Love's Sporting Chance: Volume 1: 6 Romantic sporting novellas

by Janice Thompson

  “So are you going to answer me or not?” Garrett strode over to lend his bigger bulk to the fire shield and slapped him on the shoulder.

  “I don’t know.” He curled his lip at his best friend. “She’s…” He reached over and gingerly placed a couple of small branches on the burning kindling.

  “Come on, Keats. This is worse than pulling teeth. She’s what?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Yeah, you do.” Garrett persisted. “She’s what? Funny? Annoying? Kind? Stubborn? What?”

  Garrett grabbed his wrist when Keats would have ignored him and snagged another stick of firewood. He turned and glared at his friend. “All of the above and more! Are you happy? I blame you for this, you know.”

  “No kidding, but I like to know exactly what I’m being blamed for, so lay it on me, Buddy.” Garrett’s face was inches from his own. The clinking of pots and the murmur of the women’s voices drifted over from the front of the lean-to. He caught a whiff of food cooking on the camp stove and his stomach growled. “Bonnie’s cooking polenta pizza and Darby’s making bannocks, but we’re not eating a crumb of it until you tell me what’s going on.”

  Keats scowled but held his ground. If Garrett wanted to get in his face over this, fine! “Nothing’s going on. She’s nice, that’s all.”

  Garrett threw back his head and howled. “She’s nice?” He finally gasped. “That’s it? That’s all you got?”

  “That’s enough.” He whipped off his glasses and polished them on his damp shirt and stared into the fire. “It’s too much!” He adjusted his glasses on his face and narrowed his eyes, piercing his friend with an angry stare. “She reminds me of Jess, the way she gets into her pack, the way she chews her finger when she’s thinking.”

  “And I would know those things because…?” Garrett raised his eyebrows and put on his innocent face.

  “She’s Bonnie’s cousin.”

  “Yeah, so? A lot of people put on their pack a certain way.”

  “Not like this!” He rubbed his forehead to ease the tension building up inside him. “She’s—” His frustration blocked all coherent thought.

  “Oh, so you had a good time today. That’s it, isn’t it? You enjoyed yourself and the company and you hate her because of it.”

  He hated it when Garrett got smug. “I don’t hate her, but I don’t like her either.”

  “Understood. Darby’s a lot like Bonnie.” Garrett pulled his features into a pained expression and whined. “It’s horrible … they’re nice.” His friend stepped back and gestured with open palms. “Look, it’s only for a few more days. It’s not like she’s asking you to donate a kidney or marry her or anything. She’s just hiking with us. Cut her some slack. Darby’s been through a break-up with a guy who was her boyfriend and boss for five years. He dumped her for someone else and she just quit her job.”

  Keats nodded, mentally filing the information. “The Viking and little blond doll on the other team.”

  Garrett raised his eyebrows. “She told you?”

  “No,” Keats muttered. “I’ve got eyes.”

  “Yes, you do.” Garrett grinned and clapped him on the shoulder.

  “Supper’s ready, Guys. Come get it while it’s hot.” Bonnie’s voice saved Keats the painful process of examining the meaning of his friend’s comment.

  Chapter 5

  Darby awoke to the smell of coffee and the nip of the damp cold on her nose. She thought about pulling her head down into her semi-warm sleeping bag and dozing off again, but the aroma of coffee and the unforgiving wood floor of the lean-to biting into her hip bones convinced her to brave the silent wilderness dawn.

  She quietly squirmed out of the warm cocoon, careful not to disturb Bonnie and Garrett sleeping peacefully beside her, and inched her way to the opening of the shelter. She pulled on her stiff boots and slowly got to her feet. Her boots weren’t the only thing that was stiff. She hobbled on sore muscles to the fire pit where Keats hunched over the camp stove.

  She might be hurting, but she felt refreshed in body and soul, better than she had in months. “Might some of that coffee be for me?” she whispered.

  “Help yourself.” Keats never looked up as he scrolled through pictures on his phone, but she noticed he’d set three clean mugs out on the log seats. She poured herself a cup and inhaled the strong brew before she sipped. As the hot liquid warmed her on its downward path, Darby looked up at the lightening sky and sighed. Life is good. When did I stop seeing that?

  “This is good, thanks,” she murmured.

  When he didn’t respond, she came over and stood beside him, watching the march of photos in a replay of yesterday. There she was, lying back, sunning like a lizard on the rock at lunch; crossing the stream, her stern face looking like she’d eaten nails for breakfast; standing, head back, gazing up at the falls with crystal droplets suspended in the air around her, shimmering like silver. Huh! I don’t remember doing that. The image changed to a close-up of their bare toes almost touching on the glossy rocks as the spray danced around their feet. Several more pictures whisked by before it ended with the silhouette of her walking in full periwinkle backpack and pink anorak on the trail to their campsite. I rock those colors if I do say so myself!

  She turned her attention from the phone to the man. “When did you take all these?”

  “I believe you were there.”

  He looked up at her and she felt the warm blush rise in her cheeks. “It appears I was. They say pictures don’t lie. I’m impressed.” Her hand came down of its own accord and nearly rested on his shoulder, but she thought better of it and pulled it back. It’s just a friendly gesture, but… Instead she wrapped both hands around the warm tin mug. “You’re a good photographer. I can’t take a decent picture to save my soul.”

  “Everyone can take a selfie.”

  Darby grimaced. “Oh, please. Even if that were true, I’m not a selfie kind of girl.”

  She took another sip of coffee before she looked toward the horizon. No sunrise, just a lowering sky. Better get moving and try to iron out the kinks. I can’t have Atticus thinking… Thinking what, exactly? What was she thinking? Did she really care what he thought? Yeah, maybe a little; okay, a lot.

  She crippled along on aching shins in a slow amble to the edge of the clearing and looked down the path they’d hike today. Last night around the fire, they’d studied the trail maps and made plans. She closed her eyes for a moment, seeing their tired but happy faces in the flickering light, warmed by good food and great friends, hearing their laughter as she and Bonnie sang the old campfire classics. Garrett had finally joined in after much teasing, but Keats had remained silent. As the fire died down, he’d become more aloof. Keaton Atticus Cooper hadn’t budged when the rest of them bedded down for the night. The last she’d seen of him was his solitary dark form hunched in the glow of the embers.

  Darby had tried to listen and wait for him to come to the shelter and settle in on the other side of Garrett, but once she’d closed her eyelids, she was gone and never moved until morning. She heard the thump of boots behind her, opened her eyes and turned to face Keats. “Did you sleep?” The words were out before she could stop them.

  “Oh yeah, I’m good to go. More so than you, by the looks of things.”

  She shrugged and downed the rest of her coffee. “I’m just outta shape. I hate to admit it, but there it is. Once the coffee kicks in and we hit the trail, I’ll be fine.”

  Keats took her mug and set it on a rock. “Try this, it’ll help you loosen up and work out the kinks.”

  She stared at him as he slowly moved through a sequence of tai chi exercises.” He stopped abruptly and raised his eyebrows. “It’s a little tai chi. It won’t kill you.”

  “I know. But I didn’t expect my Boy Scout to go all modern millennial guy on me.”

  “You might be surprised.”

  “Well, if she’s not, I’m more than a little surprised. I’m shocked.” Garrett strolled up behind Kea
ts and grinned.

  “Don’t knock it ‘til you try it,” Keats said.

  “Hey, none of those ballerina moves for me.” Garrett snorted and it earned him a cuff on the shoulder from Keats. Garrett held up his palms in surrender and dodged behind Darby. “If you’re finished with the abuse, I’ll hustle us up some breakfast. When you guys are done rehearsing for the dance recital, come on over and we’ll talk about hiking like real men.”

  He laughed and spoke low in Darby’s ear. “Keep an eye on him. We don’t want him going over to the dark side.” Garrett squeezed her arm before he jogged back to the shelter.

  “Everyone’s a comedian,” Keats muttered.

  “Obviously Bonnie’s got her work cut out for her.” Darby grinned. “Forget about those Neanderthals who can’t think outside the box. I’m ready to bust some ballerina moves.”

  “Let’s do this.”

  Darby mimicked his movements until Garrett pestered them to eat and pack up. At breakfast, they chatted about the upcoming day hike, but Darby carefully avoided the subject of the evening when they were due to meet up with the Peak Baggers Too. AKA the Neanderthal and his peewee bubblehead sidekick. The mental taunt did little to squelch her nerves. Don’t think about them. Let it go.

  She stuffed everything in her pack and slipped it on, ready to face the trail, or at least ready to hike herself into a coma so she wouldn’t think about tonight. “Hey, Darby, let’s do this.” Bonnie beckoned her over to the fire pit where she stood with the two guys.

  Darby made a final adjustment on her backpack strap and walked over. She flexed her shoulders, surprised at the ease of motion and no pain, at least not yet, but the day was young. For now, the tai chi must’ve worked its magic.

  Bonnie clasped her hand and the touch startled her but not as much as when Keats slipped his warm calloused hand in hers. Darby looked first at her cousin who, in typical Bonnie fashion, winked and grinned. Absolutely no help there. When she turned her gaze to Keats, he immediately bowed his head as if he suddenly discovered an urgent need to study his boots. Wrong.

  Bonnie’s voice piped up, soft in the stillness of the mountain air. “Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for this day and for this time together to share our friendship and enjoy the beauty of Your creation. Help us to appreciate all the gifts and opportunities You send our way today.”

  Darby bowed her head and closed her eyes. Her heartbeat galloped out of control as Bonnie squeezed her hand. Pray out loud in front of Keats? No way! Silence flooded the clearing but only for a moment until Garrett’s deep voice picked up the prayer thread. “And, Lord, please keep us safe on the trails. Watch our feet and our hearts, that everything we do and everywhere we go might be pleasing and honoring to You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

  “Amen” echoed around the circle, but when Darby peeked at her friends their heads remained bowed.

  Keats baritone rose in the quiet, low and heartfelt. “I’d like to close with the Traveler’s Psalm, one of my favorites. ‘I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made Heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

  “‘The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.

  “‘The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.’” (Psalm 121 KJV)

  A chill ran through Darby at the power of those words in this setting. That was beautiful.

  “Amen.” Bonnie and Garrett echoed again and brought her back to reality before the circle broke.

  Bonnie squeezed her hand once more before she let it drop. “You could’ve given me a little heads-up,” Darby whispered.

  “Just like the old days in youth group.” Bonnie’s eyes sparkled.

  “It’s been a while since those days.”

  “Yeah, but being up here always makes me want to pray. I feel closer to God and I want to let Him know.”

  “Yeah, I feel it.”

  “You ready?” Garrett asked.

  “Just a sec, Hon.” Bonnie leaned closer. “Don’t worry about tonight and what’s-his-name. It’ll be a piece of cake. You’ll be fine.”

  “Yeah, thanks for bringing that up to start off my day.”

  “Try not to think about it,” her cousin said.

  Good luck with that.

  “We’re burning daylight.” Garret’s voice intruded.

  “He’s such a romantic at times like this.” Bonnie grinned. “We’ll talk tonight at Traveler’s Pass, God willing.”

  “God willing.” Keats repeated as they walked out of the campsite and hiked single file along the trail. About a half-mile up, they reached the marker where the trail split, right to Mason’s Perch, left to Grand Pond.

  “You got the water route yesterday. We get it today,” Bonnie said as they stopped for a water break.

  “Just remember, if someone asks you to retrieve a rock from the middle of the pond, don’t fall for it,” Darby teased, her eyes on Keats.

  As usual he had his phone out, snapping pictures of Garrett studying the map. He didn’t take his eye off his subject but he laughed. “Just you wait. I’ve got big plans for that rock.”

  Garrett looked up and grinned. “Hey, when did you start taking pictures of live subjects again?”

  “He’s got a ton of pictures of—”

  Bonnie flashed past Darby and elbowed her husband in the ribs. Garrett immediately clamped his lips shut.

  What’s going on?

  Keats pocketed his phone and gestured with his head toward the trail to Mason’s Perch. “We better get going. See you tonight.”

  “Yeah, tonight.” Bonnie echoed. “Keats?”

  He turned to her cousin, his face somber. “I’m fine.”

  “But…”

  “No worries. Let’s go.”

  He strode off and Darby stared after him. She waited until he disappeared into the trees. “What just happened?” she asked.

  Bonnie opened her mouth as Garrett wrapped his arm around her neck and angled his wife’s face toward his. “Don’t,” he said.

  “But it’s—”

  “I promised we wouldn’t. It’s not our story to tell.” Garrett cupped her cheeks with his hands and they stood, foreheads nearly touching.

  “I hate to intrude on the moment, but I’m feeling a little left out here. Anyone care to enlighten me? Please?”

  “We can’t,” they said in unison.

  “Great.”

  Bonnie rushed over to her. “Don’t worry, it’s nothing bad. Well, it’s kinda bad.”

  “More like sad,” Garrett said.

  “Yeah, but it’s not like Keats is an axe murderer or anything.” Bonnie crushed her in a quick hug. “You’ll be fine.”

  “So you say. I feel so much better now.” Darby sighed and stared down the gloomy trail.

  “You’d better go after him,” Garrett said.

  “Don’t you mean catch up to him?” Darby asked as she walked away.

  “Same thing.”

  But it’s not.

  Darby’s long stride ate up the distance over the root-laced terrain. The trail switch-backed around a massive blow-down of tangled spruce before it angled sharply upward. She paused to get some air into her lungs before attacking the vertical set of natural stone steps before her.

  “Did you find out everything you wanted to know?”

  She spooked and nearly jumped out of her skin at the voice in her ear. She spun around to face him. Keats’ eyes were hard as granite and just as cold. What had happened? Had she said something wrong? No, it had been Garrett. Everybody knew all about it but me. Nothing to do but brazen it out and hopefully not trounce his feelings about whatever it was she knew nothing about. Good luck with that! “I d
on’t know what you mean.”

  He nodded and the muscle in his clenched jaw stood out like iron under the dark stubble. “Okay, then, let’s go.”

  “Wait.”

  “Ah, there it is.”

  “No, there it isn’t.” She pushed back a stray piece of hair from her face and waited, but she might as well have been talking to a tree. “I don’t know what happened back there, but it was obviously something. Do you want to talk about it?”

  His hazel eyes stared through her, and he was silent for so long she wondered if he was aware of her presence. “No, I don’t.”

  “Oh.” Awkward!

  “Probably no more than you want to talk about your God thing.” He finally moved and she drew in a deep breath, rattled to her core, sinking deep into conversational and emotional quicksand.

  “What God thing? I don’t have a God thing.”

  Keats took off his hat, fussed with his short brown hair, trying unsuccessfully to smooth the cowlick at the back. He stopped all of a sudden, puffed out his cheeks and jammed the dark blue ball cap back on his head.

  Should she walk away from this and just hike as if nothing happened? Can’t. The accusation hit a nerve. Maybe if I give a little, he can, too. “Okay, you may have a point, but I’m not an absolute heathen. It just hit me this morning that Bonnie held onto her faith and I’ve pushed mine aside. I pray and go to church sometimes, but it’s not the relationship I had with God when I was younger. It’s not the relationship you guys have. I realize I miss it and I need to work at getting that closeness back.”

  Keats nodded and strode past her. Darby reached out and caught his elbow. “Wait. I bared my soul. What about you?”

  He stopped and glowered at her in the dim light, his lips straight as a stick. His words, when they came, were monotonic. “I didn’t ask you to.”

  “Seriously? Look, you don’t have to say another word, but let’s get this straight. It’s okay for me to come clean but you’re gonna pull the strong, silent type treatment and brood all day long behind your camera?”