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Page 278

| Sasha sighed heavily. ''Oh, Crispin, do I have to paint you a picture?" she said, yanking on the stake again. "Hurry up. Help me." |

| Ashton had heard everything. He smiled smugly, ready to crawl outside. But he was too late. A sudden splat of canvas falling on him spilled him awkwardly to the ground. His arms got tangled as he tried to fight the canvas off, and he cursed loudly enough so that everyone in the camp could hear. |

| "Oh, Ashton, I fear you have had a mishap," Sasha teased, Crispin laughing so hard beside her that tears were rushing from his eyes. She fell to her knees and began working with the tent, trying to free Ashton. But just as she yanked at it, he did the same, drawing the canvas taut between them. |

| "Just leave it alone!" Ashton shouted, finally seeing a light at one corner. "Haven't you done enough already?" |

| Sasha moved back to her feet. The sight of Ashton groping and fighting with the tent made her laugh so hard she had to grip Crispin's arm to keep herself from falling. |

| And then Ashton broke free. He cursed low beneath his breath again as he shoved the tent aside. He stood over Sasha, his long legs spread, his doubled fists on his hips. "So you want to play, do you?" he growled. "We'll see about that." |

| He picked her up and threw her across his shoulder as though she were no more than a sack of potatoes. He carried her toward an avenue of hardy gums that lined a creekbed. "I think you deserve a dunking this morning, sweet darlin'," he said, grinning from ear to ear. "The water is crisp and cold this early in the morning. It ought to rid you of |

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