Elaine slapped her husband playfully on the shoulder. “I’ll pretend you didn’t say that. I know you wouldn’t complain about me. Especially not with my birthday coming up.” She nodded at Jessa. “Jessa wants me to go kayaking with her, and I had to tell her no. But she can’t go without another driver.”
“Well, that’s easy enough.” Jeb had yanked up the phone and was dialing before Jessa or Elaine could say a word. “Clint? Jessa’s here, and she’s desperately in need of a kayaking partner. I know you said you had the afternoon off—” He nodded, ignoring Jessa and Elaine’s openmouthed stares. “See you in a few minutes.”
Jeb hung up the phone and started for the back door again. “He was just down the road. He’ll be here shortly.” The door slammed behind him before either woman could say anything.
Silence hung in the air until Elaine bit her lip. “Oh, my.” Her eyes pleaded with Jessa not to be mad. “He is such a problem solver, my Jeb.”
“I see that.” Jessa forced herself to smile. Clint’s parents couldn’t possibly be aware of all that had passed between her and their son. Jeb had just been trying to be helpful. “Um, Elaine. I’m going to run home and change into some more comfortable clothes. Would you mind explaining the misunderstanding to Clint when he comes and let him know his day off is his own again to spend as he wishes?”
Elaine nodded. “Sure, honey. I’ll take care of it.”
Jessa gave her a hug and slipped out the back door. Jeb was at the edge of the yard, restacking the remaining firewood when she approached.
He looked up, and for a second, she saw a mischievous glint in his eye. Had his call to Clint been completely innocent? Or had he been engaging in a little old-fashioned matchmaking?
“Jeb, I need a favor.”
He arched an eyebrow in a way that was so much like Clint it was scary. “What’s that?”
“I have some orders for flower arrangements for Elaine’s birthday. . .”
Jeb nodded.
“And I need your help. Confidentially, of course.”
She outlined her idea as fast as she could, and as soon as she had his agreement, she practically ran to her house.
If she hurried, she could be gone when Clint got home. That way there would be no pity offers. She could decide a plan for the afternoon once she got on the road. Even just a drive would be nice in this weather.
She quickly changed, slipped on her sunglasses, and put her hand on the doorknob. A knock sounded at the door. She cringed, then opened it slowly. “Hi, Clint.”
“You ready to go kayaking?”
“No, I’ve changed my mind.”
He frowned, drawing his eyebrows together. “Why?”
She stared at his blue eyes. She hadn’t thought that far. “Um, because. . .” Well, that wouldn’t get her in the top ten if she were in a beauty contest, but maybe it would suffice for an awkward situation such as this. She brushed past him and turned back to face him. “Because I just want to go for a drive.”
Clint gave her a knee-weakening grin. “I know I said I don’t kayak anymore, but I’m feeling adventurous today. I’ve been putting in some extra hours while a couple of guys were out sick, and John gave me the afternoon off.”
“That’s great. I’m sure you’ve got better things to do than paddle down the river with me.”
He shook his head. “No, not really.” He jerked his thumb in the general direction of the river. “I drove by the river awhile ago, and it’s beautiful today. What better way to spend one of the last days of fall than lazing down the river with a friend.”
❧
The next thirty minutes reminded Clint of a Three Stooges’ film. He and Jessa managed to get the kayak down and tied to the top of her car, but not before they each had a couple of bumps on the head.
Once the kayak was secured to the car and Jessa was buckled in the driver’s seat, he breathed a sigh of relief.
“Don’t sigh too loud, cowboy. We have it all to do over again when we get out of the water, except then it will be on your Jeep.”
Clint grinned and got into his vehicle. Partly because of all the “oops” moments, loading the kayak with Jessa had been fun. And fun was something in scarce supply these days.
He watched in amusement as her little car puttered down the highway in front of him. The kayak tied to the top was almost as big as the car, and passing motorists smiled and waved.
They drove across the big bridge that spanned Spring River, and Clint glanced down at the rolling water, then back up at the blue car in front of him. Did Jessa realize how dangerous those falls could be? He was thankful his dad had called. The thought of Jessa alone on the river terrified him.
She turned right at the stoplight. He followed her, squeezing between the vehicles parked on both sides of the road through downtown Hardy. The shops were doing a brisk afternoon business.
Jessa braked suddenly. Clint brought his Jeep to a stop, mere inches from her bumper. He shook his head as three older ladies, heedless of the fact that there was no crosswalk, hooked their arms together and strolled across the road to the shops on the other side. They all waved merrily at Jessa, and he noticed she gave them a big wave in return.
Thinking of her tender spot for Seth and Doris, he smiled. His prickly pear had a heart of mush. And if he was honest, spending an afternoon with her would be worth the risk of the falls.
A honk sounded behind him, and he realized that the three ladies and Jessa were long gone, and he was stopped in the middle of the road for no reason. Heat crept up his face as he hurried on to Hardy Beach where Jessa was waiting for him to leave the Jeep.
He grabbed his keys and locked it up, then hurried to get in the passenger side of her car.
She smiled. “What took you so long?”
“Ah, some driver wasn’t paying attention,” he said truthfully. His face still felt warm, but there was no point in admitting she had him daydreaming in traffic.
As she drove down Highway 63, she glanced over at him. “My guess is it wouldn’t surprise you to know that I now have four orders for Elaine’s birthday. All for unusual bouquets made however I think best.”
“Really? Four, huh? So even Jake called?” Clint rubbed the slight stubble on his chin. “I wasn’t sure he would.”
“Yes, Megan called yesterday. I really think she might have told me something more specific but she had to go. There was a rascal in a deep hole.”
Clint threw back his head and laughed. “Rascal is Sarah’s dog.”
“That explains it.” Jessa smiled, her eyes on the road. “Your brother Jake phoned this morning, and then, a couple of hours later, one of your other brother’s wives called. . . . I believe her name was Annalisa.”
“So what are you going to do?”
“I’ve got some ideas. We’ll see how well they work out in the morning.” She smiled. “I’m on vacation today.”
She turned off the highway and eased down the gravel road. When they reached the low water bridge where they would put into the water, Jessa parked. Together they maneuvered the kayak off the top of the car.
“Hey, we didn’t either one get bonged in the head that time.” She slid on a cap and pulled her ponytail through the back.
“Yeah, maybe we’re moving beyond the Three Stooges.” Clint put on his cap as well. They eased the kayak into shallow water.
“Where are your Jeep keys?”
He patted the Velcro cargo pocket of his shorts.
She shook her head. “They won’t do us any good at the bottom of the river.” She pulled a large green clip with her keys attached and pushed the side deftly with one thumb. “Slide them on there.”
When he did, she let go, safely enclosing his keys and hers together. Then she expertly clipped the whole thing to a metal ring on the kayak.
She looked up at him with a grin. “It’s called a carabiner. I call it a lifesaver. Unless we lose the kayak—which we’d better not—then we’ll have our keys.”
“Sou
nds like you’re planning on us getting wet.”
“Not really, but it’s always a possibility. Especially when I’m not kayaking alone.” Her playful smile belied the cocky words.
“Even though I didn’t know what a ‘caribbeaner’ was, I’ll try not to be too much of a liability.” He shook the kayak a little and pretended to lose his balance.
Jessa just grinned. “Ready?”
“Sure.”
They moved in position to get into the kayak and stared at each other. She was on the left side, and he was on the right, but instead of one being in front and one in back, they were both standing at the back, ready to take that seat.
“I ride in back.”
Her tone surprised him. “I always thought the bigger person rode in the back.”
She shook her head. “Nope. The person in back is the one who steers.” She looked down at the water and then back up at him as if embarrassed but determined to stick to her guns. “That’s me.”
He could see her reasoning. She’d obviously kayaked more than he had. But he’d floated this river from the time he was small. Even before his folks bought the lakeside house, the McFaddens had taken summer vacations here. She’d only moved from Georgia a few months ago, so she couldn’t be that familiar with the rapids and falls of Spring River.
He opened his mouth, then took one more look at the firm set of her jaw. He shut his mouth. He’d invited himself along, and it was her kayak. If he wanted to steer, he should have brought his own.
He settled awkwardly into the front of the boat. They paddled easily down the open water, and Clint felt some of the tension across his shoulders relax.
“You making it okay?” Jessa asked.
“Yep. No worries.” He stopped paddling. Pulling his cap over his eyes, he stretched out his legs in front of him, crossing his ankles. “This is the life.”
She cleared her throat. “Hey, now. I didn’t say you weren’t supposed to paddle. Just that you weren’t supposed to steer.”
“Oh?” Pretending dismay, he eased back up straight and brought the double paddle back around crossways. “I get so confused.”
He felt a slight spray of water shower down on him. “Hey! That’s cold.”
“Call that incentive then to stay out of the water.”
Since she was sitting behind him, he couldn’t see her face, but suddenly he realized he knew her well enough to hear the smile in her voice. The thought brought a smile to his own face.
As they approached the fast water, Clint saw an open vee and headed for it.
“Hey!” Jessa’s voice had no smile in it this time as the back of the kayak spun around.
Before Clint knew what happened, he was facing upriver, looking at the water they’d already traversed. He paddled madly to turn around, but it was too late. They were going to ride these rapids backward. Fortunately, the tiny waves guided them gently into the calmer water, where Jessa deftly turned them.
Clint cringed. He’d automatically tried to steer at the last minute. “Sorry.”
“That’s okay.”
They moved in silence through the long hole of deep water, paddles slicing the surface in sync. It was easy to work together as long as there was no danger.
On the next “baby” rapids, as Jake had always called them, Clint instinctively steered, then stopped quickly, hoping she didn’t notice.
“Do you know how to swim?” Jessa asked.
“Sure, I’ve been swimming since I was old enough to walk. Why?” He felt sure she wasn’t looking for reassurance that he could save her. Besides the fact that he’d yet to find anything she wasn’t good at, they both had on zip-up life jackets.
“You just seem a little tense.”
“I’m fine.”
By the time they neared High Falls, known throughout the area for their unpredictable six-foot drop, Clint gritted his teeth.
The sound of rushing water drew closer until it was so loud that Clint barely heard Jessa when she spoke.
“I’m going to let you take it by yourself.” She pulled over to the bank and used the paddle to nudge the front of the kayak into the marshy land. “Then you walk it back up over there. . .” She pointed to a narrow strip of shallow water to the side. “And I’ll go on my own.”
“What?” He sat disbelieving in the kayak while she got out and walked to the front.
Her face, usually so open and friendly, was taut. “Clint. This isn’t fun.”
“No, it isn’t.”
She pushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear and put her hands on her hips. “You don’t trust me. You use your paddle to try to steer, regardless of what I’m doing in the back. And therefore, I can’t trust you. And I’m not about to go down High Falls with someone I don’t trust.”
One thing hadn’t changed about her. She still cut to the heart of the matter. Even as Clint opened his mouth to protest, he knew it was true. He climbed out of the kayak and wordlessly helped Jessa secure it to a tree. “I don’t blame you.”
He left her standing there and waded along beside the wooded knoll until he was almost even with the massive cascade of rushing water. As he stared at the falls, he thought back on their trip. He knew she had more experience kayaking than he did. He claimed to trust her. But he hadn’t allowed himself to give up the reins. Is that what he’d been doing with God all his life? Claiming to trust Him but not wanting to give up control?
Nineteen
“We’ll go together.”
Jessa spun around and found herself nose to nose with the most irritating man alive. The roar of the water had muted the sound of Clint’s approach until he’d spoken directly into her ear.
She started to shake her head. She thought she’d been clear. The muscles in her arms ached from trying to be sure that she could steer the way they needed to go, even if Clint decided something different. She’d had enough.
“I trust you.”
She raised her eyebrow skeptically.
“Completely.” He held his hands up as if in surrender.
“Why the change?”
“You were right in what you said. My life has been pretty out of control lately. I’ve tried to compensate by being in control of other areas.”
Jessa’s heart flip-flopped. “I can relate to that.”
“So are we going to stand here in water and talk all day or are we going to conquer High Falls together?”
A slow grin spread across her face. “Bring it on.”
They resumed their previous seats, but Jessa could immediately sense the change in Clint. She backed them off from the falls a good bit so she could have room to choose the point they went over. He sat with his paddle crosswise in front of him until she got them situated.
“Ready?” she yelled.
“Ready!” he replied.
She guided the kayak over to the left-hand side, and as they reached the crest, she barely tucked them under the edge of a limb that grew straight out over the falls.
She and Clint, through unspoken agreement, raised their paddles above their heads and yelled. An ageless victory cry. She felt they’d overcome something more than the falls.
The swirling current attempted to flip them just as they leveled out, but Jessa managed to keep the kayak steady.
“Great job,” Clint yelled over his shoulder.
“Now it’s your turn.”
They paddled to the shallow water walk-up, and together they dragged the kayak back to the top. Jessa motioned for Clint to take the back. After he was seated, she used her paddle to steady herself and got in the front.
They screamed again as they went down, and when they reached the bottom, she breathed a sigh of relief when Clint kept it upright.
For the next hour, they took turns steering as they came barreling down the falls. Finally, Jessa unzipped her life vest and tossed it on the sand. “Why don’t you try it by yourself a couple of times while I sit here and soak up the sun?”
Clint nodded. He grabbed the kayak an
d disappeared up the hill. Jessa leaned back and watched as he came over the falls, paddle raised high in a victorious gesture. As he reached the rolling current at the bottom, she cringed. She’d forgotten to remind him about compensating for just one person in the boat. Once he realized he was tipping, he fought valiantly with his paddle, but it was too late.
She clapped her hand to her mouth and laughed as he popped up and swam for the kayak, guiding it to the shore.
“You okay?” She smiled at him, dripping on the shore.
“Yep. I was getting really hot, putting out all that energy. . .” He stopped and raised an eyebrow. “You’re not buying this, are you?”
She shook her head and grinned. “Not one bit.”
He took off back up the hill without another word.
She played with the pebbles on the beach while she waited for him to appear. When he came over this time, he raised his paddle above his head and yelled, then quickly brought it down before he hit the bottom. He deftly guided the kayak out of the current and over to where she waited.
“My turn.”
He looked like he wanted to argue, but he nodded. “Want me to haul it up to the top for you?”
“No, thanks. I’m used to it.”
“Watch that place at the bottom. It can be a little tricky.”
She grinned over her shoulder. “Yeah, I noticed. I’ll be careful.”
❧
Clint watched anxiously as Jessa maneuvered the kayak to the top of the falls. Even though she had on a life vest and was a skilled kayaker, he couldn’t help worrying. She looked so fragile.
She swooshed down the falls, an exuberant grin on her face, easily balancing at the bottom. He couldn’t keep from smiling, too, as she paddled toward him. Disregarding her independent nature, he leaped to his feet and helped her drag the kayak to shore.
“I’ll go one more time, then we need to head on downriver, don’t you think?” She looked up at the sky.
He nodded and followed her gaze. The sky had gone from a light blue to a dark gray since they’d begun playing in the falls. “Looks like there might be a storm coming up.”
Through the Fire Page 11
