She compared the name and number with her documents; it was the correct store. The two-story building, resembling a log cabin, was enormous, twice the size of the other establishments she’d passed. After locating a parking space quite a distance from the entry, she stepped out of her car. It was still early, but it looked as if Sunday was a busy day.
Cassandra opened the heavy wood entrance door but took a moment to peer inside before entering. She vacillated whether to enter, as if someone would recognize her. A couple attempting to gain entrance behind her held open the door, so reluctantly she stepped inside.
The ROCK was immense, larger than it even appeared from the outside. The entire bottom floor looked to be mostly clothing and outdoor gear while the second floor opened up similar to a loft. Upstairs held nothing but kayaks, hundreds of them, in every size, shape, and color.
Cassandra ascended the stairs, one step at a time, as her eyes darted around the store, in awe of her surroundings. Her mother had owned this. Why? Why would she choose to go into the business of selling outdoor equipment?
As she approached a wall covered with hundreds of postings and snapshots, she sucked in a breath. Several pictures stood out to her; there was no mistaking her mother’s long platinum hair and especially her smile. Her father had always commented that Cassandra had her mother’s smile.
Her mother, dressed in shorts and a close-fitting tank top, stood next to a yellow raft. Her one hand clutched a paddle while the other latched tightly to an attractive, older gentleman.
“Mornin’, are you looking for a kayak?” a friendly voice drawled behind her.
Startled from her stupor, Cassandra turned around. “Uh … no …” she stuttered, her voice faltering as she took in the person who’d spoken. The man was gorgeous. Certainly not her type, but striking nonetheless.
“Are you going rafting with us today, then?” he said, offering his hand. “I’m Chad, one of the rafting guides.”
She accepted his hand. “I’ve never been rafting,” she said in a faint whisper, not sure why she couldn’t find her voice. Was she so out of practice in social settings that she couldn’t answer a simple question?
“Well, I’m getting ready to lead a team of duckies. They’re easy; you don’t need any experience, and I’ll stay real close,” he offered, flashing a breathtaking smile as if she weren’t already awestruck.
A smile lifted her cheeks, breaking her out of her stupor. Without warning, a giggle slipped through her lips. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed. “What’s a ducky?”
“It’s an individual rubber kayak, very sturdy, very stable. Come with us,” he pressed. “It’ll be fun.” His eyes did some unfair smoldering thing, making it hard to resist.
She contemplated for a second. Maybe she should at least attempt rafting so she’d have some idea of what she was getting into with this new business venture. “Okay,” she acquiesced. “I’ll have to change clothes first. Then, where do I go?”
“Purchase a ticket downstairs, then come around the side and I’ll get you outfitted. We’ll go over a few safety instructions and head out on the bus. I’ll see you downstairs.” Chad turned to leave but then spun around on his heel. “By the way … what’s your name?”
Cassandra had to think swiftly. What if he knew her name? Did she want him to know she was here … that she was his new boss? “Marie,” she said, giving him her middle name. If he remembered her when she showed up as the owner, she’d say she sometimes went by her middle name.
He dipped his head as if he were tipping his hat to her, even though he wasn’t wearing a hat. “It’s nice to meet you, Marie. I’ll see you soon.” He turned and loped off.
Okay, this simply won’t do. She shouldn’t go. Chad was clearly flirting; at least she assumed he was. It’d been so long, she wasn’t even certain what flirting was anymore. What she did know was that her heart was fluttering for an employee, her employee. That couldn’t be an ethical business practice.
She had to stick to the plan. She was twenty-five, in the middle of the country, drooling over a whitewater guide, not exactly the person she’d envisioned herself falling for. Of course, she knew the feelings barraging her senses were nothing but lust, something completely unfamiliar.
If she compiled a list, Chad would fill it … right up until the chosen career line, which would probably be foremost. He was exactly the correct height, about six-foot tall, she guessed. He had dark hair with a small amount of curl that went whichever way it pleased but worked for him. His skin was dark from all the hours in the sun, she assumed, which caused his brilliant blue eyes to stand out. And his build … she sighed...his arms and shoulders were incredible. He looked as though he’d just stepped out of a Hollister advertisement.
She shook her head to escape the ridiculous thoughts racing through her head. Remember the plan, Cassandra. This was merely a six-month detour, and then she’d be back on the plan. It wasn’t like her to get her head turned so easily; she was forever sensible.
***
Trotting across the downstairs floor and out the back door whistling, Chad was exultant. Marie was beautiful. He knew he wasn’t supposed to fraternize with the customers, and he usually didn’t. Normally the girls flirted with him. He’d simply remain polite, carrying out his job professionally.
But Marie was different. She wasn’t the typical college student here for spring break. She looked like a professional. The way she carried herself, her speech, even her stance somehow. And she was breathtaking. She had her hair pulled back in a barrette, but he could see that it was long and dark, and her eyes were a deep emerald green that contrasted with her light olive skin. She looked Mediterranean somehow, like a woman you would see in the Greek Isles.
He sprinted out the door. Maybe she’d approach him before the end of the day. He could only hope.
Waiting for Marie to arrive, he started getting frustrated, hoping she hadn’t decided against coming. Maybe the cost was too much. He wished he’d known; he could have offered a discount. What was wrong with him? He knew better than this. How had this woman captured his attention after only a few seconds? He saw beautiful women on a daily basis; it was a perpetual hazard of his chosen career.
Mark walked up to the counter and threw the customers’ waivers down. “You ready?”
Chad scooped up the forms and tossed them in the drawer. “Yeah, in a sec. We have one more rider.”
Mark shook his head and nodded toward the bridge that crossed the river. “I’ve already outfitted every one of our riders; they’re waiting in the training area.”
“I said just a second,” Chad snapped. “I’m certain there’s one more rider.”
Mark walked off after flashing him a sullen look.
Chad walked to the front of the building and glanced toward the ladies’ changing area. She was there, ticket in hand, coming with him. He shook the thoughts out of his head. Not coming with him, she was coming rafting.
He smiled as she approached. “Hey, I thought maybe you’d changed your mind,” he rambled, surprised to hear how shaky his voice sounded.
She dropped her head, so he almost missed her returned sweet smile. Marie was shy. “No, just attempting to find something to wear. I didn’t have a swimsuit. Is this appropriate for rafting?” Her slender hands motioned to her clothes.
Per her inquiry, he looked her over. She wore long cutoff shorts and a white T-shirt, but there was no masking her figure. Marie was an absolute knockout. “You’re perfect,” he admitted honestly. “However, you might want to select a different color top.” Warmth filled his cheeks. Why had he mentioned that? Bad enough he was drooling. She didn’t need to know he was thinking about what she’d look like in a wet T-shirt.
She looked down, confused, then her head popped up, cheeks flushed. “Oh, I didn’t think — I’ll get another shirt. I guess white wasn’t an intelligent choice.”
“No worries. Come with me.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her behind him. �
�I’ll give you one of our shirts; that way you’ll have a souvenir.”
Marie allowed him to pull her around the side of the building. Slightly shaken by his own actions, but resolved not to let her change her mind, he ignored his ridiculous behavior. He really wanted to get to know her.
He outfitted her with her life preserver, a paddle, and a dark green ROCK shirt that would bring out her eyes, then led her down to the pavilion where the training session was about to begin.
Mark was just beginning the training when they arrived. “Here’s our guide now,” he announced, chuckling. “Better late than never …”
Everyone laughed.
Chad grimaced at his friend. “I told you we had another customer.”
Mark gave him a baleful glare. He knew the rules and knew Chad always obeyed them. So why was he looking at him suspiciously? Was his reaction to this girl so obvious? Did that mean she noticed, too?
After showing the riders an instructional video, they led the group onto the bus. Chad decided not to push his luck and allowed Marie to sit wherever she wanted, taking a seat in his usual seat up front.
When they reached their launch site, Chad helped all the paddlers, saving Marie for last. He approached her as she started to lower herself into her raft. He stopped her from sitting by taking her hand again. “Let me check your vest.”
His heart raced as he meticulously checked each of the straps, pulling them tight, making sure the jacket fit properly.
“I want to make certain it doesn’t come off if I have to haul you out of the water. Remember, if you dump, hang on to your paddle so I can reach you,” he reaffirmed their earlier teaching. “And keep your feet up in front of you as the video demonstrated, okay? We don’t want you to get your foot caught under a rock. That water’s moving faster than you’d expect.”
She nodded but then bit her bottom lip in a nervous gesture.
He winked at her and smiled. “Just follow me, and you’ll do fine.”
Marie gave him a warm, friendly smile, but lowered her head again. She was too shy; he would definitely have to break the rules today.
***
Cassandra allowed Chad to shove her boat off the bank and then practiced maneuvering her kayak around in circles while the rest of the kayakers loaded and paddled their way around her. It wasn’t difficult. Maybe she would be a natural at kayaking.
Chad lowered himself into a lime-green kayak, different from the ducky she was paddling. His boat was one of those sleek, surfing models they had at the shop. She had read the description on the signs below the kayaks for sale. They were fast and made for surfing the waves. He pulled a cover over the opening of the kayak, trapping his legs inside. She could never do that; she would feel claustrophobic.
After everyone had loaded in their kayaks, he guided them out into the river and motioned for the group to follow. The other guide, Mark, led a full-sized raft full of passengers.
Chad raised his paddle in the air, signaling for the kayakers to listen. “Follow me, paddlers, and whatever you do … when you’re going through the rapids, never stop paddling. Just keep moving forward, okay? Everyone ready?” He smiled widely at them all but maintained eye contact with her for a fraction longer, she noticed.
A round of cheers erupted, and he headed further into the river.
The first set of rapids was surprisingly easy. Cassandra was proud of herself for making it through in one piece and still above water. Chad rotated his kayak around after passing the rapids, watching as she rolled over them. He gave her a thumbs-up, and she couldn’t resist smiling. He was definitely flirting, but then she noticed he gave the remaining paddlers accolades as well. Maybe not.
An exhilarating feeling washed over her after every rapid she triumphed. She felt fantastic. A strange new energy pumped through her arteries, and she realized this was the first enjoyable activity she’d done for herself in years.
The day passed swiftly and not once had she thought about anything awful that had happened in her life. Until now, that is, until she realized she hadn’t thought about it, which meant she was thinking about it. She laughed at the ridiculousness of her thoughts. Maybe she was going crazy.
Chad lifted his paddle again. “Listen up, paddlers! This is The Bump, one of the most difficult rapids you will attempt today. Then, the final challenge is The Falls. If you don’t want to attempt The Bump or The Falls, you can exit now.” He pointed to the riverbank, where several rafts had beached, allowing customers to end their trip. “But if you want to have fun, well, follow me if you want to.”
Cassandra wanted to follow him, she realized. At the moment, she felt exhilarated and was ready for anything.
She trailed Chad as she’d done the entire trip, but this time something went terribly awry. Faster than she thought possible, her kayak dipped forward. She let out an earsplitting scream as she felt her boat capsize, and then she was underwater, struggling to locate the surface. Hold onto your paddle. Keep your feet up, Chad’s words reverberated in her mind.
Breaking through the surface with a gasp, she repeated the words in her head, Hold onto your paddle and keep your feet up. Now what, she wondered, trying to grasp onto a tree, but she was moving too fast. The Falls, she was going to go over the waterfall. Panicking, she ingested a mouthful of water as she attempted to tread the whitewater to no avail. Then, amazingly, she felt something drawing her backward away from the rapids, toward the riverbank.
Chad was out of his boat and swimming to the shoreline, his hand latched tightly to her vest.
Teeth chattering and body numb from head to foot, Cassandra attempted to kick but didn’t think she was helping his effort. When they finally reached the water’s edge, she realized she was shivering. Without warning, warm tears poured from her eyes.
Chad tilted his head, obviously confused by her tears. “It’s okay. You did marvelous, Marie. You held onto your paddle and kept your feet up. Those are the number one rules.”
Feeling ridiculous, she wrapped her arms around her body, attempting to keep warm, but she couldn’t stop trembling.
Chad stepped closer and started, it seemed, to wrap his arms around her, but then must have thought better of it and abruptly stepped back. “I’ll get you a towel.”
He walked over to another guide on the side of the embankment. The man had been drawing rafts up on a rack but stopped when Chad approached. The other guide quickly ran to a bag and retrieved a towel for Chad.
What had she been thinking? She’d wanted his embrace, a total stranger, a man who tomorrow would be her employee. What was wrong with her? She’d been worried that someone might notice her but then she’d managed to make a complete spectacle out of herself. What had she been thinking?
Chad walked back over to her and handed her the towel. “Are you okay?”
She snapped to her senses. She was a professional. She didn’t break down in front of strangers. “Thanks. Yeah … I’m fine.” Her voice shook as her teeth chattered together, though. She turned away and quickly climbed the steps to the road. She needed to get back to the safety of her car. Thankfully, the store was just a few hundred feet down the river.
“Hey,” Chad called from behind her. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
She made it to the street and almost ran. “Yeah,” she responded without turning around. Perhaps, he wouldn’t remember her when she arrived next week. Hopefully, she wouldn’t have to start her six months immediately. Maybe he hadn’t thought anything more of her than just an everyday tourist. She could only hope.
“Marie,” he called again. “Wait a minute.” He pulled up beside her, his hand resting on her forearm.
She snatched her arm back from his touch as if he’d burnt her. “What, Chad?”
His eyes fell, and he stopped his advance. “I’m sorry. I just — we’re heading the same place. There’s no reason to run away. Are you embarrassed because you dumped? Everyone does it their first time. You saw all the people who went into the water. You at lea
st waited and flipped on one of the most difficult rapids. Actually, it was quite graceful,” he offered, obviously trying to appease her. He gave her a wistful half-smile.
She shook her head as she took another step back from him. “I’m just cold,” she said, cringing at how her words had come out. Her words had been harsh, as though it was his fault that she’d been stupid.
He rubbed his forehead. “Oh, okay.”
Evidently, her severe tone had surprised him as well. She’d been flirting too, she realized, though not purposely. He must have noticed her instant attraction to him. Chad probably acted inappropriately with all the young female customers. Well, that would have to change. Maybe she could have him fired before she even started.
“I was just wondering …” he started again, then shook his head, changing the direction of his words, it seemed. “Do you live locally?”
“No. I live in Virginia.” She turned and stormed off, not allowing him a chance to respond.
The plan, stick to the plan. The words resounded in her mind. She wasn’t interested in a whitewater guide or anything else Nantahala had to offer. She was here for six months and then she was history. Even the river had tried to drag her under. One minute she felt exhilarated, the next she was drowning in its rushing waters. Just like everything in her life.
Chapter Five
The next morning, Cassandra stared in the mirror; she was an educated and confident woman.
Determination rushed through her body. She would march into the lawyer’s office, find out what was required of her, and in six months, she’d be out of here.
Her mother thought she could show her something. Well, she did. She illustrated perfectly how everything you endeavor to love will eventually upheave you and attempt to drown you. Nothing or no one could be trusted. The only person she could count on was herself.
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