Children of Toil ✔

Chapter Seven

Lucan woke lying on his side with his head resting on his arm. He blinked his eyes. They felt dry and gritty. Meggy had her back towards him. He focused on her behind. The fabric of her skirt lay in soft folds and hugged her shape. He was hard, as he was most mornings, but looking at her changed the sensation. He rolled onto his stomach, pushed himself against the ground and groaned into the canvas of the swag.

"Are you in pain?"

The sound of her voice startled him. Lucan quickly lifted his head. "No, not really, a bit stiff... ah... I mean me arms and back, the muscles, from riding." He was rambling. The word stiff hadn't been a good choice so he stopped talking and moved his body to face away from her so when he stood up, she wouldn't be able to see the dilemma he was in. He made his way to the river and stripped off his clothes. The water was crisp but it was what he needed to refresh him. By the time he swam back to the shore Meggy was squatting there washing her face. She had tied her hair up, unruly strands hung here and there.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked.

Meggy lifted her eyes to look at him. He was still in the water, it lapped against his chest. She couldn't help but see his muscles ripple as he reached up to squeeze the water from his hair.

"It was all right, the ground not so soft." She laughed and rubbed her backside as she added, "I'm a little tender here."

Following her hands movement with his eyes, Lucan felt a surge of heat travel through his body once more. He nodded and swam back across the river.

She was gone when he returned. He dressed and headed to the camp site. Meggy had rolled up the swag and stoked the fire. She had some bread stuck with a stick, laid out over the heat and was trying to open another tin of beans.

"Here let me do that."

Meggy turned the bread to brown the other side and pulled the only plate Lucan had from the bag of utensils.

"Will you put the tin in the fire? We'll eat them hot on some toast."

"We'll be sick of beans by the time we get to Irvinebank."

Meggy nodded and giggled. "I hope they don't give you gas cause ya won't be sleeping next to me the night if they do."

Lucan's mouth dropped open at her words. He roared with laughter and shook his head in amazement. There was no way Lillian would have spoken so openly about a bodily function or laughed about it.

He ate first. When he was finished, she used the plate while Lucan saddled the horse and packed the mule. She washed the plate in the river as Lucan put out the fire. He climbed onto the horse and lifted her up in front of him.

"It's very dry land. Is Irvinebank like this?" she asked.

"Yes." He pushed the brim of her hat down so it didn't catch him in the face.

"Sorry, Lucan. I can take it off if you want."

"No, you need to keep it on. The suns harsh here, I don't want you to burn."

They rode in silence. Meggy wriggled in the saddle, her backside was sore. Sitting too long without moving aggravated it. Every time she moved Lucan held his breath. The muscles of her behind, rubbing against his thighs, was like a hot iron brandishing his skin. He felt every move she made, every push against his chest, every touch of her hand. Eventually he couldn't stand it any longer. He stopped the horse and climbed down.

"What are ya doing?"

"I think I'll walk for a bit; you need more room."

Meggy blushed. "It's just that me back end is sore."