Richard Laymon - Tread Softly

While he was staring, the twins came up the trail. He nodded a greeting to them, and the one with the pony tail gave him a look like she thought he was a clod. What had he done, he wondered, to deserve that? After they passed, she whispered something to her sister, and both girls giggled a little.

Blushing, he made sure his zipper was up. It was.

They must've been making fun of him because he was resting. Or maybe because of his glasses. Four-eyes is pooped out.

He'd show them who's pooped.

Quickly, he pushed the loop of the elastic band onto his other earpiece. He glanced down the trail. Julie and Nick were coming toward him. He wouldn't give her a chance to knock him. Hanging onto his shoulder straps, he leaned into the weight and hurried up the trail.

He took long, steady strides like Karen. He closed in on the twins. "Beep-beep," he said. They glanced back, looking startled, and Pigtails fell in behind her sister to make room. He lunged past them.

One muttered, "Turkey," as he left them behind. He didn't look back.

Karen came into view as he rounded a bend. He kept up his speed until he was only a couple of yards behind her, then slowed his pace to match hers.

Turning sideways, she smiled back at him. Even in that funny hat, she was beautiful. "Do you want through?" she asked.

"No, thanks. This is fine."

It was real fine. He stayed behind her, watching her walk, listening to her voice as she talked with Mrs. Gordon. He couldn't make out many of the words, but that didn't matter.

His shoulders hurt. His back was sore just above his rump where the pack rested. His leg muscles trembled. Sweat dripped down his face. His shirt and underwear felt glued to his skin. He was huffing for breath. But he didn't slow down. He stayed close behind Karen, well ahead of the snotty twins, and Julie and Nick.

No matter how awful he felt, he wouldn't fall behind. He wouldn't let himself.

Finally, the trail leveled out.

Then it sloped gently downward. He scanned the valley to the left, but saw only thick woods.

The lake's gotta be here someplace, he thought.

Two miles, the marker had said. They must've already hiked five. So where is it? Maybe the sign lied. Maybe there was a number one in front of the two and it was covered with dirt or something, and Juniper Lake is twelve miles. No, the ranger had said.

"Here we are," came Mr. Gordon's voice. He and Dad had stopped just ahead.

"How's it going?" Dad asked Karen.

"Whew," she said. She took off her hat. It had matted down her hair. The strands across her forehead were wet and dark.

"It was a doozy," Benny said.

She smiled at him, and wiped her forehead with the back of her hand.

"You did real good," Dad told him. "That was pretty tough going."

He shrugged, and managed not to wince as pain streaked through his shoulders. "It wasn't so tough," he said.

While they waited for the others to catch up, Mr. Gordon showed them the trail sign. It read juniper lake, but gave no distance. The arrow pointed to the left, where a narrow trail joined the main one and dropped away from the slope. Benny peered into the trees. He saw no trace of a lake.

"Where's the lake?" the ponytailed girl asked, frowning at her mother.

"Down there," Mrs. Gordon said.

"I don't see it."

"Me either," said the sister.

"Right there " Benny told them. He pointed down the trail at the shadowy forest. "Can't you see it?" he asked.

"No. Where?"

"See? Through there?"

Both girls scrunched up their faces and squinted into the trees.

"Maybe you need glasses," Benny suggested.

"Do not."

Quite a while later, well after reaching the bottom of the hill, Benny spotted a pale area through the trees ahead. The lake surface. About time.

"There it is!" cried one of the twins.

He grinned to himself, and kept on walking.

"Well now." With a sigh, Flash slung his pack to the ground.

Scott took off his pack, too. The clearing, at the foot of the trail, was close to the shoreline. It had obviously been used often as a campsite. There were logs laid out as benches around a fireplace. There was a small pile of firewood. Plenty of flat area for sleeping.

Listening carefully, Scott heard the breeze stirring the leaves, the quiet lap of waves. But he heard no running water that would indicate a nearby stream.

"Why don't you all take a load off," he suggested. "I'll scout ahead. There might be a better place farther on."

"This looks all right to me," Flash said.

"Well, I'd rather be near a stream. Running water."

"Good point," Flash said.

"I'll come with you." Karen swung her pack off, set it down, and joined him.

Benny, sitting on the ground against his pack, started to get up.

"You wait here," Scott told him. "We'll just be gone a few minutes."

Looking disappointed, the boy settled back.

Karen followed Scott along a path near the shoreline. Without his pack, he felt nearly weightless. He walked with a springy step. The breeze was cool against his damp T-shirt. And he was alone with Karen, at least for the moment. He turned to her. "Howdy, stranger."

She ducked under his outstretched arm, and leaned against him. He cupped her shoulder. They walked along the path, holding each other. "Now, this is nice," she said.

"You surviving the kids all right?"

"Sure. They're fine. Benny's quite a guy."

"I think he's fallen for you. Can't blame him." "I've fallen for him, too." She patted Scott's side. "Good thing for you he's just a kid."

"I wish Julie'd shape up. Maybe she will, now that Nick's around."

"They seem to be getting along okay."

"Yeah." He sighed.

"What's wrong?"

"Well, I've been thinking about the sleeping arrangements. I really don't see how we can manage. "

"I know. I've thought about that, too. I guess I tent with Julie, huh?"

"I can't figure any way around it, what with the kids and the Gordons."

"That's all right. Maybe we'll be able to sneak off, sometime."

"You can bet on it."

Karen's hand moved down, and pushed into a rear pocket of his trousers. It stayed there, curved against his rump, caressing, as they walked along the path.

"If Julie gives you any trouble," Scott said, "let me know."

"I'm sure we'll be fine. It'll give us a chance to get to know each other."

"She's really not a bad kid. I've been trying to figure her out. It hit her pretty hard when her mother split. But it was never 'How could she do that to me?' She only seemed upset that I'd been dumped on. She really holds it against June, won't even talk to her on the phone. Both kids are pretty bitter about what she did, but with Julie it seems to have spilled over onto you. It's not you personally. She'd have the same feeling toward any woman I got serious about. I'm sure of that. She seems to feel it's her duty to protect me."

"Maybe she'll get over it once we know each other better."

"I sure hope so. I feel bad, though, that you have to be put through this kind of thing."

Karen smiled up at him. "Hell, you're worth it."

"Is that so?"

"That's so."

They rounded a bend in the shoreline, and Scott heard the sound of rushing water.

"Success!" Karen said. She squeezed his rump, withdrew her hand from his pocket, and stepped ahead through a narrow passage between two trees. Scott watched her hurry forward. She bounded up a small, rocky rise, glanced down, then whirled around. " Voila! " she cried.

Scott climbed up to join her. A few feet below, a stream tumbled and swirled over rocks on its way to the lake.

They stepped down to it. Kneeling, Karen dipped a hand into the water. She cupped some to her mouth, and drank. "It's luscious," she said. As Scott tried the chilly water, she splashed her face. Then, to his amazement, she unbuttoned her blouse. She spread it open, scooped up water with both hands, and flung it against herself. He watched it splatter her bare skin. It slid over her breasts, dripped from the jutting tips of her nipples, rolled down her belly. Bending over, she cupped more water to her mouth.