Chapter 9

Thursday, day twelve at Camp Shady Pines

After lunch, Steve and Carol looked over a trail map they picked up at the camp office and decided to go on a hike. Carol said they would be gone a couple of hours and gave Brad and me another opportunity to be alone in the cabin.

After they left for their hike, Brad said, “So what do you say, Beautiful, want to go canoeing to one of the islands? You can scrunch down and take your top off to work on your tan lines.”

“So that’s how it is going to be. You’re going to use your poor old mother for your voyeuristic enjoyment.

“Yup, that’s about it. But tell you what, if you show me yours, I’ll show you mine.”

“Deal, let’s go. I went back to the kitchen and put some bottled water, a box of crackers and cheese in a small cooler with a knife, paper plates, and napkins, and grabbed a blanket we use on the island and some sunscreen. I put on a waist-length long-sleeve wrap over my two-piece bathing suit, sunglasses, and a wide-brimmed sun hat. I was not entirely over yesterday’s scare, so going canoeing and swimming on the island seemed like a great idea to me. If we went back to the bedroom, all I would do was keep checking the window and worrying.

Barbara Thompson was tending the canoes when we went to check one out. She went and got the oars and the seat cushions / flotation devices, and when she handed them to Brad, she invaded his personal space, gave him that cute smile of hers and touched him on the arm when she said, “Have a good time and be back before 8:00 pm.”

I had to turn away when I saw the big smile on Brad’s face to keep him from seeing the grin on my face.

We loaded up the canoe so the center remained clear. Brad held the canoe steady while I got in. Then he got in and pushed us away from the dock. We started paddling straight out toward the island.

When we were halfway to the island, Brad said, “Relax, Mom. I got this.”

I slipped my paddle under the seat and enjoyed the quiet as I reached over the sides and let my fingers drag through the water. When Brad turned the canoe, I looked over my shoulder and asked, “You’re not going to the island?”

“Not yet, Mom. Let’s go around it. It’s a perfect day for a canoe ride, and I need the exercise.”

I lifted my legs and spun around in my seat to face Brad. The afternoon sun was bright, and Brad wore a t-shirt, cargo shorts, sunglasses, sneakers, and no hat. I put some sunscreen on my hand and started putting it on his forehead, face, ears and the back of his neck and said, “I’m so glad we did this. I don’t think I would have been much fun if we had gone to the cabin today.”

As I started to coat his legs and knees with the sunscreen, Brad said, “I know, Mom. I wasn’t looking forward to listening for footsteps and looking for shadows. And stop rubbing my leg. You’re making me go off course.”

I looked around, and nobody was in sight. I said, “Oh, is Mr. Johnson being a bad boy again?” I slid my hand as far up his pant leg as I could and squeezed his thigh just below his swim trunks.

Doing his best to give me a menacing look, Brad said, “Away with thee wench, or ye will be walking a plank to Davie Jones’ locker. I have me ship to sail.”

Leaning back and putting the back of my hand to my brow, I pleaded, “Please, Mr. Pirate, don’t make me walk the plank. I only wanted to please my handsome master.”

“Please me from the bow wench, or I will hand thee over to me crew. Be gone.”

Pretending to sob and whine, “Oh no, not the crew,” I moved back toward the bow, took the seat cushion, and propped it up against the seat so I could lean on it as I lay in the bottom of the canoe. Only my head and shoulders were showing above the gunnels. Unbuttoning the single button at the top of my wrap, I let it fall open. I grabbed the bottom of my bathing suit, pulled it up, and said, “Do my boobies please my captain?” I knew it was a mean thing to do out here in the middle of the lake, but I was feeling frisky and was having fun playing the pirate game.