AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You should have seen the look on Arnav’s face,” she said with a laugh. “He was so freaked out.”
“Hewas freaked out? I couldn’t get my lungs to work.” I didn’t like to think just how bad I’d looked in the water, my ponytail plastered to my head while I flailed around gasping like a fish.
“Arnav and Lewis were really worried about you.”
“They might have to rethink the canoeing portion of this trip.” They could carry a few more emergency supplies for surprise dunks in a lake, at least.
“They might have to reiterate the lesson on not being a total arse on the canoeing portion of the trip.” Duncan didn’t sound ready to let go of his blame for Carlos, but I waved him off.
“He was a total ass, but it was an accident. I’m over it.” He raised one eyebrow at my easy dismissal. “He didn’t really mean for me to fall in. And it wasn’t completely his fault.”
Now he gave me a curious look. Suddenly, I wasn’t all that eager to admit my part in the day’s unexpected adventure. How many different ways could I prove myself inept on one vacation? “I was kind of standing when it happened.”
“You were standing,” Duncan repeated, his voice flat. “In a canoe.”
“Don’t you start.” I shook a finger at him. “Go back to feeling sorry for me.”
“I need more information.”
“There were cormorants. I needed a better angle for a picture.” I swallowed the rest of my story. In all the rules of canoeing, there was only one truly stupid thing you could do, and I had done it.
Because I’d needed pictures.
Duncan tried to look disappointed, but laughter broke through his frown. “I guess it’s for the best I didn’t brawl with Carlos.”
“He did try to rescue Molly,” Harlow pointed out.
“Sure, by grabbing my butt,” I said.
“A national hero.” Duncan’s eyes stayed stuck on me in the soft lighting.
Speak of the devil—Carlos walked into the sitting room. He looked as sheepish as when I’d first crawled out of the lake, but he had a little more pep in his step this evening. More telling, he had his hands behind his back, concealing something.
“I’ve come bearing a peace offering.” He stepped closer to present a plastic shop bag. “I really am sorry about today, Molly.”
My suspicions growing, I took the bag. I peeked inside to find a brand-new camera staring up at me. “You didn’t have to do this.”
“I’m pretty sure I did.”
I looked it over and did a double take. “This is nicer than mine.”
I’d splurged on that camera years ago. This had to have set him back quite a bit.
He shrugged. “I wasn’t sure what you had.”
“Thank you.”
He smiled, and I had the feeling he expected me to leap up and throw my arms around him in gratitude. When I didn’t, he sat down next to Harlow.
“Standing in a canoe,” Duncan said so low that only I could hear him. I smiled a little at his look of consternation. “I’m going to have to keep my eyes on you.”
I liked that plan.
fourteen
Back in my room,I phoned Jill before I went to bed. I’d promised phone calls when anything exciting happened, and falling into Loch Ness qualified, even if it wasn’t the kind of excitement she’d hoped for.
“It was a disaster.” I described my tumble into the lake, complete with the ill-fated rescue attempt. “I made a fool of myself and lost hundreds of pictures.”
