Diving In

by Kristina Mathews

  Before she could consider calling Lily and canceling their plans for the evening, Cody showed up with the twins in a double stroller. Fisher waited for the familiar tightness in her chest, the pang of longing, but all she felt was a strong desire for a shower.

  “Looks like you survived day two.” Cody offered up his usual relaxed smile.

  “Barely.” Fisher rolled her stiff neck from side to side. “It was almost as if they’d all forgotten everything they learned yesterday.”

  “Sounds about right.” His grin widened. “So what happened?”

  She filled him in on all the little mishaps that had befallen not only her crew, but the other two as well.

  “You’ve given them the gift of failure.” Cody bent down to retrieve a toy that one of his daughters had tossed to the ground. “There is no better teacher.”

  “It was crazy. For some reason, they all went nuts.” She was picturing the carnage. Boats bouncing off rocks, bodies knocking in and out of the rafts. Paddles flung into the river. It had been out of control.

  “They were starting to feel comfortable. Willing to take risks.” Cody couldn’t hide the amusement in his voice. “And they were learning what can happen when they make mistakes. I mean, really, would you want them to have a perfect run after perfect run while they’re still learning only to have things go wrong for the first time with a group of paying passengers? Kids maybe?”

  “No. You’re right. Experience is the best teacher.” Fisher knew this. She’d just hoped the mistakes would be more spread out over the course of the week.

  “But you were hoping to be more in control.” Cody rocked the stroller back and forth, to keep the babies from fussing.

  “Well, yeah.” She laughed at herself. “I know. I have to put my trust in my team. And the river. I guess I thought it would get easier.”

  “Nah. But that’s the beauty of it all.” Cody tipped the stroller backward, eliciting giggles from his daughters. “If it were easy, everyone would do it. Then they wouldn’t pay us the big bucks.”

  Fisher laughed. There wasn’t a lot of money in being a whitewater guide. The Swift brothers were probably paying her much more than any other company would. For years they’d gotten by, mostly due to the campground and store. Working on the river was a labor of love, for sure.

  But she couldn’t imagine doing anything else. The thought of working in some office for some corporation or even the government made her break out in hives. She knew enough people who commuted one or two hours a day to a fifty-hour-a-week job so they could pay off their student loans and their car payments and their mortgages. They put money into gym memberships that they never had time to use.

  Oh, she supposed some of them were happy. And they could afford to take vacations. Some of them even took vacations on the river. She found it interesting that the people who got off the river with the biggest smiles were often those who’d had the most stressful jobs during the week.

  Not that her life was without stress. No. She could use the girls’ night out she’d planned.

  “So you gonna stick around for a bit? Make sure my charges don’t get into any more trouble?”

  “What makes you think I won’t stir up the trouble?”

  “You have two adorable, innocent babies with you.”

  “Ah, yeah. Miranda told me she wanted to go out with the ladies tonight.” Cody grinned that goofy, love-struck grin he often got when he talked about his wife and kids. “Obviously, she’s under a lot of pressure if she’s leaving the girls with me.”

  Fisher just smiled. And for once, it was a genuine smile. She was happy for him. He was obviously very happy. Very much in love. He’d become the kind of man she’d always known he could be.

  Maybe someday, Fisher would become the woman she could be. Or maybe she already was. She didn’t need a man. Sure, one came in handy from time to time. She just needed to be better about seeking one out now and then. Just because she didn’t need a man to change her tire didn’t mean she couldn’t appreciate having a man light her fire.

  She just had to be smart about it.

  Fisher would never jump on the river without proper equipment—life jacket, commercial-grade raft, paddles, ropes, first aid kit, and knowledge of the river. And she wasn’t going to just float along with Kyle without some safety precautions. She was protected against pregnancy even without the condoms they’d both insisted on using.

  Neither of them had anticipated more than one night together, so anything beyond that was just a bonus. Kind of like Surprise Rapid. During high water years, the lake backed up and the last stretch of the river was slow as they paddled their way to take-out. But when the water levels dropped, there was one final, fun, and exhilarating rapid that made for one more memory before they parted ways with their crew.

  Some companies didn’t run the rapid, choosing to go around it since their crews might not have the experience with the hole. Fisher usually went for it, unless her crew was shaken up from falling out on one of the previous rapids. Most recovered, but once or twice, she’d had passengers just want to get off the river as soon as possible after taking an unexpected swim.

  So Fisher decided to paddle on through with Kyle. As long as he was up for it, she’d keep on swimming.

  She found Kyle sitting at a picnic table. Someone had brought cans of Sierra Nevada, and they would no doubt be reliving the more interesting moments of the day over beers.

  “Looks like you are all set for the evening.” Fisher stood next to Kyle as she addressed the group. Several of them nodded and invited her to join them.

  “Thanks, but I have plans.” She gave Kyle a questioning look. Would he wait up for her?

  “Have fun. But not too much fun.” He gave her a sly grin. “You have to drag us back on the river in the morning.”

  “Yeah. Don’t stay up too late, you guys.” She waved and turned to go, but Kyle grabbed her hand before she could slip away. With a gentle squeeze and a smoldering look, he let her know that his bed would be available to her whatever time she knocked on his RV door.

  She definitely needed a night—or at least the evening—away from the man.

  Fisher stopped by the guides’ house to change. She’d invited Brooke along and asked her to mention their plans to Aubrey, but Fisher didn’t expect to tear her away from her boyfriend. To her surprise, not only was Aubrey up for a night out, she’d offered to drive.

  “Thanks for inviting me,” Aubrey said as the three women climbed into Aubrey’s Subaru. “I sometimes feel like I’m missing out by not living on-site.”

  “Missing out on Tyler snoring?” Brooke suggested. “Or the fact that it requires a certain level of estrogen to be able to change the toilet paper roll?”

  “Why is that?” Aubrey wondered. “I mean, when I stay over at Rich’s, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve found the new roll just sitting there on top of the empty cardboard.”

  All three women laughed and shook their heads.

  “It is a mystery.” Brooke leaned in from the backseat.

  “I wonder if they can be trained,” Aubrey mused.

  “Well, we have taught them how to cook.” Fisher sometimes felt that was one of the more important lessons of guide school. “And they can wash the dishes, although it seems like they’re better at it when they’re out on the river. The dishwasher seems to have some mysterious cloaking device.”

  “Yes!” Aubrey chimed in. “It’s like they can’t see it unless it’s actually running or you specifically ask them to unload it. Then they’re like, ‘Whoa, how did the magic box clean these dishes?’”

  More feminine laughter erupted as they made the short drive to the Argo.

  “So, have you found a teaching job for next year?” Brooke asked Aubrey, who had just finished her credential program.

  “I thought so, but…” Aubrey put the car i
n park and glanced through the rearview mirror. “Is that Lily and Miranda?”

  Fisher turned around to see the Swift brides get out of Miranda’s Prius. “Yeah, I invited them, too.”

  Brooke gave Fisher a questioning look. “Well, let’s go grab a table. I guess Lily might want a heads-up if half our guide school students drop out tomorrow and ask for a refund.”

  “They’re not going to drop out.” Aubrey waited for Fisher and Brooke to grab their purses and close the door before she locked up her car. “From what I’ve heard, they’re all having the time of their lives.”

  “Especially Kyle, right, Fisher?” Brooke wasn’t going to let the night go on without getting the scoop.

  “Oh, really?” Aubrey asked. “What am I missing?”

  “Fisher has a boy toy.” Brooke gave Fisher a playful shove. “So, tell me, how is Hollywood?”

  “Hollywood?” Fisher asked.

  “Yeah, that’s what the others are calling him. It’s so obvious he’s an LA guy.”

  “Why do you say that?” Fisher was curious about what people were saying about him. About them.

  “Well, he takes ‘the forty-nine’ to put-in.” Brooke snorted. “That’s after taking ‘the fifty’ through Placerville.”

  She had to admit, it sounded weird when people from Southern California referred to highways with the word “the” in front of the number. In this part of the state you took Fifty to Tahoe and Eighty to Reno. Sometimes you’d say “take Highway Forty-Nine or I-Eighty” but no self-respecting Northern Californian ever used “the.”

  “And I have to ask—but you don’t have to answer—does he wax everything?”

  “What makes you think he waxes?”

  “No one has a chest that smooth. Do you think he’s a model or something?” Brooke continued to grill her. And Fisher was too embarrassed to start firing back with questions about Tyler.

  “He has body hair where he needs it.” Fisher happened to catch Miranda smile as she overheard the conversation.

  “This is going to be a fun night. I can tell already.” Miranda grabbed the door and held it open for the others. Damn, she looked good for having had twins just a few short months ago. Life was so not fair.

  “Oh, we’re just getting started,” Brooke added as she swept past Cody’s wife.

  “Yeah. I’m sure we’ll be sharing all kinds of stories by the time we head on home.” Aubrey blushed as if she had a few tales of her own.

  The ladies filed into the bar and grill. They were offered a table on the deck, and since it was a completely smoke-free restaurant, they eagerly accepted. There were umbrellas to offer shade, and since it was midweek, they wouldn’t have to worry about talking over the band that played on Friday and Saturday nights all summer long.

  Menus were passed around, and the waitress came back to take drink orders. Fisher decided on a Strong Blonde. Brooke ordered a pale ale and Aubrey said she was driving and would just have water. Lily and Miranda each ordered light beers and water all around.

  “Is it okay to have a beer when you’re still nursing?” Aubrey asked, her cheeks flushed. “I mean, I’m not judging or anything. Just curious.”

  “I nursed Brandon right before I left. And Carson has a bottle if he needs milk before I get home.” Lily was a new mom, but she was quite the expert. Before she married Carson, she’d been married and battled infertility for years. She’d spent a lot of her spare time learning anything and everything about pregnancy, nursing, and motherhood. “But one beer with a meal is seen as safe by most experts.”

  “Yeah. And I have to supplement with formula, anyway,” Miranda admitted reluctantly. “I can usually produce enough milk for both the girls first thing in the morning, and again around dinnertime.”

  “Oh, that’s good to know.” Aubrey’s blush deepened. “Okay, I guess I should go ahead and spill. Rich and I are getting married.”

  “Oh, that’s wonderful.”

  “Congratulations!”

  “How exciting!”

  “And, surprise! We’re pregnant.” Aubrey squeezed her eyes shut.

  This time the congratulations were accompanied by hugs.

  The waitress brought their drinks, and once everyone returned to their seats, Lily held up her glass for a toast. “To Aubrey and Rich, may you have a wonderful marriage, a healthy baby, and a beautiful future.”

  “To Aubrey and Rich!” They lifted their glasses and the celebration was under way.

  Conversation centered around wedding plans, due dates, and living arrangements.

  “Well, we haven’t set a date. But it’s going to be soon.” Aubrey’s hands shook a little as she lifted her water glass to her lips. “Rich has accepted a job in Cupertino. He’s going to work for Apple, so that’s exciting.”

  More congratulations were offered all around.

  “But, I’m going to have to quit.” Aubrey couldn’t hold back the tears this time. “I mean, if I wasn’t pregnant, I’d wait until the end of the season, but, you know?”

  “You know, if you want to have the wedding at Swift River, we could make it amazing.” Lily stood and put her arm around Aubrey. “We’re getting pretty good at putting together world-class weddings in a matter of weeks.”

  “Really?” Aubrey was clearly overwhelmed. “I mean, I’m just a summer guide. I don’t have a lot of money saved.”

  “It’s not the money that makes a wedding beautiful.” Miranda reached out to Aubrey, placing a gentle hand on hers. “It’s the love between the bride and groom. And we’ll all pitch in to get everything in place. All you need to worry about is the guest list.”

  “And telling my parents.” Aubrey sank back into her chair, relieved, exhausted, and maybe just a little surprised by the support of the women around her. “You guys are so great. Oh God, I’m going to miss all of you.”

  She burst into tears again. “I feel like I’m letting you down. I mean, the season is just starting and I’m going to have to quit.”

  “Don’t worry about it.” Lily was the payroll and office manager. She would know about the personnel situation. But Fisher should be more informed on upcoming reservations, the number of guides needed to fill the trips, and other details like that.

  “Yeah, isn’t that part of why we do a guide school?” Brooke stated the obvious. “I’d say we have three or four good candidates. Like Kyle.”

  She stared straight at Fisher with a knowing grin.

  “Maybe.” Fisher felt her cheeks flush. “We should probably mix the crews up a bit; that way we can all get impressions of the potential guides.”

  “Yes, but you’ll get to make the decisions,” Lily reminded her. “You’re in charge.”

  “Sure, but it’s also a team effort. I wouldn’t want to hire anyone that wasn’t going to fit in with the core crew.” Fisher wasn’t yet comfortable with the added responsibility. She almost felt like her new title was more of a consolation prize.

  “I’m sure you’ll pick the right people.” Miranda was supportive, as always. “You’re good with people, and you’ll train them well.”

  “Thanks.” Fisher wondered if Kyle would be interested in applying for a summer position. Or would he have to return to his sales job that he seemed to be tired of? Judging by his RV, he liked the finer things in life. That usually required money. A lot more than a first-year guide would make.

  She also wondered if it would be weird to work with him all summer. Though Brooke and Tyler seemed to be making it work.

  “So, Brooke, how are things with you and Tyler?” Fisher wondered how they would manage if things got serious. Or if they drifted apart.

  “Fine.” Brooke reached for her beer and took a long drink.

  “That’s good,” Aubrey added. “I always had a feeling about you two.”

  “It’s nothing serious. Just a couple of frien
ds, keeping each other company.” Brooke seemed almost too nonchalant, which was unusual for someone who was usually so straightforward.

  Lily and Miranda glanced at each other with a knowing smile on their faces.

  “Not everyone is looking for lifelong love.” Brooke now sounded a little defensive. “No offense, I’m happy for those of you who have found it, but I’ve still got a lot of living to do before I even think about settling down.”

  “Yeah. That’s cool. I was just curious, that’s all.” Fisher wondered if things weren’t so great after all. Was Tyler pressuring Brooke? Or was Brooke in denial?

  “I mean, you’re not serious with Kyle, are you?” Brooke asked.

  “No, of course not. We’re not even friends. Just…you know?” Fisher didn’t even know how to describe what was happening between them.

  “Yeah. Exactly. Just…” Brooke sighed and dug into her salad.

  * * * *

  Cody and Carson showed up with their brood. Three babies, just a few months old. Carson had a boy, and Cody two daughters. The girls were content in a double stroller/car seat combination and Carson wore his son in one of those carriers strapped to his chest.

  “Hey guys.” Cody greeted the male guides and the students who were enjoying a few beers around the campfire. “We just thought we’d stop by to check in and see how everyone was doing.”

  “And to let everyone know that we’re available should anyone need anything,” Carson added.

  “Yeah. In case you haven’t figured it out yet, we’re a family here at Swift River.” Cody looked around the group, a welcoming smile on his face. Until he got to Kyle. He narrowed his gaze, almost in a warning. Ironic, considering the one person he didn’t seem to accept into his river family was actually family.

  Someone offered the twins a beer and they joined the newbies in swapping stories. Tales of flips, wraps, broken paddles, and lost lunches—literally, where the cooler full of food wasn’t secured and ended up floating down the river—kept them entertained and helped them realize they weren’t alone in making mistakes.