by Hope Malory
“Why are you up so early?”
“Couldn’t sleep.”
Casey’s forehead wrinkled. “Will?”
“Yeah, I decided worrying about leaving is a waste of time. I intend to enjoy the day.”
“Sensible plan. Where are you meeting him?”
“Tahoe City.”
“Have fun. Tell me everything tonight.”
Beasley parked next to Will’s silver four-wheel-drive Outback. The instant she approached, his face illuminated. He wrapped her in his arms and kissed her. “Hello, beautiful.”
All the concern she’d had earlier flew from her brain. “I’m so looking forward to today.” She enjoyed kayaking, but she didn’t care what they did as long as they were together.
The lake was magnificent. Her breath caught at the sight of the sapphire-blue water. Will held the boat until she stepped in, and then he climbed in himself. The tandem kayak was more intimate and romantic than separate kayaks.
They paddled in sync. The sun warmed her face, and the wind whipped her hair as they glided through the water. Careful to avoid any reference to her leaving soon, they talked about their pasts.
“My brothers were protective, but it was unnecessary. I was strong enough to beat up every kid on the block. The boys all learned not to mess with me. When I was little, I wanted to be an actress, but the love of outdoors led me in a different direction.”
“Actress?”
“Yes, I loved Alyssa Milano who played Phoebe on the TV series Charmed. Are you familiar with the show?”
“Yes, about the three sisters who were witches. My sister watched for the several years it aired.”
“Eight years, and I followed every season. The other girls were cool too, but I wanted to be Phoebe, the quirky and smart one who was always in trouble. Brenner and I staked our spot in front of the TV whenever it came on. What about you? What were you like as a kid?”
“I was shy until my parents encouraged me to play sports starting at seven in a youth baseball league. The camaraderie among my team members helped with the shyness. My dream was to be a pro football player, but I didn’t play well enough for the pros. College and the accounting major at my dad’s urging didn’t suit me. Firefighting seemed like a logical choice because of my compassion for people who lost their homes during California’s wildfires. In retrospect, I may have chosen the career in part to spite my father. My uncle, his younger brother, is a firefighter, and they never got along. Smokejumping is a good fit for me. I enjoy what I do, and Dad eventually accepted that I’m not meant for a corporate job. Tell me more about you. What’s the most dangerous thing you’ve done?”
They paddled into a cove, removed the dry bag with their snacks, and collapsed on a huge rock to eat.
She wanted to learn more about his occupation and family, but he didn’t appear to want to talk about himself. “About four years ago, I went to visit my cousin April in Portland, Oregon. She’s as adventurous as I am. The day after I arrived, we went kayaking and ran a section of the White Solomon, a tributary of the Columbia River. We met a guy paddling who informed us he and a group planned to run the river near the Coast Range, and he invited us to go with them. The man was mid- to late forties with a weathered face, streaks of gray in his dark hair, and a handlebar mustache. He called himself ‘River Rat’ and didn’t tell us his actual name. The others appeared to be about our age.”
“How many in your group?”
“Eight of us started out together. The river grew to near flood stage after it poured. Turbulent water flushed one lady’s kayak into a strainer. Logs and fallen trees were everywhere. I jumped out, hurried to the logjam, grabbed her, and hauled her up on the logs. She was crying. Her husband was there, and they both left and walked down a gravel road. Two others soon dropped out, leaving four of us.”
She pulled her feet up on the rock, wrapping her arms around her knees, and resumed her narrative. “The water was muddy. River Rat stopped us at the edge of a canyon and warned us once we entered, there was no other way out. The walls were super steep and narrow. He said, ‘If you go in, you’ll have to run the rest of the canyon, and I won’t lie, it’s rugged.’ April and the others dropped out, but I chose to go. As you can imagine, she begged me not to, but I convinced myself I could do it.” She sighed and continued. “Once we paddled farther in, the water seemed heavy and pushed us around. It felt dangerous. I realized I might not survive if I stayed in to run the rest of the canyon. He ran it, but I found an eddy and bailed out. Nearby, I spotted a fifty-foot cliff. I tied my boat at the bottom and took the rope with me as I climbed. At times, I dug up to my elbows into the mud to find roots. It took an hour to climb to the top.”
Will shook his head. “I can’t believe you did that.”
“Looking back, I can’t either. My muscles cramped, but I kept going on adrenaline. After I pulled the kayak up, I checked the position of the sun, and walked in the direction I hoped would take me to civilization. There I was, out in the middle of nowhere, pulling my boat, thinking of nothing but survival. Thank goodness, I headed the right way and had less than a mile to walk. In my mind, I was invincible. That was not one of my wiser decisions.”
“We’ve all made unwise decisions, but you used your head and found a way to survive. Portland is a cool place. The White Solomon is where I met Cameron, Casey’s ex. His family lives there.”
Her brow lifted. “Are you serious? How did you meet?”
“Are you sure you want to hear another story?”
“Positive.”
“One summer, I stayed with my uncle, whose home is in Portland. Since I knew nobody, I went to the river and kayaked alone. After three weeks of not seeing a soul, four guys showed up. I said, ‘Let me paddle with you.’ They were pissed because they waited all of five minutes for me. As soon as we went in, all four of them flipped in the first rapid. I saved them along with their boats and paddles. The water was ice-cold, and they were shivering. After I rescued them, they sucked up to me. The five of us kayaked to another rapid, and some dude by himself ran his raft up on my boat. I asked, ‘Why the hell did you do that?’ His reply, ‘Hey, want to race?’ He saw me rescue the other guys, and he said he figured I knew what I was doing. The guy was Cameron Adkisson. I left the others, and he and I raced the rest of the river. I dried up on a rock, and he blew past me. We became friends afterward. Every weekend during the summer, we went kayaking.”
“How cool. Does Casey know about this?”
“Yeah. The three of us hung out a lot before they divorced. We told stories about our adventures.”
They spent the rest of the afternoon exploring and arrived in Tahoe City in time for dinner. Will took her to a restaurant he frequented. She excused herself to go to the ladies’ room to wash her face and hands. When she came out, Will was engrossed in a conversation with a stunning brunette. They laughed, and she had her hand on his arm. “Will’s former girlfriend is a brunette. Wonder if that’s her,” she said to herself and observed them for a few moments before walking toward the table.
Will introduced them. “This is Madison. Madison, this is Beasley, my kayaking partner.”
Kayaking partner? Is that all I am to him?
The two chatted for another few minutes before she went to her table. His body language suggested her leaving disappointed him.
During dinner, he talked about things he and Madison had done together. Not what she wanted to listen to. She stayed quiet, but Will was oblivious.
From all appearances, their relationship might not be over. They appeared chummy. Madison and I are about as opposite as two people can be. If she’s his type, what is he doing hanging out with me? Then, it hit her. He was only interested in her as someone to hang out with. Kayaking partner, indeed. What was I thinking? Why had he kissed her and held her like he had if he weren’t inter
ested? Conflicting thoughts continued to tumble through her head. Falling for Will was the last thing she wanted to happen. He was still talking about Madison.
During the return drive, Will said, “You’re quieter than usual. What’s on your mind?”
This will never work out between us. I might as well forget about you and go back to my life in Tennessee. Instead of telling him her actual thoughts, she said, “Oh, thinking about going home and how much I need to do when I get there.”
“I will miss you. We can talk often and visit each other or meet halfway. I’ve grown fond of you.”
Her gut twisted. Fond? “Will, I’m not sure that will work. You have a job and family here, and I have the same in Azalea Valley. Perhaps it would be better if we said goodbye and went our separate ways.”
Will glanced over at her, his brow creased in concentration. He turned to stare at the road ahead. “What do you mean?”
“This has been a fantasy, but I need to focus on what’s important and get back to my real life.” She exhaled. “We should end whatever this is. Come on, Will, we live a world apart.”
His face registered sadness, and he looked away. “Is that what you want?”
She turned to gaze out the side window. “It’s for the best,” she whispered.
He rubbed his hand on the back of his neck. “For whom?”
His question hung like the fog over the lake. She bit her lip and didn’t answer. It was obvious by his posture her proclamation had angered him. He gripped the steering wheel so hard his knuckles turned white. He pulled into Casey’s driveway, jerked the gearshift into park, and turned toward her. “No problem. I get it. Let’s call it what it is. You aren’t interested.”
That was not it at all, but she didn’t know how to express what she felt. “Will, I—”
“Good luck with your ‘real life.’ Have a wonderful trip. Like you said, it’s for the best.”
“Will, please.”
He averted his eyes and stared straight ahead. His voice gruff, he dismissed her, “Good night.”
She dragged herself out of the vehicle sensing she had made a huge mistake. A tightness gripped her chest. Tears rolled down her face at the thought of never seeing Will again. For a moment, she felt sick.
Chapter 9
A wave of disappointment ripped through Will as he jerked the gear in drive and sped off. Instead of going straight home, he stopped at the lake and collapsed on the bank where he replayed the day. What went wrong? They were having fun, at least he was, and something changed. He stared down at his empty hands. Was what they had experienced together an insignificant summer flirtation? To him, it was genuine, but she must not feel the same way. At first, he couldn’t bring himself to believe he wouldn’t see her again.
Before they’d met, he had no intention of dating anyone. Then, she came along, and he felt more alive and connected than he had ever felt with Madison. Could Beasley be jealous since I talked to Madison? No. She knows Madison and I have known each other for years, and any romance between us is over.
Not that it mattered now, but he couldn’t deny he cared about Beasley. Will scrubbed a hand over his face. He reasoned he misjudged her interest in him. She said herself she needed to focus on what was important and get on with her real life. He failed to understand how she could seem so interested, but now imply it had meant nothing.
I know what I’m doing when I fight a wildfire, but when it comes to figuring out women, I don’t have a clue.
It was clear; she didn’t reciprocate his feelings. His stomach knotted, and he pounded his fist on the tree root protruding from the grass. My one choice is to move on. I’m done. Why waste my energy on someone who isn’t interested?
~ ~ ~
The next morning, she took a moment to remember how things had ended with Will. A fleeting impression drifted through her brain. Was it all a bad dream? But when her head cleared, she realized it had happened. What bothered her even more than her inability to vocalize what she meant was his belief that she was not interested. That it had all been a ruse. She tossed the blanket aside and tumbled out of bed.
Her flight departed at seven o’clock, and it was over a half-hour drive to Reno–Tahoe International Airport. Casey had fresh muffins waiting for her before she left. “My friend, I love you. It was a blast having you here.”
“I love you, too, and I will miss our talks. Thanks for listening to me vent last night.”
“That’s what friends are for. Make sure cutting your ties with Will is what you want. You don’t want to miss out on something exceptional.”
She managed a weak smile. She suspected, based on the wistful tone, Casey still had some unresolved feelings for Cameron, and regretted the divorce despite what she said about him.
“Take care.” Beasley hugged her friend.
The rental car drop-off lanes were busy, but there was plenty of time before her flight. She took her drag bag out of the trunk, hoisted her backpack on her shoulder, and headed for the airline counter. Before boarding, she texted Brenner.
Getting ready to board. B
~ ~ ~
Brenner waited for her at baggage claim at the McGhee Tyson Airport in Knoxville and hugged her. “Sounds like you had quite a trip. I can’t wait for you to tell me all about it.”
“Sure, but I’ll tell you later. I’m exhausted.” She heaved her checked bag off the conveyer belt.
On the drive to Azalea Valley, Brenner revealed she met a new guy, but when Beasley didn’t respond, she turned the radio on.
She groaned at Brenner’s choice of music. “You have terrible taste in music. Can you at least turn it down?”
“This is better than the crap you listen to,” Brenner grumbled, but she did turn the volume down.
Brenner helped remove the bags from the car. “Other than being tired from the trip, is something else going on? You’re crabbier than usual.”
“Thanks a lot. Why do I try to hide anything from you? It is so eerie how you can read my moods.” She laughed at Brenner’s exaggerated sad eyes and pouting lips. “Come on in.”
Brenner put tea on to brew while Beasley unpacked. The sisters sank onto the sofa, and Beasley described how she had met Will, their time together, and their final conversation.
“Wow. A lot happened in three weeks. Will sounds like a classy guy, and it is obvious you care about him.”
“He’s the best. Brenner, I like him perhaps too much. I don’t see a future for us though. Not that I want a relationship with anyone now. I have responsibilities.”
“There is more to life than work.”
“So you’ve advised me a few hundred times. What if we dated, and I fell in love with him? My heart would break again. I can’t leave here, and he won’t leave California.”
“Why can’t you leave here?”
“Somebody’s got to keep you from screwing up.”
“Who asked you to? If you haven’t noticed, I’m a grown-up now. We aren’t teenagers anymore. I can take care of myself.”
“What about my business?”
“Oh sure, your business will keep you warm at night. You know, to be so smart, you can be dumb sometimes.”
“But, Mama and Daddy taught us to work hard and follow our dreams.”
“Do you think they would want you to sacrifice everything for Beasley’s Gardens? They had a great marriage. Wouldn’t they would want that for us too?”
“Maybe, but Will agreed it was for the best. He all but ordered me out of his car.”
Brenner sighed. “If I remember right, you informed him you needed to focus on what’s important. He probably thinks he isn’t important to you. What do you expect?”
“But that isn’t what I meant.”
“Did you not tell him you wanted to end it?
What else was he supposed to do?”
“Winning an argument with you is like trying to push a thousand-pound boulder up a hill. You’re so stubborn.”
“And, you, big sister, are bossy.”
“You always have the last word.”
“Yep.”
Beasley threw up her hands in surrender. “Okay, time to change the subject. I remember you telling me something when I was in my daze on the way home. Did you tell me you met someone?”
“Yes. His name is Tony Simms, and he’s over-the-moon cute. He plays congas and other percussion instruments in a jazz band. They played at the Azalea Valley Festival two weeks ago. Allison introduced us. We’ve been hanging out ever since.”
Beasley smiled at her sister’s enthusiasm. “You like him, huh?”
“Yes, he’s so cool. The guys traveled to Europe last year. He met Justin Timberlake backstage at a concert once. Love his car, a gold 1968 GTO convertible. ‘Gold GTO’ is the name of his band, since Tony started the band and his car is his most prized possession. They are playing in Knoxville next weekend, and he asked me to come. Allison is coming with me. Why don’t you come with us?”
“Why not? There is more to life than work.” She grinned quoting Brenner’s earlier maxim.
“So I hear.”
Already in a better mood, she enjoyed having her younger sister around. “Why don’t you stay over? We can have a pajama party and make s’mores like we used to.”
“Awesome, and you can tell me about your climb. Did anything exciting happen on your trip, besides meeting Will?”
“Oh, a few things.” She recounted to Brenner about the search and rescue of the little boy, Will getting hurt, finding the bones, Clint falling off the ledge, the memorial service, and flipping out of the raft when she, Will, and Casey went white-water rafting.