My boys loved running and splashing in the stream or just wandering the woods. Occasionally, I’d run into some of my neighbors, and we’d have a pleasant chat.
Stepping into the backyard, I was glad I changed out of my suit. Water droplets marked the blades of grass, and the earthy scent of mud hung in the air. It’d been raining on and off when we were at church and the restaurant, but I wasn’t sure until then if the rain had come down as hard in my part of the city.
No big deal. I wasn’t worried much about my tennis shoes and sweatpants getting dirty. The ground sank beneath my feet with each step, coating my shoes with mud.
Joe and Dean ran back and forth, barking at me, their dog way of telling me to hurry up.
“I’m coming, I’m coming,” I said, and chuckled.
A few minutes of hiking brought us into the darkened woods. The swollen, bubbling stream ran right through the middle. Joe and Dean rushed right into the stream to bark and splash.
I laughed and found a stick.
“You want to impress me? Get this.” I tossed the strength with all my might, giving in a nice arc so my boys would have time to snatch it out of the air if they hurried.
Both dogs barreled out of the water to rush for the stick. Joe leaped into the air and snatched it in his teeth. He landed and spun around to charge right back at me, Dean right on his tail.
My boys cou
ld never build up much speed inside. Just too many walls and doors, but outside, they didn’t have the same problem.
“Wait!” I said, raising my hands.
Too late. Both labs slammed into me, sending all three of us sprawling to the muddy stream bank. I laughed and rolled to my side. The dogs rolled, too, then barked happily. Joe dropped the stick and shoved it with his nose.
I pushed off the ground and glanced down. Mud caked my clothes. A quick glance at my boys showed they hadn’t fared much better.
A strangled yelp sounded nearby. My head snapped in the direction of the sound.
A young boy stood about forty feet away. I recognized him as one of the neighbor’s kids.
“Swamp monsters!” he screamed. With that, he spun and ran off shrieking.
My dogs barked.
“Hush now,” I said. “It’s just Bobby.”
The boy’s shrieking grew distant, and I couldn’t help bursting out laughing.
“Come on, boys,” I said, stomping through the mud toward my house. “We need to hose you off before I let you back in my house.”
* * *
After hosing off the boys and doing a quick spray on myself, I needed to get myself a little better cleaned up. I headed up to my en-suite bathroom off my master bedroom and pulled off my dirty clothes.
A quick turn of the handle brought the five jets of my shower to life, their warm water hitting my body and pulling the grime down into the drain. I grabbed some body wash and started lathering it over my muscles.
I burst out laughing again at the scared neighborhood kid. I’d go and apologize to his parents later. I didn’t want the little guy to have any nightmares.
A wistful sigh escaped. There was also something to be said for the kind of innocence that still believed in things like swamp monsters.
The water at my feet grew steadily clearer, less mud and dirt left on my body.
Inhaling the warm steam, I could feel the tightness in my muscles loosen. It hadn’t been a tense or bad day, but it hadn’t been all that relaxing, either.
Emily still hadn’t called me back, and I began to wonder if she regretted the kiss.
The memory of her floral shampoo scent rushed back, along with the champagne taste in her mouth, and the feel of her soft body pressed against mine.