by Caroline Lee
She chuckled. “It’s big enough for twenty. Most of the cabins around on the property have their own hot tubs, but we added this one to entice athletes to the center.” A sigh, not entirely wistful. “Since the spa over at Quinn Valley opened up, most of the athletes have been heading up there, because the waters and natural springs really are incredible. Ours are fake, but still nice.”
He didn’t like to see her doing anything besides smiling, so he grabbed her hand. “Lead on, dear Cait!” he exclaimed, unconsciously slipping back into what Mum had called his theater voice, loud and British.
It worked; she smiled again. “You’re not going to start quoting Shakespeare at me, are you?”
“Why, Cait!” he continued in the same voice. “Never say you’re familiar with that classic, Taming of the Shrew!”
“Hey!” She bumped her shoulder against his as they walked. “I might look like an outdoor goddess, but I can read.”
“Indeed,” he murmured, glancing over at her appreciatively.
She blushed, her cheeks darkening further, and his smile grew.
“So, my outdoor goddess,” he teased, “Where’d you learn to ride jet skis like that?”
When she shrugged, he realized they were still holding hands, and didn’t that feel natural? How odd, that it could feel natural to hold a woman’s hand when he barely knew her. Oh well, he was trying to remedy that.
“I told you I don’t like doing the same thing every day, right? So I’ve got a bunch of jobs at the ranch, but I end up doing a lot of work in the Aquatics Program in the summer. Lifeguarding, swim coach when Joey isn’t available, river rafting, kayaking, canoe instructor… You name it, I’ve done it.”
It was nice to stroll across the ranch, hand-in-hand, their t-shirts thrown over their shoulders and their flip-flops slapping against the path. Archie let himself breathe in the fresh air—so different from LA!—and tilted his head back slightly to catch all of the sun’s rays.
“And how about the UTV driving?”
“That’s not as in-demand as ATVs, but I lead tours in both. In the last year in particular, there’s been a rise in Bigfoot sightings around the ranch, so most often I’m ferrying a bunch of camera-toting tourists up the mountain to look for him.”
“Have any of them caught a photo?”
He could hear the smile in her voice when she replied, “Not yet.”
“Hmm. And where’d you learn to drive like you did yesterday, Ms. Outdoor Goddess?”
“Hermann, Missouri,” she replied promptly.
The unexpected answer dragged him to a halt, and his brows drew in. “What?”
A teasing glint in her mismatched eyes told him she’d gotten the result she’d wanted. “Along the Missouri River there’s a cabin on a bluff that once belonged to Garland Boone, Daniel Boone’s nephew. It’s still habitable, if you can believe it, thanks to the property’s owner.” She began to swing their locked hands back and forth slightly, but didn’t break the contact. “Dad’s a big history buff, so he weaseled an invite to check it out…and it turned out the guy who owns the cabin—nice guy—also owns a huge chunk of the area. He gave us a tour of it on a UTV, then he let me drive…and I was hooked.”
“Wow.” Archie couldn’t help his impressed whistle. “That’s quite the story. You’ve traveled a lot, then?”
“Forty-eight contiguous states and Alaska!” she replied promptly, then tugged him into movement again. When they were strolling once more, she continued. “Do you know how tough it is to drive from Idaho to Maine? With two middle-schoolers in the backseat?”
Oh yeah, she’d mentioned she had a brother only a year older. What had his name been…?
“Did Patrick enjoy it as much as you—wait! Patrick? Petruchio and Katherina? No wonder you knew Taming of the Shrew!”
She laughed again, bold and free and appealing. “Guilty as charged. Mom was an English professor, and she owns the bookstore in Quinn Valley. She made us read all the comedies, but that’s the only one I remember, because of our names.”
He was halfway through the unconscious movement of lifting her hand to kiss her fingers, when he realized what he was doing and turned it into an extra-large swing instead. Although it had felt natural, it was entirely too soon to think about kissing her hand…or any other part of her.
Wasn’t it?
“But no, Ricky didn’t like travel as much as I did. Dad and I went together to Alaska just two years ago.”
“Any interest in Hawaii?”
She shrugged. “Eventually. But for now I’m focused on Central America.”
“Really?” This woman just kept surprising him. “That’s remarkably specific. Can I assume you’ve got a plan already?”
“You know it!” she said, laughing. “And thanks to your little sojourn on the ranch, I’ll be able to get started this winter.”
“Wait.” He pulled her to a stop again, serious all of a sudden. For some reason, he didn’t like the idea of her gallivanting away. He wanted her where he could find her again.
Which was weird.
He was frowning when he asked, “What do you mean, ‘thanks to me’?”
She shrugged again, apparently not bothered by his frown. “A year ago my brother helped me buy a Toyota Tacoma with only a few thousand miles on it. I’ve been saving up for a while to be able to turn it into a hardcore overlanding vehicle. You know, one of those trucks with the cab for living and supplies or tools, plus the water tank, extra fuel tank, larger tires, better suspension, raised air intake, specialized jack, the winch on the front… Once I’ve got ten thousand in my saving account, I’m going to have his garage start on the upgrades. I might be able to head out as soon as next spring!”
“To Mexico?”
“Through Mexico. I eventually want to hit Africa, but I figured I’d start small, and head for the Panama Canal. Dad said he’d fly down there to cruise through it with me.”
“And he’s okay with you going on this—this adventure by yourself?”
“Sure.” She flashed that too-wide smile again. “Life’s an adventure, remember?” She sighed happily, and pulled him into motion once more. “Just imagine, every day waking up in a new place. Imagine seeing Belize! Or Madagascar. Or—or—man, any of the amazing places in this world!”
As they approached the Aquatics Center, he realized he was feeling a little…jealous? No, that wasn’t it. He frowned as he tried to figure out why his chest was so tight. It wasn’t that he disapproved of her going off to see the world, it was…it was that the idea of her doing it alone bothered him. No, not alone…he was bothered that she didn’t want to see it with him.
His frown grew. He barely knew the woman! But he couldn’t deny the powerful urge to be the one to show her the amazing sights she wanted to see.
“Well,” he mused out loud, “I guess I’m glad I could help in some way.”
“Oh, you are,” she said, apparently not noticing his introspection. “The rate I’m being paid these two weeks means I’m that much closer to finally achieving my dream.”
“Won’t you miss the ranch, and your family?”
When she shrugged again, her arm jerked his, and he found himself holding her hand even tighter.
“I rarely go home as it is, but I chat with them every day. As I told my best friend just the other day, I can still call home, no matter where I am. Luckily, Dad understands my drive to see the world. To climb trees in the rainforest, to hike up a sand dune on the Skeleton Coast, to dive near the Great Barrier Reef.” She sighed happily.
He swallowed down whatever this weird feeling was, and focused on her happiness as she spoke about her dream.
“Do you scuba dive, too?”
“Not yet!” She flashed that too-wide smile. “But I’ll learn!”
As he held the door open for her, he thought of a way to encourage her. “I had to learn for Nisshin Maru. I was Pierce Chappell, an undercover reporter hoping to expose a whaling ring fronting as research.”
Her lovel
y eyes lit up as she turned to him. “Really? And of course you had to learn how to do the real thing, if you wanted to play the character.”
“Become the character,” he teased. “And yes. I did.”
She let go of his hand for the first time since their walk began, and he felt a little chill…but only for as long as it took for her to latch both her hands to his forearm and smile at him.
“Will you tell me all about it?”
His grin was genuine as he led her towards the large hot tub. “Gladly.”
CHAPTER FIVE
“Go with the yellow top.”
Cait frowned at her reflection in the mirror, and switched her hands, so that the dark green blouse was hanging in front of her. “You don’t think this one?”
“Nope, it’s too camouflage-y. The yellow really pops.”
Both blouses were held by hangers, making it easy for Cait to switch back, still trying to see what her best friend was talking about. “You don’t think this one is too…I dunno, neon?”
Was it possible to hear an eye roll? Because Cait could definitely hear one in Katie’s reply.
“That’s the point, Caitlin.”
Cait turned away from the mirror, and stuck her tongue out at her laptop, which was propped open on her bed. Thanks to the wonders of Skype, Katie—who was sitting cross-legged on her own bed, folding laundry—stuck out her tongue right back.
“I’m just…” Cait stared down at both tops. “I just want to make a good impression, you know?”
Tonight she was having dinner with Archie. Like, a real date. They’d been together for an entire week, and even shared lunches in between his lessons…but this afternoon he’d asked her to dinner in town. He hadn’t said it was a date—she’d just mentally labeled it as such—but it seemed momentous, somehow.
“I don’t think you need to, hon,” came Katie’s gentle reply. “You’ve been hanging out with the guy every day for a week, right? He’s obviously impressed.”
Cait shrugged and turned to her closet to hang up the green top—Katie’s fashion choices were usually the right ones. “I dunno. I guess so. But that was just business, you know? This is…”
Katie leaned in close to the camera, and waggled her eyebrows suggestively. “Pleasure!” she crowed.
Cait pulled a shoe down from her closet shelf and threw it overhand at her laptop, deliberately missing. Still, it caused Katie to shriek and fall backwards instinctively, and they both ended up giggling.
“He’s a movie star,” Cait explained when she managed to calm down. “He’s probably used to red-carpet events and galas and bimbos in gorgeous gowns and stuff, and I’m just…me.”
“Where are you going for dinner?”
“Mamma Mia’s,” Cait replied indistinctly, as she pulled her t-shirt off over her head. “It’s the new Italian place in town.”
“Okay, so he’s not taking you to a red-carpet affair. Just a simple dinner between two friends, yeah?”
Cait sighed as she slid the yellow blouse over her head. “Yeah,” she said, emerging. “But it’s our first meal together where we’re not both covered in dirt or dripping wet or aching or blistered or something.”
The last week had been…fun. As she’d taught Archie how to do the things on his list—primitive shelters, making fires from scratch, all sorts of stuff—they’d laughed and joked and shared stories of their pasts and dreams for their futures. She’d been amazed at his depth of experience, and how he could easily switch between taking charge and being a student.
He was a remarkable man.
“Hello? Earth to Cait?”
She blinked, and realized she’d been standing there in her closet doorway with her shirt half-way on, staring into the distance. So she shook herself, pulled the neon yellow shirt down, and presented herself for her best friend’s perusal.
“How do I look?”
Katie cocked her head. “Those pants are awesome on you, and the color really sets off your skin tone. Do you still have those small silver hoops I gave you for your birthday? Wear those.”
Nodding, Cait headed for her small jewelry box, knowing Katie wouldn’t steer her wrong. Almost every piece of jewelry she owned came from Katie, except for the small diamonds Daddy had given her for her twenty-fifth birthday, and the pearls from Nana. She clipped the silver hoops on, smoothed her hand over her hair, and turned for final inspection.
“Okay?”
Katie smiled. “You look awesome. You know…” She put down the shirt she’d been folding and learned towards the camera once more, a smirk on her face. “You’ve been thinking of this as a date, right?”
“Right,” Cait agreed with a slight frown.
“But if you think of this last week, each day you’ve spent together, as a date—”
“Those aren’t dates! It’s for work! I’m getting paid for it.”
Katie lifted her hands in front of her, patting the air. “Yeah, but if you did, tonight is like your eighth date or something, right?”
Cait’s frown eased. Was it?
Her best friend continued. “Because you might be paid for it, but you’ve definitely enjoyed your time with him. And I’ve never known you to get past a third date with a guy.”
Because most guys were boring. No matter their personality, they were the same person all the time. And even if she liked that person, she’d get bored with him after a while.
Archie St. John was different. He was always changing, and she loved the excitement of trying to keep up with him and who he was during any given hour. She loved when he was all alpha male, barking instructions, and when he sat and listened to her lessons intently. She loved his fierce concentration and his screams of terror when she had him practice flipping the UTV to know what it felt like.
He was different in every way, and she really liked spending time with him.
An eighth date? Cait slowly smiled. “I can handle this.”
“Snails? Really?”
Caitlin had stopped with her fork full of pasta halfway to her mouth, and was staring at him with a look of fascination.
Archie chuckled. “Indeed. But they’re so garlicky you forget you’re eating snails.”
Her brows were lifted clear into her hairline, and Archie loved the way her eyes sparkled. There were candles on the table of this quaint little restaurant, and the light seemed to make her cheeks glow. It was the first time he’d seen her out of her “work” clothes, and although he’d thought she looked just lovely in jeans and a t-shirt, Cait in that bright yellow top positively sparkled.
“What’s the most interesting thing you’ve ever eaten?” she asked, right before she popped her noodles in her mouth.
He didn’t even have to think about it. “Balut, in the Phillipines. It’s…” He poked at his chicken with his fork, his mouth twisted slightly. “It’s basically a duck egg with a baby duck inside it. They cook it a special way—the kind I had was very salty. It ended up tasting exactly like egg and chicken, combined.”
She was slowly chewing, a look of horrified interest on her face. After she swallowed, she said, “My motto is ‘I’ll try anything twice’, but that sounds pretty weird.”
He shrugged. “I’ve only tried it once.” But he discovered that he’d love to be the one to introduce her to all the interesting foods he’d tried over the years. “What’s the most interesting food you’ve ever eaten?”
Twirling her pasta on her fork, Cait seemed to consider. Finally, she shrugged. “I’ve eaten all the weird Americana stuff—Rocky Mountain oysters, boiled peanuts, crawfish. But I think I’d have to say that the most interesting things are the stuff I catch and prepare myself.”
“Wait, you hunt?”
She shrugged. “I camp. You’re interested in primitive camping, right? So I figured next week I’d teach you how to prepare and grill a fish.”
There had been childhood camping trips, and fishing in the Rother River…but had Archie ever prepared or eaten a fish he’d caught? No, Mum ha
d always taken a photo of him and his prize, then had him toss the fish back. A part of him winced at the idea of having to chop up a fish, but a bigger part of him—the part which was always eager to learn new things—sat up straighter.
“In Empty Saddle, I played Wyatt Tipton, a desperate rancher. One scene was shooting gophers, so I became proficient with a Henry repeating rifle. But I didn’t eat any of the gophers.”
She pointed her fork at him. “Then you weren’t really Tipton, were you?” she teased.
He stuck his tongue out at her, and she giggled.
“I saw that movie, you know.”
“Really? What did you think?”
She glanced shyly up at him, chasing the last of her noodles around her bowl. “I thought you were hotter in The Jester in the Mirror.”
“As Willum McGregor?” His ego inflated slightly. “I hadn’t realized you’d seen that.”
She shrugged, her attention suddenly riveted to the remains of her dinner. “It’s possible I’ve been watching all of your movies over the last week.”
The confession raised his brows. “Really? Wow.”
“I wanted to see everyone you’ve been. At least, the men you’ve been on film.”
Everyone you’ve been. Cait…she got it. She understood. He wasn’t just playing a character in those films, he was those men. It’s why he kept winning awards for his acting; he wasn’t acting, he was being.
Archie was stunned into silence. There were very few people out there who not only understood, but approved of the way he led his life.
She was finished with her meal, and finally met his eyes. “Archie, I’ve been meaning to ask…” A deep breath. “You’re not seeing anyone right now, at least according to the tabloids, right?”
She’d been researching him in the gossip columns? Archie suddenly felt tight, as if the restaurant was closing in around them. He very much wanted to be alone with Cait when she asked him what he thought she might ask him.
Fumbling for his wallet, he shook his head. “No, I’m not seeing anyone.”
“And you haven’t been seen with any particular woman in the last few years.”
