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I didn’t need to know that in the sunlight, her eyes almost look more turquoise than true blue, like the sea above the sand.
“Sorry, that was harsh, but... I think you’ve seen my pictures. Did you notice I spent three weeks in the Boundary Waters canoeing and again in Montana last year?” she asks dryly. “But thanks for the lecture about how to get in a boat.”
“Safety first,” I mutter. “This is technically a corporate outing. You’d better believe I cover all my bases.”
“Fair enough. It’s not safe if I wind up dying of boredom over super basic stuff, though.” Her grin eases the sting, and she points at the water. “Okay, Captain. Onward.”
Miserable little dork.
It’s infuriatingly adorable.
“We’ll practice in the shallows until I’m sure you’ve gotten the hang of it,” I warn her.
“Ugh, fine. I guess if it doesn’t take all day...”
“That’s completely up to you, Miss Lancaster,” I throw back.
Her jaw drops before she realizes I’m joking.
Then she smiles, bright and unrestrained.
Fuck, I didn’t need to know how beautiful that is.
Especially not today.
We push on fully away from the shore and the shallows.
For a second, she looks unsteady before relaxing, just breathing and dipping the edge of her paddle into the water. It’s calm today, so the waves don’t offer much resistance.
“Don’t hunch your back so much,” I say.
She straightens, and immediately her technique improves.
“There. Now just follow me.”
She glances over with a grin like she wants to bust my balls again but doesn’t commit.
We practice close to shore first, getting her accustomed to paddling as efficiently as possible without overexerting herself too early. Pacing is critical.
She picks up everything quickly, and soon we’re moving down my personal checklist.
“One last thing,” I say.
“There’s more?” Destiny groans.
“You need to know what to do if your kayak capsizes, Miss Lancaster. Anything might happen out here.”
“Okay, Foster. Fill me in.” Despite the attitude, it’s clear she’s enjoying herself. “Areyougoing to capsize?”
“That’s only happened twice, and never seriously. Because I don’t panic.”
I explain how to extricate herself and her gear if, for any reason, she finds herself upside down. Panicking doesn’t seem like her thing, but I talk her through a few basic techniques to prevent emotions from sinking her in the moment.
To my surprise, she doesn’t offer a wisecrack in return.
For once, she just listens, and when I show her how to rock her boat and use her weight to flip it, she nods.
Then, without another word, she flips her boat and goes under.
