Lost & Wild: A Joshua Brown Story

Chapter 8 - Day Trip

CHAPTER 8

As filtered daylight illuminated the open mesh top of Harper's pod, she finally gave up trying to go to sleep. As exhausted as she was, she could not wind down after returning to the tent the night before. Her mind was racing and she almost went back for more, unable to tame the hormones that were stoking a fire inside her. She even tried taking care of herself, but it seemed to only make it worse. She sighed as she sat up, yanking her blanket off. She clumsily put her bra on, trying to keep from having to pull her tank top off and decided that she would just wear the same outfit from last night. Bam was the only one who'd seen it and it wasn't like it stayed on long.

Her cheeks flushed hot when she realized she was going to have to go have breakfast with Bam mere feet from her. She could still smell him on her and hoped she would be able to act civil and not jump his bones with everyone gathered around. She remembered part of their agreement hinged on the fact that no one else would know that absolutely anything was different.

She was going to have to bicker, scoff, and argue with him as if he hadnt been the only man to make her orgasm twice during sex. She groaned inwardly, letting her head fall back. She figured it'd be fun, it'd feel good...but she thought he would be a little more selfish, a little less intense. Maybe her low expectations had made it seem better than it was.... Yeah...that was it, it had to be, she thought.

She tried taming her hair with her hands, not entirely successful. Oh well, the curls looks good in the sunlight. She waved lazily to the cousins as she passed them in the tent foyer. She slipped on her sunglasses to hide her tired eyes as she stepped outside into the hazy, completely overcast day.

"Great," she mumbled, "the one day I need some sun and get stiffed"

She walked down the trail they'd worn to the center of the Brown complex. Rain ran up to her wearing the hat Harper had given her.

"Harp! I'm so glad you're up! I need some help with this stitch." Rain said, her hands full of yarn and her crochet hook.

Harper was all too happy to have the distraction. She sat on the front porch in the cool morning air, kept company by Bird and Rain as they worked on their stitching and the projects they'd each started. The girl time was just what Harper needed to stop thinking about what had happened the night before.

" Well, it looks like somebody thinks they are too cool for school!" Bear said jumping the railing up on to the porch, "Doing yarn stuff with shades on?" She looking at him, not missing a stitch.

"You know, Bear, there are some stairs right over there..." she nodded towards the beautiful steps that led up to the front door.

"Steps are not extreme. Jumping the railing...is extreme!" Bear said, before howling towards the cloudy sky. A few of the siblings answered the howl with there own, the howls echoing throughout Brown town. Harper smiled at the echos, loving how much these siblings reminded her of how he and her cousins acted. She looked up, seeing Bam exit the trapper shack. She let out a breath and reminded herself how to act.

"Well it sounds like the dogs have been let out this morning. " Bam said plainly, telling each of the girls good morning.

"I thought we might retry our hunt today." Bam said to Harper, barely looking at her.

"Well that depends. If you're going to be such a chatty Kathy again, I don't know. Those deer are never going to come if you don't shut your trap." Harper teased him, getting to a stopping place in her new hat. both sisters looked at Harper as if she had lobsters coming out of her ears.

"I think you may be remembering events, incorrectly." Bam said leaning on the rail, a stern expression on his face.

Harper shook her head, "Geez, Bam, you just refuse to let things be a joke. I should give you the Indian name, 'Has-stick-up-butt'." She retorted. She heard more laughter and turned to see Billy had come out of the house and Noah and Gabe had joined them. Bam slightly grinned as well, but it was more of a 'you're ridiculous' grin that she often saw Matt of the receiving end of.