Whitewater Rendezvous

to talk to her, to ask her why she’d looked so troubled and sad. But Megan was apparently either too tired, or determined to act as though nothing was wrong.

“What a wonderful fi nd that hot spring was.” Sally sank into a camp chair beside Chaz. She had changed into warm clothes and hung her towel and swimsuit on a line they’d strung between two trees. “Why didn’t you tell me about it?”

“Because if I had, I’m sure the clients and I would have found all sorts of hidden surprises in there, knowing you. Fake water moccasins or something.”

Sally had to chuckle. “Oh, it’s all in fun. You’re such a wet blanket, sometimes, Chaz. You need to lighten up.”

“Someone has to be the adult.”

“Speaking of lightening up…What’s wrong with Megan? She was acting kind of funny, wasn’t she? Not that she hasn’t been kind of hot and cold since we got here.”

“I noticed that, too,” Chaz said. “She seemed to be okay here at the fi re. Did something happen after I left? Somebody say something to her?”

“No. She was kind of quiet after you and Elise left, but she seemed fi ne. You know what was kind of odd? We didn’t walk to the hot spring together—she left before I did and was just kind of hanging out in the trees between here and there when I found her. She said she was bird-watching, but come to think of it, that’s really when she fi rst seemed kind of…I don’t know, distracted, I guess. Maybe upset, too, though she was hiding it well. I asked her about it while we were soaking, but she said she was just preoccupied.”

The wheels began to spin in Chaz’s mind. “Where exactly was she when you found her?”

“Oh, not far at all from the hot spring. A couple dozen yards into the trees, probably. I was kind of surprised to fi nd her there.”

“Oh, shit.” She hadn’t meant to say it out loud. She saw us kissing,didn’t she? And she was upset about it. Why would she be upset?

“What?” Sally asked. “What is it?”

“Oh, nothing.”

“C’mon, you can’t do that. Spill. Do you know why she was acting funny?”

• 135 •

KIM BALDWIN

Chaz sighed. I just can’t catch a break. Why did she have to seethat? “Maybe she saw Elise and me kissing.”

“ What? You want to repeat that? I’ve got to be hearing things.”

“You heard me. Maybe she saw Elise and me kissing. And no, I didn’t kiss her, she kissed me. It only lasted a second. Well, maybe a few seconds. I was kind of in shock when she did it. But I set her straight, and it won’t happen again.”

“I thought Megan was the one you were interested in.”

“She is,” Chaz said, before she realized what she was admitting.

“I mean, she is the one I’m attracted to, not Elise, but nothing is going to happen with either of them.”

“So Megan was ticked off that you were kissing Elise,” Sally recapped. “That’s an interesting development. Sure proof that she’s interested in you, or she wouldn’t be jealous.”

“What makes you think she’s jealous?” Could she be? Or is thatjust wishful thinking? There are certainly other possibilities. “Maybe she was embarrassed that she nearly walked in on something she thought was a private moment.”

“Yeah, right,” Sally guffawed. “You keep telling yourself that. I think this is proof she’s as hot for you as you are for her, not that I didn’t suspect that already.”

“Would you stop with this matchmaking stuff?” Chaz replied, exasperated. “It’s giving me a headache.”

“No, your headache is from your conscience telling you that maybe you shouldn’t be turning away from an opportunity like this,”

Sally said. “C’mon, Chaz. You like Megan and she likes you. I think you’ll regret it if you don’t see where this might lead.”

“Enough.”

“Oh, all right.” Sally relented. “For now.” She got to her feet.

“Coming to bed?”

“Later,” Chaz said. “Good night.”

“Don’t sit up too late. You really don’t have to—I think she’ll be asleep soon, anyway.”

Just to be sure, Chaz stayed up another hour, watching the light change as the midnight sun rolled along the horizon. Was Megan really jealous? Or was she ticked off? Pat’s words rang again in her ears.

Maybe Megan and Elise did have a bet going. Maybe they had wagered on who would kiss her fi rst, and Megan had lost. Either way, it was

• 136 •

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14