Finally

"Duck!"

She didn't. The white-nosed California bat slammed right into her forehead leaving a bruise that looked suspiciously like a teapot. She was still rubbing her head when she emerged from the shallow desert cave.

"I can't believe you dragged me in there. That was awful."

"Oh, come on. It wasn't so bad." I scanned the desert and picked out the truck on the horizon.

"And what is this?" She held out her hands in disgust.

"Guano."

"What's that?"

I turned away and tried not to laugh out loud. "Oh, it's just a chalk that forms on the rocks in caves."

She wiped the sweat from her brow, spreading the guano all over her forehead again.

"And where are you going?"

“Back to the truck.” I pointed in the general direction of the truck.

“Well, I’m taking a break. You’re just going to have to wait for me.” She picked out a medium-sized boulder next to a small wash a few yards away and shuffled over to it. Without looking, she started to lower herself down onto it.

I almost said something but I didn’t.

“Ouuuuuccccccchhhhhh!”

A coyote on a neighboring hill scampered away in fright.

She stood up and turned to look down at the boulder. Her backside was completely covered in cholla cactus spines. I tried to stifle a laugh but it came out anyway.

“Hey, there’s a bunch of cactus on that boulder.”

She didn’t say anything for a long time. I turned and started to walk towards the truck when I felt something hit me in the butt. I turned to see her shoe on the ground at my feet.

“We need to talk!” she exclaimed from the boulder.

I turned away from her and smiled. Finally.