I don’t know why I’m not relieved. Fish without seasoning? Bland. Very bland. Sleeping on the hard ground without a sleeping bag or tent? Miserable. And yet…I don’t want this to be over.
I should be relieved. We’re safe. I’m going to take a long shower, sleep in an actual bed, and eat a hot meal that didn’t get charred over an open flame.
Instead, all I can think about is that this means our little adventure is ending.
This strange, impossible bubble we’ve been living in for two days is about to disappear.
“You’re sure your family knows where to find us?”
Dean laughs softly.
“They know this river better than anyone. They’ll be waiting.”
The way he says it makes me smile. Of course they will. The Johnson family belongs here.
They know every bend in this river. Every trail through these mountains.
I look ahead as the river curves through the trees. The sunlight is beginning to fade, turning everything in the shadows to a dark hunter green.
“It’s beautiful,” I whisper.
Dean follows my gaze.
“Yeah.”
But when I look back at him, he isn’t watching the mountains.
He’s watching me.
My heart does that stupid little flip it’s been doing around him since before I even knew his name.
I look away before he can see how much that affects me, because this is where I have to be careful.
I know what this is. A story I’ll tell someday about the handsome mountain man who rescued me after I accidentally assaulted him with a kayak paddle.
The river carries us around one final bend, and my stomach drops. There it is. The pickup spot. A wide stretch of embankment where several vans and trucks fromJohnson River Adventuresare already waiting. People wave and I spot Dylan’s bright grin and a few of the other guides I met yesterday. Our rescue has arrived.
I should feel relieved. Instead, a heavy ache settles deep in my chest. Dean paddles closer until our kayaks bump gently together. His voice warm and steady.
“There they are. Right on time.”
I force a smile and nod, but my throat feels tight. Two days. That’s all it’s been. Two days of his quiet confidence, and his kisses that make the rest of the world disappear. Kisses and long, protective cuddles under emergency blankets and around campfires. Nothing more. And now it’s over.
I’m falling in love with him.
The realization hits me like the paddle I accidentally swung into his face. Hard, unavoidable and absolutely terrifying.
I dread losing him already. The thought loops in my head as we glide toward shore.
This was just a vacation fling for him. A fun little adventure with a clumsy tourist. He’ll go back to his river, his family, his life. And I’ll go back to Denver remembering this weekend fondly for the rest of my life.
We beach the kayaks, and suddenly the quiet wilderness bubble bursts. Voices, laughter, the rumble of engines cut through the air as Dean’s brothers swarm us.
“Dean! You idiot, you had us worried!” A big, bearded man I recognize from Dean’s description as Diesel claps him on the back so hard, I wince.
Dylan and Duke appear next, identical grins splitting their faces. Dylan pulls me into a quick, friendly side hug.
“Paisley! Our favorite paddle-wielding menace. You, okay?”
