by Hall, Roni
Ben smiled. “Let’s get your luggage and I’ll fill you in along the way.”
Talking with Ben was effortless and her anxiety subsided on the two hour ride to the canyon. He briefed her of his history with Kevin, how they had met in college and had been friends ever since. Ben hadn’t finished college. He’d felt claustrophobic inside of classrooms, or any buildings for that matter. Having grown up in a rural area of North Dakota, he’d returned there after leaving school. He’d wandered around, taking odd jobs in search of what he wanted to do with his life. Kevin had always stayed in touch and had urged Ben to join him in Montana. He’d never regretted the move. Montana had become his home.
Jamie marveled at the scenery along the way as the truck climbed winding mountain roads lined with endless regal pines in every imaginable shade of green against the blue Montana sky. Air had never smelled or tasted so fresh and clean, scented by the complex forestry. She had not traveled much, and living in New York City she never fully appreciated Mother Nature’s majestic beauty. Until now.
“It’s absolutely breathtaking! I understand why you never want to leave.” Jamie was in awe.
As they neared the camp, other vehicles and campers came into sight in a clearing. There was a flurry of activity as they pulled in. Everyone was busy unloading trucks and setting up camp. They would all sleep here tonight and take off rafting in the morning. Jamie’s unease returned tenfold as she watched the fit and rugged crew setting up their equipment.
What the hell am I doing? Everyone here looks like they belong on the cover of Outdoor Life Magazine. I know NOTHING about camping or rafting! I’ll either die or make a complete fool of myself. I live in New York City. Roughing it is when there is no open coffee bar for three blocks. How am I going to fake this? Her innards were screaming at her.
Ben recognized many friends that had reunited for this annual outing, but he’d mentioned there were new faces also. As he introduced Jamie around it seemed obvious that he needed time to catch up with his buds, so she seized the opportunity to escape and calm her nerves in private. The scene reminded her of an ant farm, everyone busy performing their tasks, an organized chaos. Feeling completely out of her element and attempting to hide it, she explored a path upward over a small ridge that snaked down to the river. There were no rapids here, but the rushing sound of the water as it circumvented the rocky landscape commanded her attention. Again, the surrounding beauty astonished her but unexpectedly also had a calming effect. The scenery alone made the trip worthwhile, she reassured herself. The river mesmerized her.
“Pretty cool, huh?”
A young voice broke her trance and Jamie became aware of a small boy, about eight years old, standing next to her.
“Way cool.”
“My dad always talked about this river but this is the first time he let me come with him. I can’t wait to go rafting.”
“Oh good, then you’re a rookie, like me.”
“Oh no. I’ve rafted before, but not on this river.”
Her gut tightened. “Then maybe you can give me some pointers. I’ve never been rafting or even canoeing before, and I’m pretty nervous,” she confessed. This little boy has more experience than me. Oh God.
The young boy’s face betrayed some concern at first, but then he smiled. “You’ll catch on. I’ll show you some moves you can use.”
“Thanks, that would be great. What’s your name? I only know one or two people here, so I could really use a friend. I’m Jamie.”
“I’m Tommy. I don’t know many people here either since this’s my first time. I know some of my dad’s friends but none of them are bringing kids. But I don’t care about that. I just want to be with my dad.”
“Your dad sounds like a lucky man.”
The two of them hit it off, and Tommy asked Jamie to join him on his hunt for firewood. Delighted by his invitation to be involved, she readily accepted. Tommy already knew the lay of the land and led her down numerous paths. They gathered armfuls of kindling wood, trucked it back to camp, then set off on another search for more.
Tommy was a typical little boy, full of life and inquisitive, but he had a sweetness and innocence about him. Jade green eyes set off his wavy, strawberry-blond hair that danced in the wind. He thoroughly delighted her. Trip after trip, they searched for quality firewood, and she relaxed and enjoyed the moment. Faithfully she followed him, listening to his experienced instructions on identifying the right pieces of wood.
“Man, my dad’s gonna be so happy to see how much wood we’re bringing back. We’ll have a big fire tonight!” Tommy sounded ecstatic.
“I’m sure he’ll be proud of you, Tommy.”
“Well, you helped too.”
“I’m glad you invited me along.”
Tommy blushed. “Yeah, me too.”
After emptying their arms at the campsite, they climbed the hill once again in search of more.
Kevin’s meeting ran longer than planned and he barely had time to make his return flight. Settling into his seat, he thought about meeting Jamie for the first time, and a sense of doubt gnawed inside. Their long chats on the phone had become a highlight of many of his nights, not that he didn’t have a lot going on. With a successful ranch and now a budding music career, Kevin had it made. But the talks with Jamie had a substance to them that was missing from other parts of his life.
Over the past few months, Uncle Jacob’s slow death had been a wound that had deepened with each passing day, sucking the life out of Kevin too. Being so far away had made it difficult, but Jamie had become a source of comfort and strength for him. She had been his long distance shoulder to lean on, his link to Jacob’s life, or what was left of it. Not wanting to worry Kevin, Aunt Sarah wasn’t always straightforward regarding Jacob’s daily decline, and Jamie had been his source of truth. He’d promised himself he would try to repay her for all she had done for Uncle Jacob, Aunt Sarah, and himself. Inviting her had been impulsive, but she’d sounded so broken on the phone. Sarah had told him about Jamie’s aunt’s sudden death, and when neither one of them could reach her for days he’d become concerned. He knew she didn’t have family and now he wanted to help her. No, he didn’t regret inviting her, but he had to admit that he was nervous.
As the plane began its descent, he marveled at the scenery below. Neither born nor raised in Montana, the land had worked its way into his blood. He would never leave. After landing at the small airport, he located the outfitters’ rental Jeep and was on the road within minutes. He always looked forward to this annual raft trip, but this year it would have a new twist.
After a thirty-minute drive, he neared the canyon meeting area. As he pulled into the final road to his destination he saw trucks and more trucks. No compact cars for this rough country. People were unloading gear and settling in. This would be a larger crowd than usual as word grew and friends wanted to bring friends. He parked the Jeep and began to unload his gear as old buddies greeted him. Most of the rafters were men, since not many women enjoyed the ruggedness of the trip. After a few minutes, Ben called to Kevin and walked up to greet him with a handshake and a bear hug.
“What took you so long, buddy? I thought you would’ve been here a while ago. I’m glad you made it before dark.”
“Yeah, the meeting took longer than I thought. How’s everything going? Are the camps okay?”
“Yeah, they’re great. We’ve got a bigger crowd this year but it looks like the outfitters have everything under control. They’re setting up the rafts now so we can get an early start in the morning.”
“How’d everything go with Jamie? Did you have any problems finding her at the airport?” Kevin asked nervously.
“Oh yeah, everything went well. She was surprised that you weren’t there but she was fine with it. She’s cool, I mean really nice. I like her. Hey, what’s going on with you
two? Are you an item? I mean, are you two, you know?” Ben wore a devilish grin.
“We’re friends.” Kevin cut Ben short and gave him a look that stopped any further questions.
“Hey, that’s cool,” Ben answered, holding both hands up.
“Where is she?”
“She’s up there on the ridge. Oh that’s right, you’ve never met her in person. She’s got a green jacket on and . . .” One of the outfitters called Ben for help and he excused himself from Kevin.
“Up on the ridge, green jacket,” Ben repeated over his shoulder as he left Kevin to himself.
Setting his shoulders straight, Kevin inhaled in anxious anticipation as he turned toward the ridge.
Chapter 4
Kevin looked up on the ridge and saw quite a few people climbing. A bright green vinyl jacket caught his eye. The occupant was bent over and it was not the most flattering position. As she stood up and turned in his direction he felt ashamed of himself. He didn’t know what he’d expected, but this was not it. The ill-fitting lime-green vinyl jacket with gold sequined trim and exaggerated make-up was not his idea of an attractive look. It’s the inner person that I’ve become close to, not the outside shell. Still, he couldn’t hide the disappointment from himself, and again felt remorse for his shallow feelings. The woman’s face was not unpleasant, but the lack of instant recognition that he’d thought he’d feel when he saw her disappointed him. If he had met her at the airport he knew he would’ve picked her out of the crowd instantly. That was why he’d never asked her for a description of herself or what she would be wearing. He knew he would know her in a flash and that wasn’t happening here. Let’s give this a chance, he scolded himself as he made his way in the direction of the ridge.
His hiking boots felt heavier than usual, slowing his climb. As she made her way down she seemed oblivious of him. She doesn’t know what I look like either, he reminded himself. At a snail’s pace he continued up the hill as he heard a child’s laughter coming from the top of the ridge, drawing his attention to that direction. Sure enough, the voice belonged to Tommy, his friend’s son. Kevin had forgotten that Tommy was coming on his first overnight raft trip. Playing tag with someone, he taunted them as he ran over the ridge toward Kevin. Just beginning to peek over the incline, a pretty woman with an athletic build ran in his direction. She looked at him and froze in her tracks. Kevin stopped. It was her, it was Jamie, and he knew it, he felt it. Standing there motionless, she stared at him. Slowly the corners of her mouth drew up into a smile.
“Kevin?” she mouthed.
Nodding, unsure what to do next, he watched as she ran toward him with her arms outstretched. Encouraged by her warm welcome, he sprinted up the rocky terrain into her open arms and lifted her off the ground, spinning her. For that split second he felt like a kid again. They hugged, then stepped back to look at each other, both grinning from their initial outburst.
“I can’t believe it’s you! We finally meet!” Her voice was lit with excitement.
“I can’t believe it either. You’re really here!”
They hugged again, and Kevin caught her fresh lavender scent. He then noted her dark-green parka and smiled to himself, still ashamed. Tommy ran up.
“Hey, Uncle Kevin, do you know my friend Jamie?” Tommy hugged Kevin.
“Yes, I do. But I didn’t know that you knew her too.”
“Oh yeah, she’s been helping me collect firewood. Wait ’til you see how much we got. Dad’s going to be so happy! I gotta tell him.” Tommy ran off.
“I still can’t believe I’m here with you! Kind of crazy how this all happened. If someone had told me a week ago that I’d be rafting in Montana with you, I’d have told them they were nuts!” Jamie laughed.
“Hey, I’m glad you’re here.” Kevin couldn't take his eyes off her. He’d never given much thought to what she looked like, but her natural beauty was more than he could have imagined. The way her whole face lit up when she smiled enhanced her already good looks and her sky blue eyes sparkled with an undeniably genuine spirit. He couldn’t wipe the wide grin off his face and he was starting to feel silly, so he found something to do. “I’d better get our gear unpacked and set up camp before dark.”
“I’ll help.” She grabbed his arm, gave it a squeeze, and they walked toward the truck, chatting like old friends.
Jamie had amazed herself at her reaction when she saw Kevin. It was like she was watching herself on a TV screen with no controls. I must be drunk on this fresh air. Pleasantly surprised at Kevin’s rugged good looks, she tried to deny the raw sensual tremors he set off and helped him unpack the truck. He was tall and muscular with sand-colored hair, deep blue, kind eyes, and a small cleft in his chin. Don’t even think about it. The last thing I need is to get involved again.
“We need to pick a spot and set up our tents,” he informed her as they trekked toward camp. Many of the choice areas were already taken so Kevin continued to search for patches of level ground for the tents. Common areas with picnic tables, fire pits, and tents were scattered everywhere. They hiked a little farther, toward the outskirts of the tent city.
He put the gear down and explained how he needed to closely scrutinize the ground for rocks, large sticks, and other natural decorations that could cause the body sore spots by morning.
“The tents aren’t big so they don’t need much ground area. This looks good.”
As he pulled one tent out of its pack sack, Jamie instinctively began to help, but her inexperience was obvious.
“I don’t know what to do, but I’m teachable.”
Kevin laughed. “Here, let me show you. It’s pretty simple. Even a city girl can do it.”
“Who? Me? What makes you think I’m a city girl?” Wide-eyed, she pointed to herself.
“Maybe the fact that you’ve lived in New York City all your life?”
“You’ve got a point there. But like I said, I’m teachable.”
They bantered back and forth as they erected the first tent.
“Okay.” Kevin stood back and admired their success. “One down. This’ll be yours. Now I’ve got to find a spot for mine.” Eyes focused, surveying the ground, he walked away from her tent.
“Where are you going? Where’s your tent going to be?” The concern was obvious in her voice and he turned to look at her.
“I don’t know. What’s wrong?” His eyes searched hers.
“Like you said, I’m a city girl and I’m not used to sleeping out in the woods. How far away are you going to be?”
He laughed. “With all these tents, you don’t have to worry about animals if that’s your concern.” His face softened as he asked, “Would it make you feel better if I stayed close by?”
Relief flooded through her. “Yes.”
And with that, Kevin chuckled and pitched his tent nearby. They made a return trip to the truck for the remainder of the gear. As they unloaded their bags at the tents, Ben and Tommy came walking up.
“Hey, dinner’s ready. You guys going to eat?” Ben asked.
“Yeah, it smells good. I saw chili and hot dogs, and I think we’re having s’mores for dessert.” Tommy’s eyes were wide with anticipation.
“Then what are we waiting for?” Kevin cupped her elbow.
They made their way to the common camp area where picnic tables were set and hungry campers were gathering for their meal. Wonderful aromas filled the air.
“Man, something smells good.” Jamie was beginning to salivate.
“Dad! Over here!” Tommy yelled, waving his arms in the air. As soon as Jamie spotted the man that Tommy had called, she thought of Paul Bunyan. Rugged and tall with broad shoulders, he looked strong as an ox. His size was intimidating but as soon as his face broke into a smile, she could see the pussycat inside.
“Hey, son, I’ve been
looking for you. I told you not to hang out with strangers, and they don’t get any stranger than these two!” The large man pulled both Kevin and Ben into a bear hug at the same time. They hugged him back and began backslapping each other. Tommy’s bright eyes followed his father. No doubt he treasured being here with the boys. When the hugfest finished, Kevin introduced Jamie to Tommy’s father, Rick.
“Yes, I heard about the girl that helped Tommy gather wood. He was quick to share the glory. You two did a good job. Thanks to you, we should have a great campfire tonight.”
“All the credit goes to Tommy. He proved to be a real taskmaster and wouldn’t let me rest until the deed was done. You’ve obviously taught him well and I’m happy to meet the father of this nice young man.” Jamie shook Rick’s hand and Tommy blushed, still beaming.
“He’s earned this trip, that’s for sure. He’s quite a helper at home, too. He’s been pleading with me for two years to come,” Rick said grinning at his boy. There was a strong facial resemblance between father and son, but Tommy had yet to earn the rugged creases around his father’s eyes that emerged with his smile.
“Let’s eat!” Tommy reminded them of their immediate goal. Following Tommy’s order, they got their food, sat down and ate heartily amongst all the good-natured banter going on between the various tables. Evidently there was some rivalry left over from previous years to be continued on this trip. The campers sat around the tables, catching up on each other’s lives since last time they had been together.
Kevin caught Jamie’s eye and motioned for her to follow him. “See you all in a little while,” he waved to the group as they got up to leave.