by Taylor Hart
He splashed her and laughed. “You had a nerd crush.”
She huffed. “You would say that.”
“What?”
“Nerd crush.”
He shrugged. “Fine, a professor crush. Hey, I’ve had one.”
“Really?” This took her by surprise.
“I have a degree, and I had some professor crushes.”
“You have a degree?”
“I know. I’m far too suave, built—”
“Pig headed.” She filled in.
He laughed.
“Total athlete type.”
He acted genuinely shocked. “I told you, ranch boy.”
“Right. But c’mon, look at you.” She realized she was revealing the fact she’d been looking at him, but she couldn’t stop herself. “You must be totally into your body.”
He grinned and flexed like a big dope athlete would. “You mean, look at these guns you haven’t been able to keep your eyes off of? Yeah, I noticed.”
“Case in point. Pig. Athlete.”
He laughed and splashed her. “Whatever, you don’t have to feel bad about checking me out.”
“I was not checking you out.”
“Were too.”
“Not.” For the second time that day, she’d been reduced to a four-year-old.
He splashed her again. “If you didn’t have a boyfriend, I might tell you that you don’t look too bad either.”
“You’ve already told me you think I look good today,” she retorted, liking he was blushing. She took her whole oar and shoved water all over him, completely drenching him.
He belly laughed, and his whole body shook. It made him look completely bizarre, and his laughter was contagious.
“See, you’re even more mountain man today.”
“You like it.” He used his oar to splash her.
Cringing, she spluttered and laughed. It turned into another one of those slow and sticky moments when both of them were laughing, then not laughing, and then staring at each other.
She shivered and tried to refocus. Before it was too late, she pointed next to his head. “Major rapids.”
Turning, he asked, “What?”
“Brace yourself.”
Chapter 6
Admitting he was terrified was not in Cameron Cruz’s nature, nor was admitting defeat. He grabbed his oar and furiously began padding, but to no avai;: they started falling and flying like a roller coaster—down, up, way down. His stomach flipped nearly ten times before they went into a free fall and finally hit the bottom, crashing and flipping onto the side.
He lurched out of the canoe and saw Kat do the same. The tide of the river caught him, sucked him down. He pushed off the bottom and found himself bobbing above the water. It all happened in seconds.
Searching for Kat, he remembered her instructions about getting caught in a tide and waiting on the side of the river if that happened. Beginning to swim to the side, he caught a glimpse of her red life jacket, barely under the surface of the water.
Without thinking he reached for the clip on his life jacket and yanked it off, tossing it aside. He plunged down toward her life jacket. He saw her thrashing in the water, trying to get free, and then he saw one of her feet was stuck between two rocks. Swimming deep, he pushed against a rock. By the grace of God, it moved. Kat rose to the top, and he followed.
When he surfaced, she was gasping for breath. Again, he didn’t think. He simply acted by grabbing the side of her life jacket and swimming for the side of the river. The canoe was a ways down the river, on its side against some rocks.
When they got to the edge of the water, he pulled her out. She was panting as she unbuckled her life jacket and threw it down. Then she lay down on the ground, still breathing loudly.
Deciding he didn’t care about anything except the fact she was okay, he flopped down beside her.
“You took your life jacket off,” she panted.
He laughed. “Yeah. I did.”
“Thanks,” she whispered between breaths.
“You’re welcome,” he said, not looking at her. Not thinking about how terrified he’d been that he might not be able to move the rock, that he wouldn’t be able to save her.
Not thinking for the third time that day, he took her hand, grateful to feel the human contact next to him. He didn’t know how long they stayed with their hands together, with the light of the morning sun warming them.
Finally, she sat up, taking her hand out of his and sucking in a long breath. “Oh my gosh.”
He sat up too. “Are you okay?”
Wiping her hand over her face, he noticed her sunglasses were gone. She pulled off her ball cap. Truly, she was far more beautiful than he’d ever imagined. No glasses. No lipstick. Nothing to change her features. She was even more beautiful when her lips cracked into a smile. “You saved my life.”
He liked how she said it, liked the sincerity. Liked he’d done something meaningful. Still, he shrugged it off. “Naw.”
She put her hand over his. “Thank you.”
Their eyes held, and Cam couldn’t stop his heart from pounding. Electricity jolted through him, making him want to run a pass into the end zone.
So he didn’t think. He simply closed the distance between them and pressed his lips to hers. Instantly, her arms went around his neck, and she pushed into him.
He pulled her closer. Their lips worked magic, moving so perfectly in sync. It made him wonder if they’d been made for each other. After his dad had passed, he’d broken it off with Tina; the relationship had felt stale and purposeless, plus his dad hadn’t liked her. Now, with Kat, it was like his entire life suddenly felt real again. It was like he’d just been reborn after being on the river with her today.
Suddenly, she backed away like she’d been scorched by the sun. Shaking her head, she stood and covered her mouth. “I can’t believe I just did that.”
Standing, he coughed, trying to get his bearings. Every part of him was alive, alert, and wanting to kiss her again. “Not the reaction I would have hoped for after a first kiss.”
Blinking rapidly, she wrapped her arms around herself. “I don’t know what I’m doing.”
Feeling bad he had kind of taken advantage of the whole “save your life” thing, he tried to block out the words he knew his sister would have said to him: What are you doing? She has a boyfriend! He trotted off down the river, picking his way across the rocks. He managed to get the canoe and drag it out of the rocks.
Within a minute, she was there, helping take the canoe. “Okay,” she said as they moved it into the water. She’d gotten her life jacket and had it back on. “Are you okay?” she asked him.
“Yeah.” But he wasn’t even halfway okay. That kiss had been something epic.
“The kiss didn’t mean anything,” she said quietly.
They only had one oar, and Kat was using it. He didn’t reply. At this moment, it would be possible for him to run fifteen miles, do a week’s worth of weight training, and still have enough energy to run drills. Unable to stop himself, he laughed. “You can lie to yourself about whatever you want, but you and I both know that that kiss meant something.”
She wasn’t looking at him.
Crazy. That’s how this was. His dad had always told him true love would hit him when he was least expecting it and at the worst time. Cam figured this must be it. But it couldn’t be. Could it?
Kat motioned ahead. “There’s the company van.”
When they were almost parallel to the van, he hopped out of the canoe with her. He insisted on picking it up and hauling it to the van.
“You don’t have to do that. It’s my job.”
“I want to.”
Silently she opened the back, and he pushed it in. She put the oar on top, then turned to him. “Thank you again.”
They stood right next to each other, face to face. She was about three to four inches shorter than his six foot two, but he liked the way they lined up. His last girlfriend had been
almost a full foot shorter.
Gently, he reached out and used the back of his hand to touch her skin, soft like silk. She closed her eyes, and he felt her shake. “Kat?”
She flicked them back open and pulled in a breath. “I shouldn’t even be talking to you.”
“Why?” he demanded, his hand still on her neck. “This happened, and now it’s going to be one of my songs.”
Spluttering for a second, she took a step back from him. “What song?”
“You know … it’s one of those songs. It’s right there, but it won’t come out coherently yet.”
“That doesn’t make any sense.” She shook her head.
“Sometimes the only thing that makes sense is the thing that doesn’t make sense.” He closed the gap between them and gently pressed his lips to hers again.
Her arms wrapped around his neck, and he felt her match his passion. Man, this woman felt amazing in his arms. She was every note and chord and lyric he’d been missing in his life.
Pulling back, she searched his eyes and then moved out of his arms. “I have to go.” She shook out her hands and rushed to the front of the van.
Another round of laughter escaped him.
Honestly, he couldn’t remember getting in her van and riding back to his car. The only thing he could think of was her. Them. Kissing. The way her hand felt in his when they had lain on the side of the river.
When she got to his truck, she didn’t turn the van off. Didn’t even look at him. “Thanks for going with Snake River Guides,” she said in a marketing voice.
Knowing she was waiting for him to get out, he did, but he stayed next to his door, holding it open. “Kat,” he said.
She shook her head. “I can’t, Cam.” She turned to face him, her eyes wide. “I’m sorry about today.”
Sinking was the only way to describe the feeling inside his chest. But what did he expect? “Don’t worry about it.” He shrugged, feeling tongue-tied and embarrassed like a teenager getting rejected by the homecoming queen for a date. “It’s no big deal. My sister told me I treat women like toys anyway. I put them back on the shelf when I’m tired of them.”
She frowned, looking confused. “Okay.”
Why had he just said that? He’d messed this up. It was strange, but he felt completely unsure of himself. This was the first time he’d felt this way around a woman in a long time. “Look.” He sighed and opened the van door, slipping out. “What I meant to say is, I’m not sorry about today.”
Her smile was sad, almost wistful. “Goodbye, Cam.”
“I hate goodbyes.” He held the door open. “I’ve said way too many of them lately. No, this is not goodbye.”
He shut the door and watched her pull away.
Chapter 7
The rest of her day was shot. Kat went back to the shop, reported the mishap and the fact she’d lost an oar and a life jacket, and told them she wouldn’t be coming in for her shift that afternoon.
“Come out with us tonight,” begged Jet, the other guy manning the shop.
“No.” She didn’t even look at him as she filled out the paperwork.
“C’mon, we’re going to The Boar to dance.”
“No.”
She left the shop, completely distracted by that awful man. Yes, he was awful. So, okay, he’d saved her life. There was that teeny tiny detail.
So what if Steven wasn’t her fiancé? They still were committed to each other.
Restlessness filled her. Cam was just a type. The wandering, gorgeous songwriter type. Dang it. No. He wasn’t gorgeous. Her mind flipped to a vision of him all wet, watching the van drive away. That beard was awful, she reminded herself. She could not do this.
Going back to the mansion she was taking care of, she went straight to her little two-bedroom cottage in the back and got into a hot shower. It wasn’t unheard of for her to stand in the shower for a long time. Her roommate used to complain if she didn’t get in before Kat, there’d be no hot water left. She liked knowing the hot water wouldn’t run out in this place.
Putting her hands to her lips, she closed her eyes and thought of him. Of the way his beard had felt against her skin. It had been wet, but she’d still liked it. She had liked the soft way his lips had been on hers. The strong way he’d held her. She blushed as she thought of the way his bicep had felt. Big. Strong. Like nothing could touch her in his arms.
She reached for the water and turned it to cold. No. She let it freeze her for a few seconds before turning it back to warm and quickly lathering up. There wasn’t time to think about this.
What had she been doing kissing him twice? Letting him kiss her. Kissing him back. Self-loathing erupted through her. No!
She had Steven. He knew everything about her … and he still loved her. They were going to make a plan. Well, she wanted to plan a future together. She didn’t know what, as of now, that looked like. As they’d talked for hours on Skype the past few months, he’d talked to her about where they could travel together and the ring he wanted to buy her—the real ring, not the one she’d bought on clearance at Wal-Mart.
Getting out of the shower, she quickly dried off, pushing Cam out of her mind. The kisses didn’t matter. They meant nothing. She would never see him again. Ever.
It was one day on the river. A day she wouldn’t dwell on. A day that was totally unreal. Let’s face it, a guy, built like Cam, goes out with her and ends up taunting her and teasing her and saving her life? What romance movie was she in, anyway?
None. She didn’t even like romance movies.
The only thing in her life that had ever been movie-like was the drama her mother always managed to carry with her like rich people carried poodles in their purses—yappy and always looking for someplace they could crap. That was her mother, always looking for something to say that would bring her down.
Finally, with Steven’s help and counsel, she’d been able to see her mother for what she was. Manipulative. Controlling. Cold. Unfeeling. Truly, she should have written her dissertation on narcissistic parents; at least she would have lots of case material to draw from.
Quickly drying off, she threw on shorts and a T-shirt. If she was going to keep up with her dissertation schedule, she needed to get some things checked off her list. It was a good thing she wasn’t working in the shop today. She needed to hunker down.
Rushing back to the bathroom, she blow-dried her hair a bit and threw it back and up into her standard bun, keeping it out of her face.
Grabbing her glasses and computer, she rushed out of the cottage and toward the main house. It was barely one, and she had to get the plants watered before she settled down in the large sunroom. She’d asked the owners for permission to write in it, and to her amazement and delight, they’d agreed.
When she finally settled down half an hour later, she couldn’t quite stop the rush of butterflies that fluttered in her stomach and rushed through her whole body when she thought of Cam’s face … Cam’s arms … Cam’s lips …
Dang it.
Giving in to the fact she couldn’t concentrate, she decided to do something she never did during the day, especially weekdays—after all, it was Thursday, and he’d be going to class or office hours or something. She called Steven.
After two rings, he answered. “Hey.”
Happiness filled her. “Hey.”
“What’s wrong?” He sounded out of breath.
“What? Nothing. Can’t I just call you?”
“Oh.”
She thought she heard a flutter of papers and a female voice in the background. “Steven?” Jealousy pulsed through her, and she thought about the texts she’d seen on his phone at Christmas—he’d been adamantly defending them for the past five months.
“Sorry, I was just visiting with a student. Can I call you back in a few seconds?”
Chapter 8
Cam got back from the canoe trip and went straight for the kitchen. Voracious was the only way to describe his appetite at the moment. He pulled ou
t bacon, eggs, and cheese and whipped himself up an omelet. Then, because he was feeling so happy, he pulled out the flour, salt, sugar, and all the things for homemade pancakes, which he hadn’t made since he’d been in college with his sister.
As he sat bloated in his recliner and flipped on reruns of The Brady Bunch Show, it didn’t even bother him that his trainer would be completely ticked off that he’d consumed so many “bad” carbs. He felt better than he had in months, more himself, more … content. As he drifted off into a mid-morning nap, he knew his good mood had everything to do with Katherine Foster.
* * *
When he woke up around one thirty in the afternoon, he didn’t dread getting up and figuring out what to do. Nope. He jumped up and went for the shower, getting out and not hesitating as he gave himself a much-needed trim.
It wouldn’t suit to shave the beard simply because she complained about it. No way. It wasn’t in Cam’s nature to be that accommodating, and in his experience, women really didn’t want a guy to be a pushover. But he imagined that Kat would comment on it, and that made him happy.
Of course she would. Hopefully he didn’t look like a thirty-something divorcé any longer. He glanced at his phone and wondered if he’d be able to catch her at the shop. He thought of ways to get her information and decided, before leaving his new house, to go to his safe and get a couple of hundreds out before leaving. He wanted to have bribe money, just in case.
When he pulled up to Snake River Guides, he noticed that a guy was manning the counter. “Hello and welcome,” the man said. “What can I do for you?”
Knowing he looked like a grinning fool, Cam went to the counter and tapped it. “Well, the first thing is I need to fill out a comment card about how great you guys are.”
“Really?” The man appeared surprised, but he pulled out a comment card and passed it to him. “Who was your tour with?”
Cam had purposely kept on his baseball cap and sunglasses. Even though he was feeling more like himself, he kind of liked not being known. Cam began filling it out. “Katherine Foster.”