside. He turned his head, noticed her, and jumped sideways behind his tent, snatching up a shirt hanging from the front pole of the tent at the same time. He cried out, disappearing behind the tent, and despite her shock at stumbling upon him nude, Dara ran toward him.

Chase was sitting behind the tent, his face a mask of pain, and his right hand gripping his ankle. Despite his discomfort, he'd found the presence of mind to drape the shirt over his loins.

"I'm so sorry," Dara apologized as she stopped to stand above him. "I didn't mean to... Are you okay?"

"Stepped..." He gnashed his teeth and grunted. "Stepped on something and t-turned it."

Training taking over, she said, "Try to relax. Let me look."

He nodded, and released his ankle to lean back on his hands. He breathed heavily, wincing from stabs of pain.

After examining him, she said, "It's just a sprain."

"First aid kit in the tent. Blue backpack."

Dara nodded and slipped inside the tent. She found the backpack quite easily, and as soon as she opened it, found that his preparations went well beyond what she would have expected. He had plenty of pain medication, several instant ice packs, and a large amount of ace bandage — everything she needed. He also had an emergency defibrillator, and almost anything he might need to respond to any emergency. He was easily as prepared as she was with her own backpack full of emergency supplies.

"Glad to see you took things seriously," she said as she slipped back out of the tent with his rolled up mattress pad and everything she needed to take care of his ankle.

"Saw too much on the ambulance, and there's no close help out here if anything happens."

"How's the pain?"

"It's actually not too bad now, but I haven't moved it an inch."

"Let's get you on this. You're going to be lying down with that elevated and iced for a while, and I doubt you want to do that while getting poked by twigs and rocks."

"Could you... Uhm... Grab my shorts?" His face turned bright red as he pointed toward them.

Dara felt her cheeks warm a little as well. "Sure," she said, picking them up from where they rested next to the tent. After handing them to him, she turned around and said, "Sorry about just walking up on you like that."

He let out a little grunt of pain as he moved to put on the shorts. "My fault. I should have said that I... Well..."

"That you're a nudist, too? No, I should have known — or at least been polite and asked for permission to come up anyway."

"So, it really doesn't bother you?"

"Of course not."

"It's just that some people think it's perverted."

She chuckled. After all, he could have no idea just how little she agreed with that opinion, considering her upbringing. "Well, I'm not one of those people."

"Okay, I've got them on."

Dara turned around and silently chided herself for the flicker of disappointment that shot through her upon seeing him dressed in not only the shorts, but the shirt as well. "Let's get you up off the ground and get some ice on that."

In short order, Chase was resting on his mattress pad with his leg propped up on his sleeping bag and ice packs on his ankle. He refused pain medication, hoping the ice would do the trick. "Well, I've got myself off to a fine start this trip," he said, and then chuckled.

"I should probably call Dad on the radio and..." She trailed off, finally remembering why she'd come here in the first place. "Oh..."

"What?" he asked, seeing her expression darken.

"The reason I came over was to let you know that... Well, your father is on the lake, at the campsite west of the waterfall."

He sighed, his expression revealing a tremendous amount of pain — emotional, not physical. "Oh. I guess you know, then?"

Dara nodded. "Dad told me a little after he left our camp."

"Thanks for letting me know."

She could tell that he didn't want to talk about it, and so didn't press the issue for the moment. "I'm going to call my Dad and let him know what's keeping me. We'll see how you're doing in a while."

"You can head back. I'll be fine."

"Once I know you can put weight on that long enough to take care of yourself. Not a second earlier." She broke out into a wide smile. "Consider that doctor's orders."

****

Fortunately, Chase was up and moving — albeit slowly and carefully — shortly after the ice packs had warmed. She told him to paddle over to their camp for supper so he wouldn't have to worry about it and so she would feel a little better about surprising him and causing him to twist his ankle in the first place.

Dara returned to camp to find out that her father had nothing to report about her mother allowing someone to see her. Hardly surprised, she chalked it up to yet another of her mother's whims, which were sometimes unfathomable to anyone but the naiad.

When Chase arrived, she was already at work on the meal, and the three of them took time to catch up. She was sure that her brother's ears were burning, considering how often he was the subject of stories that usually left him the butt of the joke.

Of course, he'd brought that upon himself with his shenanigans, and he was more than a little used to it.

Chase told a few interesting stories from his time on the ambulance, and Dara found that she fell easily into those conversations. He knew just enough to connect with her own knowledge without boring her to death with minutia, as others in her profession were wont to do. His descriptions of the California wilderness and contrasting city life were equally interesting.

With supper finished and the dishes washed, everyone settled in with cups of her father's wine around the small campfire. Since Chase had foregone pain medication, she was only a little worried about him losing coordination from the wine and possibly aggravating his injury. He was exhibiting common sense and not going overboard, so she relaxed, beginning to feel somewhat light-headed and silly from the wine herself.

The sun started to sink toward the horizon, and Chase looked up at the darkening sky. "Guess I should start thinking about heading back."

Enjoying herself a great deal, Dara felt a little crestfallen, but joked, "You're probably right, considering you couldn't find the place in broad daylight."

"Ha, ha. Then again, it looks pretty clear. Should be enough moonlight to navigate, so I could stay for one more cup of wine."

Paul walked over with his jug. "You can always call us on the radio for a rescue if need be," he said before filling Chase's cup again.

"I'll drink to that," the younger man responded.

After a long pull from his cup, he said, "I think I'll head over to Blueberry Hill tomorrow, take some pictures, and do some sketching. I've tried to capture that view a couple of times, but my memory just isn't doing the trick."

The place was a rare high spot on the lake with a tremendous view. They had dubbed it Blueberry Hill because wild blueberries grew at the top. "That's a bit of a climb on that ankle," Dara suggested.

"I'll be careful. All I have to do is make it up and down without killing myself. The rest of the time, I'll be safely sitting down. I just want something to tempt everyone else to make the climb once they get here."

"Make sure you take your radio with you. Channel two," Dara warned.

He chuckled and took another drink of wine. "I will."

"Seems appropriate," Paul said as he picked up his banjo.

Dara couldn't help but smile as her father plucked out an off-the-cuff version of Blueberry Hill.

As the song ended, Chase drained the last of his wine and let out a sigh. "Well, guess I'll head back." He stood up and gave his head a quick shake. "Maybe that last cup was pushing it."

Dara felt a head-rush as she stood as well.

"Since you're up, you can walk him down and give the jug a sink," her father said, holding out what remained of the gallon of wine. Long ropes and weights kept the jugs in the cold, deep water of the lake between evening indulgences.

Taking the jug, Dara nodded toward the trail and led Chase down to his canoe. "Mind taking this out with you and dropping it?" she asked as she tied the rope onto the handle of the plastic container.

"Sure, no problem."

As she handed over the wine, Chase's face was framed by the stars in the nearly dark sky, and the equally brilliant flashes from waves out on the lake. Their eyes met for the briefest of instants, and Dara's heart raced unexpectedly.

She vividly remembered walking down to the water all those years ago to find that carefully arranged bunch of flowers. Despite having never thought of him that way, it was still one of the most romantic gestures anyone had yet made to her in her young life, and it had made an impression.

"We're going to have to do this again some time," Chase said, shattering the moment as he turned to sit the jug down in the canoe. Glad that color-washing light of the crescent moon hid the blush she felt rising in her cheeks, Dara agreed, "Mmm hmm. Be careful."

Chase boarded his canoe and set off, dropping the wine when he reached the end of its rope. Dara turned and walked up the trail, but paused about half way when she was hidden from both the camp and the lake.

Oh, where did this come from, she lamented, her heart still pattering as chills shot through her. There was no denying the deep, intense attraction she'd felt in that moment as their eyes met.

He lives in California, she reminded herself. Besides, he's not thirteen with a crush on you any more, and your twenties are gone.

It didn't help.

The goose bumps and nagging desire to sneak back down the trail for one last glimpse of him remained.

****

Though the day had dawned sunny and beautiful, dark clouds and wind rolled in just before lunch time. The oncoming storm loomed closer, lit by occasional flashes of lightning as Dara stood at the bottom of the trail watching it approach. She knew that her mother's magic would protect their camp. There was no need to worry about lightning strikes or falling trees here, so the storm was yet another example of nature's majesty for her to enjoy.

Blinking against strands of hair constantly blowing into her eyes, she drifted back to the thoughts that had preoccupied her since the evening before. She'd gone to sleep worrying over her unexpected moment with Chase, and awakened from a dream that she could only remember snippets of.

What she could remember was that he'd figured prominently in the dream, and that she'd awakened in a mixed state of happiness and arousal.

The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. He was familiar. He was certainly attractive, and that thought caused her to shiver as she amended attractive to gorgeous. She could talk to him about her work because of his experience as an EMT. He knew the part of her life on the lake as well, and shared her joy in it.

Beneath it all, he was safe. A relationship gone bad is what had turned her away from dating as much as limited time. It had been the only real long-term relationship since high school, and having it end worse than the first had caused her to withdraw even more than usual. Standing on the shore of the lake with a thunderstorm rushing nearer by the moment, the epiphany hit her.

The only reason she'd allowed the emotions to surge in the first place was that they couldn't possibly go anywhere. In a few days, he'd be back in California, where she wouldn't have to confront her feelings or act on them.

The first raindrops hit her face, cold and stinging from the force of the wind driving them. She started to turn back toward camp before the full brunt of the storm caught her, but something in her peripheral vision caused her to stop. Squinting through the approaching downpour, she saw a canoe hugging the shore and speeding toward her through the rising waves.

It was Chase.

He angled toward her, and she knew why. In less than a minute, she was soaked to the skin and struggling to see him through the sheets of wind-driven rain. He could either fight the storm for several more minutes to reach his own camp, or strike for safe haven. With bolts of lightning drawing closer, sitting on the water in an aluminum canoe made the decision easy for anyone rational.




Beauty of the Wood



"Dara, it's storming in case you haven't noticed," her father said from behind her.

"Chase is out there," she shouted back over the wind as she wiped rivulets of water out of her eyes.

"Where?"

Dara pointed and her father followed the gesture. He cupped his hands around his mouth and let out a booming whoop to provide some additional guidance in the limited visibility.

About twenty feet away, Chase paddled hard to reach the landing.

"Throw me the rope and hang on," Paul yelled to the younger man.

Chase slid his paddle into the bottom of the canoe and tossed the rope. Between the wind and the craft trying to drift back out into the lake, he missed his mark. The wet rope smacked painfully against Dara's arm, but she closed her hands around it, nearly getting pulled into the lake in the process.

Her father's powerful hands grabbed the rope from her and steadied her at the same time. Muscles bunching, he pulled the canoe up and onto the shore a remarkable distance. When Chase scrambled to climb out, Dara held out her hand to help him. As soon as he was out, her father dragged the canoe the rest of the way up onto the bank.

"I'll tie this off. Get up to camp," Paul instructed.

The two hurried up the already slippery trail that was developing into a stream, somewhat protected from the elements by the foliage. Within the camp, the storm was still very much evident, but nowhere near as severe as what they'd experienced.

Dara ran to the shelter of a dining fly her father had erected upon smelling the weather coming and confirming his own well-tuned senses with his mate, who knew anything happening in the natural world with absolute accuracy. Hot on her heels, Chase slipped a little as he stopped next to her.

"Are you okay?" she asked while pulling soaked strands of hair out of her face and wiping droplets off her nose.

"A little winded, but yeah."

"Trying to drown or electrocute yourself?" Paul scolded as he joined them to shake water out of his hair and beard.

Chase winced. "I wasn't paying enough attention. Thought I had enough time when I finally noticed and hit the water."

"You should know better than that. A storm out here is nothing to take lightly. But, at least you had the sense to head for cover."

The fly was imperfect shelter at best. The ground was sodden except in the dead center, and rain still pattered against Dara's legs. It did keep the rain off her upper body and blocked some of the wind, though.

Dara sat down on one of the logs under the fly and turned to look out into the driving rain when she took notice of the way Chase's shirt was clinging to his muscular chest. She felt silly for sitting down where more rain could get to her, but stubbornly refused to stand back up, thus acknowledging the mistake. A moment later, she glanced down at her own clothing. Soaked through, her shorts and top were all but transparent, clearly showing the blue bikini she had on beneath.

Though relieved — and rationalizing that as a nudist, this was the least of what he regularly saw — she still felt a little twinge of irritation that he didn't seem to have noticed.

Chase let out a little hiss, and when she glanced his way, she saw him favoring his injured ankle. "Did you stress it again?"

"Nothing bad. Just pulled a little when I slipped."

She stood up and told him, "Sit down and let me look at it."

Ignoring that she was squatting with one knee in the mud, she pulled off his shoe and sock. Manipulating his foot caused him to wince, but not cry out. There was no swelling or redness, and the range of motion was reasonable.

"You don't seem that much worse for wear," she declared as she looked up, and her gaze entwined with his.

There was a wistful look in his eyes, and a smile on his face. Even though her sodden top had drooped to reveal cleavage and her bikini top, his eyes were locked with hers, and not on that obvious distraction.

"Thanks for taking a look," he said. "Just something I'll have to watch until it completely heals."

"Think this is going to blow by pretty quickly," Paul said, breaking the tension that his daughter felt as she stood up.

"Hope it hasn't blown my camp away with it when it does," Chase commented as he pulled his sock back on.

Dara lifted her bent knee and held it under a stream of water running down from the corner of the rain fly, washing away the mud there. It was as much to face away from Chase as anything else, though. This was yet another moment, and each one was making it more difficult to ignore.

Her emotions had obviously made a decision without any input from her. The initial attraction was there, just waiting for her to look deeper, to see if there was more.

Even though she knew better, she wasn't so sure that her heart was going to listen.

The rain picked up as the center of the storm rolled over them, steadily forcing all three toward the center of the fly. Even then, they were all getting soaked. Dry shelter was only a few feet away in the form of the two tents, but that would have meant having to dry out bedding and the tents later before bed.

Dara shivered as her soaked clothing and the wind chilled her. In unspoken coordination, her father and Chase both moved on either side of her, doing what little they could to block the wind and provide a little warmth.

Thunder boomed, and the wind whirled through the trees, making canvas thrum. Huddled together, Dara was very much conscious of Chase standing next to her. The limited conversation was almost entirely based upon the storm, as it was hard to think about anything else as the worst of it pounded the region.

"Think I see some light," Paul remarked as the rain slacked off. "Sun comes back out like it was, and the air will be so thick you can cut it with a knife."

Her father's prediction proved all too true. As the rain fizzled, the wind died down, and the sun reappeared from behind the clouds, the temperature rapidly spiked. Dara went from shivering to sweating in a matter of minutes.

Chase fanned his face and said, "I'd better go check my stuff. It's in a water-proof bag, but that's not going to help if it blew out of the canoe and is floating across the lake."

"Even less if both canoes are floating with it. Better head on down there," Paul agreed.

Negotiating the slippery path strewn with freshly fallen leaves and branches, Dara followed her father down to the shore. Fortunately, both canoes and their contents had ridden out the storm.

"Holy moley," Chase remarked as he stood up from checking the contents of his pack. He was in the full light of the sun, and absolutely dripping with sweat that had nowhere to go but down in the saturated air. He grinned and said, "Not like I can get any wetter."

With that, he spread his arms wide, gave a little hop, and splashed down hard into the water.

Dara cried out and jumped back, barely avoiding the splash. "Watch it," she mock-scolded him when he bobbed back to the surface.

"Oh, okay. I'll watch," he said as he cupped both hands in front of him and targeted her.

Dripping from his splash, Dara exclaimed, "Ooo! You..." Then she lashed out with a kick at the water, though he easily dodged the splash.

"Going to have to try harder than that," Chase taunted and then laughed.

Try again she did — and a little too hard. Though her kick-splash connected this time, she lost her balance. A quick grab caught the end of a limb hanging down over the water. It supported her for a few tantalizing moments, then with a tiny crack, deposited her — screaming — into the water.

Caught up in the feeling, all too similar to the play around her mother's pool, Dara lashed out with a double-handed splash of her own as soon as she surfaced. After so long pent up, displaying a professional front and studying, the release felt wonderful. The war went on for several seconds while her father chuckled, rolled his eyes, and escaped up to the safety of the camp.

Finally, they both connected with splashes that hit each other full in the face, and peace reigned while they sputtered amidst infectious laughter. As Dara cleared her eyes, she saw a canoe moving toward the camp.

Chase turned around, following her line of sight just as she realized who it was. Chase's father narrowed his eyes, then turned his head to look away while slamming his paddle into a j-stroke that turned the canoe back the way it came.

"Dad," Chase called out. When his father ignored him and dipped his paddle to continue the retreat, the younger man's shoulders slumped.

"Chase... I..." Not knowing what to say, she laid a hand on his arm.

He flinched away.

"Chase?"

"I... I need to go," he said without turning around to face her.

Dara swam up to the bank behind him, but he still avoided eye contact as he climbed out and straight into his canoe.

"We're here if you need us," Dara tried one last time as he untied the rope and pushed the craft out into the water.

"Thanks," he answered, barely audible.

Tears welling up in her eyes, she watched him paddle slowly toward the far shore.

****

The mood in camp for the rest of the day was subdued. It was one thing to know of the difficulties between Chase and his father, but actually seeing the disdain on Ronald's face drove the point home with painful strength. Even the usually carefree La'isa was quiet.

When she told her father that she was going to see Chase, he convinced her that he needed some time and space. She heeded the advice, though she found herself standing on the edge of the lake staring toward the island in the distance several times — including just before she turned in for a night of fitful sleep.

The next morning, before her father awakened, she pulled out the radio and stepped away from camp a short distance. "Chase, are you there?"

When she didn't get an answer the first time, she tried again. This time, he answered, his voice monotone. "Yeah, I'm here."

"I... I just wanted to see how you're doing. Are you okay?"

"Ankle's fine," he answered, avoiding what he surely knew was the real question. "Have to go meet my friends and lead them out here, so I've got to go."

"Okay. Be safe."

It hurt more than she wanted it to for him to dismiss her, and she knew that didn't bode well for her. It could serve as a perfect excuse to close her heart off and overwhelm the attraction she felt. She'd done it before. This time was different, though. Her natural inclination to help and heal wouldn't let her avoid him, knowing the pain Chase was going through.

There was one place she knew for sure that she could cast her cares aside — at least for a little while.

Oddly enough, when she stepped up to the edge of the pool, her mother was nowhere to be found. Pursing her lips and letting out a sigh, she slipped into the water. She was hurting, and she knew deep down that her mother wouldn't let her endure that alone for long.

****

La'isa felt the tug of her daughter's heart, and quite nearly abandoned her quest to return to the pool. Aching even as her daughter did, she remained deep beneath the water, waiting for the right moment — the right person.

At last, toes dipped into the water, and she felt it. Smiling, she let her magic flow through the water, then up through those slender digits.

Feeling what she hoped, she twisted in the water and called upon her magic once more. Darting forward, she vanished, leaving behind only a cloud of bubbles as her magic carried her to the mouth of her pool, where her daughter awaited.

****

Dara sat near the edge of the lake, looking out between two white birch trees at the flotilla of canoes moving away from the island. The visit with her mother had helped, numbing the pain with touches of anger that had gripped her the day before, but certainly not erasing it.

Watching Chase lead his friends across the lake brought some of the sting right back.

Thirty years old and I'm acting like a schoolgirl being ignored by her crush.

"You okay?"

Without turning around, she said, "I'm fine, Dad."

"He's dealing with a lot right now."

"And that excuses..? Never mind."

"No, it doesn't excuse it. He knows that."

A leaf fluttered down from above, drifting in a quick see-saw pattern in front of her before catching a breeze and blowing out over the water.

"He'll come to his senses," her father finished.

Dara sighed and thought, Maybe it would be better if he didn't.

"Best head up and get some chow before it goes cold. I'm going to go check on Ronald and see if being mad about Chase being here and me not telling him might be enough to get him to tell me what really started it all in the first place."

She turned around. "You said it was because he dropped out of college."

"That's as far as he got before he clammed up on me. There's more to it than that. Even Ron isn't that pigheaded."

"Okay. Sorry I'm moping around."

"Everyone's allowed. You spend so much time taking care of everyone else that you forget about yourself." He patted her on the shoulder and walked over to the canoe.

Dara headed into camp to eat, and shortly thereafter heard the sound of a canoe nearby. The sound of wood bumping aluminum let her know it wasn't her father returning. Thinking it could be Chase, she struggled with whether to go look down the trail, or sneak off to her mother's pool to pretend she wasn't there.

"Hello?"

The voice was female, and instantly relieved the turmoil in Dara's head. She walked down the trail, pleasantly answering, "Hello," along the way.

The woman looked to be in her late forties, wearing a wide brimmed straw hat and a loose, flowing blouse. A bright smile spread across her face as she tried to steady her drifting canoe and she said, "You must be Dara."

"Uhm... Yes. Are you a friend of my father's?" she asked, not recognizing the woman.

"Oh, no. I'm here with Chase, darling. Miranda Weston."

"Pleased to meet you. I thought you'd all gone over to Blueberry Hill."

The woman laid a hand on her chest. "I'm still jet-lagged, and climbing just didn't appeal to me. Besides, if a gaggle of artists and writers can't capture it for me, they aren't doing a very good job, are they?"

Dara chuckled, taking an instant liking to the woman. "Guess not."

"Do you mind if I come over?"

"No. Please."

"I'm afraid I'm not very good at this," Miranda said as she tried to maneuver the canoe up to shore.

"Throw me the rope. I'll steady you, and give you a hand."

The canoe bumped against the rocky shore, and once Miranda was safely on dry land, she said, "Thank you, darling." She reached back into the canoe for a satchel near the seat.

"So, it's your first time here?"

"Yes, and it's just as beautiful as Chase's stories. I'm so glad I came, even though I'm absolutely exhausted."

"Well, come up and sit down."

"You are a dear," Miranda said as she accepted Dara's helping hand in the climb up the trail.

Miranda sighed in relief as she sat down on a camp chair, while Dara used one of the many log seats her father had crafted over the years. The older woman plucked at her pale yellow top, shaking her shoulders. "I knew I should have washed this more than once. It's new, and it's driving me batty."

"Chase let me know that you're nudists. If you want to..." she made a little lifting gesture with her hand.

"Oh, no. I wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable, dear."

"No, really. It's okay. I'm tempted to join you. I'd forgotten how hot and humid it is up here. I'm not used to it any more."

"If you insist," Miranda said, her voice betraying relief. She stood, unbuttoning her top along the way.

Having told the truth about the stifling humidity, and already taking a liking to the charming woman, Dara decided that they'd probably both be more comfortable on an equal footing, so she stripped off her clothing as well.

"No tan lines," Miranda remarked as she sat back down. "I take it you're not exactly a stranger to this."

Putting her shirt and shorts on top of the log as cushioning, Dara chuckled before she sat back down. "I wouldn't say I'm a nudist, but I can empathize."

"And you're simply stunning. You don't look a day over twenty. I'm terribly jealous."

Truth to tell, the years had been kind to Miranda. She was trim and attractive. "Don't sell yourself short."

"Oh, I don't." She let out a sultry laugh. "But, I won't beat about the bush, darling. The real reason I stayed behind and came to see you is I wanted to talk to you about Chase."

"Hmm?"

"I knew something was wrong and I managed to pluck it out of him. He's quite good at putting up a front. If it weren't for what happened with his father before we arrived, he might have fooled even me. He's beside himself, darling. He has no idea how to apologize to you."

Dara shrugged. "I understand... Well, I guess I don't, but..."

"You know what happened between him and his father, then?"

"Well, partially. Dad said that it was when he quit college."

"That's the when but not the why. I doubt anyone else knows. I was one of the first people he met when he moved, and I rented him a room. It took a little work, but I convinced him to confide in me."

"So, what happened?"

"It was a promise he'd made to his mother before she died. He'd always had notions of traveling the world to find himself, and she asked him to promise that he would at least go to college so she wouldn't worry about him supporting himself."

Dara gasped, "And so when he quit..."

"His father considered it a betrayal, and hasn't spoken a single word to him since. He won't answer the phone, or email, and even returns letters and cards unopened."

"That's terrible."

"And it's pain that he carries with him through every waking moment. That's also why he's afraid to apologize to you."

Dara's eyebrows lifted. "I don't understand."

"He's afraid you won't accept. He's afraid that he couldn't handle another burden."

"But, it isn't that big of a thing. It hurt me that he wouldn't let me help him, but..."

"For him — with you — it is. Darling, he's been in love with you since he was seven years old. He's been pushing away women ever since I've known him. They all have one fatal flaw. They're not you."

Dara blushed, even as chills shot through her. "But, we were just kids."

"He told me about the flowers he left you the last time you were here together. And he told me that the only reason he could summon up the courage is that he knew he wasn't likely to see you for a long time. He's afraid of having his dream shattered — and you're that dream."

"But after all these years?" she said in disbelief, thinking Miranda had to be making more of it than there was. "We haven't seen each other or even talked in all that time."

Miranda held up a finger, and then bent down to retrieve something from her bag. She pulled out a tablet and tapped a couple of icons. "This is his work. I'm almost always the first to see the new pieces, and I always take a picture. Just look."

Melinda looked at the first image, a painting of the redwoods. It was beautifully done, and she could certainly see why he was able to make a living as an artist. The next was a remarkably detailed picture of an eagle. The third was of a nude dryad, artfully concealed by leaves, but the woodland spirit's face was fully visible.

And it was hers.

Again and again, she saw her face in his paintings and sketches, done with such love and care. Nearly half of the images included her. Finally, she reached one that was just of her face, so perfect that she felt as if she were looking at a photo of her at her absolute best. She could see every ounce of his heart and soul poured into the work, and could almost feel his love reaching through the screen to envelop her heart.




Beauty of the Wood



A click sounded, and she looked up to see Miranda with a camera. "Oh, I hope you don't mind, dear, but you have to see this."

Dara accepted the camera, and her face warmed so much that she suspected she was as bright red as a stop sign. In the picture, she was gazing down, her lips slightly parted, her eyes shining, and her hand caressing the tablet as if it were a lover's cheek.

"That piece is on a canvas three feet square, and hangs right in the center of his studio. He's been offered thousands for it, but he wouldn't part with it for all the money in the world."

"I never realized..." Dara said in a soft voice, looking back at the tablet and marveling at the image again. Tears welled up in her eyes, trailing down her cheeks. The prospect of him going back to California now was like a knife in her heart.

Miranda got up and reached out to stroke Dara's hair. "From the way you looked at that painting, I think there are some other things you didn't realize."

"And he's going to be gone in a few days," Dara said before she could think about the words.

"He didn't tell you? He's moving back here. He has the contacts he needs to work from anywhere, and the money to travel when he needs to. He's always been homesick, and now he's coming home."

Heart soaring and tears still flowing, Dara looked up and sobbed out, "Really?"

"Yes, darling. And I think he might just have an even better reason to come home now. Now I'm doubly jealous of you."

Laughing through her tears, Dara accepted the tissue Miranda had pulled out of her bag and wondered where she was going to go from here.

****

Chase's voice choked off into a gasp, and he froze as if turned to stone when he walked into the campsite and saw Dara sitting next to Miranda. Though Miranda was once again nude for her comfort, Dara had left her clothing on after dressing for the paddle over to Chase's camp to wait for him to return.

She could see the instant recognition in his friends' eyes. Though they might not know her in person, they most certainly knew her face from his work. A few whispered to each other, wearing knowing smiles, as they walked past the still frozen Chase to undress at Miranda's urging.

Dara walked toward him, and he snapped out of his stupor to blush. "Can we talk?" she asked as she stepped in front of him.

He nodded, and she gestured back toward the water, taking the lead. Upon reaching the end of the trail at the cove, she heard him take a deep breath.

"Dara, I'm sorry I was such a jerk. I..."

She turned and smiled. "Apology accepted. I understand."

"But..."

"No buts." She reached down into one of the two-seat canoes and picked up a paddle. "Come on."

"Where?"

"Back to my camp. Dad's out, and I want to be able to talk without anyone around."

"I... Okay."

Dara climbed in and picked up a paddle. She nodded to Chase when she was situated, and he carefully boarded behind her. Coordinated paddle strokes soon had them pulling away from the landing.

A pair of geese splashed down in the channel ahead of them, only to take off moments later when the approaching canoe disturbed them. Dara looked back over her shoulder and could see Chase's anxiety written plainly in his face.

"Relax," she said, hoping to calm him down a little. After a few more paddle strokes, she looked again to see that it hadn't helped.

A quick twist of her wrists executed a maneuver that anyone who's ever paddled a canoe very long knows, sending a targeted splash of water directly at Chase. Once he wiped his eyes, she gave him a brief flirtatious smile and repeated, "Relax."

As she looked forward again, she saw his eyes brighten, and knew that her smile had sent the message she intended. He also unconsciously picked up the speed of his paddle strokes, which she matched to keep them on course, turning out of the channel and back across the lake.

He still looked anxious as they pulled up to her camp, but with an important difference. Before, he had looked as if he were being led before a firing squad. Now, she saw curiosity and a touch of controlled anticipation mixed in with his nerves.

Once at the top of the trail, she turned to face him and said, "Miranda came over to talk to me a little while after you left this morning — and don't you dare be mad at her."

She gave that a moment to sink in, and then continued. "She showed me the pictures of your work."

His face immediately flushed and he opened his mouth, starting to say something. She reached out, pressing a finger to his lips and flashing him the same smile she'd offered earlier.

"Shh. They're beautiful." A brief chuckle shook her. "That's a little vain, isn't it?"

He cracked a smile, which caused her to respond in turn.

"There are just so many of them." Their eyes entwined, as they had twice before, and another moment passed between them.

"I'm always thinking about you," he said in a soft voice.

She'd fully intended this conversation to turn to helping him confront his father to find some sort of peace — to take things slowly — but her heart had obviously decided its own course. His words and the look in his eyes broke down the final barrier. She leaned forward — lips parting and eyes closing — and kissed him.

The kiss was soft and brief, but sent chills shooting all through her, and made her feel light-headed. She cupped his cheek in her hand, her lips scant centimeters from his, and let out a deeply contented sigh.

They were both blushing when they leaned apart far enough to look at each other again. For a few seconds, they just smiled, gazing at each other, and Dara's thoughts turned to something that she couldn't resist.

Letting her fingers brush his lips as she lowered her hand, she lifted one finger and stepped aside to duck into her tent. She emerged with a notepad and pencil, which she handed to him.

"I want you to draw me."

Without waiting for him to react, she summoned up her nerve and walked toward the trail at the back of the camp. Along the way, she pulled off her t-shirt, tossing it into a camp chair. A moment later, she pulled at the tie of her bikini top, and shrugged it aside as well.

Looking back over her shoulder, she saw him staring in wide-eyed wonder at her bare back. "Aren't you supposed to be a nudist?" she teased.

His blush, which hadn't went away by any means, deepened.

Hooking her thumbs beneath both shorts and bikini bottom, she bent and pushed them both down at the same time. Stepping out of them, she tossed them atop the rest of her clothing.

"You too," she said, and then continued up the trail without looking back — and before she had much time to think about what she was doing.

One image in particular had stuck in her memory, a simple sketch of her as a dryad, mostly hidden behind a tree, but it was one of the few that actually showed a full breast. Naturally, he had a few details wrong, as he'd never seen the real thing. There was a perfect tree along the trail that matched the scene, and she headed toward it.

Slipping in behind the tree, she struck the pose of her hands wrapped around it in a sort of hug with her cheek almost resting against the bark. Just like in the drawing, only her right breast was visible from the front, with the tree concealing the other. Her left leg curled around the tree, hiding other things as well. She was beginning to think he wasn't able to go through with it for a few seconds, and then he appeared through the undergrowth walking toward her.

She pursed her lips momentarily to hold back a giggle when she saw him holding the notepad in a strategic location.

As soon as he saw her, his demeanor completely changed. He took a couple more steps and sat down, his eyes drinking her in, and touched the pencil to paper.

The reward she'd sought with her leap of faith was evident from the moment he started to sketch. There was nothing sexual in his gaze, only admiration — and love. Her heart pattered as she admired him, his muscular arms and talented hands guiding the pencil through practiced strokes. She had never felt more beautiful or desired in her life, and the minutes slipped by unnoticed.

Chase made one last stroke with the pencil, and then let it rest against his leg. He looked over the notepad for a second or two, and then looked up.

"Is it finished? Can I see?" Dara asked.

He nodded. "It's just a quick sketch, though."

She could tell he meant to say more, but words failed him as she stepped out from behind the tree and walked toward him. She knelt, and then sat down next to him, a small oh of excitement escaping her as she saw the image. It was perfect, capturing her in every detail, and almost beaming off the page.

"Chase, it's beautiful," she said as she looked up at him.

"You're beautiful," he responded, a slight smile decorating his face.

Sitting down the notepad carefully at her side, she heard the pencil slip from his hand and fall in the leaves below as she leaned in to kiss him. The first touch of their lips was soft, but passion overcame them both and the kiss that followed was ardent, prompting them to scoot closer to each other and their hands to roam.

Her nipples stiffened and the chilly tingles between her legs caused her to tremble in his arms. They both moaned simultaneously, and then gasped as their lips parted. At that moment, a bird flew overhead, almost close enough to feel the wind from its wings, and let out a sharp tweet.

Her senses returning in a rush, she said, "Wait," when Chase leaned in to kiss her again.

"Sorry," he said, sitting back quickly and looking rebuked.

She shook her head. "No. It's just that we're here, our clothes are back there, and my Dad could be back at any minute."

The first, "Oh," simply sounded disappointed. The second confirmed that the gravity of her words had cut through.

Laughter in her voice, she said, "Help me up," and picked up the sketch.

She bit her lower lip as he stood, and she finally noticed his manhood bobbing at full erection. It was just as gorgeous as the rest of him. She cast her eyes down at the ground a moment with her cheeks warming before taking his hand and letting him help her to stand.

They walked hand in hand back down the trail, frequently turning to look at each other in perfect coordination. From the look of his grin, she assumed it was much like hers — so wide that her cheeks were aching.

Once back in camp, she sat the notebook down in a safe spot and dressed — quite reluctantly — while Chase did the same. Once they were clothed once more, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him soundly.

"Ahem."

They broke from the kiss and turned to see her father standing with his hands on his hips. Chase stiffened in her arms, and she had the distinct impression he was moments from running for his life away from the image of her powerful father staring them down.

She rolled her eyes and chided, "Dad..."

His stern visage cracked and he loosed a booming laugh. "Oh, come on now. What's the point of looking like this if I can't have a little fun with it now and then?"

Chase's sigh of relief was audible as she felt him relax. She gave him a peck on the cheek as her father approached.

"Wondered when the two of you were going to stop walking on eggshells around each other," Paul remarked as he sat down. "Guess you apologized, huh, son?"

Chase made a small sound in his throat, and Dara looked at him to see him look down at the ground. Her father calling him son had hit in ways that were certainly unintended, and reminded her of what she'd originally planned upon bringing him back to camp.

"You should go talk to your father."

He shook his head. "I... It's no use."

"You need to do this, Chase. You have to at least know you tried. I'll go with you," she squeezed his hand.

"Probably the best chance you're going to get," her father added. "Catch him in camp, and he'll stand his ground."

"I don't know," Chase said, and sighed again.

"I do. Come on," Dara said, tugging him along as she took a step. "You were brave enough to chase your dream. You're brave enough to do this, and I'm here for you."

Hesitantly, he took a step — and then another. Sending every ounce of strength she could through their clasped hands, Dara led him down to the canoe.

****

The walk from the landing at the campsite west of the waterfall was slow. Dara was sure that if she weren't standing at his side, he never would have made it this far. Even she felt a chill grip her heart as they stepped into the camp and Chase's father turned to see them, his features instantly hardening.

Without a word, Ronald walked toward them, but at an angle surely meant to walk straight past them. Dara saw red, and before she could think about it, she jumped in front of him and said, "No!" She planted her hand firmly on his chest, staring him down. "If you want to run away this time, you're going to have to go through me."

"Dad, we need to talk."

Stunned at first by Dara's sudden intervention, Ron snapped his gaze to his son. He took several hard, huffing breaths through his nose, and then growled, "Talk about what? Talk about how you ignored your mother's dying wish?"

"Yes. Damn it, Dad," Chase snapped back, stepping forward to confront the mountain of a man. "Do you really think that's what I did? Do you really think I would do that to Mom?"

"You did."

"No, I didn't." He took a deep breath, and his next words were calmer. "Yes, I told her I would go to college. Yes, I dropped out. But college isn't what she was worried about. She was worried about me running off without a plan — without a future. I have a future, Dad. I'm doing what I like, and I'm making a good living. I'm happy. Secure. That's what Mom wanted."

"For now. What if..?"

"No, there are no what ifs. I'm not an idiot, Dad. I've been saving and investing. If you'd bothered to talk to me, you'd know that I took EMT training, too. I have a fall-back plan."

"That's..." He trailed off, his expression softening — just a touch.

"I'm not doing this again, Dad. I said what I needed to say. If you can't accept me for who I am, then there's nothing I can do to change that. If you ever want to, though, just call. I love you, no matter what you think of me."

Dara looked over at him to see Chase nod back toward the water and turn that way. Before she followed, she stared down his father one last time.

"What do you think would have really hurt her? Him not going to college, or you pretending he doesn't exist?"

Ron's shoulders slumped and he looked down at the ground. Without waiting for an answer, she turned and caught up with Chase, clasping his hand.

"Thank you," Chase said as she fell in step beside him. "I thought I was going to throw up at first. Then when you jumped in front of him..."

"You're welcome."

"Do you think he heard a word I said?"

A quick glance over her shoulder to see his father sitting down hard on the ground and putting his head in his hands prompted her to say, "Yes. It's up to him to make it right now." She leaned in close, resting his head on her shoulder. "Let's go back to camp. You're supposed to be the host, and all your guests are sitting there unattended."

****

Despite her upbringing, Dara was a little stunned with how comfortable she was around Chase's friends only a short while after he formally introduced her. She was sitting, chatting with nude people she'd only met less than an hour before — naked as the day she was born.

Chase had seemed as nervous as her at first, but now he sat at her side, chatting and laughing, close enough for their bare skin to touch and holding her hand. She'd already accepted an invitation to come spend Nude Day with them all tomorrow, and said that she was going to try to convince her father as well.

She blushed a little as Miranda and one of Chase's male writer friends had a casual conversation about how perfect her breasts were, analyzing them down to the smallest bump on her areolae.

"You simply must pose for us tomorrow, darling," Miranda said. "It's no wonder you've been such an inspiration to our suddenly blushing host."

Dara looked over to see that he was indeed flushed, and laughed. "Okay."

A brief burst of static preceded the two-way radio lying atop Dara's clothing projecting her father's voice. "Dara?"

Miranda picked up the radio and handed it to her. "Yes, Dad?"

"Ron's here. He wants to talk to Chase. I told him to wait just a minute or two while I called you before he came over."

"He heard." Seeing Chase take a deep breath and nod his head, she continued, "It's okay for him to come over."

"I'll meet him down by the lake," Chase said.

"He'll meet him down by the lake," she relayed.

"He'll be headed that way in a minute or two," her father finished.

"Should we get dressed?" one of Chase's friends asked.

He shook his head. "It's okay. We'll stay down by the lake or head to his camp or something."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Dara asked.

"I think I'll be okay."

"Well, you know I'm here if you need me." She enfolded him in her arms and hugged him close.

Chase stood up and Miranda stood with him. "That goes for us too, darling," she said, and then they all approached to hug him or shake his hand in turn.

He dressed and headed down to the lake shortly thereafter. The mood in camp was tense when the sound of a canoe approaching followed by hushed voices reached them. Dara had to fight her desire to run down to his side with all her will.

After what felt like an eternity, she heard him walking back up the trail. She stood to wait for him, and when he emerged, he was smiling.

"So, are you going to be okay?"

His smile widened. "We both need a little time to heal, but yeah. I think we'll be okay."

Dara walked up and enfolded him in her arms, kissing him, and then turned around to once more retrieve the radio from atop her clothes.

"Dad, could you bring over a couple of jugs of wine? I think it's time for a celebration."

****

Chase and Dara said goodnight to the last of the holdouts as his friends headed for their tents. He stretched and let out a yawn, then said, "I'm beat." He looked up at the sky for a second or two, waving his hand at a mosquito that had snuck into the screen tent to buzz in his ear and remarked, "Not much of a moon, and it's pretty dark. Maybe you should stay over here instead of going back tonight."

Dara put one hand on her hip and cocked her head to the side. "Oh? And I suppose I could share your tent? Hmm?"

He let out a nervous chuckle. "That's not what I meant."

"I know."

The truth was, even though she was teasing, her thoughts had very much turned that way. Between the wine loosening her inhibitions and being next to him in the altogether the whole day, she was having more than a little difficulty controlling her steadily building arousal. The light was relatively dim, and flickering since the primary source was the campfire, or he might have very well known that.

Her nipples felt stiff enough to cut glass.

The rational part of her said that she should wait, since this was barely the beginning of a relationship. Her heart and her hormones were having none of that, however.

"Come down to the lake with me," she said, and then took his hand.

He walked down with her, where the moon reflected off calm waters. The water lapped, lifting the canoes ever so slightly, creating unique music from the aluminum tapping on rock, and paddles shifting within. Crickets chirped, but otherwise all was silent as they stood nude before the water, holding hands.

"Let's go out," she suggested.

"Really?"

"Mmm hmm," she answered and let go of his hand to climb into the back of one of the canoes. "I'll drive."




Beauty of the Wood



"Shouldn't we get dressed?"

"Why? Who's going to see us?"

"Your dad. My dad," he reminded her.

"Dad brought out his latest concoction this time. He's started distilling whisky. He figured your dad might like a drink, so he took the jug over for them to test it. They'll probably test it until they both pass out whether it's any good or not. Now, come on, or I'll leave you behind."

"Okay," he agreed, and pushed the canoe off the bank before pulling it sideways so he could board.

The channel was easy to navigate, even in the dim light. A much brighter ribbon ran down its center, easily marking the path. Once around the island and in open water, the scenery blended together a great deal more. Dara had been coming here all her life, and knew the area like the back of her hand, though. She knew exactly where she was every moment as they paddled out into the lake, in the general direction of her camp.

"You can really see the stars out here," Chase remarked.

"Mmm hmm." Sitting behind him, looking at his muscles play as he paddled, Dara shivered. He looked absolutely stunning bathed in the moonlight. She licked her lips, and surrendered her last little bit of resistance.

"You sure you know where you're going?" he asked as he could feel the increase in the strength of her paddle strokes.

"Of course. Just keep paddling."

Dara pointed the nose of the canoe at where she wanted to go, keeping a steady pace that Chase matched. Once near the far shore, he looked around and said, "Isn't your camp over that way a bit?"

"Yes, but that's not where we're going."

"Where, then?"

"You'll see."

She could see Chase's confusion as they drew up to the finger of the lake that led inland. He had naturally never seen it before, since her mother's magic masked it from anyone but family. He looked this way and that, either drinking in the scenery or trying to get his bearings as she guided the canoe back to the circular pool at the terminus of the canal.

"I know I've never seen this before. We can't be that far from your camp."

"It's our little secret," she offered by way of explanation, and then turned the canoe so it would drift up sidelong to the shore.

Chase steadied himself and then gave a little hop to make it up the steep, foot-high bank that surrounded the pool. He pulled the canoe closer, found a rock to tie the rope on, and then helped Dara jump up on shore as well.

Grass, moss, and small foliage formed a comfortable bed underfoot as they walked a few steps from the water. Then, Dara pulled him close, kissed him, and sank down to that bed. He knelt down next to her, and she gazed upon him with half-lidded eyes, her near arm lifted in invitation. He lay down next to her, and their lips met.

They kissed softly beneath the stars, her aching nipples brushing against his chest to be tickled by the triangle of hair there. She waited a minute or two to see what he would do, and when he didn't push further, she took the initiative.

Her next kiss was strong — full of desire. She rolled on her hip, curling a leg around his and pulling him even closer. He groaned into the kiss, matching her passion and reaching up to stroke her hair. She gasped when his lips suddenly darted from hers to kiss her neck, the arm and leg she had draped over him tightening their grip.

Tongues wrangling, their hands stroked over each other's skin as the kisses grew more hungry by the second, punctuated every so often by his kisses to her sensitive neck that caused her to gasp each and every time. A whimper escaped her when she felt his now erect manhood tap against her skin.

"I want you," she said in a breathless whisper between kisses. "Please," she added as she tugged to encourage him to move over her.

He rolled, their bodies moving in perfect sync until he was suspended over her on his knees between her legs — parted just wide enough to accommodate him. He rocked forward on his hands and she parted her lips, only to let out a high-pitched moan when his lips found her left nipple instead.

"Oh yes." The words tumbled from her lips unbidden as he suckled the stiff bud, lowering his hips until his cock rested against her wet heat. She rocked her hips in a slow, sinuous motion, caressing him with her folds and setting off electric pulses of pleasure as she felt a slippery layer of her wetness form between them.

He switched nipples, his touch gentle and mingled with caresses of his tongue. Feeling as if she were on fire, she let her knees drift further apart and planted her feet. Lifting her hips up and back, she felt the bulbous head of his cock press against her folds.

"Please, Chase. Please," she begged.

He barely moved, but it was enough. His cock pressed against her nether lips, angling downward and slipping deep into her canal with agonizing slowness.

"Oh god," she whimpered as he filled her for the first time in so long — and more. A long groan escaped him as his manhood pushed ever deeper, until she felt the hairs at its base tickling her.

She could feel every inch of him tightly squeezed within her satiny embrace. The thick vein running along its length pulsed with his heartbeat inside her. Their lips met, and she closed both arms and legs around him, holding him tight against her with his wonderful cock nestled in her depths.

For long, beautiful minutes, they simply kissed — joined as one. Then he pumped his hips, and though it was surely less than an inch of motion, it was enough to set off a warbling cry of bliss that tumbled from her lips.

Slowly, he pushed against her, stirring his manhood in her depths. His girth tugged at her folds, and the now slippery organ brushed the bottom of her hood, teasing the bud beneath. She began to moan with each subdued thrust, the first sparks of a warm glow building beneath her mound.

Their breathing quickened, sweat beginning to bead on their skin in the humid night air. His pumping hips increased in speed, but with the same short strokes, as if he didn't want to lose contact with her skin. The minutes ticked by as they coupled on their natural bed beneath a dim crescent of a moon. Their quiet sounds of pleasure mingled with the lapping of the water, and the wind blowing through the leaves above.

The warm pressure within Dara tightened, and sharp moans began to burst from her lips with every thrust. She drew nearer and nearer to a climax, until she at last teetered on the brink.

"Oh. Oh, Chase."

"Dara," he groaned, his throat tight.

"I... I... Oh!" She twitched and released a moan broken by pants as her orgasm took hold, spreading all through her in sweet ripples.

Chase suddenly froze in place as her intimate muscles squeezed tighter around him. He groaned, and she felt him swelling — throbbing.

"Oh, yes," she cried as he pumped his seed into her depths. She swore she could feel it pooling inside her, joining the warm glow of her continuing orgasm. His hot breath washed over her breasts, the sweat glistening there cooling, and adding to her pleasure. They remained joined — trembling — until at last they were both spent.

"Oh, thank you," she whispered once she could find her breath again.

"Ah, Dara. So..."

"So wonderful," they both said at the same time, and then chuckled.

She let her legs slide down from where they had rested on his taut butt, and then sink to the ground. He pulled free, and she whimpered in protest, but made no effort to stop him. Instead, she used her hands that were still caressing his back to pull him down into a kiss. Only then did she allow him the reprieve to roll over and lay down wearily at her side. She immediately rolled over to rest her head on his chest.

"Did you?" he asked after a few seconds.

She couldn't help but giggle. "Yes, silly."

He breathed a sigh of relief.

"You couldn't tell?"

"I thought so, but then I..." He stiffened.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to get pregnant." She knew it was the answer to his unspoken thoughts when he relaxed. He didn't know — yet — that she couldn't get pregnant except on Earth Day. It was another quirk of her mother's heritage.

Turning to look up at him, she asked, "Are you going to get scared and run away if I tell you that I think I'm falling in love with you?"

"I already know I'm in love with you," he responded, and stroked her cheek with his hand.

"Good answer," she said as she snuggled in a little closer.

Relaxed in the afterglow of their lovemaking, they held each other and reveled in the closeness they'd both needed more than they admitted. Dara lost a minute or two here and there, and suspected that Chase had dozed a little as well. She found herself tracing the lines of his abdominal muscles, and saw something in her peripheral vision.

When she looked again, she saw his manhood twitch, the soft organ rolling a little against his thigh. She let her fingers drift a little lower, beneath his belly button, and it twitched again — stronger this time. His hand, which had been resting on her back, slipped down to her bottom.

As his cock lengthened and stretched, she tilted her head back and saw him smiling down at her. She pressed her fingers over the helmet of his cock, and felt it throb.

He sucked in a deep breath when she licked her lips, then groaned and let his head fall heavily into the grass when she wrapped her hand around his cock and squeezed. Wetness gathering once more between her legs, she lapped his hardening cock with a broad stroke of her tongue.

By the second lap, it was rising up from his body, and she took him between her lips. The tangy, bittersweet taste of her own juices on him only excited her all the more. His fingers slipped between her legs, and she moaned around him as the digits found her folds. That touch and his fully erect cock stretching her lips caused the banked coals of her passion to roar into flame again.

Needing far more than the tease of his fingers, she pulled back to the tip and let it pop from her lips. She gave the swollen head a peck of her lips, causing it to twitch, and then lifted her knee, rolling over to straddle his body.

His fingers curled around her knees as she closed her eyes and ground her sex against his hardness. His eyes were fixed on her face when her eyes popped open, though they did blink down to her jiggling breasts when she gave a more pronounced rock of her hips.

The ache deep within her cried out for relief, and she leaned forward to balance on her right hand. Her left passed between their bodies, fingers curling behind his stiff cock to stand it upright. A few wiggles poised it at the entrance of her canal, and she sank down on it.

"Yeah, you feel so good," Chase said as she groaned from the feeling of him stretching her again.

"Oh, so do you."

Sitting up over him, she swiveled her hips, stirring him in her depths and drawing forth a moan from them both. She planted a hand firmly on her knee, and then let the other glide down her body in a sensual caress to her clit. Two fingers slid onto either side of her hood, and she pinched them together, wiggling the digits as she switched to a forward and back motion with her hips.

"You're so sexy," he said as she rode him. "So beautiful."

"Oh, you're so hard. It feels so good."

"Come for me, Dara."

His words sent chills up and down her spine. Even as she shivered, her hips and fingers both moved faster, giving in to the bonfire of need that had enveloped her.

Wet, squishy sounds emerged as her hips moved faster and in a wider range. Forward and back. Back and forth. All the while, Chase encouraged her with his grunts and the intensity of his gaze on her undulating body.

She saw him wince after one especially hard rock of her hips that pulled against the root of his cock. She slowed and asked, "Am I... Am I hurting you?"

"No. Keep going. I want to see you."

He hadn't even finished before she took his words to heart. The two fingers over her clit flashed, sliding the nub against its protective hood with hot friction. The warm knot of pressure in her loins swelled and swelled, until she felt as if she were going to burst. A series of whimpers, moans, squeals, and gasps tumbled from her lips unbidden as the ecstasy and her pace built to a fever pitch.

It hit her with the force of a thunderclap. Colored sparks danced behind her tightly closed eyelids as she lurched and her chin tapped against her chest. She squealed as powerful waves of orgasm wracked her body, causing every muscle to stiffen, and her womb to flutter. She froze — trembling — atop his powerfully throbbing cock, then sucked in a deep breath that caught in her chest when a squeeze of his muscles caused the organ to twitch inside her. She went numb, deaf, and blind for a heartbeat, then a fresh cascade of orgasmic energy caused her to cry out and shudder uncontrollably.

It went on and on until she went limp, supported by Chase's hands that suddenly appeared on her shoulders, lowering her down until she was resting against his sweat-dampened skin. Still trembling and twitching from aftershocks, she fought hard for breath even as she tingled from the feeling of him caressing her back.

"You okay?"

"I think so. I f-felt like I was going to fly apart." She cried out when he twitched inside her.

"Sorry."

"Mmm. No, it's okay. Oh, my god."

"I loved it."

"You didn't come."

"Don't care," he said, and then chuckled.

She let out a sad moan. "But I do. I can't move, though."

"Then don't."

But eventually, she had to. Her knees and back began to ache, leaving her little choice. She nearly swooned when she scooted forward to let his cock pop free and slap against his skin. It was all she could do to roll onto her side next to him.

He laid looking at her and smiling, even though he was still hard. It had ceased to bounce, though, indicating that the flow of blood might be leaving it. Feeling guilty, no matter what he said, she reached out and laid her hand atop it.

"You don't have to."

"I want to," she said as she curled her fingers around it.

He groaned as her hand slid up and down the shaft — still slippery with her juices. A little of her strength returned as his cock throbbed in her grasp, the head swelling and his hips beginning to buck upwards. Her hand pumped faster, and she could see his features tightening. She knew he was getting close.

He grunted when she released him, but she was already rolling onto her back by the time his eyes opened.

"Chase, I want it," she said as she parted her legs wide.

With a grunt, he sat up and rolled over. A dribble of pre-cum dangled from him as he moved between her legs and took his cock in hand. She whimpered as he penetrated her and it set off a stinging moment of pain, but it was followed by a deeply aroused moan as he started stroking, and she saw the pleasure in his face.

"Ah god," he growled after only two pumps of his hips.

"Oh yes. Do it."

A few strokes later, he clenched his teeth and growled again. Once, twice, and then a third time, his body collided with hers, the claps echoing back from the trees. Then, he erupted with an explosive cry.

"Oh yes, Chase. Oh yes," she cried out as jets of semen pulsed from him and his hips twitched erratically, beyond his control.

His grunts and pants ended with an almost girlish whimper as he dribbled the last few drops into her tight embrace. She giggled as he fell forward on his hands above her, mouth hanging open as he tried to draw air into his lungs.

This time, after a weary dip in the waters of the pool to wash, they were both well and truly spent. Only meaning to relax for a minute or two before walking up to camp, they fell asleep in each other's arms beneath the open sky.

****

Dara was more than a little embarrassed when she found clothes for her and Chase waiting a short distance up the trail the next morning. She'd thought to sneak into camp for something, but her father had already taken care of it.

Somehow, she pushed back her own desire when Chase awakened ready to pick up where they'd left off the night before. It was only with a promise that they would be picking up where they left off, though — and soon.

They paddled the canoe out of the pool and around to camp, where her father was doing his best not to grin as he served up breakfast. The plan was already in place to spend Nude Day at Chase's camp, so they were just about to head back when Ronald called from down on the lake.

"Come on up, Ron. The kids are here," her father answered his old friend.

"Hey, Dad," Chase said, though he sounded a little nervous.

"Glad you're here. I wanted to let you know that I'm going to go ahead and head back in. I've got some thinking to do. Will you come see me when you come in off the lake?"

"Sure. I might stay in town a couple of days before I head back to pack up, anyway. Still have to find a place here."

Ronald cleared his throat. "Well, you know your room is there if you want it."

"Thanks."

Though he faltered a little at first, Ron stepped forward and opened his arms. Chase didn't hesitate at all to embrace his father. Stifling a sniffle, Ron said, "Well, I'll see you soon, then."

"Sure thing, Dad."

"You all keep your eyes open and a camera handy. You're out here more than anybody else, so you're more likely than anyone to see whatever that is I got a picture of. I think I may head back out here... Maybe next month."

"Maybe next week," Paul said, wearing a wide, knowing grin.

"I wish, but no. Well, I'm going to get going. This hangover is only going to get worse the higher the sun gets."

"You're getting soft," Dara's father teased.

"That's what I was telling you when you passed out last night," Ron countered, and then smiled before nodding and heading back down the trail.

"He looks really good," Chase remarked after a minute or two. "The life just kind of went out of him after Mom died. It's good to see him excited again. Too bad you can't thank a fish."

When her father chuckled, Dara cast him a warning glance, but he only laughed louder.

"It wasn't that funny," Chase said.

"Why don't we take a walk, you two? There's a couple things we should probably get out in the open air."

Gripped by nervous fear, Dara said, "Dad, are you sure..."

"She says now's the time, and I know better than to argue."

Chase turned to look at her and asked, "She?"

"Just come along, you two," Paul interjected.

Dara's stomach was doing flip-flops, and Chase took her hand. "Are you okay?"

The look of concern in his eyes gave her the strength she needed. "Yes. Let's go."

"Where are we going, anyway?" he asked as they started walking behind her father.

"To the pool."

Chase blushed, and that caused her to crack a smile.

The three emerged from the trail and walked up to the water. Paul turned around and said, "Chase, there's someone we'd like you to meet."

He looked around, obviously confused, then she burst up from the water in a cascade of droplets, flipping her tail, and let out a silvery laugh.

"That's my mom," Dara said when she saw not fear, but wonder in his open-mouthed stare.

"Your mom?" He let out a little laugh. "Whoa. Hey, is she... She is what Dad saw, isn't she?"

"He needed to remember good things," La'isa answered.

"Mmm hmm," Dara agreed, then she turned to her mother. "This was all you, wasn't it? Everything?"

Her father said, "She told me the first moment you two laid eyes on each other all those years ago that you were meant for each other, but that you weren't ready."

"Now you are," the naiad confirmed. She swam over to the bank, legs replacing her tail, and climbed up.

Chase fought to keep from staring at the blue-skinned, very nude woman in front of him as she leaned in and kissed his cheek. She then kissed her daughter's cheek as well before walking over to her mate and snuggling up against him. "Your friends are waiting. Go play. You can come back later."