All's Fair in Love and Mastery

by Sparrow Beckett

  “I was just coming to see if you wanted to come down to the dock,” his second-in-command explained.

  Grant nodded but didn’t say anything.

  “You look like everything is right in your world, G.”

  The new people he’d hired to work at the lodge just knew they were Master and slave, and weren’t aware of the long hard road they’d had to get here.

  They got to the bottom of the stairs and Josée, who ran the gift shop convenience store, came bustling toward him.

  “Master Grant,” the young woman called, grinning, her round cheeks pink. “I’ve had several people ask me if you’d be willing to sell things on commission and I think it might be a good idea, especially if we had things like leather cuffs and floggers in stock. One of the craftsmen I’ve been talking to has an idea for branding Wild’s logo onto his work, too, so people might pick them up as souvenirs. Oh, and I think Mathieu is looking for you.”

  Crap. If the chef was looking for him, that could take a while.

  Grant glanced to Luc apologetically. Luc waved for him to stay, and jogged off by himself, leaving Grant to deal with Josée and Mathieu, maybe not in that order.

  By the time Luc was back with the new guests, Grant had dealt with Mathieu’s concerns about a carrot shortage, and had decided to move ahead with Josée’s commission arrangement.

  He thought he caught a glimpse of Arabella just as he and Luc were dividing the guests to show them to their rooms, but he must have been mistaken.

  They were booked solid until the end of the summer, which was a good thing, but he was going to have to figure out how to find more free time. Busy was good, but too busy was exhausting. Then again, with the amount of money he made from Wild, eventually he might be able to retire from Catacombs and spend the lodge’s off-season following Arabella around and making a nuisance of himself.

  He couldn’t wait to get back upstairs and see what kind of mischief she was doubtlessly getting into now.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Dexter’s solitary walk was interrupted by the sound of a quiet female voice cursing to a strange accompaniment of thumps and bangs. Cautiously, she rounded the corner and peeked down the embankment, aware she might be interrupting people who weren’t in the mood to be interrupted.

  A woman had managed to get a canoe off a storage rack and into the lake, the turbulent water around the small vessel suggesting it had just gone in. Dex looked around, but the woman seemed to be alone.

  Was that Echo? She didn’t seem the type to go canoeing—especially not alone.

  Although it was highly recommended that guests not go out on the water without a buddy, Grant was still working on coming up with the lodge’s rules. Just because people signed a waiver didn’t mean he washed his hands of the responsibility of keeping his guests safe.

  The young woman glanced up, her lips pressed in a flat line and her gaze miserable. It wasn’t the kind of expression Dex had ever seen on her friend before. Sad. A bit hopeless.

  “Oh, hi Dex,” she said, her normally dreamy voice hollow.

  “Are you going out canoeing?”

  Echo sighed, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear and gesturing to the boat. “Yeah, we used to canoe at camp when I was a kid. It was fun, but I hadn’t really thought through the fact that the camp counsellors did the heavy lifting for us.”

  “It’s a bad idea to go out alone. There are some places around here that don’t even have cell service—the island only has decent service because Grant had a signal booster installed.”

  Echo shrugged, looking from Dexter to the canoe. “I’m not going far. I just want to clear my head a little.” She slid an oar and her life jacket into the boat, obviously not reconsidering.

  “Lodge rules say you have to actually wear the life jacket when you’re boating,” she lied. It wasn’t a rule, but she was going to ask Grant to include it after having seen Echo going out alone.

  “I’m pretty sure the lodge police aren’t going to be swinging by anytime soon.”

  “Do you really want to make Grant grumpy?”

  Reluctantly, Echo started pulling the life jacket on, and Dexter scooted over to the boathouse and grabbed another oar and life jacket.

  “What are you doing now?” Echo asked, sighing with impatience.

  “I’ve been out on the lake a lot. There are some cool spots to see if you know where they are,” Dex replied. “Besides, going out alone is dangerous. Don’t worry about me coming with. We can talk or I can keep my mouth shut—completely up to you.” As she spoke, she zipped her own life jacket with finality so Echo knew she wasn’t giving her a choice in the matter.

  Dex felt for her phone so she could message Grant and let him know where she’d be, then realized, strangely, that she’d forgotten it in his room. Anywhere else on earth, her phone wasn’t more than a few feet away. At Wild her phone was optional, and often felt like an unwelcome leash instead of a useful or entertaining tool.

  She held up a finger and ran back to the boathouse, scribbling a note on the big whiteboard Grant had installed.

  Going canoeing with Echo at 2:30ish.

  Back soon, Dex

  Hopefully he’d spot it if he was looking for her. They’d probably be back before he noticed she was gone anyway.

  She steadied the canoe as Echo got into the front, then pushed off and hopped into the back. They wobbled for a second but then glided forward, a few waves lapping the prow before the surface of the water smoothed.

  They paddled for several minutes before Echo even said a word.

  “It’s so beautiful out here. So peaceful.”

  Dexter could feel the silence of the lake soak into her as they followed the island farther toward the uninhabited side and then branched off into open water. Their vessel slipped silently through the dark grayish blue toward the opposite bank. The sky was almost the same shade as the lake, and the water was choppier than Dex was used to.

  As they got farther away from Wild, Echo’s shoulders visibly relaxed.

  “So, are you in the mood to talk or would you rather just listen to the quiet for a while?”

  Although the wind tried to swallow Echo’s sigh, Dex heard it anyway. The waves near shore were forcing them to stay farther away from the mainland than she usually did with Grant, and water sprayed her face from time to time when Echo’s paddle came out of the water. Good thing she hadn’t worn mascara.

  Echo bent low and skimmed her hand over a lily pad, her face in profile reflecting a delight that masked her underlying sadness. “It’s strange, but after living in cities for so long, I’d sort of forgotten about lily pads.” She laughed. “I always hoped to find a little water fairy asleep on one when I was a kid. There was a rumor at my summer camp that the lake there was full of them.”

  “Sounds like a great place to be a kid.”

  Echo nodded. “I was pretty lucky. My parents are free spirits, but there was always money. Win-win, you know?”

  To someone who had no family who was dating someone with a tiny family, it sounded pretty spectacular.

  So strike out family trouble.

  Considering the fact that Echo loved her job, the only thing Dexter could figure out was it probably had something to do with Tarka.

  “Spill it, woman. You didn’t decide to go out canoeing by yourself in the middle of nowhere because you’re having happy childhood memories.”

  Echo propped her paddle across the edges of the canoe, and Dexter watched as the blade of her paddle left drops of water in their wake, expanding only to be obscured by their passage.

  “It’s Tak. Big surprise. You know I’m interested in him. I mean, it’s not something I’m spreading around, but I know you won’t repeat this.”

  Dex’s brows rose and she stared at the back of Echo’s head, waiting. “Of course I won’t repeat it.”

/>   Her friend peeked at her over her shoulder and then looked out over the water. “I came here this week hoping to be able to find out whether our standing date to do scenes at the club would eventually lead to something more.”

  Since Echo wasn’t actually looking at her, Dex figured it was safe to wince. Tak was like Dex and Grant used to be—happily and resolutely single. Although she knew Echo liked him, she’d never actually asked if Dex thought she had a chance with him, so Dex had never needed to come up with a comforting lie or a nice way to tell Echo the truth.

  “Uh-huh,” Dex replied, going for noncommittal. Echo hadn’t actually said she wanted Dex’s opinion, so she’d try to stick with just listening rather than giving advice.

  Dex paddled, careful not to get too close to the spot where the lake turned into small rolling waves hitting the shore, while also watching the woods for wildlife. They’d seen a lot of deer around the bend from here the last time she was up.

  “I mean, I’m not expecting a marriage proposal or anything, but it would be nice if he wanted more with me.” She groaned. “So before lunch today we did a scene. It was pretty intense, and there was a lot of eye contact, you know? Afterward he sat me on his lap and I felt really connected to him during aftercare. We made out a bit and talked about a scene he wanted to do tonight, then I went for a shower, and when I came back down . . .”

  Dex’s heart sank.

  “When you came back down, what?” She steered the canoe away from shore for what felt like the millionth time in a row. The wind kept ushering them toward land.

  “Well, you know Stephi from the club? She was on his lap and talking to him about a scene she wanted to do with him, as if I hadn’t been in exactly that spot a few minutes before. It was like—I know we haven’t made an agreement or anything, but after that intense of a scene, I just felt . . .” She shrugged. “Replaced? Disrespected? I don’t know. Maybe I’m being a baby, or maybe I’m just PMSing, but it hurt my feelings. I’m not wired to be poly, so maybe I’m fooling myself thinking we could have more together, you know?”

  Dex grunted. “Did he agree to play with her?”

  “What?” Echo called over the rising wind. She turned her head to look at Dex, her eyes red-rimmed. “Sorry, I didn’t hear what you said.”

  “Did he say yes?” Dex called back. The wind had really picked up. Warily, she eyed the skies, which were an interesting new bruise color.

  “Well,” Echo began, tilting her head back and forth, as though deliberating, “I guess maybe he looked surprised? She was on his lap, though, and he didn’t make her get off of him. And he didn’t say no—at least, not when I was standing there, but then she noticed me listening, and I just . . . left.”

  Wave tips were licking over the side of the canoe from time to time. “I think we need to turn around and head back. It feels like a storm is coming.”

  “Do you think so? I don’t see a lot of dark sky.”

  “Look over there.” Dex pointed to the tops of the trees that lined the nearby mainland. “It’s really dark there and I bet the trees are hiding the worst of it.”

  “Are we supposed to get rain today?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe? I didn’t have a chance to check my weather app this morning.”

  Echo stared at the sky where Dex had indicated for a long moment. “Maybe we should get to shore and wait for this to blow over. The wind seems to be coming from more than one direction right now, and I wouldn’t want to get stuck in open water in a canoe during a storm.”

  “But Grant will be worried,” Dex said, knowing it was a stupid thing to say before it even came out of her mouth.

  “I have my phone. We’ll call him and let him know we’re waiting it out.”

  Considering how cold the lake could get, especially where it was deep, the risk of flipping the canoe and being stuck in the water for a long time didn’t appeal to Dex.

  “Okay, let’s head to that little beach over there. At least it’s sheltered and we’re less likely to get really wet trying to go ashore.” Dex waited for Echo to agree, then they made their way to the shallows. When they hit bottom, at least it sounded like sand.

  Echo hopped out then pulled the canoe higher on the beach and held it steady as Dex got out.

  “You really have done this before,” Dex said, impressed.

  “Yes, and my flip-flops will dry in no time,” she said, lifting a foot to show off how smart she was.

  “Yeah, well, I’m wearing Chuck Taylors because I didn’t plan on canoeing today.”

  Echo hugged her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Thanks for coming. When I saw Stephi with Tarka . . . I just wanted to go for a drive, you know? But there are no cars here to drive!” She gestured at the forest around them, laughing dreamily over the rush of the wind. “I guess being stuck out in a storm is the same kind of quality therapy as driving long distance, blasting The Doors.”

  Her friend let her go, and they looked at the sky again.

  “Maybe we should find some shelter before you start the primal screaming portion of this afternoon’s therapy session.”

  “Such a practical woman.” Echo grabbed Dex’s hand and tugged her into the woods. “Don’t worry, I promise not to make this weird.”

  “If I hear banjos, I’m out of here.”

  Echo snickered and they walked deeper into the forest, the trees here tall enough that they formed a canopy over them and left the forest floor almost devoid of foliage.

  “What kind of snakes and stuff do we need to watch out for?” Echo asked.

  “Stuff here isn’t venomous. We just need to watch for bears and wolves. They usually stay away if there’s noise.

  “Bears? Wolves?” Echo immediately started clapping her hands and singing a song that sounded suspiciously like a kids’ camp song.

  “Okay, while you practice your one-woman show, can I borrow your phone?”

  Echo handed her the phone, watching the woods around them uneasily. Trying not to roll her eyes, Dexter dialled Grant’s cell and hit send. It was hard to hear over the rush of the wind through the leaves, and eventually she took a look at the phone only to realize she didn’t have any bars.

  “Shit.” Of course. Dexter trudged back the way they’d come, already tired of walking through sand and fallen pine needles. As she reached the beach, the first pelting droplets of rain spattered down onto the sand, hissing loudly as the water crashed over itself in its rush to kiss the shore.

  Echo seized her arm and pulled her out of the icy, splattering raindrops and back into the trees. Still no bars. Dexter edged closer to the beach, but even when she stood out in the rain she didn’t get a signal.

  Damn it.

  With any luck, he would be so busy taking care of guests he wouldn’t notice she was gone until the storm had passed and they were back at Wild.

  She chewed distractedly at her bottom lip, concerned that he’d be worried, but also maybe a little concerned about how much trouble she was going to be in. For so many years she’d had no one to answer to, and she wasn’t sure she liked this sinking feeling, even though it was sort of nice to know someone would notice she was missing, and someone would definitely care.

  “Nothing?”

  “Nothing,” Dexter agreed.

  “Are you going to be in a whole world of trouble because of me?”

  Dexter gave her friend a saucy smile. “Don’t worry about me. It won’t be anything I can’t handle, or anything I won’t enjoy.”

  “You’d better not let him hear you say that, or there’s going to be hell to pay.”

  The knot that twisted Dexter’s stomach reminded her that she could paste on some bravado for Echo, but she couldn’t lie to herself. Her master knew exactly how to discipline a bratty girl.

  The rain went from fat, pelting droplets to heavy sheets. From the shelter of their close-k
nit tree canopy, water misted down to dampen their clothes and skin and the chill set in fast. They huddled together, life jackets still on for warmth.

  Maybe they should have looked farther inland for better shelter?

  It was hard to tell what time it was, but the forest around them seemed to be getting gloomier the longer they waited for the rain to let up. Maybe it was almost nightfall—she was getting really hungry. If they had to stay overnight, Grant was going to lose his shit.

  “Let’s sing the one about the lizards again,” Echo suggested brightly, apparently seeing this entire day as an adventure. Then again, if Dex could warm up it wouldn’t be so bad, other than worrying about Grant being worried.

  She tucked her feet under her butt and her hands into her armpits. “You know, the chance of a bear attacking is pretty low. We don’t have to sing all night.” The truth was her throat was getting sore.

  “It passes the time too. Do you want to hear the song I was working on earlier in the week?”

  “Is it a kids’ campfire song?”

  “No,” Echo said, laughing. “Those just seemed appropriate tonight, considering the predicament I got us into. I’m really sorry about this.”

  “Don’t be sorry. This could have happened to Grant and me any number of times now.”

  “Yeah, but at least that scenario would have come with some complimentary dick. I’d offer to put out, but I figure Grant might get a little pissy about that. It’s too bad—I’d really like to show Tak that I’m not bothered by the Stephi situation.” Echo laughed so Dex knew she wasn’t serious, then she started to sing before Dex could think of a snappy comeback.

  Echo had a haunting, melodic voice that filled the space under the trees, turning it into something enchanting, despite the wet and the cold. For a few minutes, Dex forgot all about where they were or that she was uncomfortable, focused on the images Echo’s lyrics wove.

  The song’s final note, sweet and pure, hung in the air for a long, magical time, bringing tears to Dex’s eyes. As it faded away to the patter of rain around them and the slow hiss and rustle of leaves in the easing breeze, a calmness stole over Dex.