Lake Powell

"I fell and sprained my ankle. I don't think it's broken."

"Let me get my bag. Riley, get some ice."

"Pretty smart of me marrying a smokin' hot nurse, huh buddy?"

"Yeah, real smart...if Renata's here, where's the other WaveRunner?"

"I saw Kristen ride out maybe half an hour ago when I told her I was taking a nap."

"But who's on the other one?" They all looked at one another.

Their "secret lagoon" was down a long narrow tributary off the main channel. They always beached the houseboat in the lagoon out of sight of anyone cruising by. Hardly anyone ever went far up the little tributaries, so mostly they had their own private lagoon. One side of the lagoon was a long skinny finger of land that jutted out into the tributary and hooked back, sort of like a tiny Cape Cod. At the end of the hook was a small peak that overlooked the tributary from about 100 feet above the water. For years, they'd called it "the point".

"I'm going to hike over to the point, and spot the WaveRunners to make sure they're OK."

"Good. If Bob or, uh, Scott get back, send them over in the runabout just in case."

Riley grabbed his camera, a 70-300mm lens and the gun stock mount that he used to steady the long lens for wildlife photography. He still tells the story about the TSA guy who jumped back when he saw it in his bag at the airport thinking he had an armed and dangerous terrorist on his hands.

The Point

The point gave a clear view of the tributary all the way back to the main channel a few miles away. It gave a nice unobstructed area for the WaveRunners, and with high cliffs all around, it was fairly well protected from the heavy winds that came up in the afternoon.

When Riley got to the point, he looked all around, but could neither see nor hear the WaveRunners. They aren't exactly quiet. If they were running anywhere in the normal range from the houseboat, they would be heard.

He searched with his telephoto lens and spotted a small reflecting glint of sunlight about half a mile down the back side of the "hook". He figured it had to be them. But it could be another group camped down there. Half a mile of rocky shoreline would take him awhile. If it's Kristen and...whoever ( he didn't want to think about that part), they might decide to leave before he could even get there. But what the hell, he was out for a hike, and if he saw them heading back, he could wave them over and tell them to check in at the houseboat to say they were OK. He headed towards the glinting sunlight.

As he got closer, he verified that the sunlight was reflecting off one of their WaveRunners. All he could see was the very aft end of it, but he assumed it was beached there. Closer inspection showed a cut in the rocky shoreline forming a very small but deep shady cove. He could finally see both WaveRunners, but no one was about. He was about 20 feet above the tiny beach and would have to climb down to the WaveRunners. He didn't want to startle them by appearing out of the blue so he decided to get as close as possible, make some noise and wave to them.

When he got as close as he could, he looked down into the recesses of the little cove to see that Kristen was there. At least he assumed it was Kristen, because her little nude body was mostly blocked by Scott's tanned and heavily muscled swimmer's body. While the visual ID was a little ambiguous, her small orgasmic squeaks were not.

Riley snuck down to the WaveRunners. He tied a line from the bow of one to the stern of the other so he could tow it back.

Riley was about to run at Scott, not really clear on what he would do, when Scott sensed him, and turned around quickly, expecting to take him on. Riley raised the gunstock at him reflexively forgetting it was just a camera.

"You gonna take my picture? You should've done it before I hopped off her."

"I'll fucking kill you if you come any closer, Scott." Kristen lay where he found them in the fetal position, hands over her face. "Kristen! Get up! Now! Get dressed and get your ass on the WaveRunner."

Riley continued to hold Scott off with the camera, oddly, still holding it like it was a rifle. Scott looked on clearly amused. Kristen ran to the closest WaveRunner. "The other one, Kristen. Now!"

Scott didn't move. He didn't really have to. Riley had screwed up a decent fuck, and he just wanted him to get out of there so he could follow in the other WaveRunner. The shit would hit the fan at the houseboat, but what the fuck, he thought.

Riley grabbed Scott's and Kristen's swim suits, backed out of the cove, jumped on the WaveRunner with Kristen, started it up and took off into deep water. The other WaveRunner followed in tow, leaving a surprised and very angry Scott standing there buck naked with no way back.

Deep Shit

By the time Riley and Kristen got to the houseboat, she was dressed in her bikini, but a total wreck. He turned her over to Renata who put her arms around her and held her tight. Everyone was yelling and Jason was hobbling around with a bandaged foot. Bob pulled up in the runabout, and came aboard to chaos.

"What the hell's going on?"

"Mr. Hollywood decided the birthday party wasn't enough."

"Bob! Go get Scott and pack up all his shit."

"Uhh...where the fuck is he exactly?"

"He's in a cove on the back side. Get him and take his ass back to Wahweap right fucking now."

"It's more than two hours away in the runabout. I won't have enough daylight to get back here. What're you guys going to do?"

"We have to stay here. The houseboat's too slow to get to Wahweap before sunset. You come back tomorrow. We'll stay here. But get him out of here now or I promise I will kill him, and the jury is still out on you for bringing him."

Scott, meanwhile started hiking back to the houseboat, buck naked. Not even any shoes. He came over the rise with his feet all cut up and his large dick swinging. A very large, very menacing, very angry naked man.

Renata whispers to Kristen, "You were dead wrong, honey, but damn, that's a lotta man."

"Who the fuck do you think you are leaving me out there?" Scott bellowed.

"I think you are the guy who tried twice to fuck my wife and finally succeeded."

"So what? She begged me to fuck her."

It took Bob, Kristen, Renata and even the injured Jason to hold Riley down and keep him down. Riley wasn't a big man, but he probably could have killed Scott with his bare hands at that point.

Bob lead Scott to his bunk to pack his stuff.

"Take your shit out to the runabout and stay there. I'm not so sure they can stop Riley if he gets loose."

"Bring the little fucker on."

"You'd be taking on the whole bunch of them. And Jason brought his .357. You need to get out while you can, hotshot."

Bob gassed up the runabout from their fuel drum, and they left the lagoon on a long, grim ride to Wahweap.

Renata helped Kristen get cleaned up and put her to bed. She joined Riley and Jason and they talked quietly trying to decide what they were going to do the next morning. First, they had to wait for Bob to get back with the runabout. The river is very wide in spots. It would be easy to miss him if they tried to catch him on his way back. Cell phones and even marine radios don't work in the deep canyons of Lake Powell.

Thunderstorms

Late that afternoon, thunderstorms blew through the area. The steep narrow canyons of Lake Powell funnel the winds, intensifying their force. Riley, the only real sailor among them, called all hands to check the houseboat lines and consider adding a spring line on the starboard side. The wind carromed off a cliff wall and hit the houseboat broadside there. The women worked as hard as the men securing the lines, then all jumped onto the beach to pull the Waverunners farther up onto the sand.

The thunderstorms abated, but in their aftermath, even higher winds persisted through the night. Everyone slept fitfully as each blast caused the houseboat to lurch and the lines to creak. Everything held. At sunrise, the winds stopped, the skies cleared, and the air smelled of clean wet earth.

By late morning Bob had not returned. Without any communication all they could do is wait.

"How long you figure it'll take Bob to get back?" asked Jason.

"Almost 3 hours depending on winds and sea conditions in the main channel. It's calm here, but could be blowing pretty good out there. Fortunately, it'll be a tailwind for him." Riley's knowledge of sailing conditions made the others more confident to be out in the middle of no where on a rented houseboat.

"Yeah. I'd be out at first light, but Bob tends to run on his own timetable."

"Ha ha. You know he's going to chat with all the fishermen to see what's biting. Then breakfast. Then fuel the boat."

"Then talk to more fishermen." They all laughed.

By noon, they were getting worried. Even given Bob's casual nature, he would have wanted to get back.

Late afternoon, they were seriously worried.

"We need to stay calm. He could have had boat trouble. Let's not jump to conclusions."

"Yeah. They might have had to seek shelter when those t-storms came up yesterday. Bob's smart and careful. He wouldn't take any unnecessary chances."

The Reckoning

By the next day, they couldn't wait any longer. They had to have answers. They packed up the houseboat, towed the Waverunners and headed down river to Dangling Rope Marina. They knew there was a Ranger Station there where they might know something.

They wrapped a bedsheet over a big rock as a signal, and left a note in a baggie for Bob telling them they were going to Dangling Rope. Experienced hands on Lake Powell know to always get fuel at "DR" as fuel stops are few and far between on the lake. They knew Bob would, so they were sure he'd have enough fuel to return after he saw their note.

The trip to Dangling Rope would take a couple hours. As Riley predicted, the wind was strong in the main channel and directly on the bow slowing them down and making it rough. They settled in the lounge and Jason, the first designated pilot, steered from the inside wheelhouse.

Riley had been stewing the whole time about Scott. "So what happened...exactly, Kristen?"

"Riley, please. Not now."

"Because of Jason and Renata? Fine, we can go topside and talk."

"You're very angry and I'm very hurt and scared. I don't think it's a fair match."

"Then let them stay. Maybe they deserve to know why you fucked up everyone's vacation."

"OK guys. You stay, we'll go." said Renata. " Keep it civil, Riley."

"No. It's OK, Renata. I'd feel more comfortable with you here. Jason can stay if he wants."

Jason shook his head. "Nope. I don't really want to hear this. I'll steer and keep my earphones on and the music loud."

Riley wasted no time. "I fucking knew this was going to happen. I think this has been building for awhile."

"Oh God, Riley, that's not true. Nothing ever happened before this, and this time wasn't planned. I don't know exactly what happened."

Riley raised his eyebrows in mock surprise, but she ignored him and continued.

"When you and Jason took off on your hike, Bob and Scott were talking about going fishing. I saw a patch of wildflowers from the top deck and hiked over to photograph them. When I got back, one of the WaveRunners was gone. I assumed Renata had taken it, so I took the other Waverunner to catch up to her."

"I was in my bunk taking a nap," offered Renata.

"Riley, I didn't plan to meet Scott in that cove or anywhere else. I didn't plan this."

"So how did it happen?"

"When I got out into the channel, I saw the other WaveRunner circling and saw Renata in the water. As I got closer, I realized it was Scott. I was so surprised and fixated on him, I almost plowed right into him. I turned sharply and fell off."

"Scott swam over to me leaving both WaveRunners to circle us. I was laughing from embarrassment. I'd lost my top in the fall and couldn't find it."

"How convenient," Riley smirked.

"That's not helpful, Riley. Let her talk."

"Scott was holding me close and teasing me saying he'd protect me from prying eyes. I told him to get away from me and find my top!"

Riley was looking at her skeptically, Renata also seemed skeptical, but otherwise looked on without emotion.

"He dove underwater several times looking for it, then said it was lost. I dove a few times and couldn't see anything. He said I'd have to ride back that way. I was mortified. I swam to my WaveRunner and he caught his as it went by. As soon as he was mounted, he pulled my top out of the waistband of his shorts, waved it at me and took off towards the shoreline. I chased after him screaming for him to stop. He pulled into that little cove where...uhh...where you found us, beached the WaveRunner and ran into the deepest part. I beached mine and walked back into the cove to get my top.

"He held it out, teasing me with it. When I got close, he me take it. He started flattering me, asking me not to put it on. He said he'd noticed how badly I wanted him, and now he was all mine. He held me and started kissing me.

"Riley, I'm so sorry. I confess I'd been kind of fantasizing about him since Wahweap. Not full blown stuff, and nothing I planned to make happen, just daydreams. I'm so sorry, but he's like something out of a romance novel.

"When you and I made love on the top deck the other night, he watched us. He was staring at me the whole time. It was so erotic, I thought I was going to pass out.

"When he was kissing me and flattering me in that little cove, all the lust built up during the entire trip just overwhelmed me. We were completely alone in the world like the romance novel he came from, and I just let it wash over me. I'm so sorry, Riley."

"I keep hearing the 'sorry' part, but I sure didn't see it or hear it then! There's no question you were thoroughly enjoying it."

"How long did you watch?" Kristen looked at him annoyed.

"Not long. You were just starting your little squeak routine when I got there."

"Squeak routine?" Renata interrupted.

"She squeaks like a fucking mouse when she starts to orgasm."

"Oh, god...too much information, guys. I'm going to let you two work on this alone for awhile." Renata went back to the beer cooler in the stern. Jason sat oblivious as he held the course and watched for other traffic.

"You certainly weren't struggling to get away."

"Riley, I'm sorry, but please let me say this. He's a complete asshole, but physically, he's big, powerful, well-endowed and skilled. What you saw was a totally honest reaction from my body. OK? Let's get that out in the open right now. Few men can compete with him on those terms."

"Fuck you. You cheat on me, then insult me. I never cheated on you, Kristen. Never."

"Please listen to me. Let me say what I need to say, then you can do whatever you think is best.

"I'm not going to insult you with excuses. I have none. I fell totally in lust with that body. The dangerous part is...I could make it happen just by doing nothing, just by letting it happen. It's much more difficult for a man to make it happen."

"Are you saying I'm not attractive to women?"

"God, no, Riley. You're very attractive to women. I see the attraction all the time from other women. Christ, I saw Renata checking you out twice on this trip alone."

"Hey, no fair," Renata complained as she came back into the room, handing everyone a beer. Jason got a kiss with his beer. "But she's right. It's harder for a man to cheat than it is for a woman and you know that."

Riley shook his head clearly annoyed.

"Riley, you remember your neighbor Julie when she first moved in?" Renata asked.

"Yeah, so what?"

"I remember she was extremely pretty, some sort of beauty queen, wasn't she?"

"This isn't about me, you know."

"No, no. I'm not saying you did anything. Except I remember how you acted around her at her housewarming BBQ or that time she came over all helpless when her hot water heater wasn't working."

"I said, this is NOT about me."

"I'm not trying to make it about you. Bear with me a second.

"You couldn't seem to do enough for her. Were you thinking if you impressed her, you might fuck her?"

"Of course, not. Goddam it, Renata, for the last time, this isn't about me."

The tension was getting to Kristen. She sobbed quietly, but listened intently.

"I'm not trying to shift blame. Do you think at any point you could have said to Julie, 'Please take me, I'm yours."

"This is bullshit." Riley got up to leave.

"Sit down, Riley! I mean, please...sit down. I'm sorry."

Jason looked over when he heard Renata's outburst through the earphones, but turned back to steering the boat when he realized nobody was getting smacked around.

"Look, you're an attractive man. Lots of women, including Kristen, including me, find you very attractive. But not drop dead gorgeous. Is that a fair statement?"

"I suppose. Are you saying I couldn't get someone like Julie?"

"Good lord, no. I think you could. But you couldn't do it that way. You'd have to work on it. It might take you days or weeks. You pursued Kristen for months!"

"Well, OK. I know that."

"But it doesn't work that way for women like Kristen and me. We aren't drop dead gorgeous either, but we know we're as attractive to men as you are to women. Yet there's a big difference. We literally could signal to most men that we are available to go to bed and could accomplish the whole thing from introduction to sex easily within the time frame of a date. Probably sooner. At Bob's birthday party, either one of us could have had a man interested in taking us out to their car and fucking us there and then."

"Jesus, Renata...what are you saying?"

"I'm saying when a man gets stupid in lust, the reality of the situation makes it less likely that he can make anything happen right then. OK?" Riley nodded.

"When an attractive woman gets stupid in lust, the reality is she could easily make it happen. But when we are stupid in lust, we can get in trouble without even trying to make something happen. That's more or less what happened to Kristen."

"There's still no excuse for what she did."

"This isn't to excuse her behavior. There is no excusing it. We all agree on that. We just want you to understand what happened so you can make an informed decision about where to go from here."

"I don't know where."

"Renata, you're such a good friend. Thank you, thank you." Kristen said still crying.

"Good friends help one another. They stand by one another even when one of them does something awful." she looked at Riley. "You and Kristen are like Jason and I. We are best friends. I don't know anyone with a better friendship than the two of you. Kristen stumbled badly, Riley. She needs her friends."

"She stumbled onto Scott's cock."

"OK, but you need to remember your friendship to determine what happens next. Help one another get through this as friends. If it saves your marriage that would be fantastic. If it saves only your friendship, you will still have more than most people in this world. Without friendship, the marriage is useless anyway."

Dangling Rope

"Arrrrgh, land ho," Jason announced, "or whatever you sailor types would say. Dangling Rope Marina ahead."

"It's going to be a little tricky getting docking in this wind. I'll take the wheel topside. You guys get the lines ready on the port side." All three looked at him with eyebrows raised. "Left side...that side," he pointed, then climbed the stairs to the top deck.

They got the boat tied up without incident. They'd gone through the same drill on the trip upriver.

"There's the runabout! Thank god." They looked around the fuel dock for Bob, then ran into the small store to find him. They asked the store clerk. He told them to wait, then called someone on the walkie talkie.