I will be posting some excerpts from my latest novel, The Awakening of Russell Henderson, for the next while. Here is another. Stay tuned for next week’s.

There was a campground by the Niobrara River where I planned to spend the night. We were coming to the turn off and told her I was stopping to camp for the night. Did she want to get out and hitch into Valentine, about fifteen miles down the road. She was good to camp there as well and had what she needed. We went in, found some places to set up our camps, paid our fees and settled in. It was shaded with new spring leaves on the trees.  The river flowed a hundred or so feet from where we set our camp. It was early in the season: we were the only ones there.

She got out, grabbed her pack and guitar from the back and walked over to a site she chose and set up her camp. I raised the camper top, got out what I would cook for dinner. I walked over to the river. It looked inviting. I went to the Westy and changed into my swim trunks, then went back to the river and went in, letting the cool water wash over me, cleansing the day’s driving from my body and mind. I looked down the river and saw her naked body slide into the water. I looked away. I didn’t want to let her know I saw her. I didn’t want her to think I was spying on her. I don’t know if she saw me or not. What I saw of her was her tanned body, quite fit and strong.