Whitewater Rendezvous

“I think that I’m the only one capable of knowing what I’m capable of… doing.” Megan looked a little fl ustered as she said this, as if she wasn’t entirely sure that what she’d just said made sense. “Anyway, I want to try it again.”

Stubborn one, aren’t you? Chaz felt a guilty stab of pleasure at seeing her off balance. “Great. Are you doing it with or without my help?”

“Without.”

There was no hesitation this time. As soon as Chaz backed off and got into position on the end of the kayak, Megan went over. Chaz could see immediately that she would never make it. She put her hands around the kayak and fl ipped it back upright.

Megan let all the air out of her lungs with a big whoosh of surprise, then her expression turned to fury. She slammed her paddle against the kayak. “What did you do that for?”

“Your paddle was in the wrong position. Remember? You need to put your hands—”

“I know what I did wrong,” Megan snapped, cutting her off. “Just get ready and let’s go.”

“Not until you take a deep breath and focus,” Chaz said slowly.

“It’s important that the setup is right—and remember, you have to have the upward blade fl at on the surface of the water when you begin the sweep and hip snap. If the blade dives—if it comes down perpendicular to the water—you won’t have enough resistance to pull yourself up.”

“I know,” Megan said, biting her lip.

Chaz positioned herself, hands on the bow of the boat. She normally had infi nite patience at this procedure, even with diffi cult clients. Three tries at Eskimo rolling was nothing. But the frigid water had seeped deep into her wet suit, and something about Megan’s princess attitude was starting to get to her. She was anxious for this to be fi nished.

“Whenever you’re ready.”

Megan closed her eyes. Several seconds passed. Then she squared her shoulders, leaned left, and disappeared under the surface. Chaz counted seconds, holding her breath. Ten. Twenty. She saw the blade of Megan’s paddle break the surface of the water, turn, orient itself.

Thirty seconds. She took her hands away when she felt the boat begin to move. The kayak righted itself and Megan reappeared, gasping for air and shivering.

• 61 •

KIM BALDWIN

Her eyes found Chaz’s. They were bright and sparkling, and a smile spread across her face. “Did I make it? Or did you help me?”

Chaz grinned back. “You made it all by yourself. Congratulations.”

You look altogether different when you’re happy.

“Wow!” Megan whooped. She raised her paddle aloft in a moment of unabashed giddy happiness. But she reined herself in at once and became her usual serious self.

“That’s plenty for today. Why don’t we both go in and get warm?”

Chaz suggested, giving Megan’s kayak a shove toward shore.

Megan put her paddle in the water and started to go in, but paused a few feet away. “Thanks,” she said, over her shoulder, just loud enough for Chaz to hear.

“Welcome.” Why are you so determined not to like me? She frowned. What’s not to like?

There was no ego behind Chaz’s musings. She had always been well liked. She was an honest, and loyal, and steadfast friend, the fi rst to remember a birthday, to show up in a time of crisis, the fi rst to volunteer her time and energy to a worthy cause. Many of her Orion clients had kept in touch over the years with her, Christmas cards and letters updating their lives and fondly recalling their Alaskan experience.

She shook her head in puzzlement as she watched Megan beach the kayak and head to the lodge. She just couldn’t fathom what could be behind the woman’s prickly attitude, or why she seemed to be so strangely drawn to her despite it.

O

Chaz went back to her room and took a long hot shower before setting off for the airstrip to pick up Sally an hour before dinner.

“Everything went well, I trust?” Chaz inquired after their hellos.

“Great. I brought some pictures I’ll show you later.” They climbed into the van, Chaz behind the wheel, and headed to the lodge. “So how does it look?” Sally asked. “Anybody need special handling?”

“It’ll be a good group, I think. Everyone did well on the water today. Pat and Linda are really top-notch kayakers—we sure don’t have to worry about them. I’d say Justine and Yancey are above average, and Elise and Megan both learned the strokes pretty well and managed to do a roll.”

• 62 •

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14