“I need food.”
“There are many thimbleberry plants along the creek. You can eat while we walk. I’d like to get back down to the lake as soon as possible, so we can keep an eye out for Ozzy.”
“Yeah, I suppose that’s probably a good idea. I don’t want to run into him again. I’m developing a pretty serious dislike for thimbleberry though.”
Sara handed him the water bottle. “At least we’ll be going downhill.”
“Yippee.”
They set off down the creek, which was easier going because they had less greenery to fight off. Sara was idly pondering how Zack’s lips had felt on hers, when she stopped short at a noise up ahead along the creek. She turned her head to look back at Zack and held out her hand in a stop motion.
He shrugged at her. “What?”
“It’s a bear.”
“No way. Are you serious?”
“They often hunt for fish along creeks like this.”
“Great. Just what we need—a grizzly out here with us in the middle of nowhere. It figures. What are we supposed to do now?”
“It’s a black bear, not a grizzly. First, let’s try making some noise. Black bears that aren’t acclimated to humans will often run away. If he won’t go, we can hike into the woods away from the creek to go around him.”
“What kind of noise?”
“I don’t know. Sometimes hikers wear bells to let the bears know they’re there.”
“I haven’t heard jingling, so I’m guessing you didn’t pack those. Maybe some oldies will work.” Zack launched into his best Elvis imitation with a stirring rendition of “Teddy Bear.”
At the commotion, the bear looked up from his activities in the creek, pivoted, and ran off into the bushes.
Sara smiled at Zack. “That was quite effective. Was being an Elvis impersonator one of your past jobs too?”
“No, I just know a lot of old songs. I figured all the stuff in the song about lions and tigers might stress out the bear.”
“Whatever works. You do have the most beautiful voice.”
“Smokey didn’t seem too impressed.”
They continued hiking down along the creek and finally reached the lake again. Zack went to the shady area where they had been before and collapsed under the tree. “I’m seriously running out of gas here. The yucky thimbleberries wore off.”
Sara sat down next to him. “I’m hungry too. Hiking with no food is challenging, but I don’t think we should stop and try to catch a fish. What if Ozzy returns? I think it’s better to stay on the move.”
“I’m dying here. What do you suggest? More weeds?”
“That’s probably best. I’ll look for some more edible plants.”
“Ugh. I don’t even like salad.”
“It’s good for you.”
“I’d kill for some pancakes. Dripping with maple syrup.”
“Don’t start.” Sara got up and began examining the nearby flora. “You know that only makes matters worse.”
“I’ve spent way too much time being hungry. I hate this hollow kinda sick feeling in my gut.”
Sara held up a handful of dandelion leaves and handed them to Zack. “Here you go.”
He gnawed on a leaf and managed to scowl while chewing slowly. “Yuck.”
“Here’s some more. Let’s get going.”
Zack nodded and they walked north along the rocky sand. He took her hand and glanced over his shoulder. “I’ll miss this beach. I got to see you practically naked.”
“You were completely naked.”
“Skinny-dipping is awesome. Good times.”
Sara laughed. “A little food definitely improves your mood.”
“That was very little food. If we ever get out of here, I promise I’ll take you out to dinner. That’ll make me downright giddy.”
Getting around a huge outcropping of rocks required clambering and bushwhacking through dense vegetation again. As they made their way through the brush, Sara stopped suddenly and turned to look at Zack. “Do you hear that? I think it’s the boat motor.”
“Jeez, not again. Ozzy sure is persistent.”
“I think we’re almost to the next cove. Maybe we can see where he is before he sees us.”
“Sounds good. Lead the way.”
Sara continued pushing back branches, working her way through the woods, as the sound of the boat’s engines grew louder. She peeked through the leaves, shoving more lush shrubbery out of her way. Beyond her was another large grouping of boulders and a cove. She squeaked and covered her hand over her mouth. Turning to Zack, she whispered, “It’s the boat! Ozzy is right over there.”
He peeked around her shoulder. “What the heck is he doing?”
“I’m not sure.”
Sara and Zack watched as the boat floated aimlessly in the cove. The motor was off and it was bumping on the small waves that had probably been created by the boat’s own wake. Ozzy was definitely not a wispy slip of a man, and his prodigious girth jiggled as he fumbled around with a rope at the bow.
Zack chuckled. “I’m thinking Ozzy isn’t much of a sailor.”
“He’s cursing like one though.”
“Do you have any idea what he’s trying to do?”
“Not really. I don’t have much boating experience. Do you?”
“Nope. As you know, my first and only boating adventure ended in mechanical failure. Maybe he wants to tie the boat up to something. I mean, if he’s looking for the treasure, he’s gotta anchor that big ole sexy craft or do something to keep it from floating away from the beach, right?”
“True.” Sara put her hands on either side of Zack’s neck, pulled him to her, and kissed him enthusiastically. “Do you know what this means?”
“Nope. My brain kinda melted there for a second.”
She grinned. “Once Ozzy finally ties it up, or whatever he’s trying to do, and leaves, we can steal the sexy boat.”
With a quick hug, he returned her grin. “Okay, now you’re talking.”
A loud splash came from the direction of the cove and they both turned to look. Ozzy was flailing around in the shallow water, trying to jump up and reach something hanging from the bow of the boat.
Zack smiled. “Well, look at that. Here’s a gentleman who seems to have a bit of a wardrobe situation.”
“I think his shorts got caught on that cleat.” Sara covered her mouth to stifle a giggle. “I don’t think he’s happy about it either.”
“Those are some pretty big words he’s using. Don’t tell the second-graders.”
“I think when you kicked him, you must have broken his nose. He has a quite a shiner. Actually, wait—he’s got two black eyes. Ouch.”
“I’m not apologizing.”
From their hiding spot in the shrubbery, they continued to watch Ozzy as he retrieved his shorts and the rope from the boat. At length, he finally got the boat tied up to his satisfaction. He stood on the beach facing the lake, apparently considering his next move.
Zack whispered. “Come on you loser, go look for the treasure. You know you want it. Go on, leave! I’m starving here.”
“Shh, be patient. He still needs to get his supplies. Maybe he forgot them.”
Ozzy turned and began walking up the beach toward the forest. Zack smiled as the large man entered the trees and disappeared into the shade of the woods. “This is great. He sucks at this outdoor-adventure crap as bad as I do.”
“That’s disturbing. He’s unlikely to find someone like me to help him. Ozzy could die out here all by himself.”
“So what are you saying? We should invite him aboard while we’re ripping off his boat? Are you nuts?”
“We can’t just leave him here.”
“He’ll be okay for a while. We’ll call someone when we get back to civilization. Anonymously.”
“All right.” Sara moved and pushed back through the bushes. “Let’s go.”
They skirted the edge of the bushes, trying to keep an eye on the boat and
listen for Ozzy in case he looped around in their direction. At the sound of a branch cracking, Sara stopped, turned, and grabbed Zack’s shirt, yanking him downward.
At the jerking motion, he yelped and Sara covered his mouth with her other hand. She glared at him and raised her eyebrows as the sound of footsteps grew closer. He nodded and she moved her hand away. As he pointed toward the cove, he widened his eyes. Sara shook her head and mouthed, “Not yet.”
The footfalls through the trees continued to approach. Sara wasn’t sure what to do. If Ozzy caught them, they had absolutely no defensive weapons. Whacking him with her dry bag wasn’t going to work, and the little branches on the ground weren’t terribly threatening either. She continued to hold onto Zack’s shirt, in an effort to dissuade him from doing something impulsive and stupid.
He grabbed her wrist and pulled his shirt free. Sara shook her head emphatically at him. They weren’t close enough to the beach to have time to untie the boat and get away. It was better to wait and let Ozzy walk by them. She shook her wrist in his hand and silently mouthed, “Wait!”
Zack frowned at her, but didn’t move. The footsteps seemed to pass by them, but it was difficult to tell for sure. Sounds tended to bounce around in the forest and the huge leaves of the greenery surrounding them caused an odd muffling effect, so Sara wasn’t sure how close Ozzy actually was.
Zack shrugged and Sara made a wry face. They both turned their heads at the sound of a squirrel chattering. A thud came from that direction and a voice shouted, “Dammitall!” A rock sailed above them and landed somewhere in the sand with a thump.
Sara swallowed. Ozzy was about two feet away from them on the other side of a large clump of ocean spray bushes. He didn’t seem to be enjoying his nature walk. Zack smiled at her and mimed a pratfall. She grinned and stuck out her tongue in Ozzy’s direction. The sound of his swearing and crashing through branches grew fainter and Sara waved her hand, indicating that she and Zack could move forward toward the cove.
They crept next to the bushes that lined the rocks alongside the cove, attempting to remain hidden for as long as they could. Ozzy had tied the bow of the boat to a tree. Once they were as close as possible, Zack whispered, “So I’m thinking I’ll untie the boat from the tree, then we try to push it off the sand, and then get on.”
“I guess so. How are we supposed to climb up there? The ladder on the back isn’t lowered.”
“I’m not sure. We might have to wing it.”
“Wing it?”
“Improvise. Once it’s floating, we figure something out.”
“I hate your plans.”
“Do you have a better idea?”
“No.”
“Let’s go.”
They scuttled over to the tree and Zack worked to untie the line. He glanced at Sara. “Holy crap! Look at this knot. It’s like macramé.”
Sara got busy working on the knot with her fingers. Unfortunately, her fingernails were somewhat battered, so it was slow going.
Zack peered around the tree. “No sign of him.”
“Okay, I got it.” She threw the rope at him and he coiled it up as they ran across the sand toward the boat. They both shoved on the bow of the craft and cringed at the loud scraping sound it made as it moved backward along the rocks. Zack swore under his breath and said, “Keep pushing. It’s almost free.”
With a creak, the boat dislodged from a stubborn rock and began floating independently. Zack yanked on the rope and splashed into the water, pulling the boat farther out into the lake. Sara ran after him, slipping on the rocks in her frantic quest to keep up.
A shout came from the shore. “Hey! What are you doing? That’s my boat.”
Zack said, “We gotta get on the boat. Move it!”
Sara grabbed the rope and shimmied up, using every one of her elementary-school phys-ed class skills. She clambered over the railing and ran to the back of the boat, where she dropped the ladder. Zack dove into the water, swam to the ladder, and climbed aboard.
As Sara ran to the cockpit at the bow, she glanced toward the shore, where Ozzy was crashing through the bushes in his effort to get back to the lake.
She looked at the steering wheel and dials. The ignition switch was missing a vital component. There was no key. Zack ran up next to her. “What are you doing? We need to go now!”
“We can’t start the boat without the key. Ozzy must have it.”
He put his hand on her shoulder. “Figure out how to get the motor thingie down into the water. I’ll get the boat started.”
Sara nodded and ran to the back. She unlatched the huge motor and it fell into the water with a splash. Now the boat was floating in a meandering circle. If it ran aground, they were in big trouble. Ozzy was screaming obscenities as he ran through the bushes toward the lake.
She looked toward the front of the boat. Where was Zack? He hadn’t jumped overboard, had he? Sara ran up to the bow just as the engine made a huge roaring noise. Zack stood up from under the dash and grabbed the steering wheel. He wrenched it to the right and pushed the throttle forward. “Let’s hit it, baby.”
Sara wrapped her arms around him as the boat jolted into motion. She looked over her shoulder at Ozzy, who had reached the shore and was jumping up and down waving his arms.
Zack gunned the engine and the boat roared out of the cove, the wind whipping their hair around them. He grinned at her. “The way you climbed up that rope was totally hot. I’m taking you out for the best dinner ever.”
She gave him a kiss and said, “Physical fitness is important. I hate to ask how you know how to hot-wire a boat.”
“I’ve got lots of skills you don’t know about yet.”
Sara held Zack more tightly as the boat shot across the lake. He was probably right about that.
After they were well away from shore, Zack eased the boat down to a more reasonable cruising speed and they sat down and relaxed.
Sara slumped down in one of the vinyl seats on the side of the boat as the adrenaline rush from their escape began to subside. She was exhausted and Zack looked equally subdued.
His typically animated face was contemplative as he gazed out at the vast expanse of blue water ahead. Running away and performing acts of extreme maritime theft really took it out of you.
A slight movement at the edge of her vision caught Sara’s attention. What was that? She got down on her hands and knees and peered under the seats. A small furry face appeared from the shade and into the sunlight. Sara sat back and held out her arms. “Olivia!”
Zack turned to look. “You’re kidding me. The cat is here?”
Olivia crawled into Sara’s lap and she snuggled the small tabby close to her. “Oh, I missed you, sweetie. I’m so glad you’re okay.”
Cradling Olivia in her arms, Sara moved back up to the seat, since the floor of the boat wasn’t particularly comfortable. “How could she possibly have gotten onto this boat?”
“Don’t ask me. Maybe she’s Ozzy’s cat.”
“No, that’s not possible.” Sara stroked the soft fur on Olivia’s head. “For one thing, he doesn’t strike me as an animal lover.”
“Well, if she’s not his, that animal has gotta be running out of lives by now.”
Sara looked out at the lake. “Zack, do you have any idea where you’re going?”
He pointed straight ahead. “That way.”
“I’ll get my compass.” She put Olivia on the seat next to her and rummaged around in the dry bag. “Okay, I think you need to turn to head in a more northerly direction.”
“I don’t know what that means. Give me a left or right here.”
Sara got up, leaned over his shoulder, and reached down to put her hand over his on the steering wheel. She turned it slightly. “Go this way.”
She sat in the cockpit seat next to him. “We need to go back to the camp.”
“No, we have to get back to the marina and get my car first. They’re probably going to be pissed about that boat I lost too.”
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“But my car is at the camp.”
“Yeah, but they know you there.”
“Of course they do. So what?”
He glanced at her. “We’re in a boat we ripped off from a guy who tried to stab me. I think we might want to lay low and ditch this boat somewhere kinda discreetly.”
“It is a somewhat distinctive vessel. But I have to get back to camp. And I need to pick up Holly!” Sara put her face in her palms. “Oh, poor Holly. I feel terrible.”
“Don’t go beating yourself up about that again. Let’s get back to town, ditch the boat, and get my rental car. Then you can call everyone you need to call. I’ll take you over to the camp to get your car.”
“Well, I would like to eat something and take a shower before I see anyone I know.” Sara looked down at her filthy, stained, blackish-brown shorts. “And change my clothes. I think I may have to give up and throw away this t-shirt.”
“You could set it on fire.”
“Very funny.”
“Sorry.” He put his palm on her arm. “So I was thinking— could you look around for a cooler? Ozzy may not be a mountain man, but I can’t imagine him going anywhere without a stash of junk food and beer.”
“Food! I didn’t think of that. Yes, there must be food here somewhere.” Sara jumped up and held onto the railing, looking around the boat for cubbyholes that might contain provisions. She yanked a brown paper bag out of a compartment and held it up. “Jackpot!”
“What did you find?”
Sara sat in the seat and rummaged through the bag. “Cheetos.”
“All right! The cheese that goes crunch.”
“Unfortunately, that’s all there is. Just Cheetos.” She ripped open a bag and held it out to Zack. “I think some of Ozzy’s issues may be related to poor nutrition. Five bags of Cheetos is a lot for one person.”
Zack grabbed one of the fluorescent orange crisps from the bag and popped it into his mouth. “I haven’t had these in years.”
“I haven’t either. And yet I still find them revolting.”
“At least it’s not fish. There’s gotta be a cooler somewhere too.”
The Treasure of the Hairy Cadre (An Alpine Grove Romantic Comedy Book 8) Page 12