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“Grades recorded,” he yelled back. “See you ladies at the final destination.”
“What happens now?” Beth wondered when they were all on the bank, dripping wet except for Maggie and Spook.
“You all get that thirty-minute break before your skills test. It’s the only private test and will be conducted by the leaders of the hatch you’ve married into at an undisclosed location nearby.”
“Nearby?” Beth wondered, looking around.
“This area of the swamps has quite a few hunting shacks scattered about. We’ve all claimed one for the skills tests.” Bishop looked at his watch. “We’ll meet up at the final testing rendezvous in two hours.”
****
“Tully,” Lesion admonished even as he returned her repeated kiss attacks she launched along the way to their lodge. “We’re nearly there. Look.”
She turned, looking.
“See it there? Let’s hurry. I have a surprise for you.”
They ran the rest of the way and finally made it to the porch where he stopped her. “Hold on, I have to make sure everything is in order.”
She squealed in excitement and the sight of her, soaked to the bone with her jaw trembling had him torn with all the wrong needs. No, not wrong, just wrong timing.
“Don’t move. Give me one minute.”
“Go!” she cried, covering her eyes with a hand. “I won’t peek.”
He hurried inside only to run into a dozen second guesses. After pounding the proverbial pavement for ideas of how to test Tully, he’d come up zero. He’d broken down and asked Madam Hag and through that dramatic brainstorming, a compound plan was hatched. Since he was a chemical specialist, and she was his apprentice slash first female subject, her test should include in depth data collection training. Not only did it kick-off their union as husband and wife, but their highly important work he couldn’t wait to start. All she had to do was lay still while he conducted tests. And while that sounded easy, with her, it would be excruciating not to engage.
He looked around the room, finding it the way he left it. As per Madam Hags instructions, he’d made it romantic. Because his work was his first love and now his second love was a part of that. It made sense.
So what was the problem?
“Are you almost done? I need to pee.” The tiny plea jerked on that place in his chest that only she was able to reach and touch. He hurried to the porch and kissed her deeply.
“Tully, listen to me. I have to…explain what we’re doing here.”
“Can I pee first?” she asked, dancing around. “I’ll close my eyes.” She covered them with a hand, jaw still trembling.
“Okay. Cover your eyes.”
He led her through the small shack to the bathroom. “Ohhhh what smells so good?” she whispered as they went.
“You’ll know soon enough. There’s a shower in there and I want you to use it. Quickly,” he added.
“Okay.”
“You can open your eyes now,” he said after leading her to the small room.
She lowered her hand and looked around. “Sotiny,” she said, smiling before turning her smile at him.
“What will I wear?”
Yes. That. “I’ll get it for you.”
“Is that the surprise?”
He hesitated. “Part of it.” She removed her overall strap and he quickly stepped out before he saw something he couldn’t tear his eyes from. “I’ll be in here if you need anything.”
“Okay,” she called, like it was his terrible loss.
