Now that everything was out in the open between them, Court couldn’t remember what it was he had been afraid of—the kiss changed nothing. Ronnie was still protective and gruff, and now that he no longer had to hide his feelings for his friend, Court was back to his old talkative self. He complained about the cold water, the smell of the baby shampoo, the rocks under his feet, even the plastic wrap and the way it felt around the lower part of his leg. Ronnie listened stoically as he lathered Court’s hair with the shampoo.
With the loofah, Court collected the suds that dripped down his face and scrubbed Ronnie’s chest. Soon the creek was filled with soapy bubbles that raced away on the current. Court ran the loofah over every inch of Ronnie he could reach—everything above the water, that wa
