Jumping up quickly, she steadied herself against a tree as she waited for strength to return to her legs; after a second she started to walk away from the campsite, almost forgetting the panties she'd left on the ground. She picked them up, stuffing them in her coat pocket to not waste any time getting away from the place, and she moved fast despite the darkness, as she could imagine nothing more humiliating now than being discovered.
She didn't have time to give any thought to what she had just done, as she had to be careful while moving toward the trail down the slope, knowing there was also the danger of running into Rick and Karen. If they were approaching, she counted on seeing their flashlight first and then quickly hiding off the trail, but she made it down the angular trail without ever seeing even a sign of them.
Linda fell twice, avoiding injury both times but ending up with smudges of dirt on her face and coat. Soon she was walking across the bridge; only then, able to think clearly for the first time, she realized that her disheveled appearance could serve as an excuse for her absence from the cabin should Rick be there when she returned. She decided to tell him she had gone for a walk, in the opposite direction of the Boyds' campsite, and that she had become lost, thereby taking so long to return. It sounded feasible and something like that was necessary if she was not to fall completely apart, admitting to Rick that she had seen him and Karen.
When she was within sight of the cabin, Linda paused to pull her coat tightly around her, then she messed up her hair a bit more. The cabin looked very much the same as when she had left it – that seemed so long in the past – and taking a deep breath, she went inside.
"Rick?" There was no answer. The fire she had lit earlier was almost out, and she walked straight into the kitchen, expecting to find some sign of her son having been there. Nothing was disturbed, and the young mother again started to worry about her son. She was horrified by the thought of Rick and Karen returning to the campsite and perhaps even joining Valerie Boyd and those two men in some debasing and vile sexual act.
Unsure of what she could do, Linda returned to the living room half panic-struck with fear, but her fright subsided when she saw the white paper left on the day-bed. She quickly picked up the letter, her eyes scanning over the neat, orderly printing to the signature at the bottom. It was a note from Rick.
Mom… Stupid me… I went off without the flashlight, so Karen walked back with me… Surprised not to find you here, but can hardly blame you for not waiting dinner. We decided to go over to the redwood lodge to see what's happening, so don't wait up. I took the flashlight from the car, so Karen won't have to walk back to her camp alone…
Sorry again for being so late,
Love Rick.
Linda was relieved to know that Rick was not going back to the Boyds' camp immediately and, in spite of everything else that had happened, she couldn't be angry with him. She actually felt proud that he hadn't made up some falsehood as an excuse for being late, but instead just chose to give no reason at all. Naturally he couldn't just say he was busy fucking Karen!
Linda sat down on the day-bed, suddenly feeling weary and afraid. Her whole world had become disrupted in the space of a couple of hours, and she knew that things could never be the same again. Her son was far more adult than she would ever have guessed, and he was probably more experienced sexually than she. Linda thought she should be jealous of Karen, but she also felt that she herself was responsible for Rick's sexual encounter in that she had never really given him guidance. Neither did she know which was worse: her staying to watch her son and Karen, or remaining at the Boyds' campsite until she had lost control herself. It was all too confusing, too recent; and she was too exhausted to think about it then.
Taking the note from Rick with her, Linda walked to the bedroom, trying to put the evening's events out of her mind. She would have to look at her son differently from now on, but that went for Karen and her wanton mother too. She had asked Rick to tell Valerie that she would visit her in the morning, and considering all that she had seen, Linda wondered if she could ever face the Boyd woman again without fainting from embarrassment.
Taking her panties out of her coat pocket and tossing them on the bed, she removed her coat and dress and hung both up in the closet. She made a mental note to remember to wash out the little white stain on the coat lining, then closed the closet door, not wanting to think about it anymore that evening. Taking off her brassiere and throwing it haphazardly on the bed with her panties, she then walked into the bathroom and washed her face and combed her hair without looking at her reflection in the mirror. She couldn't face herself, not then at least. Slipping into her nightgown, she turned off the lamp and got into the bed. Sleep came quickly, but her dreams were filled with erotically disturbing images of herself. And to her horror, she found herself doing what Valerie had done that night, and liking it. Only the man fucking her – the man whose cock she was eagerly sucking – was her own son!
Rick!
CHAPTER FIVE
The day had turned cold, a gray blanket of high fog having draped the Big Sur coast with pale light, and Linda's depression had gotten steadily worse. She had slept late, staying in bed as long as possible without arousing suspicion, yet she still had to face her son, so had feigned a headache to hide her uneasiness.
She had kept conversation to a minimum, and Rick had been sympathetic, promising to stay out of her hair if that would help. Her ploy had worked, and she was able to get Rick to deliver a new message to Valerie Boyd. She was to spend the day resting, and if Valerie had no other plans that evening, she would be glad to visit with her then. Linda had reasoned that she would have the day to pull herself together, although it didn't quite work out that way.
It was four in the afternoon, and Linda was making her third pot of coffee when Rick came back to the cabin with Karen. She was in the kitchen and didn't hear them come in at first.
"Mom…? Oh, there you are!"
"Hi…" Linda felt her face heat up and redden with embarrassment. "Hello, Karen." She hadn't expected Rick to bring the Boyd girl with him, and she felt it impossible to conceal her uneasiness.
"Hi, Mrs. Hall. Are you feeling better?" Karen said, a tone of real concern in her voice.
"Yes, thank you," Linda answered as she turned away, diverting her attention to the coffee pot. Why had Rick brought Karen? Were they planning to stay? She wanted so much to be left alone, to escape the terrible thoughts that had been plaguing her all day. "I'm making some coffee… Do you want some?" She couldn't think of anything else to say.
"If it's all right with you, we're going out, Mom," Rick answered. "We wanted to stop by and see how you're getting along… And, well…" He stopped, looking to his girlfriend for the rest.
"I'm just fine, dear. Don't let my silly headache spoil your weekend!" Linda was serious, and she felt bad enough for having to lie. She did want her son to have a good time, even if it involved sex with Karen. It was too late to undo that!
Rick started again, "Oh, about Mrs. Boyd… I gave her your message, and she said she was very anxious to see you. She's coming here at six… Said she wanted to take you out to dinner… If you're up to it…" There was more, but he would let that wait for Valerie Boyd to tell the rest.
"Mom said she knows just the thing for your headache, Mrs. Hall," Karen jumped in, a pert smile on her pretty face. Then she nudged Rick, indicating they should go.
"That's sweet of her to be so concerned. Rick, I think you must have made too much out of nothing. My headache is practically gone, really!" She wanted to dismiss the idea that she needed care, but there was obviously no point in making excuses to the children. She would find a way of declining dinner with Valerie later.