Free Sanctuary (New Reality Series, Book One) by Jessica Jarman Page A

inactivity, she knew—and she was in dire need of a scrub.
    With determination, she uncovered her face, swung her legs to the edge of the bed and sat up. She swallowed hard against the wave of nausea that rose. Food. She needed to eat. As if on cue, her stomach growled. She noticed her pack and boots sitting next to the bed. After shoving her feet into the boots, she leaned down and rifled through the bag for clean clothes and toiletries. Holding her things in one arm, Grace rose and walked to the door.
    Before she could chicken out, she opened the door and walked into the main area. The guys sat at the table eating, Callie at their feet. Conversation ground to a halt as soon as she’d entered.
    “I’m…” She cleared her throat. “I’m going to the river to wash up.”
    Ethan said nothing and returned to his meal. Noah gave a tight smile and nodded. “There are clean towels on the line. They should be dry now.”
    “You put up a clothesline? Great. Thanks.” Anxious to escape the tension, she hurried to the door and outside. Her heart swelled when the dog followed.
    Squinting against the sunlight, she bent down to give Callie some love.
    “I’ve been neglectful, haven’t I? But it looks like the boys have been treating you well.”
    Callie licked her face in response, pulling a giggle from Grace.
    “You wanna go play in the water? Let’s go, pretty girl.”
    As she straightened, she saw the men hadn’t just strung a line, but had put up a proper clothesline. Two t-shaped posts stood several yards apart with five lines between them. One held several towels and a sheet. She found they were indeed dry and took two with her to the river. Setting her things on the ground near the water’s edge, she took her toothbrush and squeezed a small amount of paste on the bristles. As she brushed her teeth, she wondered if her dad had stocked toothpaste. She’d have to do a thorough inventory of what exactly was stored where.
    After finishing, she dropped the items on the mound of her stuff and toed her boots off. When she’d finished stripping her clothes, Grace picked up her tiny bottle of shampoo and waded into the water. Braced against the cold, she was pleasantly surprised. While cool, it wasn’t as frigid as she’d expected, and the sun beating down on her skin actually made it enjoyable.
    Grace moved toward where she remembered the river being a bit deeper and whistled. Callie bounded out of the woods and down to the river. When the water almost touched the edge of her panties, Grace stopped. Bending her knees, she dipped down then dunked under. She was shivering slightly when she came back up, so she quickly washed her hair, dreading the later task of having to comb through the mess, and used the suds to wash her body. Another quick dip under the water and she was all rinsed off.
    “You’re not coming all the way in?” She laughed as the dog danced at the very edge, barely getting wet. “Okay, your loss.”
    Back on the bank, she laid a towel on a small patch of grass and sat, draping the other towel over herself. She stretched out her legs and leaned back on her arms. Tilting her face up, Grace closed her eyes and enjoyed the sunlight she’d shunned for so long.
    Callie splashed a bit longer then Grace heard her take off into the woods. After a squirrel or rabbit, no doubt.
    After several minutes, she used one of the towels to whisk away the stubborn water drops that clung to her skin and gave her hair a once over. After donning her clean panties, shorts and t-shirt, she gathered her things and walked back up to the cabin. Ethan and Noah still sat at the table when she came inside.
    “Would you like something to eat?” Noah asked.
    “Yes, please,” she said quietly. “Let me just put this stuff in the bedroom.”
    When she returned, Noah was setting a steaming plate on the table. He motioned for her to sit. Grace lowered herself onto the chair and inhaled deeply. A glance down confirmed what her nose