Chapter 10
Fisher didn’t paint her nails, read a magazine, or goof off on the Internet. Instead she took a long shower. Long for her, anyway. She didn’t waste water if she could help it, but she may have shampooed her hair twice. She was a little distracted. In all the years she’d been hung up on Cody, she hadn’t been this mixed up.
She turned off the shower, toweled off, and slathered on the sunscreen. Teeth brushed, hair combed and braided, Fisher slipped into her swimsuit, board shorts, and T-shirt, ready for another day at the office.
Grabbing a notepad and pen, she headed downstairs to grab a cup of coffee and draw up a list of how she would redistribute the student crews. She would move Kyle and Nolan to Tyler’s crew, Leia and Brett to Brooke’s, while she took on Dana and Chad. Then she divvied up the rest of the twelve total students.
With her notebook still in hand, she started a different sort of list. She needed to get a handle on this thing with Kyle. She started with the facts.
Fact: Kyle was in Prospector Springs temporarily.
Fact: He was a skilled and generous lover.
Fact: Although not as skilled on the river, he was willing to work hard and learn from his mistakes.
Next, she listed the unknowns.
Unknown: How long would he stay? She supposed part of that was up to her. If she hired him on for the season, he’d be here until August or September.
Unknown: What was he looking for from their time together?
And the biggest question of them all: What was she looking for from their time together?
She wasn’t sure. The only thing she knew was that she didn’t want to say good-bye at the end of the week. Regular orgasms were quickly becoming her favorite way to end the day. And she thought he had the potential to be a pretty good guide. He had people skills. Even with their clothes on, he had a way of making her feel comfortable. Everyone else seemed to like him as well.
Tyler was the first one down. He had a satisfied grin on his face and his hair was sticking up in every direction. “I guess you weren’t kidding about being home by six.”
“What time did Brooke kick you out of bed?”
“Quarter till.” He headed straight for the coffee.
“I didn’t mean you had to get up so early.” Fisher felt bad for disturbing their sleep. “I only warned her so there would be no surprises.”
“It’s okay. We’re all good.” Tyler flopped into the kitchen chair opposite Fisher.
“So, is it weird at all? Working together after, you know?” So much for being a modern woman. She couldn’t even use euphemisms for sex when talking with someone she’d known for years.
“Nah. When we’re on the river, there isn’t time for weirdness.” Tyler didn’t seem to be bothered at all. “And as for the rest of it, I think it was inevitable, you know?”
“No, I don’t know.” Fisher sipped what was left of her coffee. “For a while there, you were working on giving Cody a run for his money at being the biggest player in Prospector Springs.”
“Yeah, right.” Tyler chuckled. “Not even Cody could live up to his reputation.”
“And now he’s as settled and committed as a man can be.” Again, Fisher expected a tightness in her chest at the thought of Cody happily married, but it didn’t come.
“Look, I’m not going to do anything to mess things up for Brooke or me.” Tyler’s tone took on a seriousness Fisher hadn’t heard from him. “We both know we’ve got a good thing, and not just with our jobs.”
“Good. That’s good.” And Fisher hoped she could be as easygoing and pragmatic as her friends. “Well, I’m switching up the crews today. I thought you could take a few students down in an oar boat, and Brooke and I could do an oar/paddle combo.”
“Sure. Sounds like a good plan.” Tyler would agree, even if she wasn’t his boss now.
Fisher tore off two pages from her notebook. She wrote a list of the students she wanted Tyler to take with him—including Kyle—and handed it to him. Then she wrote up the new crew for Brooke and folded it up to give to her still-sleeping roommate.
“I’ll get the breakfast crew started. You can give this list to Brooke when she gets up.” Fisher started for the door but then remembered one more thing. “Oh, I don’t know if you heard, but Aubrey’s getting married and moving away. We’re going to need to fill her spot. And probably one or two more. Be sure to keep an eye out for any potential candidates.”
“Will do.” Tyler took his coffee cup and headed upstairs.
Fisher refilled her travel mug with the Swift River logo on it. She made her way to the campsite to get her original crew started on breakfast.
Just a few steps away from the temporary camp kitchen, she stopped short. There was Kyle, cracking eggs into a stainless steel bowl, whisking them up, and then pouring them into two hot skillets. He added diced veggies to one, and ham and cheese to the other. Scromelets—a riverside special.
Fisher felt a tightening in her chest. A shortness of breath. The man was gorgeous. She stood rooted in place, watching him cook. Was there anything sexier than a man who knew his way around a kitchen? Well, yeah. When that same man knew his way around a woman’s body. Her body.
He said something that made Leia laugh, and Fisher could no longer just stand there watching. She had to touch him. “Something smells good.” She placed her hand on his left shoulder, the one without the spatula.
“Yeah, you.” He turned and placed a quick kiss on her cheek. “The eggs are almost ready. Do you want ham and cheese or veggie?”
“I’ll probably have a little bit of both.” Her stomach rumbled in anticipation. “Maybe wrap it in a tortilla.”
“Go find us a seat and I’ll bring it to you.” He smiled and Fisher’s legs went weak. She’d only run a class-five rapid once. The kind where she’d had to get out of the boat and look over the edge to find the river churning, wild and dangerous. Her heart raced in fear and anticipation. As part of her wondered if she was crazy for even thinking about going over it, an even bigger part of her knew she had to do it. She had to dive in and take on the challenge.
Being with Kyle made her feel the same way. Excited. Scared. Unable to turn back.
Not long after she found a spot at the table, Kyle appeared with her breakfast. He set a plate down in front of her and grazed her neck with his lips.
“Mmmm.” Her first reaction was pure pleasure. Then she realized they weren’t alone. “Kyle. You shouldn’t do that.”
“Why not?” He sat down next to her. “You taste good.”
“Because. People can see.” She glanced around, expecting to find everyone staring at her, judging her. But they were all busy with their breakfasts, their conversations. No one even noticed. Or else they didn’t care.
“So what?” He shrugged his shoulders and dug into his breakfast. After swallowing the first bite, he leaned over and whispered, “I’ll wait until we’re alone to kiss you where I really want.”
“Please. Don’t say things like that.” Her whole body felt on fire, but especially her cheeks. “It makes me regret not coming back to bed.”
“So why didn’t you?”
“These people would starve, because we’d still be there.”
He laughed. A loud, hearty, sinfully sexy laugh, and this time everyone did look up. But she was met with smiles before they returned to their meals.
They spent the next few minutes eating. Kyle would occasionally brush her arm or press his thigh against hers, sending warmth throughout her body. His touch was easy, comfortable yet incredibly sexy.
Just before they finished their breakfast, Carson pulled into camp, followed by Cody. They walked over together, and Fisher felt Kyle’s hand snake around her waist.
“Morning.” Carson stood in the middle of the group, where everyone could see him speak. “I hope you’re all ready for another day of adventure.”
Most people nodded and murmured in the affirmative.
“I know it’s only your third day out, but I wanted to give everyone a heads-up.” Carson looked around and made eye contact with his current guides. “We’re going to be hiring in the next few weeks. I think most of you saw last night why Cody and I aren’t going to be available to guide very many trips this summer.”
That got a few chuckles from the crowd.
“We are also hoping to expand the number of trips we do each week,” he continued. “So, we’re looking to hire four to six new guides. And, I hope at least some of you will consider joining us for the summer.”
Cody stepped forward. “Let Fisher know if you’re interested. She’ll give us a list of names by the end of the week, and we’ll see how things shake out.”
He nodded toward Fisher, his usual cheerful smile fading a bit when he saw how close Kyle was to her. Cody quickly looked away, and she got the feeling that there was at least one person who was bothered by her sleeping with Kyle.
Kyle felt it too, as evidenced by his stroking her back.
“You already know I’m interested.” He leaned close to her ear but didn’t take his eyes off Cody. “I’d like to apply for the job, as well.”
“Thanks for the update.” Fisher stood, smiling at Carson and Cody before turning to face the crowd. “That is exciting news. I’m sure we’ll end up with an amazing crew. Now I know some of you are here just to push your limits, and that’s fine, too. Some of you might even change your mind. Either way, we’re going to mix things up a bit. Step outside of our comfort zones a little.
“If you’ll meet me at the boat barn by nine, I’ll go over further instructions and our plan for today.”
She picked up her plate and dumped it in the washtub. She gave Kyle a small wave and headed toward the barn. Kyle was on kitchen crew and would need to stay behind to help clean up.
Fisher needed to get the gear together. Three oar frames, nine oars, eight paddles, and enough water for a long day on the river.
“Hey, Fisher, wait up.” It was Cody. Great.
“You sure you have time to help get the gear out?” She didn’t mean to sound irritated, but she was.
“Yeah, I can help.” He practically had to jog to keep up with her. “So, what is the plan for today?”
“They’re going to learn all about rowing.” She didn’t slow her steps, just kept marching up the slight incline toward where the rafts and equipment were housed. “I thought we’d take one oar boat and two combos down today. And we’re going to mix up the crews a bit. That way Brooke and Tyler and I can all get a look at any potential guides.”
“Sounds like a good plan.” Cody stopped when they reached the large overhead door. He punched in the code, even though she was perfectly capable of doing it herself.
“Hey, listen,” he said once they stepped inside. “I don’t know what it is, but I kind of have a feeling about that Kyle guy. I don’t think he’d be a good fit.”
“Really? And why is that?” A year ago, she would have taken a statement like that as encouragement. But that was before Miranda.
“I don’t know.” He leaned against the workbench near the door. “I just don’t like the guy.”
“Well, everyone else does.” Fisher wasn’t going to think about why he didn’t. “And I think he’ll be a good guide.”
“Are you still sleeping with him?” he asked.
“Not at the moment. But that’s none of your concern.” Not when he’d slept with more than a few passengers in his day. And he’d been sleeping with Miranda when he’d hired her to work in the store last year.
“You’re right. It’s just that I don’t want him to use you.”
“Really? You think he’s just using me to get the job? That no man in his right mind would want to have sex with me unless he got something out of it?” She knew she was a little too defensive, but that’s what years of near celibacy would do to a woman.
“No, of course not. It’s just that…you’re my friend, Fisher.” He let out a frustrated sigh.
“Yes. And I’m also your river operations manager, which you and Carson led me to believe meant that I am the one managing the operation of the river activities. That includes personnel decisions, correct?”
“Yes.”
“Okay then.” She started pulling an oar frame down off the rack. “If you’ll excuse me, I have a river operation to manage.”
He took a step back. Perhaps it was sinking in that she didn’t have time for his bullshit.
“Look, Fisher, if you were my sister—”
“I’m not. And if you keep being such an ass, you’re not going to be my friend much longer.”
“You think I’m being an ass?” He stood there, his mouth hanging open. It wasn’t like it was the first time she’d told him off for being an insensitive jerk. And she wouldn’t be surprised if he called her out for being a bitch, but he didn’t.
“Yes.” She took a step toward him, poking him in the chest. “Go home, Cody. Your wife needs you. Your daughters need you. I don’t need you to be in my face. I have a river operation to manage, unless you want to fire me.”
She stuck her hands on her hips and dared him to say anything more.
“Sure.” He shook his head. “Just don’t come crying to me when the guy breaks your heart.”
“Believe me, Cody, you’d be the last person I’d go crying to over some guy.” With that, she marched over and started taking down oars, piling them up to get ready for her day’s work.
* * * *
Kyle got the water ready for cleanup and gathered all the dishes, but he was more than happy to let the others take over finishing the task. He wasn’t shirking his responsibility. Cody had followed Fisher to the barn, and Kyle didn’t want to leave him alone with her. He also wanted to make sure if she needed help, he’d be the one to offer her a hand. Or anything else she needed. And if Cody didn’t like it, well, that was too bad.
Speak of the devil. Cody was heading this way. He looked a little frustrated, so Kyle just smiled his biggest full-of-shit smile. “Hey, how’s it going? Beautiful morning, isn’t it?”
“Yeah.” Cody looked like he wanted to punch somebody. Probably Kyle. “It sure is.”
“I hope Fisher doesn’t have everything loaded already.” Kyle continued his fake smile. “I got here as soon as I could to help.”
“She’s working on it.”
“That woman is too efficient sometimes.” Kyle smiled, this time for real. “She’s something special.”
“Yeah. She is.” Cody looked Kyle up and down, as if he was hoping to find him lacking in some way. “You keep that in mind.”
“Oh, I will. I most certainly will.” Kyle gave a nod, indicating the conversation was over, and he hustled on up to join Fisher. He couldn’t help it; he started whistling.