Effie struggled to keep up with Zander’s pace as they trekked through the not so-great-outdoors, heading for the Skykomish River. As they hiked down a dirt path surrounded by trees, the relentless water noise grew louder.
“Ahead is one of the places I used to kayak.” He released her hand. “We’ll have to climb over these stones. Are you cool with that?”
“Oh, sure. Totally cool,” Effie said, remembering Haley’s advice about jumping and how high. The whole sugar baby arrangement seemed pathetic. I should leave before I get in too deep. Simply walk away and say thanks but no thanks. Her heels were beginning to burn from her socks rubbing against her skin.
Zander leaped on one of the rocks and held out his hand to her. “Watch out for wet spots. Rocks can be slippery.”
“Of course,” she said, feigning confidence. In truth, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d clambered over stones. Oh, wait, there was that time when I was twelve, and my mom and dad took us up to Canada. It was a Big Deal vacation to cross the border. We got up at dawn’s butt-crack, drove five hours to Vancouver, ate Breakfast Paninis at Tim Hortons, looked at a river, then drove home. It was a budget vacation, but it was fun. Effie’s mom had been so cheered by the attempt at a holiday she’d been in a good mood all day—not her usual fret and anxiety.
Effie brightened at the memory, took Zander’s hand, and climbed up the boulder.
“Watch this.” He released her hand and powered ahead like a mountain goat, hopping and leaping from rock to rock. At the bottom of his run, he turned around, grinning. “Come on. You have to trust yourself. Trust your body.”
Birds twittered and chirped overhead in the trees, taunting her. They seemed to be saying, “He picked a loser, he picked a loser, he picked a loser.” The late day sun lingered in the sky, taking its sweet time as it headed toward the horizon.
Maybe if she stalled, it would be dark, and then they could go home. A sigh left her lungs. She couldn’t disappoint Zander. His happiness at being outdoors beckoned her to let go. She took a tentative jump and managed to land on the next rock.
“That’s it. That’s great, Effie.” He beamed at her.
She took another leap and wobbled her landing, eliciting sharp spikes of fear.
“Whoa,” she cried, reaching for a neighboring boulder.
“That’s it. You caught yourself.” He nodded encouragingly.
“I think I’ll go slower if you don’t mind. This is all new to me,” Effie said.
A flash of some dark mood washed across his face.
Uh oh. Haley says I need to do better than my stumbling self. He did just cover my tuition and all my expenses for the next year…or years, if I budget properly. Maybe I should at least try. She hopped to the next rock, spreading her arms out wide for balance.
He brightened. “That’s it. Good job.”
She fear-hopped from stone to stone, steadying herself when she faltered, feeling like a total klutz.
“You’re doing great,” he said.
“Thanks,” she said, hoping she covered the terror cascading through her in the form of shaky legs and dry mouth.
Ahead, the rushing, gushing sounds of the river washed out all the birdsong. She came to a stop next to Zander and lifted her gaze toward the water.
A surging river cascaded in front of her, rushing toward its destination. It splashed over river stones and forged ahead with relentless fury. It almost seemed alive. And, it looked deadly.
“It’s flowing right now. The snow melts are making it epic water to paddle. I used to love to kayak here.” He put his hands on his hips and gazed at the river, with what looked like reverence or awe.
“You used to put your boat in that?” She pointed at the frothing waves. That could explain the missing hand.
“Sure did. I was pretty good at it.” His smile faded.
“Why do you say was? Why not am? You’re not much older than I am.” She frowned.
He lifted his bionic hand and turned it, palm up. “I think the answer is obvious, don’t you?”
“Not to me. You seem to be able to do anything with that hand,” she said. “I’m sure you can hold an oar or a paddle or whatever it’s called.”
Shutters slammed down on his expression. He assumed that same unreadable mask she’d seen in the car.
She tried to steer the conversation in a better direction. “The water looks scary. How can you navigate that?”
“You have to read it. Before we put in, we’d follow the river along the side, studying obstacles. It can change every day, every hour, even, so you can’t rely on what you did last week, or what it looked like yesterday. You always get familiar with it before you launch. Come here.” He extended his bio-hand to her.
She grasped it, amazed by the dexterity in those high-tech fingers.
He clambered up-river a short trek, rounding the bend. Then, he released Effie’s hand and pointed toward the edge of the river. “See those swirls?”
“Yes.” She stared at where he pointed, noting water that whirled in place like a washing machine.
“Those are eddies. If you know what to do, you can navigate them. If you don’t, you can get trapped in them. See that log stretched across the river?” He pointed.
She nodded, her stomach clenched at the thought of paddling this force of nature.
“And how the water flows under it and over it?”
Again, she nodded.
“That’s called a strainer. Meaning it can trap a boat. If I were running this river right now, I’d head for that small passageway through those two boulders. See?” He pointed to the left.
“Yes, I see.”
He glanced at her, studying her for a few seconds. “Let’s sit for a moment and feel the river song. It’s like food to me. And you look wiped from the hike.”
“Sorry,” she said, a warm blush crawling up her neck.
“Don’t be sorry. You said this was new. Sit.” He crouched, then settled, his powerful legs dangling off the edge of the rock.
She stooped and bumbled into a seated position. Her heels screamed with blisters beginning to form.
Zander inhaled a lungful of air. He let out an audible sigh, an expression of pleasure crossing his face. “I love the great outdoors.”
She took a few tentative sniffs. The water smelled wild and untamed, mixed with the earthy scent of trees. It reminded her of a nightmare.
“You should get back out on the river,” she said.
“I should do a lot of things,” he mumbled, his expression souring.
Like kick me to the curb? A sense of dread filled her belly as she sat, waiting for him to make the next move.
Ten or so minutes later, he said, “Let’s head downstream. I’d love to dip in the water.”
She gasped. “We’re going to swim in that?”
She pointed at the tumbling water.
He chuckled. “No, dear Effie, I’m not going to drown you. There’s a place down-river that’s sweet, calm, and beautiful. I’d love to share it with you.”
Touched by his eagerness, she smiled. “That sounds great. Let’s go.”
I don’t really know how to swim. Sort of a dog paddle. She climbed to her feet and winced, her blisters reminding her that this was not her world.
“What’s wrong?” Zander said, pushing to standing.
“It’s nothing.” She waved her hand before her.
“Doesn’t look like nothing. You winced. What is it?”
She shook her head. “It’s nothing. Let’s go.” She tried to force gaiety into her voice. When she took a few steps, however, she had to limp.
“That’s definitely more than nothing, Ms. D’Archangel.” He glowered at her.
“Okay, it’s a blister. I’ll live.”
“You should have said something.” His mouth fell slack.
“I didn’t want to ruin your day.” She swallowed.
“Not telling me something important is a ‘day-ruiner.’ But, in this case, I’ll give you a pass. Here.” He stepped closer to her, stooped slightly, placed his arm behind her knees, and scooped her up.
“What are you doing?” she yelped, pressed against his warm chest. She wrapped her arm around his neck to keep from falling.
“Carrying you, that’s what.” He began to stride across the rocks with steady, firm footsteps.
“I don’t want to be carried. I’m not a child.” She tried to wriggle from his grasp.
“Tough. I’m carrying you,” he said, the shutters falling down on his expression.
“You’re pretty strong,” she said.
“I still work out. I haven’t given that up.” His mouth flattened into a line. Carefully, he crossed the boulder field. When he got to the edge, he said, “I’m going to set you down. I don’t want to try jumping off this rock with you in my arms. But, I’ll carry you the rest of the way, got it?”
“I’ll be fine,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m not a damsel who needs saving.”
He huffed out a sigh, shaking his head as if displeased. “After a day or two, sure. But if you’ve got blisters, they’re miserable. I’m carrying you.”
He clambered off the rock, then held out his arms to her.
She resisted.
“Fuck, Effie. I’m not going to leave you here on your own. Will you let me help you?” His pinched expression looked exasperated.
“Fine. As long as you don’t think of me as weak.” Or disadvantaged.
“I don’t think of you as weak. I think of you as injured. Everyone gets injured. Even me.” The words came out sharp, cutting through her. He deftly supported her to the ground and then scooped her up again once they’d clambered off the rock.
They passed through another wooded area. Effie gazed up, watching the sky between the boughs.
“That’s really pretty,” she said.
“What’s that?”
“Light through tree branches. Sometimes, when I’m on the student green, studying, I’ll look up at the sky through the branches. I love the way it looks, especially when the sun is overhead.” She smiled. Held tight in his arms, it felt wonderful to be so close to him—wonderful, strange, and a little scary.
“I’ll make an adventurer out of you yet, Ms. D’Archangel.”
“I’m not so sure about that,” she said. “I didn’t read that in the contract.”
“It’s in the fine print,” he said, smirking.
They exited the trees and came to a river bank. Gently, Zander set Effie down. “What do you think of this?”
She gazed at an oasis of still water, surrounded by trees and boulders. Across the river, in the distance, loomed a mountain being kissed by the late day sun.
“It’s beautiful,” she breathed.
“I think the cool water will soothe your blister. Let’s take a look at your ankle. Sit.”
“I said, I’m not a baby.” She glared at him.
“No, you said you’re not a child.” He glared back at her.
“Whatever. I don’t need help.” She waved her hand.
“You’re going to get my help whether you want it or not, Ms. D’Archangel.” His hands landed on his hips. “The great outdoors demands respect. Even a blister can affect an encounter in the wilderness,” he said as if he were a tour guide.
“Fine,” she said.
“Thank you,” he said, his eyebrows pinched together.
She settled on a rock about a yard from the water and proceeded to take off her shoes and socks.
Zander stooped before her and grasped one of her ankles, lifting it before him. He sucked in his breath as he regarded her blistered heel. “That sucks, Ms. D’Archangel. Make a note to let your adventure partner know if this happens again, deal?”
“Deal.” Her thrill at his statement of adventures with him warred with her dislike of anything adventurous.
Carefully, he placed her foot back on the ground. “You up for a swim? I’m sure the cool water will soothe you.”
He shrugged out of his backpack, setting it on the sandy shore. Next, his shirt came off.
She inhaled sharply at his solid abdomen and chest. Then, she glanced at his bionic arm. It extended just over his elbow. Her gaze floated back to his muscled chest then up to his face.
He studied her, his eyes slightly narrowed. His head was back-lit by the waning sun, creating shadows on his features.
“What?” she said. “I may be a sugar baby, but can’t I appreciate your good looks?”
He briefly bit his lip, then, smiled. “Only if I can do the same. Do you have something to swim in?”
Although she’d had the good sense to wear clean underwear, it hardly qualified as swimwear. Still, Haley had told her to do his bidding.
“Sort of.” Shyly, she shrugged out of her coat and removed her shirt, laying it on the rock.
He glanced at it, then snatched it from the stone with crisp, sharp movements. Grimly, he stared at the label.
“Fucking ArcTix One,” he muttered. “Where did you get this?”
“It’s…it’s Haley’s,” she stammered.
“Tell Haley I’ll give her a new shirt.”
“But…” She protested.
“I’ll buy her fifty new ones, I promise.”
“She doesn’t need fifty new shirts.”
“Good, then she won’t need this one.” He bunched it up and threw it in the sand.
Effie stared down at the shirt, uncertain what to say.
He unbuttoned his jeans and unzipped. Then, he peeled off his pants, revealing rock solid legs extending from his tight boxers. The boxers hugged an impressive looking package.
Rajesh, of The Big Bang Theory, someone she’d fantasized about a time or two, faded like a watercolor sunset in her mind.
Zander cocked his head and studied her in that damned way he’d done several times already.
What is he waiting for? Compliments? Effie blinked and swallowed, feeling herself grow wet. Holy shit. The guy is hot. She inhaled deeply and blew out a long, slow breath. “You’re incredibly handsome.” While I’m incredibly geeky, like a newborn colt.
His expression softened. “And, a jerk. Sorry about the tantrum. It’s a long story.” He shook his head. “Let’s leave it with I had a really bad day. All I wanted to do was get away with you, but you, unknowingly, wore a reminder of something that happened earlier. I apologize.”
Her heart melted. “It’s okay. I have bad days, too.”
She turned away from him and removed her t-shirt. Then, she slid her jeans down her legs. Hugging herself with her arms, she pivoted to face him, clad in nothing but a sports bra and boy shorts underwear.
His eyes widened. A brilliant grin split his face. “Ready to get wet?”
“Um,” she said, glancing at the water behind him.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” Without another word, he scooped her into his arms and carried her into the river.
She squealed.
“It’s going to be cold. Get ready.” He waded deeper, splashing her as he progressed.
The icy water pebbled her nipples, causing them to poke through her sports bra. Her boy shorts clung to her skin. She clutched Zander’s neck, terrified to let go.
He forged ahead until his waist was at the waterline and her butt was submerged. “Here we go.” His grin grew as he fell backward, holding her against him.
Being dragged into the water was the last thing she expected. And the first thing to reveal her incompetence in the fucking great outdoors.