by Leigh Bale
“All we can do is our best.” Tanner used his napkin to wipe a splotch of ketchup off her chin.
She handed him his soda and watched as he took a long drink from the straw. “But what if it fails after all our hard work?”
He took another bite of his burger, chewed and swallowed before responding. “Have a little faith. This is gonna work.”
Tanner was telling her to have faith? She was surprised by this turnaround. Maybe she should listen to him. They’d done their best on this project. And with a prayerful heart, she decided to leave the rest up to the Lord.
By six o’clock that evening, bystanders gathered along the river. Farmers and ranchers parked their trucks along the side of the road.
Tanner pointed at the shallow stream. “It looks like the water is starting to rise.”
Zoë’s heart gave a sudden lurch. “Yes, I think you’re right.”
Wearing a new set of rubber waders, she walked out into the streambed, pacing impatiently through the murky water. Watching for any signs that the stream might be growing.
And grow it did. Slowly and steadily at first, meandering as it soaked into the partially cracked dirt. Then it gained momentum, the water rushing fast. By nine in the evening, the lower seven miles of the river went from just a trickle to running water at thigh level. But they hadn’t reached success yet. Not until the salmon appeared.
They radioed to the Fish and Game to open the fish trap. About an hour later, they turned on the floodlights and waited. The white plastic background would make it easy to see any fish passing by.
Tanner joined Zoë in the river, wearing a pair of hip waders to cover his green Forest Service pants. “Any sign of fish yet?”
Shaking her head, she shielded her eyes from the bright beams of light. She gazed at the shadowed stream. Watching. Waiting. Holding her breath.
Debbie and Blaine Milan waved from the shore to get Zoë’s attention. They’d brought their children and Jonah to see this amazing event.
“Mom!” Jonah called.
Zoë waded over to her son, but Tanner beat her there.
“Hi, Jonah. You want to see the fish with us?”
“Sure!”
“I want to come, too,” Billie said.
Tanner looked at Blaine. “Is it okay?”
Blaine nodded his permission.
Without another word, Tanner picked up the two boys, one in each arm, and sloshed through the water as he carried them to the middle of the stream. The boys wrapped their arms tightly around his neck and grinned from ear to ear.
“I hope they’re not disappointed,” Zoë told Debbie. “Our plan may not work.”
Debbie shifted the baby in her arms. “It’ll work. Tanner sure seems to like kids,” Debbie observed, her gaze pinned on the tall man.
He braced his legs apart against the current rushing against his knees and laughed. Seeming very much at home with the little boys.
Zoë nodded. A feeling of warmth flooded her chest as she watched Tanner interact with her son. “Our boys are easy to love.”
Debbie’s gaze settled on Zoë. “He seems to care a lot for you, too.”
Zoë didn’t pretend not to understand. “Stop your matchmaking. We’re just friends.”
Debbie made a face. “Yeah, right.”
Zoë ignored this. She remembered what being in love with someone who loved her back felt like and couldn’t help wishing she could experience that again. Whatever the outcome of their river project, she loved sharing this experience with Tanner and her little boy. It’d be so easy to become a real family, if only they lived in the same town permanently.
Cameras flashed, the noise of the crowd growing louder. A news crew set up their broadcast nearby, interviewing Chuck Daniels, the forest supervisor. Tanner sloshed back to the shore, setting the kids down.
“Sorry, boys, but my arms are ready to give out,” he admitted with a laugh.
“Thanks, Tanner. It was great,” Billie said.
Jonah grinned at Billie. “Yeah, none of the other kids got to go out in the river.”
Billie reached up and took the baby from his mother’s arms. Jonah followed as they sat down on a blanket Debbie had laid out for them and chatted animatedly as they watched the proceedings.
“Thanks for watching Jonah for me,” Zoë said to Debbie.
“You’re welcome. I know you’ll pay me back Friday night when Blaine takes me to the movies.”
Debbie went to sit with the children, giving Zoë some time alone with Tanner.
Tanner glanced at Chuck and the news crew. “They should be interviewing you. This was your idea, but Chuck will undoubtedly get all the recognition.”
Zoë shrugged, knowing that was how these things worked. They were the worker bees who came up with the idea and put the plan into action, but the big boss usually got all the credit. “I don’t mind, as long as I get to include it on my résumé and share the experience with you.”
Tanner met her gaze. “I feel the same. By the way, I’ve planned our kayaking trip for next week.”
“Good. I’ll be ready.”
Whisper Creek was the final tributary he planned to show her before their summer work project ended in three short weeks. The thought of not seeing him again once their work was finished brought Zoë an overwhelming sense of loss.
She followed as he trudged back into the river. The water level had risen to her midthighs, the current moving much more swiftly now. They stood there gazing at the water, watching for any signs of fish.
“There!” Tanner pointed as the undulating body of a steelhead darted past.
“I saw it. A giant. At least sixteen inches long,” Zoë exclaimed with a laugh.
“Maybe more.”
The fish headed upstream toward the various tributaries branching off from the river. If there was one fish, perhaps there would be more to come.
Shifting her weight, Zoë’s foot sank into the mud of the river bottom and she stumbled. Tanner shot out an arm to catch her. In the eerie shadows, she gazed up into his eyes. Their noses almost touched. Time stood still. The rush of the river filled her ears.
“You okay?”
“Yes.” She barely heard his low voice above the rush of water. He released her arms and stepped back, turning his head down to watch for fish.
He pointed again and again. “There!”
“How wonderful.” Zoë’s voice sounded shrill with delight.
Hearing their excitement, the video operator turned the lens on the spot where they’d seen the fish. Too late. The steelhead was gone. But more soon came in its place. Salmon and trout. Tanner’s deep laugh mingled with hers as the fish swarmed past, bumping against their legs.
Without thinking, she linked her arm with his and hugged him tight. Tanner gave a low grunt and she let him go. He might think she was being forward, but she didn’t care. It’d been a long time since she’d felt happy, and she wanted to share this moment of triumph with him.
“I’m so proud of you,” he whispered against her ear.
Her stomach fluttered. “Thank you. I can’t tell you how much that means to me.”
“Hey, Tanner. Come on in.”
They turned and saw Chuck waving to them from the shore.
Tanner heaved a sigh of satisfaction and gazed at the water swirling around his knees. “Looks like I’ve been summoned. I guess it’s time to go to shore, unless we want to start swimming.”
“I guess so.”
He reached for her hand, gripping her fingers tight. As they plowed through the water and up the muddy shore, he steadied her. Rivulets of water drained off their waders as they climbed to dry ground.
Without another word, he headed toward Chuck. Zoë joined the Milans, enjoying their animated conversa
tion as they asked her about the river project. She’d come to Steelhead to make a difference for the endangered fish and she’d done her job. Her success gave her a deep satisfaction for what she and Tanner had accomplished here tonight.
The summer was almost over. Their kayaking trip would be their last excursion together. She and Jonah would move on, but she didn’t want to leave.
As she loaded Jonah into the Milans’ car and kissed him goodbye, she knew she’d see him again in a few more hours. But Tanner was different. Once she left Steelhead, she wouldn’t see him again. In retrospect, she was glad she hadn’t gotten closer to him. A romantic involvement would only complicate her life. Yet, when she contemplated boxing up her home and returning to Portland, she felt as if she was losing something very important to her. And she knew what that something was.
Her best friend.
* * *
Where was she? Tanner craned his neck, looking through the crowd, searching for Zoë.
“Let me find her,” he told the news reporter. “This was all her idea and I’d like her to speak with you about it.”
The reporter waved his hand, looking uninterested. “Never mind. I’ve got everything I need for my report. I’m heading back to the newsroom now to get this story in for the ten-o’clock news. I can’t wait any longer.”
“But Zoë Lawton is the one you should be interviewing. This whole project was her idea from the start. She did most of the planning and the work.”
The reporter ignored him, turning toward the news van while the cameraman gathered up his equipment.
Tanner whirled around, his gaze scanning the crowds of people on the shore. Desperate to find Zoë. He wanted to share this moment with her. He wanted to share everything with her. His life, his love.
By the time he found her, the news crew had left. He admired Zoë’s delicate silhouette outlined by the dark night sky. Moonlight glimmered off the waves like a zillion tiny diamonds.
“How’d your interview go with the media?” she asked.
In the shadowed darkness, he thought he heard an edge of irritation in her voice, but her face remained calm. “Fine. I tried to find you to participate, but when I turned around, you were gone. The news reporter didn’t want to hang around.”
Her shoulders tensed and she released a thin sigh. “Yeah, that’s the way it goes sometimes.”
He was getting bad vibes here. Gone was the camaraderie they’d shared, and he sensed that something was wrong. Normally he wouldn’t care, but this woman’s opinions mattered greatly to him. He didn’t want to upset her in any way. “Zoë, are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m dandy.” She looked away. “I think I’ll check on the camera crew one last time to see how the quality of their footage is turning out. It’s almost time to wrap things up.”
She walked away before he could reply. He stood there alone, the night wind rustling leaves in the cottonwoods overhead. As he watched her go, he felt lost and lonely. As if he was the only man on earth.
In that moment, he realized that Zoë and Jonah had changed his life. As much as he’d tried, he couldn’t go back to the way things had been. He was a better man when he was around them—he couldn’t deny it. And yet, they made him remember how fragile life was and how easy it was to crush his heart.
His dilemma had increased. He loved her and wanted to spend the rest of eternity with her. He could live his life alone and empty, or he could ask Zoë to stay. It was that simple. Summer was almost over. He needed to speak his mind soon, before he lost her for good.
Chapter Fourteen
Today was the day. Tanner had it all planned. He’d take Zoë kayaking down Whisper Creek. They’d have a lot of fun on this working trip. He’d packed a simple but delicious lunch for them. And when he brought her home that evening, he’d invite her out to dinner at Fresco’s, the only Italian restaurant in town. Over lasagna and drippy candles, he’d tell her how he felt about her and ask her to stay.
Standing in Zoë’s living room, he picked up her backpack with one finger, startled by its light weight. “This is all you’re taking along?”
She stood before him in bare feet, her short blond hair spiked at the nape of her neck with a bit of gel. He caught the faint scent of her sweet perfume. She’d brushed her long eyelashes with mascara, her cheeks dusted with a hint of blush. He suspected her styled hair and makeup would be ruined the moment a wave hit her in the face, but he appreciated her efforts just the same. And he couldn’t contain a rush of anticipation. He got to spend the entire day with her. Just the two of them.
“And this, too.” She handed him a plastic container.
He popped the lid, his mouth salivating as the aroma of cinnamon and sugar wafted through the air. He stared at four huge cinnamon rolls slathered with cream-cheese icing. “Did you make these?”
She nodded, a relaxed smile creasing her lovely mouth as she sat on a kitchen chair. Dressed in a simple green T-shirt and knee-length shorts, she pulled on a pair of lightweight water socks before standing again.
“I’m ready.” She gathered up her sunglasses and a Chukar baseball cap from the table.
“Have you got some dry clothes?” he asked, trying not to eye her shapely calves.
“Yep. And an extra pair of shoes, in case one of these gets sucked off by the water.”
He understood perfectly. The possibility of rolling in a kayak during their trip meant she might have to swim. Wearing heavy shoes that became waterlogged wasn’t fun, but even the lighter water socks and wet-suit booties could still be sucked off a person’s foot. “How about some extra towels?”
She nodded and waved a yellow dry bag at him. The watertight bag would keep her towels and extra clothing dry even if her kayak rolled.
“You’re sure a light packer.” He couldn’t help remembering the huge, heavy suitcases Cheryl had insisted on packing when she’d taken him to Oregon to meet her parents.
Zoë shrugged. “I have what I need, even in case of an emergency.”
She reached for her house keys and they stepped outside. The screen door clapped closed behind them. After locking up the house, she walked with him down the paved sidewalk to his truck.
“I suppose in our line of work, we learn to pack light,” she said. “Besides, I can’t carry a ton of stuff with me in the boat. If I roll, it’ll all fall out and I’ll have to chase it down.”
He agreed. And yet, he couldn’t help feeling that every time he was with this woman, she found another way to surprise him. He couldn’t wait for tonight. He couldn’t wait to spend the rest of his life with her.
“Jonah’s very upset that he can’t come along with us,” she said.
At the truck, Tanner took the dry bag from her hands and tossed it in the backseat with his own. “Is he staying with the Milans today?”
She chuckled. “Yes, so that made him feel a bit better. Blaine’s taking them to a kids’ movie this afternoon. I’m sure Jonah will stuff himself with popcorn and candy to help himself feel better about missing out on our kayaking trip.”
He grunted. “Good. There’ll be plenty of time to go kayaking with him later on, when he’s older.”
As Tanner opened the passenger door for her, he thought about the future and becoming a real family. He wanted their day to be perfect before he popped the question.
She tied the sleeves of her drytop water shirt around her waist. Then she climbed up into the truck, a bit more quiet than usual. What was on her mind?
“I’m glad we decided to take this trip,” he confessed, suppressing the urge to blurt out his feelings right now.
“You are, huh?”
He stepped nearer. “Yes, very much.”
“Me, too. I like being with you.” She rested one hand against his chest, her touch sending shock waves through him.
She met his gaze without flinching. Almost as if she dared him to kiss her. And he wanted to. A mass of whirling tops swarmed within his stomach. He leaned closer, until barely a hairbreadth of space separated their faces.
Tell her now. Tell her you love her.
The words filled his mind, but he resisted. He wanted her to remember this day for the rest of her life. To create a special memory for both of them this evening. “I like being with you, too.”
“Well, at least you’ve finally admitted it. I had my doubts after our first meeting with Harry Ragsdale.”
A laugh burst from his throat. “Me, too, but I think you’ve proven your worth many times over since then. Especially considering the success of our water-irrigation project.”
She swatted playfully at his shoulder. “Is that right?”
“Yeah.” He ran his thumb over the top of her right hand where the caustic water had burned her. “It looks like you won’t have any scarring.
“No. It was superficial. No scars, except for right here.” She pointed at a thin white line near her right wrist.
Without thinking, he lifted her hand and placed a gentle kiss there. She responded by squeezing his fingers. As he gazed into her eyes, he felt mesmerized. And before he could think to stop himself, he leaned forward and softly kissed her lips.
She drew back and made a pretense of shifting her weight on the seat. Her pale face heated up like road flares. Shy and nervous. To cover the awkward moment, he pretended to inspect their kayaks one last time.
“Did you ever get the report back on your water samples from Hansen Creek?” he asked.
“Yes, and it’s no wonder I got chemical burns from that caustic water. The report showed it was basically the pH balance of battery acid.”
“Battery acid!” Tanner cringed before closing her door and walking around the truck. He climbed into the driver’s seat and shook his head, as though he couldn’t believe what she’d told him. “At least we now have the ammunition to force the mining company to pay for cleanup.”
Zoë snorted. “We both know it’ll cost millions to clean up those contaminated tailings. Pollution like that will endure for a thousand years.”