To the Wild Country

Chapter Nine.

Pam finally separated herself from clinging to Bill, and she looked up at him one more time. She ran her thumb along his lower lip, smiling and remembering the kiss she'd laid on him the day before. He smirked at her and lightly kissed the stroking digit.

He said around the thumb, "All better? For now, at least?"

She pulled her hand back and sighed. "For now, yeah. Let's go back to our campsite."

Bill put his arm around her, making sure she was steady on her feet. Pam looked down the road to the revelers, and said, "Wanna grab a bottle of wine, long as places are opened still?"

"Long as it ain't any of that fru-fru stuff you like. Or maybe we can grab a six-pack to split. I don't think it's a good idea for you to get drunk, the state you're in."

Pam stopped and considered his suggestion. "I think you're right, Bill. Let's just split a six-pack then."

He helped her to the passenger side of the Jeep and said, "Hang on a sec, I'll grab that and a coupla cokes for the morning."

He was soon back, beverages in hand, and he set it all in back with their gear.

Pam was silent through most of the ride to their campsite. Bill would look at her every so often, to see if she was crying, but she had a blank expression on her face. Her head lolled back on the seat and she was gazing out the window.

When he turned down the final dirt road to their spot, he asked, "You okay, hon?"

Not moving her head, Pam said, "Just thinking hard is all."

"I know," Bill said softly.

They remained quiet as they got their stuff from the Jeep, and Bill motioned to the fire ring. "I'll get a fire going, why don't you do whatever, go freshen up or something. Splash cold water on your face, wash that cut nail. Did you want me to take care of it?"

"I think I can manage. The cold water should be okay."

She took a flashlight from her backpack and examined her hand with it. It felt worse than it looked, she was glad to see. She found her way to the riverside while Bill gathered fallen wood debris in the immediate vicinity.

"Don't fall in, Davidson!" he called to her.

Bill was reclined back on their log, his vest and holster removed. He'd kicked off his hiking boots as well, removed his socks and had his feet propped up on a big stone he'd pulled from the ring.

He jumped when he heard Pam come up behind him, he'd been so mesmerized by the snapping and crackling fire.

"OH, don't DO that, Davidson!" he laughed, catching himself from falling backward.

"Your feet bothering you?" she asked, sitting down next to him.

"Naw," he started. He wiggled his long toes, then admitted, "Okay, yeah, a bit. Couldn't wait to get those boots off! How's the hand?"

He reached toward her, indicating that she should show him. The skin felt cold and clammy from her washing it in the river water.

"Counselor, you're freezing! Here, lemme warm that hand up."

He pulled her to him and tucked her hands and arms under him, wrapping them around his torso as she'd held him earlier. They sat that way for a while, on the log, turned so they could hug one another close.

"Best way to warm up," he said softly into the ear by his mouth. Her thick silky hair surrounded him like a cloud, and he drank in the fragrance once more. "Your hair smells good, Davidson."

She had her face buried at the juncture of his shoulder and neck, and he felt her draw in a long breath. "You smell good, too, Bill."

She felt his chuckle as he moved back enough to look into her eyes. "Listen to us, sniffing each other all over!"

Pam laughed too, realizing how they'd sounded.

She reached her hand up, touching his own thick soft hair, and playfully pulled him down to her, taking a dramatic and drawn-out breath. "Ahhh, see, your hair smells good too, Bill! What is it with men and smelling women's hair?"

"Dunno, we just like it, and with hair like YOURS, I mean, come ON, what guy could resist?"

"You like my hair?"

"Good God, Davidson, that's the very first thing I noticed about you when we met! Long, gorgeous, wavy, shiny, silky brunette...."

She interrupted him with another laugh. "Okay, okay, I get it!"

Pam reached again, as if to pull him down for another sniff, but she surprised Bill: she pulled him down so she could touch his lips with her own. Not the dramatic and deep kiss she'd laid on him in front of Airhead and Rabbit; this one was tender and delicate, and for some reason Bill couldn't understand, far more intimate.

Without thought, he put his big hands behind Pam's ears, pushing the flowing mass of hair back, relishing both the feel of her full lips on him and the cascade of silk tickling his hands. When her tongue probed, demanding entrance, Bill thought he was going to lose it.

What am I DOING? a thought came to him, and he guiltily pulled away, releasing Pam.

"Pam, what was that? I... I can't DO this, Pam!"

"Yes, you can, Bill."

He turned to her. Pam was amazed, again, at how expressive Bill's face could be. She saw both desire and pleading in his eyes, and doubt. How does he do that? she wondered. He wants me, but he also has the need to be loyal to his best friend.

Pam wanted to climb onto Bill's lap, facing him, and lose herself in those brown eyes and that mouth she'd been more and more fascinated by this week, but didn't want to push Bill too far.

"Bill, listen to me. After that little scene earlier, and thinking, I've come to a conclusion. At least for now."

"What's that?"

"Far as I'm concerned, at least till we get back to L.A., I'm available. Like my uncle used to say, I'm free, white and over 21, I can do what I want. I'm not married, you're not married, nothing in the world stopping this."

Bill stared at Pam, alternately from her big grey eyes to her mouth and back again. He was thinking furiously about it all, how very much he wanted her, how he would be betraying his best friend. A best friend who, to all appearances, was enjoying a dalliance of his own in Sin City, Nevada, Bill told himself logically. Pam was right: she was free to choose, not formally attached to anyone, and neither was he. Ralph didn't even know of the little trip to Oregon this week. They could do this and be back to California, Ralph none the wiser.

Live for the moment, Bill told himself, thinking furiously on working this out so he and Pam COULD be together, guilt-free. She certainly didn't appear guilty! She'd resolved to herself that this is what she wanted; she was obviously in her right frame of mind, not freaking as she'd been doing earlier. Bill would never have taken advantage of her, if she'd been in that state. That would've been too wrong. But now? For the moment? Why not?

"Pam, you know I'm not into music too much, right?"

She laughed, wondering where that came from. "Of course."

"For some reason, this song's cropped up in my head."

"Which one?"

"'We've got tonight, who needs tomorrow, we've got tonight, babe, why don't you stay?'"

"EXACTLY, Bill, I didn't know you had it in you!"

"Well, Seger isn't bad, I can actually stand his music."

"Yet another aspect of Bill Maxwell I didn't know about." Pam thought a moment more about the song. "You know, that song is perfect for our situation!"

Pam gave in to the desire she'd felt earlier, and moved to climb onto Bill's lap, straddling his thighs, propping her knees on both sides of him on the log. She pulled him toward her, nestling his face against her chest, and he wrapped his arms over her lower back, pulling her closer.

He pushed back enough to look up, her face in a shadow, the firelight glowing behind her. The yellow light reflecting off her dark brown hair framed her, and he could tell her grey eyes were dilated with desire.

"God, Pam, you're so beautiful!" he muttered, locking that look into his memory forever, the feel of her covering him, his big hands on her lower back, barely over her round derriere.

Pam took the moment to examine Bill more closely as well, running her thumb softly over his brow, along the smoothe skin of his cheeks, down to his neck and throat. She brushed her thumb under his brown eyes, which were reflecting the glow of the fire so it looked like two little globes, turning into flecks of gold in the iris.

"Oh, man, Bill," Pam muttered, and she leaned down, drawing him into another passionate kiss. This time, when her tongue probed his mouth, he gave in and returned the kiss, having resolved they would enjoy this time together till they returned to their lives in Los Angeles. As his hands moved over her, up and down, squeezing and teasing her, he stopped abruptly.

"Pam, I...." he started, but didn't continue.

"Hmmm?"

"How, um... how far? How much?"

She bent down, enjoying the feel of his hands on her lower back, and began nibbling his neck. She muttered into his warm skin, "Whatever you want, Bill, because I intend on taking and doing whatever I want!"

He gasped before he could reply, from the sharp nip she'd given him. "That's... that's okay by me, darlin', completely okay!"