It was lonely back in the mountains. Just family to talk to, and an occasional neighbour, but their visits were few and far between. Too busy scratching a living out of the hills.
Pa was the only one who ever went to the nearest town and he never took her with him. One of the boys went with him sometimes, but generally he left alone as it took a week to get there and back. That's where he was now, and he'd promised her a present for her nineteenth birthday, which was due in a couple of weeks. He had plenty of time to get back before it, and he made it a point to always be there for birthdays and Christmas.
Simone was feeling bored and edgy. She wanted to do something but didn't know what. Her chores were all done for a change and she had a few hours to herself. If she didn't make herself scarce, she decided, Ma was sure to spot her and give her additional work, and she wasn't in the mood. I'll ride over to my swimming hole. I'm hot and sticky and a cool dip will help and with a bit of luck I might catch some fish for dinner. Ma will overlook my vanishing for a couple of hours for a couple of nice trout. She collected her rod from the barn, quietly slipped around the back of the house and headed into the woods.
Quarter of an hour later she approached the river and her private swimming hole. Her brothers never came here. Too tame for them. If they wanted to go swimming they headed up river a bit where there were some deeper pools and they could dive and play stupid boy games. This was her spot.
Swim or fish first? The trout wouldn't really rise for a feed for another hour or so, so she'd have a dip and then collect some bait and some trout.
She quickly slipped off her clothes and dived in, relishing the feel of the water sliding over her hot skin, cooling and cleaning. She ducked under and came up, giving her hair a light rinse and then lay back, floating.
Relaxing, floating, listening to the wind rustle in the trees, the snort of a horse, the birds calling to each other, just enjoying the peace.
Hold on. The snort of a horse? She jerked up. There are no horses around here? She stood up and looked around. There was a pinto, saddled and tied under a tree. He wasn't there when I arrived! And neither was he, suddenly seeing the tall figure leaning against the tree, looking at her in appreciation and some amusement. Who was he?
Only one way to find out. She'd ask him.
"Who," Simone demanded, "are you and what are you doing here?"
"I'm Shaun," supplied the stranger, "and I'm leaning against this tree admiring the pretty kid in the pool."
"You're a stranger!" Simone accused. "Strangers never come up here."
"What, never?" came the reply. "You never, ever have strangers pass through."
Simone stopped and considered for a moment. "Well, hardly ever. Last one I heard of was about five years ago, and even he didn't come this far back in the hills."
Something the stranger had said was nagging at the back of her mind. What was it? He'd said his name was Shaun and he was leaning...'
Simone straightened up indignantly, throwing her shoulders back and trying to look taller than her petite five foot four. Also causing a pair of nicely rounded and rather full breasts to stand out and bounce gently. Not something that she noticed but definitely noticed and enjoyed by Shaun.
"What do you mean, kid? I'm fully grown thank you very much!"
"That's telling me, isn't it. Ah, you don't seem to have grown very tall, have you kid? How old are you? Sixteen?"
"Are you blind? Do I really look like a kid?" Simone snapped. "I'm eighteen, nineteen in a couple of weeks."
"My apologies, Miss. My mistake. May I ask what your name is and are you going to come out of the water and talk to me or just shout from over there."
"I'm Simone. Everyone just calls me Monie, so you might as well, too. And yes, I'll come over and talk to you. It's only polite, I guess."
Shaun watched Simone wade towards him, struggling to keep a straight face as he realised that she wasn't just topless, but the small black triangle that he had assumed was a bikini bottom was no such thing."
Simone stopped in front of him, staring up at his face curiously.
"You're the first stranger I've seen since I was a little girl," she said. "What are you doing here?" Her memory poked her again. "Oh, I'm still naked from swimming. Am I supposed to get dressed to talk to strangers?"
Shaun smiled. "Simone is a nice name. I think I'll use it properly. Do you normally get dressed if someone interrupts your swimming?"
"It hasn't happened before. No-one comes here. That's why I'm not sure if I have to or not. It'll be a pain because I'll have to strip again when you leave because I haven't finished my swim."
Shaun nodded thoughtfully. "I see no reason for you to get dressed just because I'm here. We'll have our chat and then I'll push off and let you return to your swimming. And your fishing. I noticed your rod. What sort of fish are you after?"
"Trout, but they won't rise around here for another half hour or so. That's why I'm filling in the time with a swim. You never said why a stranger is here. Why are you?"