by Robin Kaye
“Not incapable, but you’re doing a great job of avoidance. What’s the bag for?”
“I don’t have a Ziploc big enough for my pillow, although I know they make one. It wasn’t on your required packing list. A paper bag is more portable, and I just never know when I’ll feel the need to hyperventilate or make one of those cute hand puppets.” She shut her mouth and put her hand over it to make sure she didn’t start babbling again.
Hunter awarded her a full smile. “Don’t stop talking for my benefit. I like listening to you. So tell me… would your puppet have one of those cute collars you like to wear?”
“I guess I can draw one on if you’d like.”
“Yeah, I think I would.”
She grabbed her white cap with rivet holes and a black bird stenciled on the side. When it wouldn’t fit over her pigtails she took them out, tied a ponytail, and pulled it through the back of the hat. Hunter took her arm and steered her out of her cabin. Great.
He looked around as he led her to a trail through tall pines.
“There sure is a lot of wildlife out here.”
“Don’t worry. They’re just as afraid of you as you are of them. As long as you make a little noise, you probably won’t see them. In bear country, people walk with bells on their walking sticks or backpacks so the bears hear them before they see them.”
“I take it bears don’t like bells.”
“That’s the idea.”
Toni wished she could erase the smell of pine and replace it with the scent of exhaust, while pretending she walked down Broadway instead of a dirt trail. She should have recorded all the lovely city noises and put them on her iPod. What she would do to hear the familiar honking of irate cabbies and the occasional comment foisted upon the poor driver who offended them, buses’ air brakes, tires squealing, and the inevitable sirens adding to the heavenly cacophony.
Hunter nudged her shoulder, breaking her concentration. “Did you bring sunscreen?”
“I’m working on my visualization technique here. Do you mind? I’m pretending I’m on Broadway, and you’re not helping. No one has ever asked me if I had sunscreen while walking down Broadway.”
“Sorry. I’m just afraid you’ll end up with a nasty burn. But a sunburn through that cover-up you’re wearing will make a real interesting pattern on your skin—like a red and white fishnet stocking. You can start a new fashion trend.”
The sound of rushing water had Toni’s throat going dry. She pulled a bottle of the wet stuff out of her bleeding heart backpack and took a sip. Why didn’t she fill her prescription for Xanax? She could use one… or a dozen right about now. The cabin she’d all but hidden in since her arrival was no longer in sight.
“You okay?”
“Just skippy. Why?”
“You’re turning even whiter than usual again.”
“What do you expect? I can no longer see civilization.”
He took her hand. His was cool and dry. Hers was not. “What’s the worst thing that can happen?”
“I can get lost and never be found.”
“I won’t let you get lost. It’s bad for business.”
“No one would notice. They didn’t the last time.”
Hunter stopped, which stopped her, since he was holding her clammy hand. “I’d notice. So would everyone else.”
“You’re nice to say so, but no. Most wouldn’t, and I’m fine with that. I don’t like to stand out too much.”
Hunter raised his brow again. It was getting annoying.
“I might dress a little loudly—”
“A little?”
“Fine. I dress like a freak, but I still blend into the wallpaper, especially around a bunch of models in New York.”
“Is that why you do it?”
“Do what?”
“Work with models so no one will notice you. Although I noticed you, and I’d bet a year’s salary that Trapper and Fisher noticed you too.”
“You have to notice me. I’m the boss.”
Hunter shook his head. “No, I’m the boss. You work for the client. There’s a difference. I own River Runners for a reason.”
“You don’t play well with others?”
“I play with others just fine.”
The look in his eye and the gravelly quality of his voice made her think of the kind of play involving plastic sheets and wessonality. Not that she ever partook. But the man did have expressive eyes, or possibly the altitude was getting to her, turning her into a delusional sex kitten.
“I don’t like working for them. I want to run things my way.”
Toni did her best to rip her mind out of the gutter. Heck, they didn’t even have gutters here. Where did mountain peoples’ minds go to play without a gutter?
“I make the rules.”
That set off a few alarm bells. He might as well have hit his chest with his fist. Maybe he was the mountain version of Tarzan. Her pointer finger twitched to poke him. “Oh, so you’re a control freak.”
Hunter shrugged and looked as if he considered it. After a moment, he shook his head. “I like to say I’m commanding.”
“Semantics.” Before Toni realized it, Hunter had dragged her to the river. She removed her hand from his as soon as she saw the rest of the crew. Two orange rafts lay onshore, and a bevy of models surrounded the two men she’d run from earlier.
Hunter pointed. “That’s Trapper and Fisher.”
Fisher looked like a blond version of Hunter with a twist of California surfer dude thrown into the mix, and Trapper, well, he looked like a more attractive version of the Marlboro Man, with collar-length blond curly hair, chiseled features, and rugged exterior. “Hunter, Trapper, and Fisher. You three aren’t brothers are you?”
Hunter smiled. “What tipped you off?”
“The family resemblance. Your parents have a hell of a sense of humor.”
“Yeah, well. My dad was trapping when Trapper was born, hunting and fishing when Fisher and I were born. When he wasn’t there for our baby sister’s birth, Mom finally divorced him.”
“What’s your sister’s name?”
“Karma.”
“Like I said, your mom has a hell of a sense of humor.”
Trapper walked up to her and held out his hand. “I’m Trapper, the older, wiser, and better-looking brother. You must be Toni.”
Toni wiped her hand on her cover-up and shook his. “Guilty as charged.”
Fisher dragged himself away from his adoring fans and joined the three of them. “Hi Toni. I’m Fisher, the smart one.”
“Nice to meet you. All of you. I’m sorry about yesterday. I didn’t mean to be rude.” She pulled her clipboard out of her bag. “I want to take a head count before we start with… whatever it is you’ve dragged me out here to do.”
Hunter cleared his throat. “Just give you a nice, easy lesson on rafting and then a picnic. Smile, Toni. This is supposed to be fun.”
“Yeah, whatever you say.” She turned to face the group of seven women and four men including James. She went down her list. “Aristotle, Becky, Candice, Chad, Harrison, Jordan, Layla, Roxanne, Randy, Yvette, and James. Good. Everyone is accounted for. Hunter, the show is all yours.”
***
Hunter wasn’t sure which of the models were giving his brothers more attention, Ari or the twins. Ari looked like he had a definite thing for Fisher, but Fisher didn’t seem to notice—he was too busy paying attention to the women. Hunter decided to take pity on his twin and put Ari in Trapper’s boat.
Toni had backed away from the group after she’d done roll call. She had a way of hiding in plain sight. The models had all donned their bathing suits. The tans looked store-bought and so did most of the breasts. “Okay, everyone have their gear? Let’s put it on. Trapper and Fisher, g
ive everyone’s gear a once-over, would you?”
Hunter brought Toni her PFD and helmet. “Let’s get this on you and cinched up tight.”
She looked a little shocked. “You’re really going to make me do this, aren’t you?”
“Damn straight.” He helped her into the PFD.
“This doesn’t look like any life preserver I’ve ever seen, not that I’ve ever really looked at them. I guess I should be thankful it isn’t DayGlo orange. Red would have been nice, but the robin’s egg blue isn’t too offensive.”
The vest zipped up the front and a whistle hung from a D-ring next to a zippered pocket built into a padded section cupping her breasts. The back was padded as well.
“This is really unattractive.”
When Hunter tried to zip it for her she stopped him. “I think I can handle zipping. I learned that in preschool.” He waited until she zipped, and then he cinched the sides tighter.
“Am I supposed to be able to breathe?”
“Yeah, but it has to be snug.” He gave it a tug to check the fit and then set the helmet on her head and adjusted the chin strap. “There you go. You’re all set.”
“For what?”
“Fun, Toni. We’re going to have fun.”
“Right. In your world maybe. In mine, it’s called torture.”
“Great attitude you have there. Come on. Let’s put that clipboard and the rest of your gear in a dry bag.”
“You’re going to separate me from my clipboard?”
“If I don’t, you’ll drop it in the river. Which do you prefer?”
“I prefer to go back to my cabin where I belong.”
“Not if you want to hit all the photo shoots, you don’t.”
“Fine. Take it, but if you lose it—”
“I won’t. Relax and try to enjoy the experience. This is recreation.”
“Right.”
Hunter took her bag and stowed it on his raft with his most important gear—the first aid kit. He sealed the bag and tied it down. Toni watched, leaning in to inspect his work. “Don’t worry. It’s not going anywhere without me.”
“What if you lose the boat?”
“Like I said before, I haven’t lost a client or a raft yet.”
“Yeah, that’s what my brownie troop leader said too. I feel so much better now. Why is it I’m always the worst-case-scenario girl?”
“Maybe it’s the positive attitude.”
Hunter ignored Toni’s eye roll and took everyone through the basics of rafting by rote. “Okay everyone, let’s make sure your helmet is on nice and snug. A finger or two under your chin is fine. More than that, you could lose it, thus canceling the effectiveness of wearing a helmet, and we all know we’re not wearing it for fashion’s sake. Same with your PFD. Make sure it’s on tight so you’ll be able to self-rescue. If it’s loose, you’ll sink down, and it will float over your face. This makes it hard for us to see who you are and decide whether or not we want to pull you back into the boat.”
Ari and Chad laughed. Toni didn’t. She was getting paler by the moment. Going for the short version, he held up the paddle. “Your paddle is the most important part of your gear. It determines if you’re able to keep yourself in the raft.”
Hunter turned the paddle to demonstrate. “Put your hand on top of the T-grip, tuck your thumb under, and wrap your fingers around it. Your other hand wraps around the shaft about six inches above the top of the paddle. This will give you nice, long forward strokes—”
He waited for Yvette and the male models to stop laughing about stroking and shafts—they were worse than the kids from his camp. Hell, they were worse than his brothers. Hunter had a boat full of adults with the emotional maturity of teenagers.
“As I said, this will give you long forward and strong backstrokes, so you’ll be able to help the guide get the raft where it needs to go and keep yourself balanced in the boat.”
Toni moved slowly toward the back of the group. He probably should have made everyone get in the rafts before the lesson. Too late now.
“The raft is made of an oval tube that forms the perimeter and cross tubes. Sit on the outside tube, and tuck your feet under the cross tube in front of you. This way you’re supported with your feet, your butt, and your paddle.
“Every time you take a forward stroke you’re pushing the raft in the direction you want to go and keeping yourself balanced.
“Every time you wave the paddle in the air and scream, you have a tendency to fall into or out of the raft. Falling into the raft isn’t a big deal. Just grab your paddle, sit back on the outer tube, tuck your feet under the cross tube, and continue. If you fall out of the raft, I want you to lie on your back, point your feet downstream, and float. Look for a raft, and be prepared to get hauled in.”
James sidled up to Toni and put his arm around her. Hunter took a relieved breath before he continued.
“Do not, I repeat, do not stand in the river. If you do, you can get your foot or feet trapped between rocks. The water pushes against your back, bottom, and head, then pushes you head first into the river, and there you stay. It’s not a good time. It’s a great way to ruin an otherwise perfect day, or at least complicate it. When your head is underwater, it’s difficult for us to see you and harder still to pull you out.”
If he wasn’t mistaken, he heard someone whimper. Probably Toni. Damn.
“So, on your back, feet pointed downstream, and look for help. You may be asked to swim toward the raft. If you are, flip onto your front, and swim like hell. Got it?” He looked around and saw everyone nodding but Toni.
“To save someone, you reach down, grab onto the swimmer’s PFD by the straps, say, ‘I’m going to rescue you,’ straighten your legs, and stand, pulling the swimmer into the raft on top of you. After that, you can bump fists, friend each other on Facebook, sit back on the tube, and we can continue with our day.”
Yvette raised her hand.
“Yes?”
“Are you looking for a volunteer? I like being on top.”
Hunter shook his head. “Thanks. Fisher’s going to demonstrate later.”
Ari waved his hand. “Can I haul him in?”
“Not this time.” He took a quick glance at Toni. James was still with her, but she had backed away and was practically standing in the trees.
“The only time you can let go of the T-grip on your paddle is if a swimmer is out of reach. You offer them the T-grip, pull them toward the raft, then grab them, and pull them in. Any questions?” No one raised a hand. “Are we ready to go?”
Everyone answered in the affirmative, and Toni paled even more.
Hunter waded through the models, making it a point to avoid Yvette, and found Toni. “You’ll be fine. You’re going to be in Trapper’s raft—”
Toni’s eyes were the size of saucers. “I thought I was going with you.”
“I’ll be right behind you, and if you get into any trouble, I’ll be there to help you out of it. Trust me.”
She nodded and stepped away. He could almost hear her shutting down.
“You’ll sit right in front of Trapper and next to Fisher before he demonstrates falling in and getting rescued. You’re going to do fine. If you should fall in, I’ll be there to get you. Remember what I said. On your back, feet pointed downstream, and keep your eyes open. I’ll pull you in. Understand?”
“Perfectly.”
She turned and walked away, standing close to the tree line. Shit. He felt as if he just kicked a puppy.
***
Toni stared at the orange blowup raft she was supposed to go down the river on and wondered if she ignored it, and Hunter for that matter, if they would both go away—preferably without her. She could still find her way back to the cabin, but if she got on that raft, she wasn’t so sure.
“You’re not thinking of running back to your cabin, are you?” Hunter had snuck up on her while she was busy planning her escape.
“I sat through your little rafting class. Since I’m an auditory learner, I don’t see why I have to go.”
“I won’t force you. But for your own safety, I can’t allow you to go on any other rafting trips until after you have a lesson on the raft. The decision is yours.”
“The word decision connotes a choice. You’re giving me no choice.”
“I’m sorry.” He shrugged but didn’t look the least bit contrite. “I’m just doing my job to ensure your safety. Now let’s get you in the raft. It’s easy. You’ll see.”
Hunter took her arm and pulled her toward the first raft. She stopped at the river’s edge and twisted out of his grasp.
Hunter gave her arm another tug and looked as if he were counting to ten to keep his temper. “What is it now?”
She wiggled her ankle out in front of her, admiring her brand new Vans. “I’m going to get my shoes wet.”
“Yeah, so?”
“They’re brand new.”
“Did you bring water shoes or sandals?”
“No. The list said those were optional.”
“Okay.” He bent over and picked her up. By the time she stopped screaming and flailing, he was up to his knees in the river and was near the rear of the boat. She had a death grip on his neck and thought about climbing him, but he held her legs in one arm so tightly, she didn’t think she’d be able to manage it. He wore a smile on his face, which was so close to hers she noticed the dark green ring circling the lighter green iris of his eyes. The scent of his fresh-laundered shirt along with a combination of Ivory soap, deodorant, mountain air, and Hunter himself was oddly arousing. The altitude was making her crazier than usual. “Put me down.”
“Gladly.” He set her on one of the big tubes running across the raft. “You need to sit here on the outside tube so you can paddle. Just remember to tuck your feet under the cross tube. That’ll help anchor you.”
“I’m not deaf. I watched and heard your presentation.” Still, she stayed on the middle tube holding on for dear life until everyone had piled into the raft. James sat in front of her and gave her a smile before Hunter handed out the paddles, keeping the biggest, prettiest ones for himself and Trapper.