A Trip to Texas
written by:
TxRad

Trip to Texas

By TxRad

This is probable the best example of what not to do, when your world falls apart. I can't complain though, it worked out for me, but then again a chance meeting changed my luck. Chance, luck, and fate; three little words that can mean a whole lot of different things, to different people. Take a chance, make your own luck, and fate will take care of itself, that's the way I see it.

*****

Just after the first of the year, my wife of six years decided she wanted greener pastures. To tell the truth, I was quite relieved. The only thing about the relationship that was any good, at the end, was the sex. It was great, but that's the way life is.

To make matters even worse, the company I worked for got bought out. The new owners weren't too bad, but the new manager was an asshole. So what do you do, when you're up to your alligator in assholes? I decided to go on vacation and hide in the woods. That's camping to the uninformed.

I had about thirty days worth of time coming, so I got out the maps and tried to decide where to go. The state map showed a lot of options. The United States map showed a whole lot more. I balked at the world map. I figured I didn't have that much time, after all.

Everywhere looked good; I couldn't or wouldn't make a decision. So I left it all lying on the kitchen table, popped the top on a beer, and kicked back in front of the television set. Surfing the channels brought me to the weather station. Another cold polar front was on its way. That sparked an idea.

Why not head south? After all, I'd never been there. The weather would be warm and I'd heard the people were too.

*****

I hadn't taken any time off in so long I couldn't remember the last camping trip I'd made. It was an Easter egg hunt for all my equipment. Saturday, I spent most of the day just finding and setting it all up, and Sunday was used for sorting, packing, and loading it into my old pickup. Monday and Tuesday, I had to work, so I drove the car.

Tuesday night, I packed my clothes and the ice chests. Even after a couple of beers, I couldn't sleep. After a couple of hours trying, I gave up and got dressed. I'd figured on getting an early start anyway, now was as good a time as any.

My original plan was to leave after rush hour and drive to a small state park in the southern end of the state. I planned on staying there a day or two, depending on the weather. After that, it was anyone's guess. South was the general direction and I had no specific destination in mind.

Two thirty in the morning is the only time of day to drive in a big city. Normally, I'm just like the rest of the drunks at this time of night. I just want to make it home safely, no accidents, no tickets. Being sober at this time of the morning and driving along in no hurry was kind of new to me. Maybe I should have tried it more often; I probably wouldn't be half as crazy as I am.

By four, I was well south of town and getting sleepy; coffee was the next order of business. I'd meant to bring a thermos, but had forgotten. Truck stop six miles ahead, that's what, the sign said and it sounded like a deal to me.

The place was open but deserted, with just one car in the large lot. The hoods up on it and someone's poking around within the engine compartment. Well, coffee is where you can find it.

Grabbing a seat in the corner booth, I ordered a cup from the waitress. Later, she returned with a cup and small jug of coffee. The coffee's not bad. Halfway through the second cup, the front door opens and in walks the guy that was messing with the car outside.

When he takes off the black watch cap and heavy coat, I realize it's a she, and not a bad looking woman, by any means. I couldn't tell a whole lot about her figure because of the bulky sweater and loose fitting jeans. She was short, slim, and cute as hell. She looked around a second, and then moved toward me.

"Do you know anything about cars?" She asks.

I grin and reply, "Not enough, probably, I can put gas in one and maybe change my own oil, if I had too. Other than that, it's touch and go. If I touch the key, I expect it to go."

She chuckled and said, "Sounds familiar, I stopped to use the restroom here and now that piece of junk won't start. The guy I bought it from said he had worked it over and it was in great shape."

I shook my head. "That usually means it'll get you off the lot and out of sight. That's also, where the warranty ends. I can take a look if you'd like. I doubt if I can find anything, but I'll try."

Grabbing my coat, I flagged the waitress and told her I'd be right back. Outside, with a flashlight, I took a look at the ailing engine. I wasn't kidding her about my automotive knowledge. I couldn't find anything obviously wrong from the top, so I climbed as far up under the little car as I could.

All that got me was oil in my hair. There was a puddle under the back of the pan. I moved around to the side of the car to get a better look, while the girl went in search of a rag. There wasn't a plug in the pan. Sitting here on a slight incline, what was left of the oil in it had drained out.

When I stood up, she handed me a towel. As I wiped at the oil in my hair, I explained as best I could what the problem was. I asked her to get in the car, set the emergency brake, and take it out of gear. Grabbing the fan belts, I tried to move the engine. The belts just slipped on the pulleys. I told her to hit the starter. There was a dull thud as the starter rammed home.

So much for that, it was locked solid. I lowered the hood and walked over to the driver's window. "We might as well go back inside, the motors locked up. It looks like the oil pan plug came out, dumping the oil on the road. When you stopped here, it seized up. Nothing's going to move it now, except maybe a tow truck."

"Damn!" she said softly. "If it wasn't for bad luck, I'd have none at all. First, my job, and then my boyfriend, now this." She paused, took a deep breath or two, and leaned her forehead on the steering wheel. "All I wanted to do was go home. Maybe something is telling me, I can't."

"Look, let's go inside, have some coffee, and warm up. If you need a ride somewhere, I'll see what I can do. How's that?"

"How about Texas?" she said. "You wouldn't be going that far would you."

I laughed and replied, "Sounds good to me, I wasn't sure where I was going on vacation, but Texas is as good a place, as any."

She sat in the car staring at me. Finally, she said. "You aren't kidding are you?"

"Why should I?" I asked with a laugh. "It's not a good place to go for a vacation? I've heard a lot about it, but never been there. You want to go home and I'm running away to hide. Similar to you, I'm newly divorced, got a shit head for a boss, and tired of being cold. The sun does shine down there, doesn't it?"

Now it was her turn to laugh. "You sure do talk fast and long. You ask questions but don't wait for an answer. If you're going to Texas, you'd better learn to slow down."

She paused for a moment to look at me closely. "I don't normally take to strangers right off but you're different. Somehow I know this to be a fact."

Again, there was a slight pause. "Let's get some coffee and talk."

*****

When we were settled back at the table inside and had our coffee poured, she said, "First of all, my names Lilly, secondly, yes, Texas is a beautiful place to spend time. Third, it's a whole bunch warmer; at it's coldest than it is here now. Fourth, I'm looking for a ride and nothing more. I want that much understood, up front. I'll pay my part of the expenses."

She had been ticking each point off on a finger as she went. When she finished, she picked up her coffee cup and slowly sipped at it as she watched me. I opened my mouth to speak, and then thought about what she'd said earlier.

When I replied, I tried to match her slower speech patterns. "I'm glad to meet you, Lilly. My names Jack, Jack Long and my mother raised me to be a gentleman, whether I wanted to be or not. A ride to Texas is what I offered. Nothing more is assumed or implied. Now that I've got a direction, I'll need a guide, if you want the job. Food, gas, and campground fees are about the only expenses, we'll have."

"Campground?" She asked.

"Yes, this is a camping trip. I have my tent and all my gear in the back of the truck. I have thirty days worth of vacation time and I wanted to spend the time away from towns and cities. Anyway motels are too expensive." I explained.

"You're right about motels. I had planned on staying in the car two nights out of three. Camping? I don't know; you've got only the one tent?"

"Well, yes. You can sleep in the truck, if it will make you feel safer. I'm not too sure how comfortable it would be. I've slept there and didn't get too much rest, but you're shorter so it may be better. I have an extra pillow and blanket."

"Hey, watch the short jokes," she said with a short laugh.

"Sorry." With a grin, I continued, "I didn't know you were sensitive about you're height. You don't appear to be vertically challenged. I think that's the politically correct term, isn't it."

"Yeah, I think your right, but I can't help it if my parents built my butt to close to the sidewalk. I may not be able to see over much of anything, but my legs reach from my ass to the ground, which is all that counts," she finished with a smile.

I glanced at my watch; it showed a quarter to six. I was pretty much tanked up on coffee and this nice ladies company, so I proposed that we load her stuff up and get on the road.

She sat staring at me for several long moments before she spoke. "I haven't said I'd take the offer of a ride or the guide job for that matter. Then again, what are my choices?"

Still staring at me, she again paused. "You seem to be a really nice guy. That's something hard to come by. I should know; if you know what I mean."

A little longer pause this time, then with a smile she continued. "I'll take the ride and the job, but we'll have to discuss the pay scale for a guide of my high caliber. We can do that on the road. Shall we get a move on?"

*****

Outside we loaded her bags into my truck. Most of her stuff had been shipped home. She had two small travel bags and a large duffel bag. A small garment bag, two blankets, and a pillow completed the transfer. I lowered the fiberglass bed cover and we climbed into the cab of the truck.

Five miles down the highway, the heater finally caught up. Another five miles passed and I had to pull over to remove my coat. Lilly did the same. More comfortable we headed south as the sun rose slowly.

I drove the speed limit more or less. Mostly less, the roads were clear and dry but the wind was blowing hard and gusty as hell. Lilly had kicked off her boots and curled up in the corner with her feet up on the seat. After a while, she dozed off. Another hour down the road, all that coffee finally caught up with me and I started scanning the roadside for a gas station.

I spotted one and pulled off the highway. There was a stop sign at the end of the off ramp, as I stopped Lilly's eyes opened. "I hope this is a pit stop with a bathroom," she said.

I had to laugh. "Coffee goes through faster than beer. I've never understood that. Coffee should be slower, it has to change color, and beer doesn't. The mysteries of Mother Nature, who can understand them."

Lilly looked at me for a moment and then said, "I thought I was the only one who thought about things like that. My theory is that coffee makes you sober and is mostly water, while beer makes you drunk and deadens the kidneys. I may not be right, but it sounds good." She finished with a laugh. I nodded and grinned, as I pulled up to the gas pumps.

As I killed the motor she said, "Flip you, for the bathroom first."

I laughed and replied, "You go ahead; I'm going to fill up the truck first."

By the time I got inside, she was paying for the gas and a couple of cokes.

*****

As I got the truck settled back in on the highway, I said, "I had intended to stop at a small state park about two hundred miles south of here, but I got an early start and we should be there around noon. That's too early to stop, is what I'm thinking, but I don't know of anything else farther south. I guess it's time for you to start earning your guide pay. There's a map in the glove box."

Lilly got out the map and unfolded it. It basically covers the eastern half of the U.S. After studying it for a while she said, "This thing only covers the major highways and the Interstate highways. If we figure it gets dark by six, then we have about eight hours of driving time. How early of a start did you get, I've been up since three A.M., and I'll crash early."

I told her about my early start and she chuckled. "You'll be out before I will."

She went back to studying the map. "Figuring four hundred

miles in the next six hours or so will put us just south of the state line. There's a campground marked at a place called Deer's Lake, how does that sound?"

I chuckled and said, "I hope that's spelled with two "E's.""

She laughed and nodded. "It is."

"In that case, it sounds good to me." I replied.

*****

Over the next couple of hours, I learned that Lilly was forty-four and up until a week ago, had been a photographer and writer for a small women's magazine. Like the company I worked for, the magazine had been bought by a larger company. Unlike mine, hers had been bought to close, eliminating competition.

Two days ago, she had been out looking for another job and had broken a heel. When she returned to her apartment, she found her boyfriend in bed with her roommate. There had been a big fight and she told them both to go get screwed and that she had had enough of them both and the big city. It was time for her to go back to her roots and that's where she was heading.

I gave her my whole sob story about the ex wife and my company. When I finished, she asked, "You do computer graphics? Exactly what is that? I know very little about computers but I know graphics, design and photography, anyway."

"It's basically the same thing, only on a computer. The old way of cut and paste is dead, thank God. I can do more now than I ever could before computers. Photographs can even be edited and graphed together in ways that were impossible ten years ago. It's a booming business." I told her.

"That's very interesting, is it hard to learn?" She asked.

"Not really. Learning how to use a scanner and the computer itself is the hard part. The rest is just learning what the different graphics, art, and paint programs will do. Some are easier and better than others, no one program seems to be able to do everything you want," I said. "I have my laptop in the back. When we get a little time, I can show you the basics."

She smiled at me and said, "Thank you, I'd appreciate that. I had planned on taking a course later on this year but now.." She let the sentence trail off.

After a minute or two of silence, she said, "I feel tired, not physically, just mentally. Probably depressed is a better word. I spent the last four years, trying to build myself a career and now I'm back to square one. I feel old and worn out."

She paused and took a deep breath, staring out the windshield. "Starting over is going to be hard and I don't know what I'm going to do. I've had enough of the big city and there's no work in small towns, not the kind I want to do, anyway."

She grew silent again. After another couple of minutes, she glanced over at me and said, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to dump my problems on you. You're out to enjoy your vacation and here I am, raining on your parade."

I looked at her for a second and then returned my gaze to the highway. "Actually, I'm running away from home, remember."

I took a deep breath and continued, "I've been feeling old and tired for about a month now, myself. You're about ten years younger than I am. Think how I feel. The asshole that I work for will end up getting rid of me and bringing in a couple of the young hotshots as a replacement. He'll pay them less and expect more from them. They don't have the experience to do the job as well as I do, but who cares?"

I took another deep breath, glanced over at Lilly, and grinned. "Damn, it feels good to vent a little."

She laughed and said, "Yeah, it does. I think we both needed that. It sure beats the hell out of crying, which is where I was headed before I let it all out."

I chuckled and said, "Please, don't cry. It will make me all mushy and I'd probably join you. Then where would my he-man, macho, image be?"

She laughed and hit me on the shoulder. "Macho? You? I don't think so. You're too nice of a guy to play that game." She looked at me for a second or two and then added, "I think your ex wife was an idiot. Men like you are hard to come by."

I glanced over at her and said, "Careful, you'll have me blushing in a minute. As far as the ex goes, that's my fault. She was a lot younger than I was, and I guess I wasn't as much fun as she wanted out of life. I was a meal ticket and she was.." I let the sentence trail off. I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted to say.

Cocking her head to one side, Lilly asked, "She was what? Go on, don't leave me wondering."

I looked over at her and thought about it for a moment. Then I decided to tell the truth. "She was young, good looking, and great in bed. Other than that, nothing else comes to mind." I glanced over at her and added, "Now you'll think, I'm some kind of a dirty old man."

She laughed so hard; I thought she would fall off the seat. When her laughter died down to a chuckle, I asked, "What the hell is so funny? I know I acted silly and stupid, but.."

She waved me off and said, "It's not you, it's me. I wonder what the female equivalent to a dirty old man is." She chuckled again and continued, "My boyfriend was half my age. My roommate was just a little older than he was. Talk about silly and stupid, I'm the poster child."

I shook my head slowly and shot her a grin. "We make a pair, don't we? Hello, Miss Silly, meet Mr. Stupid."

She grinned back and slid across the seat to kiss me on the cheek, saying, "Glad to meet you, sir."

When she didn't slide back, I turned my head and gently brushed my lips against hers, and then said, "The pleasure is all mine, kind lady."

She looked at me hard for a second and then slid back a little. I glanced at her and said, "Sorry, I shouldn't have done that. I was out of line."

She continued to look at me for nearly a minute before she said, "Its ok."

Slowly, she moved back over against the door and pulled her legs up to sit cross-legged, facing me. A faint smile played at the corners of her mouth a moment before she added, "I think I liked it. It was so natural and sweet."

To change the subject I asked, "Are you hungry? There's a truck stop coming up and I need another pit stop. I could use some food also."

She grinned and said, "Cool move." Then after a little pause, she went on. "Yeah, I could go for some lunch and a pit stop."

*****

After lunch, I was gassing the truck when Lilly asked, "Is the bed cover locked."

When I said no, she went to the back of the truck and opened it, to get out one of her bags. "I'll be right back, these pants are uncomfortable."

When I came back from paying for the gas, she was once again sitting cross-legged in the front seat of the truck. The baggy jeans were gone and a long full skirt covered her lower body. The bulky, heavy sweater had been replaced with a lighter one that went more with the skirt.

"I hope you don't mind, this is more my normal style. Being alone on the road, I was kind of hiding myself. You can never tell what kind of weird people you might run into," she said and then grinned.

As I started the truck I replied, "I'm stupid, remember. Not weird."

She smiled and said, "I don't think you are either of those, that why I changed."

"It's definitely a change. Now I don't look like I'm running around with my cute kid brother," I said with a laugh.

She reached up and brushed her fingers through her short dark hair. "I'm not a kid and I'm sure not your brother but I guess I did look sort of boyish in those clothes."

I stopped at the exit to the drive and looked over at her for a second, letting my eyes roam over the curves in her sweater. "I have to agree, you sure aren't qualified to be my brother."

With a big grin, I pulled out onto the service road and headed back onto the Interstate. I could see a big smile on her face out of the corner of my eye.

We rode along in silence for a while. At one point, she stretched out her legs and crossed her ankles, pulling the dress down as she did. The only thing uncovered, was her small bare feet. There was a small silver ring on the big toe of one foot and another on the second toe of the other foot. A thin silver ankle bracelet was around one of her ankles.

I glanced at her fingers and saw no rings or other jewelry. When I remarked on it, she giggled and told me, "They make me feel sexy." She laughed sharply and added, "Ok, so I'm weird."

I smiled and said, "I don't think so. I think it's sexy and we have already agreed that I'm not weird, so you can't be either."

She grinned and wiggled her toes.

*****

Lilly was napping and I was starting to get sleepy when we crossed the state line. One state down and two to go, I thought to myself. I also wondered if Deer's Lake would be marked with a sign, and how far it was after the state line. I though about waking Lilly up, but decided not to.

I need not have worried, there was a large sign announcing the off ramp for Deer's Lake. I got off the Interstate and followed the signs to the park gate. The gates were closed and locked. Well, so much for that, I thought. Lilly stirred and opened her eyes.

I smiled over at her and said, "Hi, sleepy head."

She stretched, arching her back as she smiled a sleepy smile back at me. She looked sexy doing that and I wondered briefly, what it would look like without the skirt and sweater.

"Where are we?" She asked, with a yawn before sitting up and looking around. "Oh, we're there," she added as she saw the park sign.

"There's a small problem," I said. When she looked at me I continued, "The place is locked up tight."

"What!" she said sharply, turning around in the seat and staring at the gate. When her eyes fell on the lock she softly whispered, "Shit, there goes my good night's sleep."

Looking over at me she said, "Sorry. This is the way my luck has been running for the last two weeks. Let me look at the map and see what else is around here."

When she got out the map, I leaned over to study it with her. It was another two hundred miles, before there was another campground close to our highway. I backed up, turned us around, and was about to head back the way I came, when I saw a light green State Parks truck parked at the small grocery store on the corner.

I grinned at Lilly and said, "When in doubt, ask."

She laughed and replied, "Works for me."

I parked at the store and went to find the ranger. I was back in about ten minutes and grinned at Lilly as I started the truck. "We are in luck. There's another part to this Park about a mile down the road that is open. This section is closed for repairs."

Lilly grinned and said, "My hero does it again, folks."

I laughed and got us headed down the road.

*****

After checking the place out quickly, we chose a campsite and went back to the gate to pay for it. The sun was low over the small lake by the time we started to set up camp. Lilly was a lot of help with the tent, so I asked her, "You've done this before, I take it?"

She grinned and replied, "Only a few hundred times. I love to camp. My family spent a lot of time camping when I was a kid. It's what started my interest in photography. My dad bought me a little cheap camera and several rolls of film. I think he was really surprised at those first attempts. I know I was. I miss being able to roam the woods and the sounds and smells of the outdoors. I'm a country girl at heart."

"I learned about camping, at duck, deer, and fishing camps, as a kid myself." I told her as we worked on setting the rest of the camp up. Two of us made it easier and quicker.

When I pulled the large double air mattress out of the box and started to air it up with a small twelve-volt pump, Lilly looked in the box and asked, "Is that the only one you have?"

I looked at her for a second and said, "I came camping alone, and I didn't see any reason to bring more than one. Sorry."

She bit her lip as she watched me work. I glanced up and saw her looking at me. Our eyes locked for a second and I said, "You can sleep in the truck. I'll leave the keys in it, so you can start it, and run the heater, if you get cold. I've got a small gas heater for the tent."

She nodded slowly and after I had the bed aired up, we went back to getting camp ready. I put her pillow and two blankets in the front of the truck before I went to hunt up some firewood. When I got back, she had a small fire made with twigs started, and added some of the wood to it. We soon had a nice blaze going. I got the camp heater from the truck and lit it. When it was ready, I carried it to the tent and put it inside.

I lit the gas lantern and hung it near the center of camp. Lilly sat on a rock near the fire. I took one of the ice chests from the truck and opened it.

Looking around at her, I asked, "Would you like a beer?"

She looked up from the fire and smiled. "Sure."

I got out two beers and grabbed the two chairs out of the truck. I handed both beers to Lilly and opened the chairs, placing them close to the fire.

When she handed my beer back, she asked, "If you only brought one bed, why did you bring two chairs?"

I looked at her for a moment as the question sunk in. I glanced at the two chairs and then looked back at her, shrugging, "Hell, if I know. Force of habit I guess. When I packed the bed, I knew I'd be alone but when I grabbed the chairs, I just automatically grabbed what I normally would."

She chuckled and said, "That's what I figured, but I had to tease you about it."

After a short pause she added, "Its funny how small habits get ingrained into our everyday life. For the last four years, I have had a couple of cameras hanging around my neck. When I packed up to leave, I had to force myself to pack all of them away. Even now, I feel slightly naked without one on."

I sat down in a chair, grinned, and said, "Well, go get one. We can't have you running around naked, now can we?"

She looked at me and chuckled as she got up off the rock, "Interesting visual there."

She stopped next to the other chair and continued; "You know that if I go get one, I'll use it from time to time."

I nodded, and said, "If it'll make you happy, I'll get out my digital, and we can have a camera war."

She laughed softly and asked, "Could we?"

When I started to get up, she laughed and said, "No, that's all right. We'll save that for another time."

She sighed and sat down in the chair, "I guess I can go cold turkey until tomorrow. Anyway, I'll be asleep very shortly. That little power nap earlier seems to have drained me, instead of the other way round."

I grinned and nodded. "I think my battery is low, also. By the time I finish this beer and maybe one more, I'll be ready for a good night's sleep," I said with a yawn.

We sat watching the fire. It was cool but not cold yet. The sun was well down and there was a blaze of stars above the lake. A thin streak of light drew my eyes higher into the sky. It was followed by several more in rapid secession.

I heard Lilly whisper, "Looks like we are getting one of nature's fireworks displays." I nodded and we sat watching in silence.

Sometime later, a loud yawn made me realize that I was nodding off to sleep. I looked over at Lilly and she smiled, saying, "Me too. I think it's time for bed."

I stood up just as she did and we ended up standing inches apart, looking into each other's eyes. I had a sudden urge to kiss her and I thought I saw the same in her eyes, but I stepped slowly to the side and smiled. She sighed and smiled back at me. I could read several things into that sigh but I didn't. I tried to act as if nothing happened.

After a moment, I said, "I think I'll visit the little woodsman's room before I go to bed. You can use the tent to change if you want to. I mean, I don't know if you're going to sleep in that or not. Not that it's any of my business."

I paused, unsure of where I was going with this. Finally, I said, "You know what I mean."

She stared at me with a straight face and said, "No I don't, what do you mean?"

When I gave her a "huh" look, she laughed and said, "Go on, take care of your business and I'll take care of mine."

I turned and slowly headed for the road and the bathroom. When I did, we finally broke eye contact. My head was buzzing more than could be accounted for by one beer.

*****

When I returned, I checked the fire to make sure it would be all right. It was burning low so I left it as it was. The lantern, I dimmed and entered the tent. I sat down on the air mattress and started to take off my shoes and socks, when I noticed the blankets and pillow I had put in the truck, piled next to me.

I looked around and then felt across the bed. No one was there. I finished taking off my socks and shoes, followed by my shirt. I reached for my bag and got a pair of shorts out to sleep in. My sleeping bag would be to warm otherwise.

I had just pulled the shorts up when I heard Lilly say, "Knock, knock. Are you decent?"

When I answered yes, she opened the tent flap and stooped to enter the tent. When she straightened up, she grinned at me and said, "Don't get any wild ideas. I trust you enough to sleep in the same tent with you. Operative word there is sleep."

She saw that I had changed into a pair of shorts and spent a few seconds looking me up and down. "Hmmm, you're not bad for an old guy."

"Hey, no old jokes. I left the short ones alone, so now it's your turn," I said with a grin.

She chuckled and said, "Ok, ok, but you're still not in bad shape. Good enough to give a girl something to dream about, anyway."

I sat down on the bed and laughed before I said, "Here I go blushing again, even when I know you're lying."

She grinned and picked up her pillow. She held it in front of herself for a minute as she watched me lie down and pull the sleeping bag up to my chin. After another second, she tossed the pillow down next to my head and said, "What the hell? I might as well be comfortable. I don't think you'll bite me, will you."

I looked at her for a moment as comprehension set in. Slowly a grin spread across my face before I said, "No, I don't bite. But I have been known to nibble."

She looked at me for a second and laughed. "I think, I can chance it, I don't think it'll take more than a minute or two for both of us to be fast asleep."

I nodded and muttered, "Damned, my bad luck."

She chuckled as she pulled back the edge of the sleeping bag and sat down on the bed. She looked over at me once more and then she laid down on her side, pulling the bag up over her. I sighed and closed my eyes.

*****

I awoke slowly, swimming up from the depths of a deep dreamless sleep. I awoke to a dream. Lilly was cuddled up spoon fashion, in front of me, her shoulders against my chest, her butt tight against my groin and upper thighs. My knees were bent, cupping her closely. Her head was on my upper right arm, her hair just inches from my nose and it smelled sweet and clean. She held my right hand lightly with her left. My left hand rested gently on her waist.

I lay there marveling at how comfortably we fit together. Her short, compact body nested exactly with my large slightly overstuffed one. I didn't even want to breathe for fear of waking her, and then she'd move away. I lay there, enjoying the feel of our joint breathing, slow, even, and regular.

I don't know how long it was before she stirred slightly and then slowly started to stretch. I moved my legs and knees down as she straightened out and pressed her shoulders tighter against my chest. Suddenly she jerked and rolled over on her stomach, her head coming around to look at me, as she realized there was someone behind her.

She blinked about twice and then smiled softly, before saying, "Good morning."

I smiled back and gave her a "Good Morning" back.

She rolled back over against me and went back to stretching like a large cat. I moved my arm so she could raise her arms over her head. First, she would press her shoulders against me and then her butt. After a minute of this, she reached up and pulled my arm back down under her head.

Then she reached back and patted my hip saying, "Bring your knees back up and cuddle me like you were." I was only too happy to oblige her.

She snuggled back against me. "Hmmm, this feels good. No wonder I slept so well."

We lay there for several minutes, our breathing once again in sync. I thought she was going back to sleep, when I felt her wiggle even tighter back against me. I let my left hand slip down to her belly and pulled her tighter, a giggle escaping her lips.

I moved my hand and quietly asked, "Did I tickle you"

She wiggled and giggled again before she replied, "No. I was just wondering about something."

"Oh?" I said.

She sighed and said, "I was having a naughty thought. I was wondering what this would feel like without this skirt and sweater. I was being bad."

I chuckled and told her softly, "I've wondered the same thing several times already, so I'm even worse. I'll even admit to being awake for quite some time, just laying here and enjoying the way we fit together."

I slipped my hand down to her stomach again and pulled her back against me. "The only problem that would come up, if you didn't have anything on, would be quite obvious to us both." I ended with a laugh.

She laughed and wiggled her butt back hard against my hips. "Do tell, she said.

After a moment she sighed and giggled again, "Man, I'm being bad. I wonder what the problem is. I'm usually very slow, getting my mental motor started. This morning, I feel all revved up and nowhere to go."

"It could be a good nights sleep and the fact that you're relaxed and not under any stress." I pointed out.

She laughed and then she pulled my right hand up so she could kiss the back of it. "Yeah, that's probably it. It couldn't be that sleeping in a big guys arms all night has me horny, now could it?"

I laughed and then I said, "Hmmm, I don't know. It's been a long time since I had that effect on anyone. I just don't remember what it was like."

She laughed and slowly rolled away from me. She rolled over until she was facing me and then she said, "I find that hard to believe. I also know I'd better get my ass up from here, before I start something I'm not really ready for."

She stretched in her cat like way again. I watched until she threw back the covers and sat up. She saw me watching her and asked, "A penny for your thoughts."

I grinned and replied, "I was wondering what that stretch would look like without those clothes in the way? I wondered the same thing yesterday, when you woke up from your power nap."

She stared at me a moment and then chuckled softly, "I had to ask, didn't I?" Her look softened and she added, "Maybe someday you'll find out. Be careful what you wish for. I'm not easy; with me it's all or nothing."

I looked at her and knew what she meant; she wasn't a lady that slept around just for fun and excitement. It had to mean something and there had to be a commitment there. "I understand that," I whispered softly and then smiled.

She cocked her head to the side and asked, "Do you, really?"

I nodded slowly and replied, "Yes. I wasn't always an old fool. I was married to a wonderful woman for well over twenty years. I'd still be married to her, if she hadn't died. No, don't go the sympathy route. First of all, I don't need it; it was ten years ago. Second of all, everything happens for a reason and one day it will be clear to me why she died. Until then, I'll live the best life I can and I'll try to be happy. It's what she would have wanted me to do."

I saw her face cloud up and a tears start to form in her eyes. Before I knew what was happening, she sobbed once and asked, "What is that like? I've been married twice and had two boy friends; nothing has lasted for more than eight years."

She sniffled as a tear coursed down her cheek. "I married my high school sweetheart right after college. After eight years, he went to work one day, or so I thought. Actually, he had been fired, three weeks earlier. He never came home. He cleaned out the bank account and I've never heard from him since." She closed her eyes as more tears ran down her cheeks and a soft sob came from her throat.

I sat up and moved to take her in my arms. She resisted for a second and then she was crying on my shoulder as I stroked her hair. Her crying ended with a hiccupping sob. My shoulder and part of my chest were wet from her tears. I rocked her gently and continued to caress her hair.

After a few minutes, she sat back and looked around for her purse. I reached into my bag, next to the bed, and pulled out a washcloth, handing it to her. She wiped her face and then looked over at me shyly. When she saw how wet my shoulder was she sniffled again and dabbed at it.

I took the rag and wiped my shoulder and chest dry, and then I refolded it to a dry spot, and wiped her eyes, which had started to leak again. She sniffled and took the rag from me.

Looking up at my face for a second, she smiled a twisted little smile and whispered, "I'm sorry. I don't know what happened." She wiped her face again and then add, "God, talk about mood swings. That felt like I fell off a cliff."

I reached up and softly rubbed the back of my fingers against her cheek; she tilted her head and rubbed back, a shy smile coming to her face. "What a mess, you must think I am?" she whispered.

I shook my head and smiled, before I said anything. "No, just a lady having a hard time of it; too many things hitting you all at the same time. It happens to everyone, believe it or not. Even me, I've been there and done that, several times."

She looked up at me through her lashes, the shy smile returning.

"My wife always told me that a good cry was sometimes better than sex. I never believed her, but who am I to say that she wasn't right."

Lilly grinned and said, "She sounded like a smart lady. I seem to be living proof, horny one minute and crying my eyes out the next." She raised her head and looked at me as she asked, "I wonder what's next?"

I chuckled and answered, "Why should I tell you and take the mystery out of it? Sometimes a little anticipation is good for the soul."

She smiled and said, "So you don't know either?"

I laughed and told her, "Nope, ain't got a clue." She laughed and hugged me. I stroked her hair as I held her tight.

After a while, she sighed and sat back with a soft chuckle, "After all those tears, how come I have to pee so badly?" She took a deep breath and turned around to put on her shoes.

With her back to me she said, "Thanks." No reply was needed.

When she opened the flap of the tent, I saw that the sun was high up in the trees. It was mid morning. She took a couple of deep breaths and said, "Oh, it's a gorgeous day."

She went outside and called to me, "It's beautiful here. The lake with the hills in the background is like a painting."

I crawled over and stuck my head through the flap. It was a lot warmer than it had been the day before and the haze seemed to have burnt or blown off. I climbed to my feet and stepped out. I took a deep breath; the air was sharp and clean. Looking toward the lake, I saw what she meant. I ducked back inside for my camera.

I took a couple of pictures from the edge of camp and moved down the hill toward the lake to get another. I was walking back into camp when Lilly came into sight, walking back from the restroom. I flipped on the zoom and waited until she saw me. When she saw the camera, she grinned and I took the shot.

As she got closer she said, "Hey, that's not fair, I'm unarmed."

I laughed and took another picture of her. She stopped by the back of the truck and opened the cover. Rummaging around for her bag, she said, "You know of course, that this means war."

I chuckled and ducked into the tent. I closed the flap quickly and then dug into my bag for a tee shirt and a clean pair of socks. When I came out of the tent, she was standing there, camera at ready.

When she saw that I had dressed, she frowned and said, "Oh, shoot. I wanted one of you in just the shorts, something to remember my cuddly bear by."

I grinned and said, "Maybe later, right now cuddly bear is hungry."

I went to the back of the truck and got out the small gas stove, a box with cooking utensils in it, and the ice chest. Looking over at her, I asked, "Is bacon and eggs, all right with you?"

She took my picture and then replied, "You mean to tell me that you can cook?" When I grinned and nodded, she said, "In that case, hell yeah."

She took a couple of pictures of the lake and a couple more of me before she disappeared into the tent. By the time she came back out, I had breakfast finished. I gave a low wolf whistle and grinned at her.

She had changed the sweater for a peasant blouse and wore it low off her shoulders. It accentuated her long neck and the collarbones at the top of her chest. It also showed the swell of her breasts a lot better than the sweater.

She grinned back at me and said, "Well, thank you. That makes a woman feel good, when she puts on her girl clothes, and someone appreciates it."

When she came over next to me, I handed her a plate, with bacon, scrambled eggs, and toast on it. "The coffee is a little slow. I should have started it first. I'm a little out of practice at this."

As she moved over to sit down at the stone table, she said, "Don't look at me, I'm not complaining in the least. If this tastes as good as it looks, I'm going to be fat by the time I get home. I hate to cook, I can if I have to, but I hate it anyway."

She tasted the eggs and grinned over at me. "These are good, now I know your ex was crazy. No woman should ever let a man who can cook out of her sight. Another woman will steal him in a heartbeat."

I chuckled and shook my head, as I sat down next to her, "You are going to make my head swell, if you're not careful."

She glanced at me quickly and then grinned, "I thought I already had?" When I looked at her with a look of surprise on my face, she laughed and went back to eating.

*****

After we ate, we sat sipping our coffee, and talked about whether we should break camp and head on or stay here for another day. I told her that we had another day or two of nice weather before the cold front blew in from the North Pole.

She shivered with a mock chill and told me, "Those I won't miss in the least. It's to nice a day to be on the road, lets stay here through tonight and get an early start tomorrow. I'd like to look around, maybe take a walk down by the lake. How does that sound to you?"

I nodded and replied, "Sounds good. It'll give me a chance to watch a professional photographer in action. I might learn something, you never know."

She laughed and glanced over the top of her coffee cup at me, as she asked, "We are talking about taking pictures, right?"

Grinning I said, "Sure. You take pictures of the lake and I'll take pictures of you." This made her laugh again. "Ok, let's get the dishes done and see what there is to see around here."

*****

It wasn't long before we were following a narrow trail above the edge of the lake. Yesterday had been windy and cold. Today, with no wind, it was actually hot here in the full sun as we descended into a small creek bottom. I paused at the bottom of the trail and took off my tee shirt, the sun felt great on my skin. I looped it through my camera bag strap and hurried to catch up with Lilly.

We came to the rocky creek and she paused to take several pictures along it, toward the lake. She turned toward me and grinned when she saw me without my shirt. I quickly took a picture of her silhouetted against the bright creek and dark trees, the peasant blouse dipping low on one shoulder.

She laughed and turned toward the creek, gathering her skirt up in her hands as she waded in. By the time, she was about a third of the way across, the water was up to her knees, and the dress was up to mid thigh. She stopped and turned around as I took another picture.

She grinned and asked, "Are you having fun?" When I grinned back at her she continued, "It's too deep here; we'll have to find another place to cross." She started to wade back toward me.

The water got shallower but she held the dress up at mid thigh until she reached the shore. I took a couple more pictures, as she did.

I lowered the camera and grinned at her, saying, "Hmmm, you have nice legs."

She laughed and dropped the skirt. "Yeah, and hard nipples too, that water is cold as ice." She gave a little shiver and walked over to me.

I put my arms around her and hugged her tightly. She snuggled up and sighed. After a minute or so, she stepped back and looked up at me. I leaned down and gently kissed her on the lips. When I lifted my head and broke the kiss, she looked at me for a second, a soft smile on her face, and then she turned and walked along the creek, away from the lake.

About a half mile brought us to a series of rapids and then a low waterfall. She took pictures every so often as we neared the falls. We climbed up the steep slope to the top of the falls and turned to look out across the lake. I put my arm around her shoulder and she leaned against me. We stood there for a few minutes, just taking in the glory of the view and the day.

She lifted her camera and took a couple of shots and I did the same. When she finished, she turned toward the creek, which was wide and shallow, with a fast current. She studied it for a moment and then looked over her shoulder at me, saying, "It's shallow enough but I don't think I want to try it. The current is fast and the rocks look slippery."

Glancing towards the edge of the falls, she added, "I don't like heights anyway. Let's stay on this side."

"I could carry you across." I said with a grin.

She looked at me and laughed, "I don't doubt that a bit but I think I'll stay on this side, if that's all right with you."

I smiled and looked on up the creek before I asked, "Well then, where to now?"

She moved over to a large flat rock and sat down. "Let's just stay here for a little while; I love the view of the lake and the creek from here."

I moved over and sat down next to her. We sat there for a long time before she took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She laid back on the wide flat rock and after a second, asked, "Why did you kiss me a little while ago and not last night? I wanted you to, you know."

I looked out over the lake as I though about my answer and then I said, "I wanted to kiss you too, but I thought you might get the wrong impression of my intentions. We were talking about going to bed, remember."

She was quiet for a moment and then said, "Ok, I understand that."

I lay back next to her and studied the contrast between the bright blue sky and the dark green of the trees. Her face came into my line of sight, as she rolled over on her side and propped her head up with her hand. She had a smile on her face, as she looked down at me.

"At that point, you were to sleep in the tent and I was going to sleep in the truck. I think, when you didn't kiss me, was when I decided to join you in the tent." She leaned over and gently kissed my lips, her hand resting lightly on my chest.

She rose up and shivered slightly. I looked at her a moment and asked, "Are you cold? We can go back to camp and get a jacket, if you are."

She grinned and said, "No, I'm definitely not cold. I've just got hard nipples again." She ended with a laugh.

I chuckled and said, "Ok, I'll take your word for that."

She laughed and leaned over to kiss me again. This kiss was just as sweet as the last, until her tongue slipped into my mouth to fence with mine. Her hand slowly moved up across my chest to end up on my cheek, as my hand came up to the back of her head. The kiss went on for a long time and only broke when she gave a low soft moan and moved away.

She sat up on the rock, pulled her feet up onto the edge, and pulled the dress down to almost cover them. She blew out a long breath and said, "Wow." She took another deep breath and added, "If we had kissed like that last night, I would have been in the truck with the doors locked."

I came up on my elbows and told her, "You wouldn't have needed to lock the doors, you would have been safe."

She giggled and looked around at me, "I wasn't worried about me. You would have been the one that had to worry."

I laughed and lay back down. "Who me? I don't think so."

She turned and watched me for a moment and then she rolled around and laid down on my chest, she lips only inches from mine. "Yes you," she whispered and then kissed me.

This wasn't one of your mama's kisses believe me. This was a hand on both cheeks, full-blown woman making a point kiss. My arms went around her and pulled her tightly against me. I'm not sure which of us moaned first, but the next thing I know she is full on top of me and my hands are roaming over her back and butt.

The kiss became even more intense and passionate, if that was possible as we rubbed our bodies together. Suddenly she sat up straddling my hips, with her hands on my chest. We were both breathing hard and heavy. We just looked into each other's eyes for a minute or two as our breathing slowed to a more normal rate.

She grinned at me and asked softly, "Now, do you believe me?"

I took a deep breath, blew it out slowly, and then I grinned at her as I slowly flexed my hips up and down once. She got a funny look on her face for a second, before she realized what she had felt. She wiggled her hips slowly from side to side, feeling my hard on pressed against her sex.

A big grin came to her face as I said, "You too." She laughed and leaned down to kiss me gently.

When she sat back up, she was smiling, as she looked deep into my eyes. She sighed deeply and whispered, "Houston, I think we have a problem."

When I gave her a quizzical look she said, "I don't think either of us is going to be safe tonight, in the tent or in the truck."

She leaned forward, laid her head on my chest, and snuggled up against me, as she whispered, "And I for one ain't really worried about it."

I put my arms around her and hugged her tightly as I asked, "Are you sure about that? Don't go somewhere you don't want to."

She nodded her head against my chest and whispered, "I'm sure. As sure as anyone getting into a new relationship can ever be, that is." I held her tightly and kissed the top of her hair.

It was a while later before we continued our walk on up the creek and then back through the woods to the campsites. We held hands the whole way; laughing and joking like a couple of teenagers.

*****

Back in camp, I found a note on the windshield of the truck asking us to please come to the office and pay our campsite fee. I rummaged around in the tent and found my keys and money. When I came out of the tent, Lilly was sitting at the table, staring off into space. I walked over and sat down next to her. She looked at me and smiled.

"Are you having second thoughts about us?" I asked softly.

She shook her head and grinned, "No way. I was fantasizing about later." I noted a little light blush crossing her face.

I chuckled, "Do you want to ride up to the front gate with me?"

She leaned over and kissed me lightly on the lips before she said, "No, I think I'll go take a shower and get myself all squeaky clean and slicked up for tonight. You know how us women are about things like that."

I smiled and kissed her on the forehead. "Ok, but if you wait until I return, I'll scrub your back for you."

She laughed and replied, "Yeah right. It would be all of me that you'd scrub and then you'd get distracted. Then we'd make a big mess in the shower and enough noise to scare off all the animals in twenty miles."

She got a faraway look in her eyes for a second and then added, "Hmmm, that wouldn't be bad, but I have other ideas. They include an air mattress and sheets and.." She paused to grin and said, "Well, you'll just have to wait and find out for yourself about that last and."

I laughed and kissed her gently. "I'll be right back." I said as I got up and headed for the truck.

*****

It only took me about fifteen minutes to make the trip to the front gate and back, Lilly was still in the shower when I returned. The shower sounded like a good idea, so I rummaged around in the tent and found my shaving kit, soap, and a towel. Lilly still wasn't back so I opened a beer and sat down at the table.

I was just about finished with it, when she came out of the shower building and started to walk back toward camp. She had on the long skirt but had the elastic waistband up under her arms; the hem was at mid thigh. It was covering her but it was also sexy as hell.

I picked up my camera off the table and waited for her to get closer, and then I moved around the table and knelt down to take her picture.

She laughed and said, "Hey, at least wait until I sit all this junk down somewhere, otherwise, I'll look like some kind of a bag lady." She put her stuff on the table and moved over to where she was back dropped by the lake and hills.

"Now, I'm ready," she said and took on a modeling pose with her hand one hips and the other hand behind her head.

I laughed and snapped off a couple of pictures of her. She changed poses three more times and I took a couple of shots of each one. By then she was laughing and did a spinning turn. I took three shots as quickly as the camera would go.

She stopped with her back to me and grinned at me over her shoulder as she slowly lifted the hem of her dress. I started taking shot after shot as the hem rose higher. When it was well above her naked ass, she laughed and dropped it back into place.

She turned and walked toward me saying, "That last was just to tease you and to let you know that I'm completely nude under this skirt."

I grinned and took another shot of her close up. She laughed and said, "Enough already, go get your shower now and I'll start us an early supper. That is, if you have anything left in that ice chest of yours."

I stood up and laid the camera down. "How about a couple of steaks and a couple of potatoes? Do you think that would work for supper?" I asked with a grin.

She laughed and came up on her toes to kiss me. I leaned forward, wrapped my arms around her, my hands cupped under her ass cheeks, and I picked her up. Her arms went around my neck and her legs locked around my hips. The kiss was meant to be a quick peck but it grew into a long lingering one.

When we broke the kiss, Lilly looked into my eyes and smiled and then the smile turned into a grin. She wiggled as she said, "Ok, put me down and go get your shower. I didn't spend all that time getting all clean to be ravaged by a dirty, dirty old man."

I gave her a quick peek on the lips and slowly lowered her to the ground. "Ok, if you're going to make snide remarks about my age then I'll just go shower and sulk." I put on a pouting face.

She laughed and reached up to hold my face in her hands as she kissed me softly. As she stepped back she said, "Poor baby. I wouldn't say anything bad about my big cuddly bear." She grinned and added, "I like being picked up like that. I wonder what it would be like without all these clothes."

I laughed and replied, "The same thing crossed my mind. It sure will be fun finding out."

She grinned and said, "Don't add anymore fuel to my imagination, or you won't get a shower or any supper. So, get out of here, hit the showers, while I cool off." She fanned herself with her hand and blew out a breath.

I chuckled, grabbed my gear, and headed for the shower.

*****

When I returned, Lilly had a fire going in the campsite grill. She was wrapping the potatoes in foil with her back to me. I eased up behind her and kissed her on the back of the neck. She shivered and rolled her head forward and then to the side. I kissed her neck from the shoulder, up to her ear.

As I nibbled on her earlobe, she sighed and said softly, "I hope there's a cuddly bear behind me and not a real one."

I wrapped my arms around her waist and chuckled, "Either way you're going to get eaten and I don't mean like little red riding hood."

She giggled and replied, "Promises, promises."

"I'll have you know, that I'm the biggest lesbian I know, and I'm not talking about size," I whispered into her ear.

She laughed and cuddled back against me as she said, "I'll be the judge of that."

I kissed her neck again and then asked, "And just how much experience do you have with lesbians?"

She laughed and replied, "Well, none actually, although I do know quite a few. I'm a photographer and models are a weird bunch, to say the least. I could tell you some stories that would curl your hair."

"Oh goodie, I love a good bedtime story," I said and kissed her neck again.

"If you don't quit that, you ain't going to have time for a bedtime story," she whispered as a shiver ran up her body.

After a second or two she said, "I thought I was going to be the one teasing you but it seems to be working the other way."

I chuckled, kissed her one more time on the neck, and stepped back, moving over to sit on the stone bench. "What can I say; I'm just an affectionate kind of guy."

She turned and looked at me, a smile on her lips, "I'm finding that out," she said softly. "You'd better be careful; I'm liking it, more and more."

"Good," I said and picked up my camera.

She looked at me and said, "You're worse about cameras than I am and I'm addicted."

I laughed and raised the camera to take her picture. Just as I pushed the button, she reached up and jerked the top of the skirt down, baring her breasts for a brief instant. I wasn't sure if I got the shot or not.

I laughed and lowered the camera, saying, "Nice, very, very nice."

Her breasts were far from being large but they fit her body, small and compact. The dark circles under her small hard nipples were about the size of a quarter and very dark in color, more of a brown than pink.

She grinned and said, "I couldn't resist the urge."

She reached up with both hands and ran them over the cloth covering her breasts. "My nipples have been hard for so long now that they ache. Every time I think about us making love, they seem to get harder." She giggled and added, "I'm not even going to mention the flood that's trying to wander down my inner thighs from you kissing my neck. I'm going to have to go take another shower before to long."

When I grinned and licked my lips, she laughed again and said, "Yeah, there's that too but I'd most likely drown you, right this minute."

I chuckled and said, "I can think of a lot worse ways to die." I put the camera down and went on, "Ok, I'll see if I can find a way to take our minds off sex."

"Yeah, right!" she said and then laughed.

I grinned and got up off the bench and walked toward her. She cocked her head to the side slightly and looked at me hard. Still grinning, I turned and walked over to the back of the truck and got out my laptop case.

"This should do the trick," I said.

I rummaged around in a box and found an extension cord. I plugged it into the small power box by the parking space and ran it down to the table. Lilly came over and watched me closely as I set up the small computer. When I had it fired up, I got my camera, popped out the memory card, and hooked up the card reader to the computer. In a matter of a few seconds, I had the pictures downloaded to the laptop.

As I returned the memory card to the camera, Lilly asked, "That's all there is to it?" When I nodded, she said, "I thought it was somehow more technical and complicated than that."

I chuckled and replied, "Nope, even stupid old men like me can do it." I paused a second, and added, "And download pictures to laptops, too."

Lilly laughed and said, "You are something else." She moved over beside me and put her arm around my shoulders. "Can we see the pictures now?"

"Sure," I said as I brought up one of my graphics programs.

As we looked through the pictures, Lilly said, "That little camera takes great pictures. They are sharp and clear, and all of them are in focus." I explained to her about mega pixels and the auto focus and auto flash.

When we got to the three pictures of her spinning around, she got a big surprise and I got my first glimpse of the front of her body, under that skirt. In the third picture, her skirt was flared out and up, revealing the dark curly hair in the shape of a heart on her mound. She laughed and then giggled as I enlarged that area of the picture.

"Now you know all my secrets," she said and laughed again.

"I doubt it." I replied, "But in time, I'll learn it all."

I flipped to the picture of her close up and I could see the love and affection clearly written on her face. "That picture, I'm going to print out and frame," I said softly as I looked over at her.

She lowered her eyes and looked at me through her lashes, a shy smile on her face.

"It's a great picture of a very lovely and loving lady."

When she didn't say anything, I turned back to the screen, flipped to the last picture, and found that I had caught the shot of her breasts. Lilly, kissing me on the cheek distracted me a moment and then she looked at the screen and gasped, "Oh my God, you did get the picture."

I grinned and said, "I sure did, and it's a beauty. I'm going to frame this one too."

"You had better not. I wouldn't want to scare someone if they saw it," she said.

I turned to her and said, "Darling, you are very beautiful and you wouldn't scare anyone. I have an idea that the wrong person was in front of that camera of yours. You should have been the one modeling."

She laughed and said, "I don't think so. If you had seen these young girls, you wouldn't say that. They were gorgeous. I'm way to old and plain to even compare with them."

I kissed her softly on the lips and replied, "They are plastic people from what I've seen in the magazines. You, you're real. A real person that has lived and loved, one that knows about life and it shows. I'm no professional photograph but if I was, you would be the kind of woman, I would want to photograph."

After a moment of silences she smiled and said, "Thank you, thank you very much for the compliments but I think you're nuts."

"If you think that, then you haven't been looking at these pictures with the same photographer's eye that you would normally use to evaluate a model and her pictures," I said, frankly.

When she looked back at the screen to study the picture there, I added, "Don't look at the you, that you hold in your mind. Look at the person in the picture as someone you've never seen."

After a minute or so, she said, "That's hard to do. I've thought of myself as just me, and plain all my life. I guess I'll have to take your word for it."

"I'll bet that if I showed that picture to five people, all of them would say "Wow, what a beautiful lady."" I told her.

She chuckled and replied, "Yeah, especially the men who would be only looking at my boobs."

I grinned and said, "Hey, give us guys a little more credit than that. Yes, the boobs would be the first thing they would see, but then after they drank in they're loveliness, they would move on to the rest of the picture." I paused and then added, "Sooner or later."

Lilly laughed and kissed me softly on the lips. When she moved back, she sat there for several seconds, just looking at me. Softly she said, "You are a good and kind man."

"Thank you," I said. "I'm not saying this out of goodness or kindness, it's just the truth. Let me take some more pictures of you and I'll prove it."

"Ok," she said softly. "But what about supper?" she asked, looking over at the steaks.

With a grin, I replied, "Supper can wait. I think this is important and anyway it's way too early for supper. I'll stick the steaks back in the ice chest."

"Where are we going to take the pictures?" Lilly asked and then added, "And what kind of pictures are we talking about? I'm not to hot about the idea of girly magazine pictures, they seem to be more like gynecology ads to me than art."

I laughed and came over to kiss her. "No, I'm thinking more along the lines of the old cheesecake type pictures. Not a whole lot showing, just a hint of this, that, and the other." I told her.

She grinned and replied, "Yeah I know, but it's my, this, that, and the other, that will be hanging out for the world to see."

I chuckled and said, "A most beautiful, this, that, and the other, they are too. Come on, let's go back down by the waterfall, it will make a great background. It's also a lot more private than it is here in camp." We were the only ones in this area of the park but you never knew who might show up or when.

*****

I put the computer away and we headed back to the falls, Lilly had wanted to put on makeup and to change clothes but I convinced her that everything was just fine, that I wanted to show her the real her. Finally, she shrugged and agreed. The only thing we brought with us besides the camera was a large dark green beach towel.

We had our arms around each other as we walked down the hill to the rock where we had lain earlier and kissed. "How about, if we start here?" I asked her.

She grinned and climbed up to sit on the rock, saying, "Sure thing boss, this is your shoot, you have the camera, and I'll play the model."

"Ok then, spread out the towel, and lay down on your side facing me. We'll start out easy and see where this goes," I said, trying to sound professional. I think the big grin on my face probably gave away the fact that I was enjoying myself.

Lilly followed my directions and lay down, propping her head up on her hand. I had her keep her bottom leg straight and to bring her top knee forward until I said stop. After I took a picture, I had her lift the knee up, and position her foot behind the lower knee. The hem of the skirt slipped down her thigh and pooled up at her waist. Neither shot showed anything but her great legs and shapely thighs.

I then had her sit up and cross her legs to sit Indian fashion. I adjusted the skirt so that it was high on her thighs but cover her sex. I tried to adjust the top band down but it was too tight. Lilly grinned and showed me the heavy elastic drawstring. I loosened it, until the top third of her breasts were exposed and then I retied it.

I had her hold her hands, first in her lap, then folded below her breasts, and finally resting on the towel behind her, allowing her to lean back slightly. All three pictures were good shots in my minds eye. One thing all the pictures had in common was the loving look in Lilly's eyes.

Next, I had her sit up, bring her knees up, and place her feet together, as close in front of her as she could. Then I had her hug her knees and place her chin on her them. The dress looked tented up so I had her drop the hem back down to her lap and fold it neatly around her hips. With her head and arms back in position, I took four pictures from different angles. She had been smiling all this time but as I took the last two, she grinned. I stopped there and asked her what she was grinning at.

"You're getting quite a tent in the front of those shorts," she said softly and then chuckled.

I nodded and told her, "Well, that just proves how beautiful and sexy you are then, doesn't it?"

"Something seems to be working on you, that is for sure." She paused a second and added, "There's nothing else around here but me to account for it, so ergo; it must be me. It's hard for me to believe but." She let the sentence trail off.

I walked over, kissed her on the lips, and then said, "Yes, it's you; I'm going to make a believer out of you yet."

She grinned and replied, "You're sure working on it."

"Ok," I said, getting back to business. I loosened the drawstring again and walked back to where I had been. "Now, stay like you are, but lower the top of the skirt down to just below your waist."

She grinned at me and then laughed, "You sure have found a smooth way of getting a girl out of her clothes. A camera and a little flattery will do it every time." As she laughed again, I took her picture.

"Yeah, right, if that was my intentions, all I had to do was to ask you nicely and you'd have been naked a long time ago," I said with a grin.

She grinned back and replied, "I know but its fun teasing you." She paused a second and then went on, "Actually, I'm having a ball posing for you. The poses you've had me in so far have felt natural and you are not pushy or fussy. You're good at this, have ever considered changing professions?"

"Taking pictures, is just a hobby with me. The graphics work afterwards is what intrigues me," I said. "Ok, get back into position, so I can ogle you some more. I mean, take some more pictures."

She laughed as she put her arms around her knees and rested her chin on them. I took three pictures like that; only the one from the side showed anything, and then that was just the side of her breast.

I moved forward, repositioned her feet about six inches apart, and had her place her arms on top of her knees. With her chin now on her arms, I stepped back and took three pictures standing and three more from a kneeling position. The angled and side shots now showed a little more of her breasts, with a hint of a nipple.

As I took the last one from directly in front of her, I realized that her sex was framed between her ankles. My semi hard manhood thickened and hardened some more, the tent was growing larger.

Grinning, I stood up and moved over to kiss her gently. When I stepped back again, I asked, "How about it sexy, you ready for a break or do you want to continue?"

She grinned, her eyes on the front of my shorts, as she said, "I think this is making you are as horny as I am."

"And the problem with that is?" I asked and chuckled.

She laughed and replied, "None that I know of. I was just making an observation." She looked up at my face and added, "Maybe I should just ditch this skirt and see just how big that tent can get."

"That would put it up to max real quick but my hands would be shaking too much to take any decent pictures." I replied with a chuckle.

"How about indecent ones, then?" She asked with a laugh.

"Those would make me shake ever more," I answered.

"Good," she said as she stood up and dropped the skirt to pool around her feet.

I stared at her, drinking in her beauty for a second and then took two steps back. I took four shots from different angles of her just standing there, silhouetted against the sky.

When I lowered the camera, I looked her up and down for a moment and then said in a soft voice, "Damn, you are one beautiful woman, from head to toe."

She wiggled her toes and giggled. I laughed and moved forward to take a picture of just her feet with their toe rings and ankle bracelets.

She laughed again and said, "You are crazy, but a funny kind of crazy. You make me laugh and that's something I haven't done too much of lately."

"If you can't or aren't having fun, then you're doing something wrong. That's what I always say." I told her with a grin.

She sat back down, as she had been earlier and said, "That makes sense to me." She looked at me an added, "A whole lot of things seem to make sense around you." She smiled and then grinned; "I can almost believe that I am at least a little bit pretty, when you say it."

I moved over and put my hands on either side of her face and looked into her eyes, "Pretty my foot, you are drop dead gorgeous and I'm going to make you believe that one day." I paused and then added, "It'll probably be the day you leave me, when you realize how beautiful you are, and then you'll wonder what you're doing with such an ugly, dirty old man. My only hope is that by then, my wheelchair will be able to outrun your walker and I can still chase you down."

Lilly started to laugh and did, until tears were rolling down her cheeks. I laughed right along with her. As our laughter died away, she put her arms around my neck and kissed me softly. I held her face and kissed her back.

When we broke the kiss, Lilly said, "I love you."

"I love you," was my reply.

*****

We never made it to Texas on my vacation; we spent two weeks right there at Deer Park, and then returned to my house. I put the house up for sale and worked for my asshole boss until it was sold. By the end of the next week, we were in a small town not to far outside of Austin, living in a small rental house. I hadn't even told the boss that I had quit. We just left town.

*****

Five years later and a lot of hard work, has made us comfortable. We have a small house with a photography and graphics shop next door. We specialize in digital cameras and custom graphics, no job to big or too small. Most of my work is handled over the Internet and Lilly does freelance photograph for a number of magazines and periodicals.

We travel a lot throughout the state and still camp out as much as we can. I still photograph Lily every chance I get. Our bedroom has a couple of hundred, framed pictures of her covering all the walls.

The first pictures we took of each other are hanging in my office, in a heart shaped frame. The picture of me, she took with my shirt off is in her office, with the title, "My Teddy Bear" in gold lettering across the bottom of the frame. Her girl friends think it's cute, so do I, but don't tell anyone.

The first year we were down here, I slipped a few of Lily's pictures onto a couple of sights on the Internet. She got rave reviews, which I never doubted. When I showed her the pictures, she was shocked but after she got into reading the comments, she ended up raping me on the office floor.

Today she is a beautiful, self-confident lady that has no limitations. The two things we're now in total agreement on are her beauty and our love. I hope you enjoyed our story and maybe we'll see you somewhere on the Internet or in a state park.