The Carrier (The Carrier Series Book 1)

by Diana Ryan

  Kasie said she’d kick his ass if he came near me again. But a month later he showed up at our door with a bouquet of flowers. Kasie knew he made me happy, if only temporarily, so she let him in and I skipped study group that night.

  I always knew I wanted to be a teacher, so I spent time volunteering in a first grade classroom during my last year of high school. All aspects of high school came easily to me, and I graduated with decent grades and social ranking. I headed off to college high on life, but the academics turned out to be much tougher than I had expected and I soon realized I had never really learned how to study. My dreams of teaching started to deflate with each poor grade I earned, and I began to wonder if maybe I didn’t have an ounce of teacher inside me.

  Although I made some great girlfriends, I missed being popular and the dramatic rollercoaster ride with Aaron left me more than distracted. For once, my world was shaken, and I had craved the solace of the Dells to help me refocus and recharge for the challenges of the next year of my life.

  The day drifted by utterly slowly, and I had a lot of time to think about what I had overheard my parents discussing the night before. That morning, my mom told me Dad had to go on a business trip and would be gone for a few days. The sad look on my mom’s face scared me. Perhaps it wasn’t simply a marital squabble. I carefully asked my mom if everything was okay, but she threw on a happy face and assured me all was fine. It was all very mysterious, but I trusted my parents to work everything out on their own.

  Before I knew it, I was released from Dean’s laser eyes and off to the parking lot. I passed Brian in the front ticket booth on my way out and decided to stop for a quick chat. Brian and I had been classmates in high school. We were friendly enough, but didn’t end up in the same social circles.

  “Hey Ava. How’d you survive the day with Captain Scary?”

  “Ah, yes. I barely survived. I think my hands still smell like Windex.” I held my fingers up for him to sniff, but he didn’t.

  “What are you up to tonight?” Brian seemed to have an instigator’s smile on his lips, and I knew he had been talking to Suzanne.

  “Yes, it is true—I am going on a date with Nolan. Have you gotten to work alone with him yet?” I asked.

  “Yeah, a few times. Seems like a nice guy. Funny as hell, you know.” He paused for a moment and looked me in the eyes. “Now, Ava. Don’t let that boy take advantage of you! You keep your sweet little self wholesome, will ya?”

  “Of course, Brian. Would you expect anything else from me?” I left the booth and walked out to my car with a smile on my face that just wouldn’t go away. When my friend Jules met her husband in college, she was so happy she said she had a perma-smile. I liked my perma-smile now and wished it would stay forever.

  When I got home, I showered and then stared at my closet for too many minutes wondering what I should wear. I settled on a pair of white shorts and a clingy, plain black V-neck T-shirt. I blow-dried and straightened my hair, put on a bit of eye shadow and mascara, and then sprayed on a spritz of “Dream” by Gap to close the deal.

  I found my mom in the kitchen. “Wow! You look great! Going out with the boys tonight?”

  For most of my high school career, I spent the summers hanging out with Aaron and his two friends, Ted and Joel. We were a veritable four peas in a pod until Aaron broke up with me last year. Since then, it has been a case of choosing sides for Ted and Joel. Hang out with Aaron or Ava? I seemed to be losing the battle more often than not, but I couldn’t blame them, I guess.

  “I’m going out with a boy.” I waited for her to catch on.

  She put down the wooden spoon and turned towards me with a hand on her hip. “And which boy would this be? Someone I know?”

  “Actually you don’t know him. His name is Nolan Hill, and he is a new ticket agent at the Boats.” I could see the trepidation in her eyes. “He’s a very nice boy, Mom.”

  “Well, I should hope so as you deserve nothing less.” She grabbed my shoulders and kissed my forehead. “Have fun and be home before 12:30.” I hated that I had a curfew. I was not used to that at college, but my mother said as long as I was living under her roof, I’d have to respect her rules.

  Fair enough—free rent.

  It was finally about date time, so I perched myself behind the window in the living room. I could see between the two houses across the street and into the Dells Boat Tours housing. Companies throughout the Dells frequently hired foreign students to fill their summer positions. They often needed to provide housing for these students, so many companies bought out old, rundown motels around town and rented the rooms to these students. The Boats bought an old, two-story house that had six very small cabins on its land. There was a lawn with a campfire area amongst the cabins where parties frequently broke out. Someone nailed an old sign to the tree out front that said “Animal Island.” Aptly named.

  I let my eyes relax as I stared out of the window. Soon my vision became blurry, and in a matter of seconds, the lawn and cabins across the way started to pixelate into large squares like the river had the day before. It was like someone took a picture of my view and then blew it up too large and it became unfocused. I blinked several times and rubbed my eyes, but the squares began to pulse like some sort of hypnotist’s trick. When I blinked again, the view became focused, sharp as ever. I blinked a few more times to make sure the view was clear.

  Could I be stressed? Does nervousness affect the eyes?

  I only looked out the window for a few more seconds when, soon enough, Nolan left his cabin. I watched him walk out the door and sniff his armpits. I laughed at his moment of insecurity. So perhaps he wasn’t as perfect as I thought. He kicked a half charred log in the fire pit, checked his watch, and then walked into the alley. I watched him turn onto the sidewalk and walk down to the next corner. I jumped down the stairs to meet him, and when I opened the door, he was walking past the split rail fence on our property.

  “Hey there, stranger. Man, what a long walk,” he joked. “I can’t believe we live so close to each other. This is hilarious!”

  “I know! So, do you want to come in and meet my parents?”

  “Wow. Meeting the parents on the first date.” An awkward silence followed, and I was about to retract my statement when he looked up at me and sincerely replied, “That sounds wonderful. Parents love me.”

  I smiled at him and opened up the porch door. “Do you want the grand tour?”

  “Of course!” he said and followed me through the dining room.

  “This is the formal dining room, which we hardly use.” We walked past the upright piano pushed up against the wall and into the kitchen. Then I pointed into the family room and over to the bathroom and my sister’s room.

  We walked back through the rooms we had already traveled through and I led him up the stairs. The small bathroom was off to our left, and then I pointed down the hall and told him my parents’ room was at the end.

  “This looks like a great place to call home. Have you lived here all your life?” he asked. I loved how he always seemed so interested in everything about me.

  “Yes, my parents have lived in this house for twenty-one years.” Then I led him through the door to my bedroom. He took some time looking around at the pictures on the bookshelf and asked me who a few of the people were. I didn’t want him to get any ideas about me bringing him to my bedroom, so I grabbed my purse and told him we better get going.

  I led him back downstairs to the living room where we found my mother reading. “Hey, Mom. This is Nolan. He is a ticket agent at the boats, and we’re going to go catch a movie.” My mother put her book down and turned towards us. Nolan already had his arm extended and was shaking my mother’s hand before I knew it. His deep, blue eyes focused intently on her face, and he was expertly making small talk as I watched. My mother wished us a good night, and I led Nolan out the front of the house. I was impressed—that was perfect.

  I pulled my keys out and unlocked the passenger side door to t
he Oldsmobile. “Don’t make fun of my car. I inherited it from my grandmother when she passed away a few years ago.”

  Nolan climbed in the front seat. “Make fun? This car is awesome! It’s got character!” I slid the keys into the ignition and put the car in drive. It gave a very scary rumble but then jumped violently forward. Nolan slammed into the front dash. “Wait until I’ve got my seatbelt on next time!” he said laughing. “Well, it is unique, that’s for sure!”

  I laughed lightly, slightly embarrassed.

  He looked a little disappointed. “So we’re going to the movies? I thought you were going to show me all the local hotspots.”

  “I only said that so my mom would stay off my back. I didn’t think she’d like it if I told her I was taking you to Make Out Rock.” I slowly smiled and looked carefully over to Nolan’s face as it sunk in. It was priceless.

  “Where are you taking me? Now hold on here, little lady! I don’t know who you think you are, but you can’t just take me to some rock and have your way with me. I have high morals, you know!” But I knew he was kidding because that flirty, crooked smile came out again.

  I decided to play along. “I’m sorry I misjudged you, sir. I’ll adjust my schedule to accommodate your moral upbringing.” My perma-smile was making another appearance, and I was pretty sure my checks were apple red again.

  He laughed. “So where are you taking me for real?” he asked slyly. Dark green Wisconsin pines sped by on both sides of the car.

  “It’s a secret,” I said and continued down the road. Nolan only grinned. I could tell he was loving it. About a mile later, I pulled the car off to the side of the road. “Get out,” I instructed him.

  He looked at the forest of pine trees that surrounded the road. “Um...where are we going? Should I be scared? This whole scenario reminds me of a slasher movie I watched last week.” He stood by his door, waiting for further instruction as it truly did look like there was no reason for us to be visiting this remote location. I walked around the back of the car, and then gave Nolan a playful punch on the shoulder. “Come on, follow me.”

  We had arrived at the end of Bowman road. He followed me down a short dirt path through the woods and joined me on top of a tremendous sandstone cliff overlooking the peaceful, winding river. The gleaming sun set in front of us, and an orange glow sparkled off the chocolate brown water. The surface was quiet and still except for the edges as they gently licked the blonde, sandy beaches below. The towering, rocky cliffs seemed to be radiating warmth onto us. There wasn’t a boat on the river. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky. It was as if we were the last two people left on earth. I could hear nothing except an occasional wave upon the shore and the loud beating of my heart.

  It was my favorite spot to come to alone, and now I was sharing it with someone I felt special about. Something sweetly touched my hand, and as I glanced down I saw Nolan’s fingers intertwine with mine. The feeling of his hand sent a million tiny sparks jumping through my hand and up my arm. I felt so ecstatic that I felt we could fly through the air if we only took the leap. We said nothing for a few minutes until a hawk broke the silence. It glided smoothly through the air upon its impressive wingspan until it landed on a tree branch downriver from us.

  “Thank you for bringing me here,” Nolan said to me as he squeezed my hand. He turned to face me and searched my face with his beautiful eyes. “This is the best date I’ve ever been on.”

  A smile graced its way onto my face, and I replied, “But it just got started.” I stared back at the winding river below us. “You know, the Winnebago had their own creation story on how this river came to be.” I looked at him and noticed his eyes willing me to go on. “They believed a great serpent came down from the north and pushed its way through the Wisconsin countryside. When it wiggled and slithered through the soft sandstone, its body created the twisting riverbed and water rushed in behind it. Tiny snakes fled, terrified, from its path and created the small tributaries and waterways on the Wisconsin today.”

  “Fascinating,” was all he could say. Most men would want to move on with the date and turn to hop back into the car at this point. But I realized that Nolan was someone special. He stayed to take in the view, to really breathe it in and immerse himself in this piece of nature that I truly loved. He was interested in what I was interested in, and he really wanted to get to know me and that felt good.

  After a short while, I led him back down the path to the car and hated to let go of his hand when we reached the door, but he followed me over to the driver’s side and opened my door for me.

  Aw, a card-carrying member of the dying breed of gentlemen.

  I sat down, started the car, and we jumped forward with a jerk. I took him on the tour of the neighborhood I grew up in, including the elementary school, high school, library, and community pool. I asked him questions about his life and he asked about mine. A friend once told me a first date is basically an interview, and I seemed to believe her at this point. I guess I hadn’t really ever been on a first date before. Aaron and I were friends before we started dating and knew a lot about each other before the first “date” we ever went on alone.

  Soon, I parked the car at the community baseball fields. The sun had set and the light of the moon was all that illuminated our walkway. He took my hand again, and I led him down a grassy path that was parallel with the train tracks. We walked hand in hand, talking until it was time to cross the tracks. We walked carefully passed over the tracks by some tall trees and then walked down a very steep, deep pathway out to a flat rock cliff.

  The surface of the cliff was illuminated by the silvery-blue moon shining down from the sky. I led Nolan to the end of the cliff, and we looked down to the rocky beach below. I could feel him shaking as he realized it was easily more than one hundred feet down to the rocky beach below us. I giggled underneath my breath at his fear and backed us up a few feet to sit down on a boulder securely resting on the top of the rocky ledge.

  Another breathtaking view of the river stood before us. A glance to our right showed the docks where the Bailey and the other boats were sleeping quietly for the night. We were right on a bend in the river so a look in front of us showed the point where the Ducks entered the water at Echo Point, and further down, we could see the baby grand piano—a rock formation that truly looked like a piano that had been tipped off a rock cliff and landed on its side. The Wisconsin River looked much more mysterious and magnificent by moonlight. The water was as still as glass, and a thousand shining stars reflected off its surface from above. Nolan slid his hand around my waist and pulled my hip in close to his.

  “You were right. I could see this a million times over and never grow tired of it.” Nolan turned to face me, and I looked up into his eyes. He carefully and gently brushed a tiny bit of brown hair from my eyes and tucked it behind my ear. Then he took my chin in his hand and sweetly pulled it ever so slightly upward until his lips barely brushed mine. An electrifying tingle shot down my face and through my entire body as I surrendered to his touch. He kissed me again but this time with more meaning, and I felt like I was floating on a fluffy, white cloud.

  Nolan pulled back slightly and whispered, “I guess this is Make Out Rock?”

  I giggled and replied, “Yeah. You can’t help but fall to its power.” My perma-smile was back, and I knew this was going to be the best summer of my life.

  Chapter Seven

  The next morning I said hi to Rob at the dispatch booth and took the long staircase down to the docks. Jack was already there, checking the oil on the Bailey.

  “Hey kiddo!” he greeted me when I stepped on the back deck. “You ready for another fun-filled day on the Wisconsin River?” He was a little too chipper for this early in the morning.

  “Are you drunk again?” I asked him, checking his eyes for a sign.

  He laughed a big belly laugh and said, “No! I told you I would never do that again! Maybe I’m just in a good mood. Is that a crime?” He smiled at me, but I knew s
omething was up.

  Jack and I headed inside to start up the Bailey and check our tour book supply and prep the boat for the day. As soon as Jack turned on the two-way radio, it buzzed to life: “General Bailey, Dispatch.” It was Rob up in the dispatch booth. Jack picked up the mouthpiece and said, “Go ahead.”

  “We’ve got Badgerland Tours coming in five minutes. Jack, will you be ready for early loading?”

  “10-4, absolutely,” he replied happily. Then he turned to me, “An OLS? Hot damn!”

  Cha-ching!

  An Old Lady Special (commonly called OLS by boat employees) was a jackpot!

  Occasionally, a whole coach bus full of elderly ladies on tour through Wisconsin would stop at the Boats. Although it was sometimes a pain to load them all up, they were usually the most courteous and inquisitive passengers, and the best part was that each little old lady needed a guidebook to take home and show their grandchildren.

  “Sweet! We haven’t had an OLS yet this summer!” I said, while doing a very immature move that looked like a cross between an Irish jig and the potty dance.

  “This is perfect timing. It’s been so slow this summer, and my truck needs new rotors and brakes. I’m in some desperate need of some cold, hard cash.” He paused and then turned to look me straight in the eyes. “Don’t ever get married, Ava, because inevitably, your spouse will decide to have a sleepover with someone hotter than you in your own bed, and divorce is brutal on the checkbook.”

  I was in shock. I’d had no idea what had happened in the divorce other than it was messy, and poor Jack was left heartbroken. I didn’t really know what to say, so we found ourselves in silence for a few moments.

  I knew I hadn’t sold many books so far this summer, but I didn’t think it was my fault at all. It was plain math—more passengers equal more money. I gave the best tour I could each and every time I went downriver. I wasn’t only motivated by money, I truly enjoyed what I was doing, and I’m the kind of person who does everything with my whole heart invested. I owed this trip to Jack, and I even considered giving all the profits to him and his truck.