Her eyes sparkled with mischief and hope in the golden evening light, andIthought about saying yes.Itcould be fun, after all.Harmless, right?Wecould have some drinks, maybe get something hot and cheesy to eat, and dance together to the music.Maybewe’d bump into one another as we shuffled our feet around in the grass, or maybe the mead would make us bolder, and we’d?—
But, no, that wasn’t an option.Chloemight not have been the enemy, but she couldn’t bethat, either.Shewas a part ofGwenynennow, for better or for worse, andIneeded to tread carefully.Nomatter how muchIstill felt the ghost of her fingertips on the nape of my neck.
“It’s a long drive back,”Isaid instead, andItried not to take it back whenIsaw her smile drop ever-so-slightly.Shepulled it back up quickly and shrugged her shoulders, butIcould see that it was an act.
I’d disappointed her.Shit.
We finished packing in silence, loaded the last box, and drove back toward hers with the windows down, the wind whipping our braids in our faces, but neither of us took ours out.
* * *
“You haveto be rage-baiting me right now.”
Jack stifled a laugh behind his fist asMorgansized up to him. “I’msorry, babe, butI’mnot gonna pushTeddyinto the water.”
“You did it to me!”Sheyelled, standing on tiptoe in a feeble attempt to even the playing field.Shewasn’t short, butJackwas so tall that, even with her standing on a root, he still stood inches above her.
“And me!”Amyadded from where she andChloelounged by the water.
It was the hottest day yet this year, andIwas gratefulChloehad insisted we do this, if only because the water looked especially refreshing right now.WasIa bit worried about my to-do list at the farm?Sure.ButIwasn’t mad at a day in the sun.Andneither wasWillow, who stood in the river behind me, still as a statue as she watched for fish in the current.
“What didImiss?”Iasked, looking betweenJackandMorgan.
“Hisrule,”Morgansaid, jabbing a finger into his chest for emphasis, “is that he tips newbies out of their kayaks in the middle of the river so that they learn how to get back in.”
“But she’s not a newbie,”Jacksaid.
“I’m not,”Iagreed. “I’vebeen kayaking sinceIwas five.Mydad is a certified raft guide on theMercedRiver.”
“Oh, shit,Iloved theMerced,”Jacksaid, turning to me, leavingMorganseething behind him. “CranberryGulchwas epic.”
“I never got to do that one,”Iadmitted. “Butthe section inYosemitewithTheTerminator?Igot to do that one a few years ago.Youshould try it out if you’re ever over there.”
“MaybeIwill,”Jacksaid, turning toMorgan, a huge smile on his face. “Weshould absolutely go toYosemite.”
“Sure,”Morgansaid, the ire melting out of her atJack’sexcitement.Shewent to joinAmyandChloeon the picnic blanket in the shade, andIfollowedJacktoward the put-in where the kayaks were beached.Ispared a look over my shoulder atChloe, definitelynotto admire the way her porcelain legs stretched out over the gingham fabric, the purple of her bikini bottoms riding up over her curvy hip.
As if she sensed where my attention had gone,Willowran over toChloe, shaking the wetness off her only once she was close enough to get the girls with her spray.Theyall squealed, andIgaveWillowan extra good scritch asIpetted her.
“You good with her?”IaskedChloefor the dozenth time, pointing toWillow, who was leaning against my shins.
“AsI’vesaid a million times now, yes,”Chloesaid, still wiping the water droplets off herself.Inoticed dark spots where they had landed on her bikini. “Now, go.”
Once we were out on the water,JackandIheaded upstream.Iwas a bit turned around, with theWye’smany bends and turns, butIwas pretty sure upstream would take us back toward the town where they all lived.Treesdotted the banks, but the surrounding area was open farmland.Thesun was steady, verging on scalding, andIwas gladI’dput sunblock on sinceIwas already down to my swimsuit top.Myknees poked out from under my board shorts, andIwondered ifIshould have slathered them, too.
Jack andIchatted for half an hour or so about where else he’d been, which turned out to be almost everywhere–SoutheastAsia,Australia,NewZealand, several regions inAfrica,SouthAmerica, all over theStates…
“Is there anywhere you haven’t been?”
He squinted into the sun, thinking. “Scandinavia,Canadaexcept the big cities,NorthernAfrica…”
“Imagine it taking less time to name the places you haven’t been than the places you have.”
He shrugged. “Yeah,Iwas lucky to get to do it.ButI’drather have those memories withMorgan.We’retrying our best to make up for lost time– she hadn’t travelled much before we got together– but we have to be selective.Ican’t just work from anywhere these days likeIdid back then.”
“What did you do before?”Iasked, aware thatIwas prying, butIhadn’t talked like this with anyoneIdidn’t already know in a long time.AnyonebutChloe, that was.
“My ex was a travel influencer, soIworked for her.”
