Oh, because she was short? “I’m not that small.”
“You seem very little to me.” There was an emphasis on the word little and a strange sort of warmth filled her. Could he be . . . no . . .
She shook her head at her musings.
“There’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”
“What’s that?” she asked as she helped him pack everything away.
“I know we haven’t known each other long, Mari-girl, but I like you.”
“I like you too.” Guilt flooded her. As well as longing.
He opened his mouth and suddenly, she didn’t want to know what he was going to say. She couldn’t bear it. She wasn’t sure if she was dreading him telling her that he liked her but as a friend. Or that he liked her and wanted more.
Shoot. Saying yes to this picnic was definitely a bad idea.
“I have to pee,” she said suddenly.
Oh God, Marisol. Couldn’t you have told him something else? Anything else?
She jumped to her feet and looked around as though she thought a toilet might magically appear out of thin air.
Idiot.
“Are you all right? Do you want me to drive you back to town?”
“No. No, I got this,” she muttered. She really didn’t. She thought she might be losing her mind to be quite frank. But she stomped her way behind a bush. You are such a fool, Marisol. After a quick look around to make sure she was alone, she pulled her pants down and got on with things.
Okay, how did one go about doing this? Did you sit? Crouch?
“Mari-girl? You okay?” Linc called out.
All right, even if he had been about to tell her that he wanted something more, she was guessing she’d likely turned him off by now. This wasn’t sexy or attractive. It was more than a bit embarrassing.
“I’m fine.”
“You ever peed behind a bush before?”
“Who hasn’t? I mean, I’m an old hand at it.”
“Are you lying to me, little one?” he asked.
“I wouldn’t call it lying.”
“Then what would you call it?”
“Totally humiliated babbling,” she spat out. “This isn’t exactly something I’m comfortable with.”
“Teeny, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about.” His voice was so soft and sweet that she felt her insides melt.
Why did she have to meet him now? When everything was up in the air? When it was all a complete mess?
Because fate hated her. She was certain of it.
“Just squat right down so your hips are lower than your knees. If you can’t squat easily, we can find you a tree to lean against.”
“No, I’m fine squatting.” She was not going to go on a hunt for a tree to pee against with him. How would that even go? What sort of tree qualified as a peeing tree? Nope. There had to be somewhere where she drew the line and that was it. No searching together for good spots to squat.