The Conner Family Ch. 08

"Right!" Ken gave her a surprised look. "I'm not going to leave you here!" returned Ken. "There are still wild animals out here that hunt at night. And who knows who else is out here hiking." He shook his head and he chuckled. "At least our parents know where we are."

Jen muttered, "Yeah - Rule Five."

Ken leaned back from her. He had a silly grin on his face. "Should have brought a camera."

Jen just frowned looking up at him. "So how are you going to get me up?" asked Jen. "And how do you want to carry me?"

"Let me think," stated Ken as he began to wrap Jen's left ankle with an ace bandage. "Jen, get the ace bandage out of your pack."

"Why?" asked Jen.

Ken looked at her and shook his head. "For your other ankle, Jen!" He snorted. "Did you hit head?"

"No!" snorted Jen. She suddenly snickered. "Nothing there to hurt anyways." She quickly got out the rolled bandage and held it.

"Are you sure you did not hit your head," repeated Ken.

"No! I did not hit my head. - I'm just pissed I fell down." She looked up at Ken. "Guess I needed the 'what if' pack after all." She watched as he wrapped her left ankle. "I'm sorry."

"About what?" asked Ken.

"For being stupid and getting hurt."

Chuckling, Ken said softly, "It is funny. Tripping over pine cones."

Jen pointed at him. "Don't you ever tell anyone!"

"Not a word, Jen." Still chuckling he shook his head. "Not a word." He looked at her. "You better come up with a good one to explain this."

Jen started to giggle.

"What?"

"Simple!" Jen smiled at him. " You tripped me because I was winning."

"Jen!" muttered Ken. "I would do no such thing."

"Really?" questioned Jen. "You throw me to the mat in Karate Class."

"I'm suppose to throw you to the mat in Class!" declared Ken. "And just how many times have you dumped me? Plenty!"

Jen looked at him as he wrapped the ace bandage about her right ankle. "I'll just tell the truth."

"That you were stupid?" questioned Ken.

"No!" sputtered Jen. "That I was having fun with you. And I had an accident."

"An accident?" questioned Ken. He chuckled. "A modified version of the truth. With bits and pieces left out."

"Something like that," added Jen. "Or I could let my parents lecture me about this for the next couple of years."

Ken nodded and chuckled. "And I would get grounded for letting you do it."

"That's an idea," agreed Jen. "But I'd be grounded too for being stupid."

Ken finished wrapping her ankle and sat on the ground and looked at Jen. "And," began Ken. "Jen - what about - that kiss?"

She held out her left hand.

Ken took it and helped to ease her up to a sitting position.

Jen looked at him for several long quiet moments. "Oh, Ken," she sighed.

Ken sat down beside her facing her. "What?"

Jen looked at Ken for a long time before she spoke. "Speaking of the truth." She shook her head slowly. "I have been in love with you - for a long time." She slowly shook her head. "I know its wrong." She looked at Ken for a few moments before continuing. "With us being family and all. I don't even know if you feel the same," There were tears welling up in her eyes. "And I know that we can not do anything about how I feel about you. And I am sorry." She shook her head. "I should not have told you."

"I'm glad you did," stated Ken. "Cause - I feel the same way."

"Why didn't you say something?" asked Jen softly.

"Cause we're family, Jen," replied Ken. "And like you said - its wrong." He waved his hand about them. "The world and polite society say its wrong." He looked at her for a long moment. He took a deep breath and blew it out. "Jen you have always been my best friend." He shook his head. "No one else even comes close to how I feel about you."

They looked at each other for several very long, quiet moments.

"So - " began Jen. "How do we get back to camp?"

Ken smiled at her. "I have a plan."

Jen started chuckling. "This should be good."

Ken stood up and moved over to the side of the trail. There he picked at some branches that had been piled there. "Some one must have been doing some trail clearing here." He pulled out one nearly straight length of what looked like a piece of a branch. It appeared to be about foot taller than he was. Ken tried flexing it and he could only bend it a bit. "Feels strong enough." He brought it back to Jen. He looked at Jen very seriously then stated, "This is what I want you to do." He held up the tall length of wood near her. "I want you to climb up the branch and when you get up about the height of my shoulders then move over to my back."

Jen just looked at Ken and the branch and then her mouth slowly dropped open. "You want me to do what!?"

Ken began to chuckle. "Tag! Got you!"

Jen smiled at him shaking her head as she laughed. "I deserved that."

"Jen, if I'm going to carry you on my back," stated Ken, "I'm going to need some support while we hike out of here." He held up the length of tree limb. "A walking staff."

"Okay!" stated Jen. "But - how am I going to get up there? On your shoulders."

Ken pointed down the trail. "That big rock. I'll carry you down there. Then have you transfer."

"Are you sure you can carry me that far?"

Ken asked, "To the rock? Course I can!"

"No!" stated Jen. "Back to camp."

"To keep you safe?" Ken's smiled faded as he looked at her. "No other option. I'll do it!"

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After four hours of slow hiking Ken had stopped in the middle of the path to rest, leaning on the walking stick.

The sun was low and the daylight was fading.

"You okay," asked Jen. Still perched up on his shoulders

"Yep!" stated Ken. Breathing deep and slow. "Just - need to - rest a bit."

"Put me down," directed Jen.

Ken shook his head. "I'll never - be able to - get you up there - again."

"Jen!" came a very familiar male voice.

"Dad!" cried out Jen.

Samuel and Robert came trotting up towards them.

Robert called out, "Sharon - Karen. They're here!"

"We were getting worried about you two," stated Samuel.

"Dad, Ken carried me all the way from the lake," stated Jen. "Not once stopping!"

Sharon and Karen came out from the camp. Karen said, "We were so worried about you two."

Samuel and Robert stood behind Ken and helped Jen down off Ken's shoulders. Samuel held her in his arms as she hugged him. "Are you okay, Sweetheart."

"Yes, Daddy." she turned to Ken. "I twisted my ankles when I tripped. Ken took care of me."

Ken, breathing hard, asked, "How much - further - to the camp?"

"You're here, Ken," stated Robert standing before him. He gestured to the left. "The camp is right here. You made it." Robert moved beside Ken and put his arm around him, to hold him up. "Lets get you to the fire where you can sit down."

Ken, still breathing hard, looked up at his Dad. He smiled. "I knew - I could do it, Dad." He took a couple more deep breaths. He looked over at Jen being held by her father. "I had to."

~~~ Epilogue ~~~

Later that evening after dinner, Jennifer and Kenneth were again sitting together on the far side of the picnic table where they were softly talking while watching the campfire. Jen was leaning up against Ken. Her head was resting on his shoulder. Her feet were proped up on a pillow which was on a big cooler under the table.

The adults were all on the other side of the fire talking softly. They were all watching Jennifer and Kenneth as they quietly talked with each other.

"Amazing!" stated Samuel. "He carried Jen over three and a half miles."

"Without stopping," added Robert. "Don't know how he did it."

Samuel nodded. "I'd have a hard time doing it."

"And we do it for a living," added Robert.

"You both forget one thing," said Karen.

Sharon added softly, "Who they are to each other."

The End

"A Trouble With Pine Cones"