Wading the Waters at Senna Rock
By Nickeltaffy
….
Chapter Twelve
As the van headed down the hill that led into the camping area, everyone braced themselves in their seats to keep from being pitched forward. The van bounced and pulled around in a circular pattern to let out the occupants in the camping area, the tires making a crunching sound on the sun bleached gravel. Inside the van, Buffy ducked her head slightly to peer out the windows, hopefully looking for one person in particular. She could see a slightly beat up truck with a faded finish that hadn't been there before. She bit her lower lip as she tried to rein in her excitement at the prospect of the truck possibly being Spike's. Her eyes darted back and forth looking for a sign of him.
Ruby was sitting across from Buffy, bouncing as the tubing purveyor's transport lurched to a stop, causing her to break from her playful exchange with Xander. With her back pressed against the side of the van, she braced herself to avoid sliding off the stiff vinyl seat due to the van's sudden change in momentum. As the dust the van had kicked up slowly dissipated, she glanced out the windows across from Buffy. Doing so, her eyes landed on Buffy's posture noting the blonde woman's attention was centered on the surroundings outside the van. A grin danced across her face as she could guess what….no, who, had piqued Buffy's interest.
The side doors of the van opened and everyone started to pile out and mill around the van, collecting their possessions before dispersing into the campsite. Buffy walked bent over from the seat as she waited for a break in the traffic. She held on the frame of the door as she stood on the edge of the van to use it as a vantage point to scan the campsite. She was momentarily frustrated that she could not locate Spike. She spotted motion on the far side of the truck. She held her breath as she waited for the figure to clear the image of the truck. The figure was walking toward the end of the truck, almost into her field of vision. Just as she was about to lay her eyes on the person, she felt something brush against her back.
"Uh, Buffy? Something wrong?" Xander said as she felt his shoulder press against her back, as he tried to exit the van. She sheepishly peered back over her shoulder to see Xander and Ruby waiting on her to move, she blushed as she hurriedly looked back to the ground to step down.
"Oh, no. Nothing." She uttered with a hurried breath as she stepped down from the van. She quickly took a few steps away from the van to look over at the truck. Who had ever been on the other side of the truck had disappeared. Dispelling her disappointment with a sigh, she turned back to smile at Xander and Ruby as they exited the van.
Ruby jumped down from the van and landed a few feet away from Buffy as her feet sent up a small puffs of white dust.
"Hmm, I don't see Bill's truck. It looks like he hasn't made it back yet, if anybody is interested." Ruby said with a terrible attempt at nonchalance.
"Oh, really? I didn't notice." Buffy replied, looking away as she stretched her back, not daring to look at Ruby's knowing eyes.
"Yeah, of course, you didn't." Ruby replied, the lighthearted sarcasm clearly evident in her tone.
Buffy stepped away from the van's doorway with a sullen expression as her eyes once again swept the parking area for a particular person. With a heavy sigh, she schooled her expression on her face to a carefully composed indifference about the absence of a certain someone as she turned to watch the others disembark from the van.
Xander quickly swung down from the van, and walked over to the two women. The pretty Texan stood in front of the two friends with a broad smile.
"We're going to have crawfish boil before we leave for the concert tonight. We've got another hour before it will be ready, if ya'll want to clean up." Ruby stated pointing her thumb over to an area where two large pots were situated over two open air flame burners. "I'll meet you back here, okay?"
Feeling the grit of the sand settling in their suits, Xander and Buffy agreed to meet with the energetic blonde. As the two made their way back up the hill to the cabin, Buffy kept throwing longing glances over her shoulder, hoping to see a truck pull into the campground.
….
Forty minutes later, Xander was sitting out on the porch in a weathered Adirondack chair in a fresh short sleeve linen shirt and jeans, waiting for Buffy to complete her glamorization process. He leaned back in the chair, as he watched the people scurry around the picnic tables, he noticed Ruby, Anya and Holly appear in the middle of the preparations. Looking over at the door of the cabin, he judged that Buffy would not be making an appearance soon due to prior experience. Seeing an opportunity, he stood up and went over to the cabin's door. On his way to the kitchen, he announced that he was going to be taking the beer down to the cookout to the bathroom door. He opened the refrigerator and pulled three twelve packs of beer from it when he heard a responding yell that she would meet him down there. He set the yell from the bathroom told him okay. He turned to see that stood up and carefully made his way down the hill.
Anya had changed into a simple sleeveless pale blue blouse and pale flowered denim capris. Xander thought that the Anya he had known would have worn something much more stylish, but this woman before him seemed to be at peace with herself and the current fashions were simply not an interest. She and Ruby were setting out the butcher paper on tables in preparation for the upcoming crawfish feast. Holly was swinging two rolls of paper towels in each hand as she dashed back and forth among the tables.
"Hello, Ladies." Xander announced as he approached the tables. Anya and Ruby paused in the midst of preparing the tables and smiled at him. "Where should I put these?"
"Just put in those coolers under that tree over there." Anya replied as she turned to pick up the roll of butcher paper, but finding Holly in her way.
After depositing the beer in the coolers, Xander was surprised to find Holly suddenly appearing in his path.
"Mr. Xander, you and me are supposed to pick flowers for my grandpa. Mama said he would like it because I'm staying the night at his house." Holly commanded as she grabbed his hand to lead him over to an area of wild grass not far from the tables.
Xander looked up to see a grateful smile from Anya as she gave him a little nod, telling him that she would appreciate his help keeping Holly distracted and out of the way. Bending at the waist, Xander stuck out his lower lip as he made a big show of contemplating Holly's offer and the addressed the little girl with enthusiasm. "That sounds like fun, but you're going to have to show me how. I don't know Texas flowers."
A minute later, Holly was busy picking up the pink primroses and Mexican hat flowers that appeared in the wild grass that grew a short distance away from the tables. For the next five minutes, Holly would greedily pull at the colorful wildflowers that were scattered in the long grass and run back to her so-called assistant to deposit a new blossom to the straggly handful that Xander was holding.
Xander soon found the small bouquet was quickly out growing out his hand as the number of flowers grew exponentially. He glanced over to see Anya and Ruby setting up the final table which brought a smile to his face.
"Hey. This is getting pretty big." Xander smiled as he held up his hand to examine the straggly bouquet in his hand as Holly handed him a few more. "Why don't we take them over to your Mom?"
Pausing after transferring her latest allotment of flowers, Holly looked up into Xander's face and asked. "You like her, don't you?"
Caught off guard, Xander uncomfortably cleared his throat before answering. "Yeah, um… your Mom is a nice lady."
"I know that." Holly nodded her head in agreement and continued her interview. "My Daddy thinks my Mama is really pretty. Do you think Ruby is nice?"
Feeling the subject change, Xander relaxed a little as he responded. "I think Ruby is very nice."
"Do you think she's pretty?" Holly rapidly asked another question, before Xander had time to draw a breath.
"Yes, I do." Xander responded instinctively without mulling over his answer.
"Good, cause you smile a lot when you're around her." Holly pronounced knowingly.
Xander paused for a moment as Holly's last statement sunk in. Just then, Buffy appeared in a pale pink sundress, her skin flush from her afternoon in the sun, breaking him out of his mood.
"Hey, Holly. Your mom says your grandpa is here." Buffy addressed the pair as she walked up.
"Grandpa!" Holly echoed joyously. She bounced on her toes as she informed the adults. "We're going to the drive in. He lets me eat Frito pie and tater tots!"
"Wow! That sounds like quite the evening!" Buffy answered with an impressed expression.
Holly nodded excitedly and spun around to go see her grandfather. She had only taken a few steps, when she remembered the flowers. She hurriedly rushed back to Xander.
"I forgot his flowers." She loudly announced as she held out her hand for the flowers.
Xander dutifully handed the flowers to the little girl. She stopped and pulled out a flower from the handful. She held it out to Xander. Puzzled, he picked the lone primrose from the small hand that was being held out to him.
"You should give that to her." The little girl stated, with a knowledge beyond her years.