Slow Burn: A Colorado High Country Novel

by Pamela Clare

  What the hell did that mean? They didn’t go into chakras in paramedic school. Eric had almost asked, but he’d known it would send Rose off on a tangent.

  When the video finished, Vic’s cheeks were damp from crying, but there was a smile on her face. “You know what it needs now?”

  “What?” He’d thought they were finished.

  “A soundtrack.”

  “A soundtrack?” Okay, sure. “Do you know any musicians?”

  “Oh, thousands.” She typed something into Google and clicked on a link. “See? There are lots of sites that offer royalty-free music. We just have to find a composition that fits, buy it, and edit it in.”

  He glanced at his watch and stood. “We’ll have to wait till Wednesday night. It’s after eleven, and you still need to get packed for the rafting trip. We leave at five in the morning, remember?”

  “Oh, God. I don’t even know what to bring. I’ve never gone camping.”

  He stared at her. “You’ve never gone camping?”

  “Not in a tent.”

  “What other way is there?”

  “Camping in a custom RV with a TV and running water and my own bedroom. Or staying in a lodge with room service in the middle of the African bush. My father once took us to Kenya. There were giraffes outside every morning. My brother and I fed them through the windows.”

  “Honey, that’s not camping.” He didn’t know what that was. “Want help packing?”

  “You would do that?”

  “Sure.”

  “Just don’t look at my panties, okay?”

  At the word panties, his pulse skipped. He couldn’t resist. “What’s wrong with your panties?”

  “Nothing’s wrong with them. I’d just feel embarrassed if you saw them.”

  He hated to break it to her, but he’d seen a lot more than her panties the other night, and she hadn’t seemed embarrassed then. He couldn’t say that, of course. “Okay, fine. No snooping in your underwear drawer.”

  She shut down the computer and walked into the bedroom, flicking on the light as she entered. She went to the closet, opened it, and took out one of her suitcases and a brand, spanking new wetsuit. “I bought this.”

  It was distinctly feminine with short sleeves, legs that ended mid-thigh, and cheery color blocks in yellow, pink, and green.

  “You bought a wetsuit? For one rafting trip?” It was high-quality, too, something a pro might own. “Most people rent those.”

  She shrugged like it was no big deal. “Lexi told me the rented ones sometimes smell like mildew.”

  Okay, yeah. “That’s true.”

  “Do you know if we’re going out on the town while we’re there?”

  “Out on the town—in Buena Vista?” Eric laughed. “I doubt it.”

  He walked to the closet, searched through her clothes, pulled out a little black beaded dress. “I’d pay money to see you in this.”

  She took it from him, jammed it back into her closet. “Some help you are.”

  “Sorry. I got distracted.” He grabbed a pair of jeans, two tank tops, and two T-shirts off their hangers, then tossed them onto the bed, together with a fleece jacket and the winter coat she’d brought. Next, he dug in the bottom of her closet where her shoes were neatly arranged and took out a pair of running shoes and a brand new pair of Teva sandals. “Add two pairs of socks and two pairs of the sweet little panties you don’t want me to see, and you’re mostly set. You’ll need your personal items, too, along with sunscreen and mosquito repellent.”

  She stared at the small pile he’d made. “That’s it?”

  “That’s more than you’ll need. We’re only camping for one night. The outfitter Austin and Lexi hired will supply the tents, sleeping bags, and all the other gear, so unless you want to go down the river in a fancy gown or tromp around the campground in heels, yeah, that’s it.”

  “What about pajamas?”

  “In a tent?” He laughed out loud. “Just sleep in your T-shirt and underwear. That’s what I do.”

  “Okay.” She looked away, worry lines on her face.

  “Hey, you can bring pajamas if you want, but—”

  “It’s not that. The idea of whitewater rafting scares me. I read online that people have drowned rafting in Browns Canyon.”

  It was true.

  “Hey, come here.” He drew her against him, held her. “I’ll be there. Taylor, Moretti, and Chaska will be there. That’s four rescue guys, and two of us are paramedics. The rafting guide will be there, too. You’re not going to drown.”

  “How can you be sure?”

  He couldn’t resist. “I’m very good at mouth-to-mouth.”

  She laughed, pushing him away. “Yes, I believe you probably are. Now go. Let me get some sleep.”

  He left her suite, still grinning, and headed down the stairs and outside. He was on his way to his truck when he remembered what he’d planned to do.

  He hurried across the street and knocked on Rose’s door—hard.

  She poked her head out of the window above him, naked as a jaybird, her breasts visible, her long silver hair tousled. “Eric Hawke? What is it? Is someone hurt?”

  “Everything’s fine.” He hadn’t meant to scare her. “It’s eleven thirty-six. I just wanted to make sure you got the time right so you can tell everyone in Scarlet exactly when I left Victoria’s room tonight.”

  With that, he turned and walked to his truck, chuckling to himself.

  Vic looked at the others. “Why am I the only one wearing a wetsuit?”

  Everyone else was dressed in tank tops and shorts.

  Eric’s gaze slid over her. “I don’t know, but I’m grateful.”

  “Did Lexi tell you to buy a wetsuit?” Austin asked.

  Lexi shook her head. “I just said most people rent wetsuits.”

  They left their gear in the rafting company’s dressing rooms, then walked as a group down to the riverbank, where their guide, a tall man with a tanned face and shoulder-length, sun-bleached hair was waiting for them.

  Was it too late to back out?

  No, she couldn’t do that. Lexi and Austin had paid for this. Besides, she didn’t want to look like a chicken. If they thought this was safe, it was probably safe.

  Then again, most of them were rock climbers.

  “The number one rule of rafting is ‘stay in the boat,’” said the guide, whose name was Logan. “If you break that rule and fall in, or if the boat flips, the first thing you need to do is stay calm.”

  Somehow, hearing she should stay calm made Vic feel anything but, her heart beating fast and hard. Ten feet away, the Arkansas River raced by them, a swirling menace of rapids and eddies.

  “I’ll say that again. Stay calm. Your vest will bring you to the surface. It’s important that you get out of the water quickly to prevent cold shock. The safe way to do that is to point your feet downstream. Use them to keep yourself from hitting rocks. Some of those rocks you can see. Some you can’t. Use your arms like rudders to steer yourself toward the riverbank.” He looked over at Austin. “I know you’re all in Search and Rescue, but I have to give the speech.”

  Austin grinned from behind his sunglasses, zinc oxide on his nose. “We understand. Safety first.”

  “Any questions?”

  Vic had about a dozen, but she was pretty sure she’d sound like an idiot, so she kept them to herself.

  “Let’s get our boat in the water.”

  She grabbed her handle and lifted, the raft much heavier than she’d imagined. Fortunately, six other people were carrying it, too. Jesse had backed out at the last minute, showing up this morning at five a.m. in Austin’s driveway to say he couldn’t make it. Vic didn’t know why he’d backed out, but from the looks Austin and Eric had given each other, she’d bet it had to do with what had happened with the Team yesterday.

  “All right, everyone, get in. Taylor and Hawke, why don’t you sit up front? You’ve done this more than the others.”

  “I’d li
ke to sit in front of Victoria if that’s okay. I promised her she wouldn’t drown, and I aim to keep that promise.”

  “Let’s put her between the two of us.”

  While Logan held onto the raft, everyone got into their spots, Victoria positioning herself the way he’d shown her, oar in hand.

  “Okay. It looks like we’re ready to rock and roll.” Logan jumped into the boat and let the water take it. “We’ve got calm water for a while, so let’s practice rowing as a team. It’s important that we work together. Oars in the water.”

  Vic tried to do exactly what he told her to do, rowing hard when he told them to row hard, lifting her oar out of the water when he shouted, “Oars up!”

  “We’re coming up on our first rapid—Whitewater Park. We’re going to row hard right through it.”

  Eric turned to look at her over his shoulder. “It’s going to be fun.”

  She nodded, heart in her throat.

  “Row!” Logan told them.

  “Bring it on!” That was Austin.

  They flew through the rapid, the river seeming to drop from beneath them as if they were on a roller coaster, icy-cold water spraying up around them.

  Vic let out a shriek—then found herself laughing. “Woohoo!”

  “Hoka hey!”

  “All right!”

  “Yeah!”

  They hit two more sections with rapids, then came to a calm, lazy stretch. They glided along, Logan sharing the history of the Arkansas River Valley and naming the mountains that passed in the distance. “Those are the Collegiate Peaks over there, part of the Sawatch Range.”

  Vic took in the sights—grassy riverbanks, rocky foothills, distant mountains, sunlight sparkling on water. On the shore to their left, something moved. “A deer! Look! There’s a deer!”

  “Where are you from?” Logan asked.

  “Chicago,” everyone else said in unison.

  They stopped for a catered lunch at roughly the halfway point, paddling the boat into shallow water, then dragging it onto the sand beside a half dozen other rafts from other rafting companies.

  “How are you holding up, city girl?”

  Victoria smiled up at Eric, her dark hair damp, her face flushed from sunshine and excitement, the mirrored lenses of her sunglasses beaded with water. “This is a freaking blast!”

  He bit back a “told you so,” his arm finding its way around her shoulders as they walked toward the picnic area. Other rafters and their guides crowded around the tables, but the group found a place to sit for a quick lunch of deli sandwiches, potato chips, and fresh fruit. Then the women left en masse for a bathroom break.

  Why did women do that?

  Hey, I gotta take a piss. Want to come with me?

  Said no man ever.

  Eric didn’t miss the way other men’s gazes followed Victoria as she passed, checking her out from head to toe. As long as they kept their distance …

  “Hey, Hawke, did you hear what the other guides told Logan?” Taylor called.

  Eric’s head snapped around. “What did they say?”

  “Distracted?” Belcourt asked, a knowing grin on his face.

  Taylor ignored them both. “I heard them say that rain in the mountains near Leadville last night has pushed the flow higher than it’s been since the spring melt. Most of the boats going through Seidel’s have flipped today.”

  Seidel’s Suckhole was the only true class IV rapid on this stretch of the river and a real challenge. So many boats flipped there that people crowded the cliffs above it just to watch and cheer as rafters tumbled into the frigid water.

  “Good to know.”

  By the time the women had returned and the men had hit the john—one at a time—Logan had rejoined them.

  “We’ve got the best rapids of the day ahead of us,” he said. “Who’s ready to get back on the water?”

  They carried the raft to the water’s edge and climbed aboard.

  Eric turned to Victoria. “Here’s where it gets fun.”

  “I can’t wait!”

  The rapids came one after another now, Logan calling out the names and giving them instructions on how hard to row and when. Screaming Right Hand Turn. Canyon Doors. Pinball. Zoom Flume.

  Behind him, Victoria screamed and laughed like a kid on an amusement park ride, her enjoyment putting a stupid grin on Eric’s face.

  Heckle Jeckle. Big Drop. Seven Stairs. Widowmaker.

  A wave sprayed over his side of the raft, soaking him to the skin, and probably Victoria, too. She gave a shriek, then laughed.

  Raft Ripper. Graveyard. Last Chance.

  “You still with us, city girl?” he called over his shoulder.

  “It’s not over already, is it?”

  “Okay, we’re coming up on Seidel’s Suckhole,” Logan called out to them, shouting to be heard above the water. “When I tell you to row, give it everything you’ve got. Row hard, and don’t stop until I tell you.”

  They passed the Hecla Junction Access, where people on half-day trips were going ashore. A few minutes later, Eric saw Seidel’s Suckhole ahead.

  “What are all those people doing up there?” Victoria asked.

  Eric looked up, saw a big crowd on the cliffs. “They’re watching boats flip.”

  The raft ahead of them gathered speed, shot through the rapid, then vanished, sucked beneath the water, only to reappear seconds later, its passengers popping up above the surface and bobbing like corks as they made their way toward the riverbank.

  “Okay, row! Row hard!”

  The boat flew through the water, hit the rapid, then caught air, sending them sailing to the suckhole.

  “Row!”

  For a moment, Eric thought they’d nailed it. Then the boat vanished from beneath them, the current sucking them all down into the river.

  He managed to get a deep breath before he went under, the frigid temperature a shock to the system. He kicked for the surface, glanced around for the others. He saw Logan and Taylor. Belcourt had Winona. Lexi’s head popped up close to the boat.

  His heart gave a hard thud.

  Where was Victoria?

  He did a quick three-sixty spin in the water, the fierce current carrying him downriver. Then a head popped above the surface about five yards upriver.

  Victoria.

  She took a deep breath, then laughed and pointed her feet downstream.

  He fought the current, kicking hard to hold his position, and let the river carry her straight into his arms. Then he rolled onto his back and steered them to the safety of the sand. And there they lay, Victoria on top of him, panting for breath, the sunshine slowly bringing heat back into their limbs. It was only then that he realized the two of them had ended up on one side of the river, while everyone else was on the other.

  “You okay, city girl?”

  Victoria raised herself up, looked down at him, a brilliant smile on her beautiful face. “That was the most fun I’ve ever had.”

  Then she bent down and kissed him.

  Up on the cliffs, people cheered.

  They showered in the rafting company’s locker rooms, excitement still humming through Vic’s veins as she shampooed her hair.

  What an adrenaline rush this day had been.

  From the moment they’d hit that first rapid, her fear had vanished. Even when the boat had disappeared from beneath her, she hadn’t been afraid—stunned by the cold water, yes, but not afraid. She’d kicked her way to the surface, aided by her floatation vest, to find Eric searching for her. Her heart had melted when she’d seen the worry on his face. Then the river had pushed her into his arms, and he’d held onto her until they reached the sand.

  She tilted her head back to rinse the shampoo away, smiling to herself, the memory of their kiss sending a thrill through her. She wasn’t sure what had come over her. Maybe it was just the adrenaline. Maybe it had been the sight of him lying there, out of breath and sexy as hell. Or maybe it had been his concern for her.

  No man had e
ver put himself on the line for her before.

  She finished her shower, wrapped a towel around herself, and stepped out to make room for someone else. She dried off, rubbed lotion into her skin, and slipped into a white cotton tank top and a pair of hunter green hiking shorts she’d added to Eric’s skimpy pile. Had he really expected her to bring so little?

  Dressed like this, she felt so very Colorado. Here, women dressed like they were on their way to the gym—yoga pants or shorts, T-shirts, no makeup.

  She found Lexi bent over in front of the mirrors, drying her hair. “I saw that kiss.”

  Vic couldn’t help but smile. “I think a lot of people did.”

  The crowd on the cliff had actually cheered.

  She pulled a comb out of her makeup bag and began to work through her tangles, Lexi’s silence speaking volumes. “Let me guess. You’re going to warn me that Eric is a bit of a playboy and tell me I shouldn’t get my hopes up.”

  Lexi stood, flipping her red hair back. “Just be careful, okay? You’re my best friend, and he’s Austin’s best friend. I don’t want to see either of you get hurt.”

  And just like that, reality drove Vic’s smile away.

  Chapter 9

  Vic listened from the backseat while Austin and Eric ribbed each other, their banter helping her to drive away the sense of gloom left by Lexi’s warning.

  “Think they’ve got a gas station in St. Elmo?” Austin asked.

  “Dude, it’s a ghost town,” came Eric’s reply. “We’d better gas up now. Once I lose cell service, we’ll be going off a map. We don’t want to get lost and run out of fuel up there.”

  “Good idea,” Lexi said.

  “Get lost?” Austin asked. “Since when do I get lost?”

  Lexi laughed, shaking her head. “Are you serious?”

  “Let’s see …” Eric seemed to consider the question. “There was that time you got us lost on Grand Mesa. That was fun.”

  “That wasn’t my fault. Someone had turned the sign around.”