Ellie never even had a chance. As soon as the truck rolled to a stop, Deanne launched herself from the open passenger window and hurtled over the muddy grass to the river. Ellie yelled out her name, but there was no holding her back. In a streak of red, the coonhound threw herself into the mud and water.
"You're a fiend, you know that?" Ellie said, hopping down the bank and slipping her shoes off. "Was this always the plan?"
"Sorry," said Deanne, not sounding remotely sorry as she waded in the shoals. "But it's just too damn hot not to."
"We have to wait until you're dry before we go back, you realize. Plus you're gonna stink up the truck."
She lay down, the mud squishing audibly beneath her. "Yeah, I really can't get too worked up about it."
Ellie shook her head. "You're just trying to make me jealous."
"No reason you can't--" She stopped, her body suddenly tensing. Ellie frowned.
"What is it?"
"Holy shit," Deanne muttered, and climbed up out of the water.
Ellie turned around. A man was standing by the bumper of the truck, watching them. No other vehicle was in sight. "Hi there," she said, on her guard.
The man looked away from Deanne, who was trotting toward him with her tail pinwheeling. "Hi," he replied, beaming. Deanne, sopping wet and thoroughly muddy, pressed her face up against his knee.
Ellie blinked, baffled by Deanne's complete failure to be standoffish. "Something I can help you with?"
The man lowered himself to the ground: it was a long process of folding long limbs. Deanne climbed right into his lap, smearing his shirt with river muck. "Not really. I was just passing through, thought I'd say hi." His hands worked their way up Deanne's chin, behind her ears: she moaned ecstatically, curling into a half-sitting position.
Ellie came closer. "She really seems to like you," she said, brow still furrowed.
"Of course," Deanne sighed, her eyes fluttering. "Oh my god, that's lovely."
Ellie never even had a chance. As soon as the truck rolled to a stop, Deanne launched herself from the open passenger window and hurtled over the muddy grass to the river. Ellie yelled out her name, but there was no holding her back. In a streak of red, the coonhound threw herself into the mud and water.
"You're a fiend, you know that?" Ellie said, hopping down the bank and slipping her shoes off. "Was this always the plan?"
"Sorry," said Deanne, not sounding remotely sorry as she waded in the shoals. "But it's just too damn hot not to."
"We have to wait until you're dry before we go back, you realize. Plus you're gonna stink up the truck."
She lay down, the mud squishing audibly beneath her. "Yeah, I really can't get too worked up about it."
Ellie shook her head. "You're just trying to make me jealous."
"No reason you can't--" She stopped, her body suddenly tensing. Ellie frowned.
"What is it?"
"Holy shit," Deanne muttered, and climbed up out of the water.
Ellie turned around. A man was standing by the bumper of the truck, watching them. No other vehicle was in sight. "Hi there," she said, on her guard.
The man looked away from Deanne, who was trotting toward him with her tail pinwheeling. "Hi," he replied, beaming. Deanne, sopping wet and thoroughly muddy, pressed her face up against his knee.
Ellie blinked, baffled by Deanne's complete failure to be standoffish. "Something I can help you with?"
The man lowered himself to the ground: it was a long process of folding long limbs. Deanne climbed right into his lap, smearing his shirt with river muck. "Not really. I was just passing through, thought I'd say hi." His hands worked their way up Deanne's chin, behind her ears: she moaned ecstatically, curling into a half-sitting position.
Ellie came closer. "She really seems to like you," she said, brow still furrowed.
"Of course," Deanne sighed, her eyes fluttering. "Oh my god, that's lovely."
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