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We reached the start of the walking trail in only a few minutes. I leaped out of the Ute and rounded the hood to open her door. She’d been looking for something in her backpack but stopped when she noticed me.
“Did you happen to bring extra sunscreen? I put some on before we left, but I’ll need more once we’re at the tarn.”
“I have plenty,” I assured her.
“Good.” She slid out of the Ute and shouldered her bag.
I put my own on and looked around at the other vehicles that were already here. “We’re lucky we found a spot.”
“Yeah. I should message Blair and let him know to hurry.” She took her phone from her pocket and tapped at the screen, then put it away again. “Ready?”
I gestured for her to lead the way. “After you.”
As we started up the trail, the sound of voices filtered through the trees, and the imprint of shoes in the dirt showed that plenty of others had already been here this morning. I glanced at Kennedy out of the corner of my eye and tried not to think about the fact that in a couple of hours, I’d be seeing what was underneath her clothes for the first time in over ten years. I felt like a teenage boy who was finally getting the chance to go past first base. Not that I necessarily expected anything to happen between us, but my body stirred at the thought of seeing all of her creamy skin with droplets of moisture beaded on it.
Fortunately, it didn’t take long for my legs to feel the burn of hiking uphill, distracting me from my fantasies. During the hike, we passed a few older members of the community, pausing briefly to chat with some of them. We weren’t in a hurry. The dip officially happened at midday, but people would be hanging around the tarn for a while before and afterward, although in keeping with tradition, no one would venture into the water before the clock hit twelve.
We rounded a bend that took us through a clearing in the trees. Up ahead, I spotted a familiar little girl with dark blonde hair that fell messily over her shoulders.
“Tess,” I called.
She spun around and smiled. “Hi, Uncle Liam.” She grabbed the arm of the kid beside her, who also looked over at us. “Look, Skye, it’s Uncle Liam.” Her eyes landed on Kennedy and widened, then she shrank back.
“Hi, Skye.” I glanced at the woman beside her, Skye’s mother, Nikkita. “Hey, Nikki. Are these two ragamuffins behaving themselves?”
“As much as they know how,” Nikkita said wryly. “Tess is fine. It’s my little munchkin you need to be wary of.”
“Mum!” Skye protested. She was the more outgoing of the pair, and Tess tended to let her take the lead. Her eyes narrowed at Kennedy. “I’ve seen you in a movie.”
“You probably have,” Kennedy agreed, giving her a little wave.
Skye looked intrigued, but Tess seemed to be trying to sink into the earth and disappear. What was with that?”
“This is my friend Kennedy,” I told them both.
Tess beckoned for me to come closer. I crossed to her side and bent so she could whisper in my ear.
“Daddy always says bad words when he sees her on TV. Is she a criminal like the ones he puts in jail?”
My eyes widened. Good old Nate and his hot temper. I could tell why Tess was concerned. She didn’t want to talk to Kennedy if it would make her dad angry.
“You know how sometimes you and Skye fight?” I asked her quietly. She nodded. “Well, your dad and Kennedy had a disagreement a really long time ago, but they’ve apologized and forgiven each other now, so you don’t need to worry.”
“Okay.” Her shoulders relaxed, and she sent Kennedy a tenuous smile.
I straightened and turned to Nikkita. “Want to walk with us the rest of the way?”
It wasn’t far from here to the tarn.
She shook her head. “Nah, we’re just taking our time. You go ahead, and we’ll see you there.”
“All right.”
We waved them off and soon crested another hill, bringing the tarn into view. It stretched out in front of us, clear, blue-tinged water with round stones on the bottom. A few children played on the shore, and several groups had set up picnic blankets on the ground to lie or sit on, since the tussocks weren’t very comfortable. I dropped my bag and pulled out the blanket I’d brought, laying it down. I checked the time. Eleven fifty.
“Not much longer until we jump in,” I said.
Kennedy sat and crossed her legs. She was wearing shorts and a tank top. I really wanted to know what was beneath them. Had she opted for a bikini? A one-piece?
