Epilogue
Nine months later
“Come on, let’s swim,” said Erik, pulling off his shirt. Ryan smiled and kicked off his canvas shoes, then dropped his shorts and removed his shirt. He looked over at Erik, who was totally nude—deeply tanned except for the paler triangle that his Speedo had left on his skin.
“Naked?” asked Ryan, pulling at his underwear.
“This is Sweden,” said Erik impatiently. “Nobody cares about nudity, and remember, there is nobody around for miles!” Ryan stripped and watched Erik dive into the blue lake. He came up a few yards farther, shaking water from his hair and yelping from the cold. Ryan dove in after him and felt the sudden stab of freezing water, then rose up to the surface and the welcome sun.
“What’s the plan today?” asked Ryan, spitting out a stream of clear,
