Keep Tahoe Blue

by Nicole Pyland

  “That’s Morgan’s, too. They sublet it, so to speak, to a couple of our friends,” she offered. “But she’s not mad at you. She’s mad at me.”

  “Because of me.”

  “Maybe partly because she did ask you out, but it’s mostly about me.” She turned back to the parking lot and then back to Kellan. “Come on. Let’s get in and go. I’ll tell you on the way.” She wasn’t exactly dressed for canoeing and hiking on the island, but she wore her hiking boots most days along with jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. “You ready?” she asked after climbing into the canoe and moving some of Kellan’s things aside to accommodate herself.

  “Sure.” Kellan moved to push the canoe the rest of the way into the water before climbing into her position across from her. “You okay?” she asked and grabbed the oar to begin rowing.

  “Morgan and I came out here a bunch of times.”

  “I hadn’t thought about that.” Kellan looked off behind her at the island.

  “We’d done it as friends long before we started dating. But after I got sick and we broke up, she asked me a few times to go back out there. I said no.”

  “Got it.” Kellan continued to row. “Should I apologize to her?”

  “No, it’s nothing you did wrong,” Reese offered Kellan’s kind eyes. “You know how you asked me how she and I did it? Became friends again?”

  “Yes.”

  “We’re friends. And we’re fine. But sometimes, she’ll get this look in her eyes, like I’ve disappointed her. It’s the same look she used to get when we dated. It’s horrible, and I hate it.” She let out a sigh. “I just disappointed her by coming out here with you instead of her.”

  “We can turn around if this is something you two need to share together.” Kellan stopped rowing.

  “Kell, keep rowing. I’ll talk to Morgan about it later. She’ll understand, or she won’t. But it’ll be fine.” Reese paused. “This is supposed to be our date, right?” she asked. “I don’t want to talk about my ex-girlfriend anymore. And you’re rowing too much on this side.” She pointed to Kellan’s right. “As captain of this ship, I instruct you to row more to the left so that we can drop anchor at the right port.” She winked.

  “Aye, aye, captain!” Kellan mock-saluted her with a smile and corrected her rowing.

  They were silent for the rest of the trip. Both appeared to be enjoying their time on the water. Reese caught Kellan glancing at her more than once and smiled back each time before she’d look back at the water or around at the mountains and the beaches. She hadn’t been on the water like this since before her fall and time in the hospital. She turned back to Kellan when the woman was turned to the side, taking in a bird flying low above the water. Reese smiled at Kellan’s profile. She had a strong yet feminine jaw and a small nose to go with lips Reese wouldn’t define as full, but full enough to go perfectly with the rest of Kellan’s beautiful face. She had a slight tan, likely from her time at the lake thus far, but Reese could see a few freckles making an appearance and dotting Kellan’s cheek and nose. Her eyelashes were long and light, and that somehow accentuated the lightness in her eyes. Reese’s gaze moved to Kellan’s arms, which were still rowing them along slowly in the water. Her muscles were taut, and there was a light sheen of sweat on them along with some of the same freckles. She had on a short-sleeved shirt, allowing Reese to see her biceps and flexor muscles. She moved her eyes back up to take in Kellan’s long neck that was still turned to the side. She imagined her lips on that neck. She cleared her throat when Kellan turned back to her and caught her staring.

  “Just over there.” She pointed at the small patch of gravel and sand where boats would tie down. “You can take it all the way up.” She motioned with her finger for Kellan to continue rowing.

  When the canoe stopped at the water’s edge, Kellan emerged first and slid the boat completely out of the water. She made her way over to Reese and offered her hand to help the woman up. Reese laughed at the mock-chivalry and helped Kellan remove all the items from the canoe. Kellan placed her hiking pack on her back after putting on one of the jackets she’d brought and passing the other to Reese to put on. The sun was now setting. The sky was beautiful – pink and orange. And the cool night air was apparently starting to get to Kellan, now that the rowing was done. Reese put on the jacket, per Kellan’s request, and picked up the lantern and the extra bag of supplies to carry with them.

  “Where to?” Kellan asked.

  “This way.” Reese motioned for her to follow. “It’s only about ten minutes to get to the top and see the Tea House,” she instructed and then realized where they were going.

  “What’s wrong?” Kellan questioned when Reese stopped suddenly.

  “It’s all rocks.” Reese pointed ahead of them. “The hike up is all rocks.”

  “Oh, right.”

  “It’s not that bad. I just haven’t climbed like that in a while.”

  “We can stay down here. We don’t have to hike up,” Kellan suggested.

  “You came all the way here to not get the best view on the lake?” She turned to Kellan.

  “I came here to be with you,” Kellan replied earnestly. “I don’t care what I see. If we sit on the shore and talk – that’s fine with me, or we can go back and paddle slowly to watch the sunset over the water.” She took a step toward Reese. “We can come back and hike up some other time when you’re ready.”

  “I doubt I’ll be ready in less than a week.”

  “Then, we won’t do it this week,” Kellan told her. “I’ll come back. We’ll do it then; make a plan for it for the summer or something.”

  “No, we’ll do it now,” Reese stated with confidence.

  “Reese–”

  “I don’t want to wait until next summer. I’m being a coward. I want to do this now.” She turned to the rocks and said, “I want to do this with you.” She then turned back to Kellan.

  “Okay.” Kellan smiled at her. “Should I go first or follow you just in case?”

  “Follow me.” Reese turned back around and took steps toward the first of many large gray rocks that seemed to never end.

  She lifted her leg to climb the first rock and found it to be no problem. She continued slowly while trying to be extra cautious because the rocks were often slippery. She could hear Kellan making her way behind her but didn’t chance a glance back. She worried she’d be unable to continue if she saw how high up she was. Heights had never been a problem for her, and they weren’t now, but she knew that if she realized she’d climbed the rocks up, she’d think about having to climb back down them and she’d stop.

  She focused on her breathing. She made sure to keep it steady as she tackled the next rock and then the next one until she was at the top. She allowed herself to smile and turned around just in time to see Kellan standing in front of her.

  “Hi,” Kellan greeted with an equally large smile.

  “Hi,” she greeted back and then let out a laugh.

  CHAPTER 10

  “You okay?” Kellan asked as she placed her hands on Reese’s waist.

  Reese’s response to the question was a bear hug that nearly knocked Kellan over. Luckily, Kellan held onto her and moved them both forward instead of back into the jagged rocks below. She closed her eyes and breathed in the moment. Reese’s joy was more than evident. Kellan felt it in every one of her bones as the woman grasped her neck tightly for another moment before pulling back, leaving her arms draped over Kellan’s shoulders.

  “Sorry,” Reese apologized but smiled.

  “Why?” Kellan laughed. “You’re great at hugging.”

  “Yeah?” Reese chuckled and removed her arms, causing Kellan to drop the ones around her waist.

  “It’s been a long time since I’ve been hugged like that, but it’s definitely one of the best that I can remember.”

  “You’re pretty good at hugs yourself.” Reese glanced around them at the familiar yet unfamiliar view. “It’s been so long.”

  “Do
you want to take some time to yourself?” Kellan asked.

  Reese met Kellan’s eyes and placed a hand on her cheek.

  “Keira was a dumb ass,” she stated and turned around, walking off toward the Tea House.

  Kellan stood dumbfounded for a moment, wondering about the comment Reese had left her with. Then, she followed the woman who had completely taken her breath away during just about every second of the strangest date Kellan had ever been on. After passing the last little hill, they came to the small room that really couldn’t be called a room anymore. While the house wasn’t how it once was, it was still four rock walls with three windows and a fireplace. The roof was missing, but that added to the charm of the building. Due to the late hour and the fact that it wasn’t high season, they were alone. Kellan wasn’t sure if they were the only two people on the island or not, but it felt like it. She watched Reese move around the small space for a moment before dropping her backpack on the floor of the structure and making her way toward one of the windows. Through it, she could see the expansive lake and the trees. She turned around to see Reese staring at her and smiled.

  “Come here.” Reese held out her hand.

  Kellan approached and took it, allowing herself to be pulled toward the other part of the house where she stood in front of the small window with Reese.

  “Wow! I’ve never seen it from this perspective before,” Kellan said.

  The sunken forest was the name for the part of the bay where several trees had fallen into the lake and remained over time. They were jutting out above the water. Kellan had often wanted to rent a kayak and move around them but hadn’t ever gone through with it.

  “Thank you,” Reese offered.

  “For what?” Kellan turned to her and caught Reese’s perfect gray eyes.

  “For making me do this.”

  “I made you do this?”

  “You know what I mean.” Reese laughed lightly and turned back to the view. “We should probably get back though. It’ll be dark soon.”

  “We haven’t even had our date yet.”

  “This is our date,” Reese reminded her.

  “Let’s sit and eat something first,” Kellan suggested and tugged both of Reese’s arms toward where she’d placed her backpack. “I’ll lay out the sleeping bag, and you get the food out.”

  “Okay, but we can’t stay too much longer.”

  They set up their mini-meal and shared pleasant conversation while they listened to the sounds of the water, birds, and crickets as the sun moved toward the horizon. Kellan turned the lantern on. It offered them just enough light to see by as they packed up the trash and other belongings. They remained there long after they should have been gone. It was much later than Kellan had intended to stay, but they’d been enjoying their time so much, she hadn’t pressed them to go. Even Reese had stopped reminding her of the approaching darkness. When they’d donned the packs again and headed out toward the rocks, Reese had stopped just before taking her first step down.

  “I don’t think I can,” she said softly.

  “Let me go first.” Kellan took the lantern from her. “We can take it slow. I’m sorry. We should have left a long time ago.”

  “No, Kellan! I can’t,” Reese repeated.

  “Okay. Okay.” Kellan moved to stand in front of her. “What do you want to do? I have a small flashlight in my bag. Would that help? Oh, there are a few of those glow stick things inside my emergency kit. I could place them down the rocks and come back to get you.” Reese was staring off into space. Kellan wasn’t sure she was paying attention. She reached out her hand to touch her cheek and removed her hand immediately. “Reese, you’re freezing! Why didn’t you tell me?” She removed her backpack and placed it on the ground next to her, placing the lantern next to it.

  “I didn’t notice.”

  “What do you mean you didn’t notice? Come here.” Kellan tugged a little on her arm. “God, your hands are freezing, too.” She reached into her bag and pulled out the emergency kit she always carried when going on long or advanced hikes. “Sit down, Reese.”

  Reese silently obeyed. She sat in the dirt and rocks in front of Kellan, who knelt and opened two of the hand warmers that came in the kit. She placed them in the pockets of the jacket Reese was wearing and took both of Reese’s hands in her own. She cupped her hands around them and blew hot breath on them to try to warm them up.

  “I’m fine.” Reese pulled her hands back.

  “You’re cold, Reese. Please put your hands in your pockets. I don’t think I have any gloves with me. I didn’t bring a hat. Damn it! What was I thinking, bringing you out here so late?”

  “I’m okay.” Reese slid her hands into her pockets. “I’m just a little cold. It’s no big deal.”

  “You’re cold, and you’re scared to climb down in the dark. I should have known that. I’m sorry.” Kellan stared into her eyes.

  “Kell, I’m scared, yes. That’s not your fault. It’s also not your fault that we’re out here in the dark. I wanted to stay. We were having so much fun; I wasn’t thinking about the climb down. I was thinking about how much I was enjoying talking to you.” She stared up at the stars that were in abundance in the night sky. “Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve just stared up at the stars after a day outside?” She looked back down at Kellan. “I don’t think I can climb down without freaking out, or worse, slipping on something. I might be able to do it with your help, but I am scared. My heart is racing right now, thinking about what happened with my ankle and being in the hospital. I lost two days of my life to a coma and then more after that to the infection and physical therapy. I lost my parents because of it. Indirectly, I know. But I fell and ended up in the hospital. I was stupid. I didn’t get proper care immediately, and my parents died. That’s all I can think about when I look down there.” She pointed to the rocks and their hike down to the canoe.

  “Okay. Okay.” Kellan comforted her by placing her hands on Reese’s knees. “What do you want to do?”

  “We don’t have a choice. We have to go down.”

  “Is there an easier way?” Kellan rubbed Reese’s thighs up and down.

  “Not in the dark. I always came up and down this way. I’m not familiar with any other one, and our canoe is down there.”

  Kellan considered their options. From what she could tell, they had three. She could give Reese some time to calm down, and they could make their way slowly down their original path. Kellan could try to find another path that might be easier. They could go down that one and make their way to the canoe. The third option was both the easiest and probably the worst at the same time.

  “We could stay,” she suggested.

  “Stay where? Here?”

  “In the Tea House,” Kellan clarified. “It’s dry and flat. I have a sleeping bag. We can leave when the sun comes up before anyone else gets here.” Kellan recalled that the kayak rental station opened at ten in the morning, and most people started lining up to get one earlier, but she doubted anyone would be there at six. “It’s not a great idea, I know, but we can set up a mini-camp, and if you get more comfortable later tonight, we can try to head down and row back.” She took in Reese’s worried expression through the light of the lantern. “Or I can walk around and try to find an easier path. Maybe there’s a trail or–”

  “It’s too dangerous,” Reese interrupted. “For either of us to be looking in the dark when we’re unfamiliar with the terrain. The whole island is basically a hill of jagged rocks that lead to water and downed trees.”

  “So, we’re staying?” Kellan ran her hands up and down Reese’s cold legs again. “How are your hands?” she asked and slid her own into Reese’s pockets. “Warming up?”

  “I’m fine.” Reese moved to stand.

  Kellan removed her hands as Reese made it impossible for her to keep them where they were, and they both stood. They stared at one another for a moment before Reese picked up the backpack for Kellan, slid it still open over her shoulder
, and picked up the lantern.

  “I can get it,” Kellan offered.

  “I’ve already got it,” Reese said, but her tone was softer this time. “Come on. We should get set up if we’re going to be here for twelve hours.”

  “There’s another option,” Kellan revealed as they arrived back in the small room of the dilapidated Tea House.

  “Yeah? What’s that?” Reese asked as she set the bag down on the ground.

  “Did you bring your phone?”

  “Of course, I did. Didn’t you?”

  “Yeah, but I don’t have anyone to call, unless it’s the police, to come and get us. And we would absolutely get arrested.” Kellan paused. “You could call your sister or Morgan. They could come get us, bring a lot of flashlights or direct us to a better path. I’m sure Morgan knows–”

  “I’m not calling someone to rescue us. We’re not in danger,” Reese revealed. “Besides, that much light would draw attention to this place, and we’d end up arrested anyway. Morgan or Remy would just end up in jail with us. We should put that lantern out already as is. Let’s just get as comfortable as we can, dim it most of the way, and we’ll wake at dawn to head out.”

  “You’re mad, aren’t you?” Kellan asked.

  “I’m not mad at you, Kell,” Reese replied and pulled the sleeping bag out of its sleeve before rolling it flat. “I’m mad at myself.”

  “Why?” Kellan grabbed a sweater she’d rolled into the pack for another hike and had forgotten it had been in there. “Here; put this on.” She tossed it to Reese.

  “I’m not cold,” Reese asserted but placed the sweater on the ground. “It’ll be a pillow.” She unzipped the sleeping bag, flattened it out as they had before and sat on it.

  “We’re not going to talk about why you’re mad at yourself?” Kellan joined her on the thin material.

  “I’d rather talk about something else if that’s okay,” Reese replied after a moment. “Maybe we can just do favorites for a while.”

  “Favorites?”

  “Yeah, the first date stuff. You know, favorite color, movie, book, memory, and all that stuff.”