Breaking the Rules (1st in Breaking Series)

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

The sound steadily running water reached Brody's ears about an hour before sunset and he took off running toward it, pulling Elizabeth, who was dead on her feet, along with him.

"A river!" she exclaimed happily when she saw it. It was a good twenty feet wide and further down it became quite rough and fast moving but right in front of them it looked placid and deep, the perfect place for a bath. There were small oaks, sycamores and pines around them and bright wildflowers stuck out of the long grasses.

"Looks like home for the night," Brody agreed.

Elizabeth nodded and without either needing to say a word they set about gathering wood for the fire and grass for the bed, neither pretended to think that they'd need two beds tonight.

"I'll go see if I can find us some food," Brody said once they had a small fire going.

"Okay," she replied letting her gaze go to the river. "I'm gonna get a bath while you're gone."

"No. Wait until I get back. I don't want you running around buck naked and have somebody come up on you alone."

Elizabeth felt her temper flare at his commanding tone. Would it hurt the man to say please every now and then? "You're not my boss, Brody." she snapped, squaring her shoulders and jutting out her chin.

Brody stuck his thumbs in his belt loops, "Fine then. I'm sure whatever trail weary, woman deprived, outlaw that rides through here will just keep on his merry way and not bother you a bit if he see's you in all your glory, naked down there in that water." The thought of her naked in that water stirred his own passion and he turned quickly, "Do whatever you want, Miss McCready. I reckon you're the boss," he said without looking back.

Elizabeth glared at his back until he disappeared over a small hill. That man was the single most bossy man she had ever met and, God help her, but she loved him anyway.

She walked over to the waters edge and pulled off her boots and socks. She curled her nose at the sight of her sweaty, stinky feet. She rolled her pants up to just below her knees and walked out into the water, enjoying the cool feel of it against her overheated skin.

Elizabeth walked back to the bank and sat down on the grass. She dangled her feet in the water, enjoying the shade the trees provided and listening to the birds singing their last songs before sunset. She thought of her father and wondered how he was faring with her disappearance. Did he know that she and Brody had been kidnapped? Was anyone looking for them? She prayed that his health would hold up long enough for her to get home, even though she was going to break his heart when she arrived and told him that she wasn't marrying Grant.

There was only one man in this world that she would ever marry and that was Brody Atkinson. Strong, stubborn, infuriating, but sometimes gentle and entertaining, Brody Atkinson.

***

Brody might have spent thirty minutes chasing the rabbits around the field like a fool but victory had been his in the end and he was heading back to camp with two of them and a handful of wild onions for dinner and breakfast in the morning.

He walked back to camp, not bothering to whistle a warning because he expected to find Elizabeth waiting on the bank for him and when he walked over the hill and saw her standing like some sort of goddess in the water, he froze. The sunset was behind her, illuminating her wet, naked body and making her seem to glow orange in its light as she stood hip deep in the water.