by Gerri Hill
“Had enough of the rope swing?”
“I think after ten tries I need a break!”
Lindsey looked over at Hannah. “Want to go play in the rapids?”
“Sounds like fun. Can we get to them without floating down?”
“Yeah. The Mule trail doesn’t go right to the river there, but it’s close enough to walk to. We won’t take the tubes this time.”
They took the fanny floaters and Jack’s noodle and tied them on top of the Mule, then loaded the dogs. Before long they were bouncing along the rocky trail that she normally took if they were going upstream to fish…or for the longer float trip. For some reason, her grandfather had not made a side trail to where the rapids were. She could see the river through the trees, and she tried to get her bearings. Soon she spotted the flat limestone rocks where they’d had lunch that day.
“I guess this is as close as we can get,” she said as she stopped the Mule.
Jack let the dogs off the back as she untied their floats. Hannah had her cooler slung over her shoulder—lunch—and Lindsey carried their two floats after handing Jack his noodle. The dogs led the way between the trees and Jack followed behind them.
Lindsey looked over at Hannah, noting the smile on her face. She looked relaxed and comfortable as she walked beside her. Hannah was wearing the black and white bikini today, and her skin had turned a nice golden brown from their days in the sun.
“Thank you for indulging him,” Hannah said.
“Is that what I’m doing?”
Hannah turned to her. “No?”
Lindsey smiled at her. “I like playing as much as he does, I guess.”
Hannah laughed. “I’ve noticed that. It’s a wonderful trait to have.”
“It’s a learned trait,” she said. “My family…well, like I told you before, there was always laughter, always playtime. When we all got together out here, nothing was ever very serious. It was…it was a time of joy.”
Hannah bumped her shoulder with her own. “Thank you for sharing all of this with me and Jack.”
Lindsey stopped and watched as the dogs and Jack splashed into the cool, clear water. It didn’t take much for her to envision her nephews out there instead of Jack. It didn’t take much to picture her parents lounging in their floats as they watched the kids play. She could almost hear the laughter bouncing along the water. She smiled as the memories ran through her mind. Yes…it was a time of joy. Like now. Jack was laughing as Barney and Max chased him in the water. She looked over at Hannah, who was watching her.
“I don’t miss them as much when you and Jack are around,” she said honestly. “I’ll always have my memories of them, but I like making new memories.”
Hannah took a step closer and Lindsey wondered if she was about to hug her again. As their eyes met, she saw that was indeed Hannah’s intention. However, two fanny floaters and a cooler were too much to maneuver around. So Hannah simply smiled at her, and Lindsey smiled back, her thoughts going to the hug she’d received last night. She was sorry she missed the opportunity for another one.
When they got to the limestone rocks, she thought they’d have lunch before they played—it was nearly one already—but Jack was out in the river, waiting on them.
“Let’s do the train!”
Hannah turned to her. “Okay with me…but you get to be in the back this time.”
“Being in the back is the most fun,” she said.
“I still have a bruise on my ass from the last time,” Hannah said.
“And you think I’m going to protect you from that?” she teased.
Hannah smiled at her. “I do.”
Lindsey coaxed Max and Barney back to shore before going out and joining Jack and Hannah.
“Do you remember how to do it?” she asked them.
“Stick my legs straight out,” Jack said. “Mom wraps around me.”
“You wrap around me,” Hannah said to her. Then she grinned. “And keep me from hitting the rocks.”
Lindsey winked at her. “Sounds like I’ve got the best job.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that.”
Lindsey maneuvered Hannah in front of her, holding her lightly at the waist. Jack was standing in front of Hannah, waiting. Hannah turned and met her gaze.
“Ready when you are.”
She nodded, tightening her grip at Hannah’s waist. She closed her eyes for a brief second. Jack’s mom. Jack’s mom. Jack’s mom, she reminded herself. Then she opened them again and blew out a breath.
“Okay…on three,” she said. “One…two…three!”
They plunged into the rapids so quickly she nearly lost her hold on Hannah. She pulled her up tight against her, barely managing to wrap her legs around her before they hit the chute. She bounced hard against one side of the rocks as Jack led them through, his joyful scream making her smile even as the river threatened to swallow her. They shot out into calmer water and she untangled from Hannah but still held on to her as she stood.
“That was fun! I didn’t hit any rocks!” Jack said as he swam to shallower water.
“Me either.” Hannah turned, eyebrows raised. “You?”
“Not too bad,” she said, finally letting her hands slip away from Hannah. Hannah eyed her for a moment, then reached out and touched her upper arm.
“Here?”
Lindsey looked where she touched, seeing the red mark where she’d banged against the rocks. “Yeah. I was a little late getting wrapped up with you.”
Hannah smiled at her. “Yes, I thought I’d lost you.” She held her gaze. “Let’s go again. I’ll take the back this time, if you want.”
“I’ll ride in the back,” Jack offered.
Hannah looked at her. “Can he?”
She nodded. “Sure. I used to take the lead and the kids would ride behind me. Eli loved to be the last one.” She paused, picturing him screaming his head off as they blasted through the chute. “The longer the train, the more fun it is in the back, I guess.”
“How many would you take at once?”
Lindsey swallowed, meeting her gaze. “Four. There were…five kids, but Abby was too young.”
Hannah’s eyes gentled, and she again reached out a hand to touch her. Hannah was one of those people who communicated with touch. Lindsey, too, had always been a toucher. Especially with the kids. And now with Jack. But with Hannah? No. She’d intentionally kept her distance. Hannah was attractive. Hannah was most often in a bikini. Hannah was Jack’s mother. And she would be lying to herself if she said she wasn’t in the least bit attracted to her.
Yeah. She’d be lying.
“If you think Jack can handle the back, you can take the lead,” Hannah offered. “I won’t let you get away from me.”
Lindsey nodded but turned away from her gaze. Hannah had ridden behind her before, the first time they’d come to the rapids. It didn’t take much for her to remember the feel of Hannah’s arms around her. But they knew each other a little better now. They were more familiar with each other. They were…they were friends. Whatever hesitancy Hannah had displayed the first time would surely be absent now. That thought nearly made her shiver.
“Am I going to hit the rocks?” Jack asked.
She shook her head. “No. I only hit them because I wasn’t holding on to your mom tight enough.”
“Okay. Then I won’t make that mistake.”
“We’ll start a little farther upstream so we’ll have time to link up,” she said. “And don’t let go of her.”
“I won’t.”
She went upstream of the rapids into deeper water, a little higher than her waist. Jack was bouncing on his toes to keep his head above water. Hannah held her arm out and Jack took it, using her to brace himself.
“Okay. Hannah, bend down a little, let Jack get on your back.” She looked at Jack. “Hold her around her neck.”
“Don’t choke me!”
Jack laughed. “This is fun.”
Lindsey moved in front of Hannah. �
�Okay…let’s get a little closer. We’re probably too deep here.” She felt Hannah’s hands at her waist as they walked through the water. She paused about ten feet from the chute. “Ready?”
She wasn’t sure she was ready when she found herself being pulled up tight against Hannah. She could feel Hannah’s breasts pressing into her back, and yeah…there was no hesitancy whatsoever in Hannah’s touch. She took a deep breath—Jack’s mom, Jack’s mom, Jack’s mom—then pulled Hannah’s arms more firmly around her before counting.
“One…two…three!”
She lifted her legs up, sinking down onto the slick river bottom. Hannah’s legs circled her thighs, and she gave up trying to ignore the nearly naked woman clinging to her. As they approached the chute, she held onto Hannah’s legs with each hand, keeping them wrapped around her. As they were sucked into the chute, Jack was screaming as if he was on a roller coaster and she could feel Hannah tighten her arms as their bodies shot through the water.
It was over in a matter of seconds, and she found herself laughing along with the others as they untangled from each other.
“That was so much fun!” Jack said exuberantly. “Can we go again?”
“How much water did you swallow?”
He grinned. “Not much.”
Hannah held onto her arm as they moved back toward shore. “I’m game for one more time.” She smiled at her. “I like being behind you.”
“Yeah…safest place is in the middle. But the least amount of fun.”
“I wouldn’t say that.” Hannah winked at her. “I had a great time.”
Lindsey pulled her gaze away. Yeah, it was a great time, all right. But this was Jack’s mother, she reminded herself for the umpteenth time. It wasn’t supposed to feel that great.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Jack couldn’t seem to sit still, and Hannah finally walked behind him and held him in his chair.
“She’ll be here soon.”
“What if she’s late? We’re going to miss the parade.”
“She promised you last night that she’d be here. It’s not even seven yet. Finish your cereal.”
“I don’t want to spoil my appetite.”
She laughed. “For all the candy you hope to get at the parade?”
“Funnel cake and cotton candy,” he corrected.
She shook her head. “I should have never told you they’d have food booths at the square.”
According to the website Lindsey had found, the Fourth of July Leaky Jubilee was an all-day affair, beginning with the parade at eight. The arts and crafts fair was on the courthouse square until late afternoon. The fireworks display was at the park on the river and a street dance—which they planned to skip—was scheduled back at the square until midnight.
“Did you pack my clothes?”
“I did. Quit worrying.”
He grinned. “It’s going to be fun, isn’t it?”
“We’re going to have a great day, yes.”
She didn’t know who was looking forward to it more—Lindsey or Jack. It was forecast to be a very hot day with temps reaching near one hundred. Lindsey suggested they wear their water shorts and sandals so they could cool off in the river that afternoon. The park—and river—would most likely be crowded, so they were going armed with blankets and camp chairs. And a picnic basket. She’d fried chicken last night for their dinner and had made enough to take along today. It was going to be a fun day, one she was looking forward to as well.
“I miss Barney.”
“Yes, it is a little quiet here without him, but I’m sure he enjoyed spending the night with Max.”
Since she had no fenced yard to keep him in, Lindsey had said she could secure her grandmother’s garden enough to keep both dogs penned for the day. She had taken Barney with her last night when she left. Today, she would walk up through the creek like always and Hannah would take her car into town.
“Yay! Here she comes!” he said excitedly as he hurried to the back door, his cereal still uneaten. He opened the door, waiting. “I thought you were going to be late!”
“Of course not,” Lindsey said. “We’ve got to get a front row seat for the parade.” Lindsey glanced over at her. “Good morning.”
“Good morning.” She motioned to the coffeepot. “Want a cup?”
“No, I’m good. Thanks.”
“Okay. Well, I think we have everything packed. This one was up before I was,” she said, pointing at Jack.
“Excited?” Lindsey asked him.
“Yeah. Let’s go already.”
“Clean the table off first,” Hannah told him. She looked at Lindsey. “How did Barney fare last night?”
“Oh, he was fine. They slept in the bedroom with me,” she said. “I put their toys out in the garden. I think they’ll be fine while we’re gone.”
* * *
For it being such a small town, Lindsey was surprised at the number of floats in the parade. Jack had been more interested in the candy that was being tossed from the floats than the parade itself. His pockets were bulging with the loot he’d scooped up.
“Jack…I think you have enough,” Hannah said as he was about to scramble out for more. “Let someone else have it.”
“Oh…Mom,” he complained. “I hardly have any.”
“That’s because you’ve eaten it all!”
“You better save room for that funnel cake you’ve been talking about,” Lindsey told him.
He grinned. “I guess you’re right.”
As the last float went past, they got caught up in the crowd as everyone made their way to the town square and the arts and crafts fair. Jack walked between them, holding each of their hands as people jostled around them. Hannah smiled over at Lindsey.
“I didn’t expect this many people.”
“Me either.”
Once they got to the square, the crowd dispersed, everyone heading in different directions. Dozens of booths lined the grass around the courthouse and vendors in food trucks were parked along the street, which had been blocked off to traffic. A live band was playing country music from a stage under the oak trees and a large tent shaded tables and chairs—the beer garden.
“I certainly wasn’t expecting a beer garden,” she said. “Gotta love these small towns.”
They strolled aimlessly among the booths, looking but not buying anything. Almost every booth offered some kind of home-canned item, from pickles and okra to squash and corn. There were various assortments of jams and jellies and homemade cookies and candies. One booth had several quilts for sale, and she paused over them, thinking one would look nice on her bed but in the end, she passed on it. Jack had found his funnel cake and was content to walk along with them while he ate. He must have enjoyed it…a ring of powdered sugar circled his mouth.
By one, they’d seen everything there was to see, and she was the one who suggested the park.
“I’m about ready to cool off in the river.”
“Yeah…me too,” Jack said.
Hannah nodded. “Then let’s go.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
“I miss the dogs,” Jack said as they tossed a ball back and forth.
“I’m sure they miss us too.”
Lindsey had expected the park to be crowded and was pleasantly surprised to find only a handful of families staking claim to picnic tables. Kids and adults alike were splashing in the river, though, and a group of teenagers were floating by in tubes not far from where they were playing.
“I kinda miss having our own private river,” Hannah said with a laugh. “Well, your private river.”
“Yeah, we’re pretty spoiled, aren’t we?”
“I think we need to do another float trip,” Jack said. “That was fun.”
“I think we need a lazy day in the pond,” she countered. “In fact, I’ve been thinking about fixing it up around there.”
“What do you mean?” Hannah asked.
“Well, there’s nothing there really. That’s how my grandfat
her wanted it. It was all we could do to talk him into putting in the little side deck by the pier.” She tossed the ball back toward Jack. “I want to fix up the lean-to and make it into an outdoor kitchen. Bring a gas grill down.” Jack tossed the ball back to her. “It would be nice to be able to grill burgers or something.”
“Hot dogs!”
“Or hot dogs.”
“What else do you want to do?” Hannah asked.
“There’s a nice slope from the lean-to down to the pond. That would make a good deck there. It’s very primitive now, which is how he wanted it, but I don’t think it would take away from the area if I added a few more amenities. I could put my architectural skills to use.” She raised an eyebrow. “What do you think?”
“I think an outdoor kitchen would be nice. A deck too. Lawn chairs or loungers. If you don’t feel like being in the water, the deck is the next best thing. Especially with the waterfall. I can imagine how peaceful it would be to just sit there and watch and listen to the waterfall.”
Lindsey nodded. “Yeah…peaceful.” She looked over at Jack. “And…maybe we could camp out there some night. You know, in tents.”
“Oh…cool! Can we, Mom?”
At Hannah’s expression, Lindsey laughed. “You’ve never been camping before, have you?”
“No. And neither has Jack.”
“Well, if we’re going to sleep out in tents, we’ll have to wait until the weather’s cooler. Maybe November.”
“Hey.” They all turned as a young boy, maybe eleven or twelve, approached. “You want to play baseball?”
Jack stared at him. “Me?”
“Yeah. We need another player.” He pointed to a group of kids, both girls and boys, tossing baseballs around.
Jack’s eyes widened as he looked at Hannah. “Can I?”
“Of course. Have fun.”
Jack jumped out of the water and followed the boy back to the group of would-be baseball players.
“Does he know how to play?”
Hannah shrugged. “He played one year of Little League. Last summer, James wasn’t able to work with him much and we missed a lot of games.” Hannah looked over at her. “He can catch and throw pretty good. Not sure about hitting.”