If it were a bear, they could be in serious trouble.He should have moved the car from the main parking lot to the adjacent parking pad.At least then they’d have a place to escape to.
He nodded to indicate that he understood her concerns, and she withdrew her hand from his mouth.Cocking his head, he listened.Nothing but the sound of his own startled heartbeat.Slowly, it returned to normal beating, and he was able to hear beyond it.
Soft footfalls.Quiet grinding.
“I don’t think it’s a bear,” he murmured.“Let me up, and I’ll look.”
Warily, she backed away from him.He slipped out of his sleeping bag and kneeled to unzip the back window.He tried to keep it quiet, but the zipper was like a shout in the night.The sounds outside froze.The tent was spacious, but with both of them on one side, trying to see outside, it was a close fit.Her lovely floral scent wafted over him, momentarily distracting him from checking what was outside.
He lowered the corner of the window cover and peeked out.
A deer!And a fawn!
“Look,” he whispered, beckoning Wanda closer.“It’s a doe and a fawn.”
“What?”She scooted over on her knees to peek out with him.“Awe.That’s so cute.”They watched for a moment, and she whispered, “They’re so loud when they chew.”She giggled.
They watched for several moments, their shoulders occasionally brushing as they shifted in place.At first, she was warm against him, then her skin began to cool.He glanced down; she wore a sleeveless T-shirt and shorts.She had to be chilled in the cool night air.Heaven knows he was cooling off rapidly, despite the long pajama bottoms his mother had packed.
“I think I’m going back to bed before I get any colder.”He backed away from the window and climbed into his sleeping bag.“Watch as long as you want.”She stayed for a few more minutes.Lying on his back with his eyes closed, he tried to ignore her and get back to sleep.
“Are you going to be awake enough to go out on the lake tomorrow?”
“You’re right.I should get to bed.”She zipped up the window and crawled back to her side of the tent.She rustled around for a minute and then whispered, “Sorry I woke you.Goodnight, Eric.”
“Goodnight, Wanda.Sleep well.”
Slowly, silence returned, broken only by the sounds of animals in the night.The deer crunching grew further and further away and eventually disappeared.Sleep was overtaking him when Wanda whispered, “Eric?Are you still awake?”
Her voice held a tremor.Was she cold?
“Yeah,” he whispered back.“Why?”
“Um.”She went silent.
“What is it, Wanda?”
“Can I sleep on your side?”
His eyes flashed open.What in the world?“Yeah.I guess.If you want to.”Great, now you can barely string a sentence together.Varner, you need more sleep.
“Thank you.”
More rustling, and she pushed her sleeping bag under the dividing wall to his side of the tent, came around the wall, shifted the bed closer, and climbed in.“Thank you.”
He tried to sleep, but she lay there, breathing softly, shifting slightly, and rustling around.“Are you going to go to sleep?”he muttered.
“I can’t sleep.”
“Why not?Aren’t you tired from all the exercise we got at the playground on the lake?”He could barely keep his eyes open.
“I am.”
“But?”
“I’ve never slept in a tent before.I’ve never been camping before.”
“But you put the tent up in seconds.”
