Page 24 (1/2)

"Water?" Maria asked

"Swier shouldered the shotgun "You kids enjoy yourselves, now"

Maria gave Granger a polite smile as Ellison led her past hier said

Ellison led Maria into the trees, pushing aside branches for her, taking her down a steep hill At the botto fro under the sun

The banks of the small lake ran up into the trees, and clumps of bluebonnets spread across every open, sunny space Birds ski its head to watch therown up in arid lands, always ave--the birds, trees, wildflowers, tall grasses--constantly amazed her The heat and hu down her face, but she looked around onder

"Where are we?" she asked

"Don’t really know I found this place when I was running as wolf one day Granger tried to shoot ed the blast and knocked him down, and we became friends He knows I need the space to run souy"

Maria thought about Granger’s tattoos, which Spike had taught her about this past year She suspected Granger had gotten so

"It’s a beautiful place"

"Sure is" Ellison hung his hat on the limb of a bush that stuck out froing it next to the hat "Don’t always see the bluebonnets either You need the right aot lucky"

He wore a tight black T-shirt, which he also shucked, then he got out of his boots Sunlight touched the liquid warhts in his hair

"You joiningalone"

"Swim? In there?"

Flashes carandparents taking her to a lake in the mountains, beautiful and cool She’d splashed around and played, while they spread a picnic lunch of all her favorite foods Maria had thought she’d never be happier in her life Come to think of it, she never had been

Ellison unhooked his belt buckle and ski undressed"

Maria sed "You’re going to swim in there naked?"

"Sure Get my clothes wet if I don’t"