Monroe looked back at Charlie and wondered how they had gotten into this mess. A year ago she was a pain in his ass. She was cutting down his men and had turned one of his best spies into a Rebel fighter. Now they were on the run together and headed for the Colorado Rockies. Monroe knew that a few of his Militia sergeants had fled to the Rockies and had wanted to him to join them. To bring back the Republic.
"Let's let the horses rest and take a break," Monroe stretched in the saddle.
"We need to wait until it gets dark and then we'll make camp," Charlie's butt was numb but she wasn't going to give Monroe the satisfaction of this knowledge.
"Charlie, it's early afternoon and we have been riding sense it got dark last night. We rode the horses hard most of the night and he have been in the Plains Nation for a while," Monroe guided his horse towards some trees.
"Fine but we shouldn't rest for too long," Charlie guided her horse in the same direction as Monroe's.
Monroe ties his horse up by a small creek that was surrounded by trees.
Charlie tried to get off her horse but soon realized that her legs had cramped and gone numb in their current position.
"I'm going to scout the area," Charlie sighed trying to hide the fact that her right hip was now registering the pain.
"You've cramped up in the saddle," Monroe crossed his arms and shook his head.
"No, I just think it's a good idea that we know the area before deciding if we are going to make camp here," Charlie was trying desperately to figure out a way to get off the horse in her current state.
"Charlotte let me help you," Monroe grabbed the reins and guided her horse by his.
"I can do it myself," Charlie huffed.
"By all means," Monroe made a grand bow and sweeping motion with his arm as if she were royalty.
"Alright I will," Charlie tried lifting her right leg but it was too stiff.
"May I?"
"Fine but this doesn't mean that I don't know how to get on and off a horse," Charlie finally relented.
"No, it means you don't know when to let your body rest and take a break," Monroe reached for Charlie's waist.
She leaned towards him and he helped drag her off the saddle as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He helped place her feet on the ground. He held her there for a moment and looked down into those eyes that looked like a crystal clear lake. He took in her scent that was a mixture of horse, lavender water, and whiskey.
"Thanks," Charlie said and didn't realize that she was so comfortable in his arms.
"Yeah, no problem," Monroe still hadn't let go of her waist.
Charlie went to turn around and felt a tugging at her belt buckle.
"Hold on, we're stuck," Monroe said looking down and realizing that their belt buckles had decided that this close proximity needed to be kept.
"Well, get us unstuck," Charlie couldn't get rid of this tingling sensation that was going up and down her spine.
"Thanks Charlotte, that thought hadn't crossed my mind," Monroe said undoing her belt.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"Getting us unstuck."
"And you had to undo my belt to do that?"
"Would you rather I cut it?" Monroe gave her the stop being a whiny kid look.
"Well sense you have my belt off I am going to go and answer the call of nature," she grabbed her belt and walked further into the forest.
Monroe shook his head. He wished for a cold shower right now, the thoughts of her on his mind would rival any Penthouse forum. He saw what looked to be a lake a few hundred feet through the woods and decided that was better than nothing. He stripped down and put all his clothes on a bear by rock and went running into the cold water.
"Shit! That's cold!" Monroe shivered to himself and began swimming around.
"From what I can tell it is," Charlie yelled.
"Charlie! Get out of here!"
"Hey you're the one that went streaking down the bank," Charlie picked up his clothes.
"Put those down."
"They smell worse than you!"
"I'll wash them later!"
"Well, I'll toss them in and they can get clean with you!"
"Do it and I will pull you in."
Charlie smiled and threw his clothes in the water and started running the other direction. Suddenly to arms were around her waist.
"That's it! Someone's gotta teach you a lesson!" Monroe hoisted Charlie up in the air and carried her to the lake.
"Put me down! I will get cleaned up later!" Charlie tried smacking and kicking but was suddenly thrown into the icy water.
"You're an ass Monroe!"
"And you're a bitch Charlotte!"
Charlie took off her coat and boots.
"Get out so I can take a bath."
Charlotte there is enough lake that both of us can swim and take a bath and not see the other. Go find your own piece of the lake," Monroe splashed her.
"Fine!" Charlie took off the rest of her clothes and began swimming out further into the lake. She put her feet on the bottom and was relieved that the water came up to her chin. She dunked herself a few times to get her hair good and wet. She felt something swim by her leg but it wasn't like any fish she had ever felt before and was weaving in and out of her legs.
"Ahhhh! Monroe!"
"Charlotte!"
Charlie froze with fear.
"What is it?"
"I don't know! But it's near my right leg!"
Monroe dove under the water and came back up a minute later with a dead snake in his hands. He threw it further out into the lake.
"You ok?"
"I hate snakes."
"I thought someone had grabbed you."
"Ok let me rephrase that, I am terrified of snakes," Charlie was breathing heavily trying to swallow her fear for all things serpent.
Monroe swam over to her and hugged her.
"It's ok, the snake is gone."
She felt something rising between her legs that took her by surprise and made her breath catch.
Monroe didn't know why his body was reacting the way it was but he didn't have enough blood flow to really think all this through. He leaned in and tentatively kissed her. Charlie's body betrayed her as well and she kissed him back. She instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. Their bodies melded together and the year of fighting and hatred seemed to melt away into the water.
"Charlie."
"Shut up before we realize what we're doing."