She received some high-fives and some fist bumps. Reese watched as she seemed surprised at herself and at everyone’s overjoyed reaction. Kellan tossed the ball to Remy, who then tossed it to her boyfriend, Ryan. Reese continued to observe Kellan in their huddles as she nodded along with whatever Remy or Morgan was instructing her to do. She lined up and leaned forward in the ready position. Once the ball was snapped, Kellan took off at full speed, kicking up sand behind her. This time, her defender gave Kellan’s shirt a playful tug to try to prevent her from blowing past her. Kellan turned as if pivoting on a basketball court and continued past her. The ball was a little behind her, but she managed another thrilling catch and scored. There were more cheers this time. Clearly, everyone was impressed but also very tired as many of them knelt in the sand. A few made their way over toward Reese to grab their water bottles.
“Nice catch, rook,” Morgan said as they both made their way over to the giant bucket, filled with mostly ice, bottled water, and beer. “You’re a natural.”
“Thanks,” Kellan replied and sat down next to her pack.
“You’ve got some moves for sure,” Morgan continued, and Reese recognized her flirtatious tone.
“Okay, it’s time for real introductions.” Remy approached with a water bottle in hand and placed her arm around Kellan’s shoulders. “You’ve met Morgan and Reese officially and the rest of our team unofficially. Everyone, listen up. This is Kellan. Kellan is here for a couple of weeks. Kellan, this is everyone.”
“Did you play soccer or something? You’re pretty good.” Ryan chugged half of his water.
“No, I played basketball. But it’s been a long time,” Kellan replied and slid off one shoe after the other before removing both socks. “Sand,” she added, and Reese realized she was saying that to her.
“It’s the worst.” Reese cursed herself for sounding so stupid. “They usually play shoeless.”
“Why aren’t you playing?” Kellan shook out both shoes.
“She’s lazy.” Remy sat on Kellan’s other side. “I’m kidding. She’s too good for football.”
“What’s that mean?” Kellan laughed a little.
“I prefer other outdoor activities,” Reese answered.
“How long are you here for, Kellan?” Morgan had joined their conversation after grabbing water for herself and standing behind and off to the side of Reese’s chair.
“About another week and a half.”
“You ever been to Tahoe?” Ryan asked as he sat next to his girlfriend.
“Not in a while, but yeah. I’ve been here a few times.”
“And what brings you here now?” Morgan asked.
“Oh, everyone wants to know about me.” Kellan chuckled and pulled her water bottle out of the side net pocket of her pack. “I’m not all that interesting.” She shrugged and took a drink.
“I doubt that,” Morgan said.
Reese turned her head in shock at the tone.
“What?” Morgan huffed out in a whisper at her.
“Nothing.” Reese stood and smoothed her jeans with her palms for no reason. “I’m going for a walk.”
“Use the trail,” Remy reminded and pointed to the cement trail about twenty feet behind her.
“I’m fine, Rem.” She set off down the sand instead.
Once she got far enough away from the rest of the group, she let out a deep sigh at her ex-girlfriend’s antics before she remembered she had broken up with Morgan. Morgan was a free woman and could flirt with anyone she wanted. They hadn’t been dating in over a year. It was unlikely Morgan had been celibate the entire time. The girl was striking with light blonde hair and bright blue eyes. When her parents had moved to Tahoe for her father’s travel agency, she and Reese had become friends. Travel agencies were now a thing of the almost past. Her family opened a sporting goods store in South Lake, and Morgan led the work there with them.
“Reese?”
Reese heard the voice come from behind her and turned to see Kellan jogging barefoot to catch up. She smiled slightly and then tried to cover it up while she waited until Kellan was at her side.
“Hey. Needed a walk?” Reese asked.
“Yeah, I guess. They all seem very interested in learning more about me. It’s kind of a lot.” Kellan ran her hand over the back of her neck.
“You’re new. They’ve all known each other for years.”
“I’m not that interesting. That’s the problem.”
“I’ll be the judge of that.” Reese turned her head toward Kellan and gave her a wide smile. “Age?”
“That’s where we’re starting, huh?” Kellan laughed. “Playing dirty, aren’t you?”
“Yup.” She nodded playfully.
“I’m thirty-three,” Kellan answered.
“Occupation?”
“No, not fair. You can’t just make me throw my age out there and not share yours.”
“I hardly think I made you do anything.” Reese shoved her hands into the pockets of her jeans.
“I’m a vet,” Kellan said.
“Vet, huh?”
“I live in San Francisco and work at a clinic. I have an older brother and a younger sister, Kevin and Katie.”
“Your parents have a thing with Ks,” Reese replied.
“My mother, Kerri Ann, and my father, Kyle, yeah, they like the letter K.”
“Well, I am thirty-two.” She received a smile from Kellan at revealing her age. “I’m a preschool and kindergarten teacher. I have one sister, but you know that because you met her already. And I live here.”
“Parents’ names start with R?” Kellan asked.
“Huh?” Reese flashed back to the last time she’d seen her parents.
“Reese and Remy?”
“Oh, that’s just a twin thing. They wanted us to have the same first initial. At least they didn’t make them rhyme, too.” She paused. “Their names were Auburn and Steven.”
“Were?” Kellan’s voice softened.
“They died last year. Car accident.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Me too.”
“Auburn. Your mom had a beautiful name.”
“Auburn was my dad’s name,” Reese teased, and Kellan smiled back at her.
“Hey, ladies.” Morgan approached soundlessly from behind them. “Kellan, can I borrow you? We have a second half to play.”
“The game’s not over?” Kellan asked her and checked with Reese.
“Nope. We’re up by seven though, thanks to you.”
Morgan squeezed Kellan’s forearm and glanced at Reese. Reese wasn’t sure what that glance meant, but it was almost a shy look Morgan offered her. She wasn’t being cold, but Reese still didn’t appreciate the interruption from the woman she used to love.
“Okay. I guess I’ve got to go,” Kellan said and then headed back with Morgan while Reese stood watching them hustle away.
CHAPTER 5
The game ended with Kellan’s team winning by fourteen and Remy and Ryan bragging to their friends Jarod and Gary, who’d played on the other team. The trash talk had been going on for over an hour. While Kellan hadn’t joined in, she also hadn’t left the gathering either as the afternoon had turned into an early evening. She sat on a blanket, provided by one of the other girls, alongside Morgan and Stacy as they talked about Kellan’s life and their own.
“I don’t think I could do what you do.” Morgan took a sip of her beer. “Do you have to put animals down sometimes?”
“Yeah, those are the bad days.” Kellan nodded somberly.
“I don’t know how you do it,” Stacy said. “I have two cats. I have no idea what’s going to happen when they die. I’ve already told them they’re not allowed to.”
Kellan offered her a smile. She glanced up at Reese, who was talking to her sister. They were laughing at something. Kellan liked Reese’s smile; it seemed so genuine. Her light gray eyes were lit up by the light of the setting sun over the water. Kellan recalled wondering if Remy’s eyes
were green or gray in the market the other day. Now that she’d had a chance to see them in light, she could tell that both sisters had light gray eyes. She still felt like the darker hair that Reese had worked better with their lighter color. She wondered if Remy had dyed her hair or if Reese had chosen the darker shade.
“Tomorrow, I’m taking a group on a hike to Emerald Bay. It’s intermediate at first, but after we take in the view, we go higher, and it turns more advanced then. You interested?” Morgan asked, and Kellan realized she only heard part of what she’d said.
“A hike?” She turned back to Morgan.
“It’s ten miles in total. Parts are pretty intense, but it’s a good workout. The views at the top are amazing.”
“Sure,” she agreed while she watched Reese and Remy approach.
Reese took a seat in her beach chair, appearing to be a little worn out, while Remy sat on the blanket next to her.
“Reese, Ryan and I are getting out of here. Ryan’s pulling the car up closer,” she announced.
“Reese okay?” Morgan asked with apparent concern.
“She’s just tired,” Remy stated.
Kellan wanted to ask why Reese was tired, or why Morgan had expressed immediate concern for Reese, but she didn’t think it was her place. Instead, she took a drink from her water bottle and turned slightly to put it away. She suddenly found herself tired, too. With the ten-mile hike she’d agreed to, she needed to get some sleep.
“I’ll grab my husband.” Stacy stood and headed in the direction of a few guys standing off to the ice bucket.
“I should get out of here, too.” Kellan slid her shoes on without her socks and put her bag over her shoulder. “I think I’m going to regret playing football tomorrow when I wake up and have to do a ten-mile hike.”
“Epsom salt bath.” Reese’s voice came from behind her. “Add rubbing alcohol to it to make it more effective.”
“I don’t think I have any of that at the cabin,” Kellan replied.
“They sell it at the market – aisle seven, on the bottom. They usually have a few bags, and they always have a ton of alcohol. Tourists can be klutzy.” She smiled at Kellan. “You ready, Rem?”
“Yeah.” She looked toward the small parking lot where Kellan could now see a red SUV with the back passenger door open and Ryan standing there, waiting for them.
“It was nice meeting you,” Reese said.
“Do you hike?” Kellan asked.
“What?” Reese turned back to her.
“I’m going hiking with Morgan tomorrow. Do you hike?”
Reese glanced around her at Morgan and then back to Kellan before she said, “I don’t hike as much as I used to, no.”
“Do you want to join us tomorrow?”
“I’m volunteering at the visitor’s center tomorrow. I’m there most of the day. Then, I have dinner with Ryan and Remy.”
“Oh, sure. I guess I’ll see you around then, or maybe I won’t. I’m not here much longer.”
“I’m sure I’ll see you again, Kellan. Small town, remember?” she offered.
“Right.”
“Good night.” Reese smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.
Kellan did the same. She watched as the twins made their way to the concrete path that led to the parking lot where Reese climbed into the backseat, Remy took the passenger’s seat, and Ryan drove them off.
“If you give me your number, I can text you the info for tomorrow,” Morgan suggested.
“I don’t have my phone,” Kellan replied. “I decided not to turn it on while I’m here. I kind of needed a break from that, too.”
“Old school. I can do old school. One sec.” She rushed off to where her bag was lying in the sand and pulled something out. When she returned, she held out a brochure for Kellan to take. “It’s the Emerald Bay advanced hike on the inside. That has all the info you’ll need in it. Bring lunch. We eat while we’re up there.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow.” Morgan offered her a smile.
◆◆◆
“Hey, early bird.” Morgan had just parked her car and was getting her pack out of her trunk. “That excited, huh?”
“Yeah.” Kellan was excited to be hiking again and to go up a different trail than she’d taken before with experienced hikers.
“We have a group of four coming, too. Two couples from Canada. They all know each other. And they’re experienced, so we shouldn’t have a problem with the trickier part up top.”
“Sounds good.” Kellan stood upright and stretched her arms straight above her head.
“Not bad.” Morgan wiggled her eyebrows and offered a flirtatious smile.
“Oh.” Kellan lowered her arms when she realized Morgan was staring at her stomach where her shirt had ridden up.
“Don’t stop on my account,” Morgan replied with confidence.
“Sorry, are we late?” A man approached with three people in tow.
“Right on time.” Morgan went immediately into tour guide mode.
Kellan had no problem with the first part of the hike that took them up to Emerald Bay. Morgan had been at the front of the group, leading the way, while she’d taken up the rear. She didn’t want to be rude, but the two couples were occupied, talking to each other and Morgan, so she’d put her headphones in at about mile two and used the music to calm her as she typically did while hiking.
“Having fun?” Morgan asked as they all sat just out of the way of the crowd of tourists at the photo spot with the perfect view of Emerald Bay.
“I love a long hike,” Kellan revealed and unpacked her sandwich.
The four other members of their group had headed over to join the rest of the tourists in taking pictures of the clear water and tiny island beneath. Fannette Island was the only island in Lake Tahoe. The ruins of a small stone building called the “Tea House” could be seen. The island was accessible by boat, canoe, or kayak. Kellan had always loved the view of the island, but in the many trips she’d made to the lake, she’d never been out to it. She’d always stuck to hiking and swimming in the lake, but swimming to the island was prohibited.
“Can I ask you a question?” Morgan said.
“Sure.”
“What really brought you here?”
“Oh, that question. I needed a break. I haven’t had a vacation in a while, and I’ve always loved this place.”
“Needed a break?” Morgan’s expression led Kellan to believe she wanted to know more, but she wasn’t pushing the envelope either.
“I graduated from vet school late. I only started working after school a couple of years ago. I haven’t taken a real vacation since. I asked my boss if I could have a couple of weeks to recharge.”
“Got it.” Morgan nodded and took a drink of her water. “And you didn’t bring anyone with you on this trip?”
“No, just me.”
“So, no significant other, or they just couldn’t get away?”
“I’m single.” Kellan smiled and took a bite of her sandwich.
“Single and looking or single and recovering?” Morgan asked.
“I don’t know how to answer that,” Kellan replied honestly and finished off her sandwich.
“Interesting.” Morgan leaned forward. “Go on.”
Kellan laughed. She stuffed the empty plastic bag into her pack before opening one of her power bars and taking a bite, more as a stall technique than to address hunger. She glanced over at the two couples they’d hiked with. They appeared to be happy and in love as they took selfies and exchanged phones to take pictures for the other couple. She wanted that with someone. She’d once thought that someone would be Keira. Now, she laughed at that thought, because it was more than obvious that Keira had found her someone. Kellan was left looking, but not necessarily looking right now. She also wasn’t sure how much recovering she had left to do.
“I’ve dated, but nothing serious since my last attempt at a serious relationship, which wasn’t a relationship at
all.”
“How so?”
“We hooked up first, became friends after that, and then decided to date after all, but it didn’t work out.”
“Because?”
“You’re inquisitive, aren’t you?” Kellan laughed.
“I guess I am when it comes to the gorgeous stranger that showed up at my lake.”
“Your lake, huh?” She laughed again and tried to ignore Morgan’s gorgeous comment.
“Yeah, my lake.” She smiled and slid over on the concrete toward Kellan but remained about a foot away. “What happened?”
“She just wanted to be friends. After all that, she said she thought we were better as friends.” She paused and met Morgan’s eyes to see if she’d noticed the female pronoun in her story. “Her name is Keira. I’m pretty sure she just met the love of her life.” She ran her hand through her ponytail, which was a nervous tick she’d tried to stop.
“And you’re still in love with her?”
Kellan turned to answer that question, but as she did, one of the couples approached to eat their lunch. Morgan went back into tour guide mode, explaining the history of Emerald Bay.
◆◆◆
“Tomorrow, I lead a kayak trip on the lake, but we don’t have anyone signed up yet. Do you maybe want a free kayak tour?” Morgan asked her once the couples had departed and they were alone in the parking lot at the trailhead.
“I’m a hiker; not much for kayaking.” Kellan dropped her pack in the back of her Jeep.
“You said that about football, and you turned out to be a rock star.”
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