by Julie Cannon
Chapter Eleven
I’d begun to think a lot about the next few years and what I was going to do after my time on the Escape. I loved my job, but I wanted a normal life with a wife, my own house, and maybe even a dog. I know that sounds like motherhood and apple pie, but it is what it is. I certainly wasn’t going to tell a rich, successful, sophisticated woman like Lowe that I wanted to be a wife and a mother. But until my life’s landscape changed, I had work to do. Lowe’s questions were starting to make me uncomfortable, and I took a convenient way out. I reached for the microphone.
“Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention.” A few people stopped talking, and I repeated my introduction. “We’re at the Tahune Airwalk.”
Everyone stared at me, silent, and I sensed their anticipation and excitement pick up, Lowe’s included. I continued. “The Airwalk gives a stunning view of Hobart’s southern forests. You’ll find a treetop walkway that is forty-five meters from the ground, and the Swinging Bridges Track has two steel-cable footbridges that cross the rivers. Several other paths are clearly marked, where you can sit and enjoy the clean, fresh scent of the forest, birdwatch, or just relax. For those who are more adventurous, you’ll find hang gliding and a new zip line.” Several of the passengers gave a chorus of whoops.
“The bus will be here for three hours, so take your time and enjoy the beautiful countryside.”
The driver hit a switch, and the door opened with a loud hiss. I was the first one off, followed by the driver and the passengers. Lowe stepped off somewhere in the middle of the mix of residents and guests.
Lowe and I, along with Shirley and five others from the bus, joined a young couple at the briefing area to the zip-line course. After endless paperwork we were taken to a small patio area and given a fifteen-minute safety briefing. We were fitted with what our guide, Kendrick, called a sit harness that would secure us to the line. The harness buckled at the waist, and the thick, reinforced nylon wrapped around each thigh was adjusted snugly with a series of buckles and straps. My helmet was bright yellow and smelled like disinfectant. Twelve minutes later, all safe and secure, we tracked single file to the first platform. The newlyweds were first, Lowe and I bringing up the rear.
Conversation on the trail was peppered with excited, nervous chatter. The newlyweds were debating who would go first, and the couple directly in front of Lowe and me were having an argument, their voices tense through gritted teeth. The bride’s new ring sparkled in the sunlight, and I thought she was crazy for wearing it out here where it could get lost. Then again, if I had two carats glittering on my finger, I’d probably never take it off either.
The trail veered to the left, and we began a steep climb upward, making conversation difficult. I didn’t know if it was out of politeness or something else, but somehow, I always found myself climbing the trail in front of Lowe. I knew her eyes were on me, and it wasn’t to make sure she didn’t run into me.
The trees around us were thick and at times created a canopy over our heads, in other places thinning out and allowing the midday sun to warm our skin.
Large rocks made rough steps, providing much-needed traction on the steep incline. The group spread out, as some were in better shape than others. The man of the arguing couple in front of us complained the entire time. Lowe was breathing easily and had adjusted her pace to match my slower one. Among the distinct disadvantages of being short, this was one of them.
At the first platform, Kendrick reiterated the safety features and instructions on how to step off the deck, steer, and approach the platform on the other side. A few people asked questions, and the new husband stepped up first, showing his bride how brave he was. He shuffled to the edge and stopped, a look of complete terror replacing the bravado that had been on his face the entire climb. His wife cheered him on, but he didn’t move. His legs were shaking, and in a weak, girly voice, he said he couldn’t do it. Kendrick stood beside him and spoke about the safety features of the line and how everything was made in Australia. I guess that information was supposed to make him feel better.
The groom shook his head and said, “Somebody’s going to have to push me.” A split second later his wife did. He screamed all the way across the line while the rest of us cheered.
“That’s the way to show him who’s boss, honey. Start him out right,” Shirley said, joking. The wife went next.
“I’d love to be a fly on her helmet when she gets to the other side,” Lowe said.
I’d been on zip lines before in Hawaii and Brazil, but every line was a new adventure. The scenery today was spectacular, and I wasn’t just talking about Lowe, who stood close beside me. She was wearing a pair of loose-fit Levis, which looked great on her. Her boots were well worn, and her belt was some canvas thing with a utility buckle. Her light-blue shirt had matching breast pockets just below a Columbia tag. Her long sleeves were rolled up messily above her elbows, showing off her tan arms. She looked like she was comfortable outdoors. A large black watch with several dials and buttons was buckled around her right wrist. I’d noticed that she was left-handed and had always found something really sexy about a lefty.
“I suppose one zip line is like another,” she said, referring to my earlier comment about how many different ones I’d been on.
“Actually, no. The mechanics are the same, but every one I’ve seen is different. Every time on a new line is like the first time.”
Lowe arched her eyebrows, and I realized she’d taken my comment suggestively. Either I had better start thinking before opening my mouth, or she’d better get laid soon and get me off her radar. That thought wasn’t a pleasant one. I stepped onto the platform.
Kendrick, who looked no older than seventeen, gave me the same briefing as he had provided the eight people before me. I had to pay attention to understand him through his thick local accent. Because I had no questions, he promptly secured my pulley to the line with a bright-red locking carabiner and attached the safety line directly behind that. He checked my harness, ensuring everything that would hold me from falling into the trees below was ready to go and in the right position. He then slid the straps around my thighs up to just below my butt and secured them snugly. Finally, he checked with his crewmate on the other end of the one-hundred-meter line before giving me a thumbs-up. I knew Lowe was watching me, and I grabbed the steering handle above my head and took a running leap off the deck.
The weight of my body hit the harness, digging the three-inch nylon into the back of my thighs. It wasn’t painful, just uncomfortable, and I quickly forgot about it as I sailed through the air. The sun was at my back, the cool breeze blowing across my face. It was quiet, the only sound the pulley gliding across the metal line. The trees were thick and green, and I couldn’t see the ground through the thick foliage. It smelled wet and fresh.
I started to rotate to the right, so I adjusted the steering handle to correct the movement as the landing platform rapidly approached. I relaxed and raised my legs as I got closer. The braking system abruptly slowed me down, jerking me forward. My face hit the pulley and I saw stars for a moment. I wasn’t hurt, but the blow was completely unexpected. Ten feet from the platform, I slowed even further, and my feet hit the hard wood softly. Six steps more and I was safely aboard.
Martin, our other guide, unbuckled me and asked if I had any questions. Then he made a few suggestions on my technique before reaching for his radio. I stepped off the platform onto the dirt as he told Kendrick to send the next person over.
The couple was still arguing, and the newlyweds were kissing as I maneuvered where I could watch Lowe sail across the treetops. She’d never been on a zip line, and the expression on her face as she approached the platform showed her joy.
“That was awesome,” she said as she stepped toward me after Martin unhooked her.
Her face flushed and her eyes glowing, she was radiant and beautiful. My stomach dropped a little, and I reminded myself nothing could come of this.
I don’t rememb
er what we talked about as we traversed the next three platforms, too caught up in Lowe beside me. My senses were on high alert, every nerve taking everything in. I must have made coherent conversation because Lowe never asked me to repeat anything or looked at me strangely.
As we approached the fourth line, we stopped and had a light snack courtesy of the zip-line company. A box of assorted granola and power bars sat next to a bright-orange Igloo cooler with white paper cups stacked neatly on the lid. Everyone in our group took turns reaching into the box, and when it was Lowe’s turn, she held up the selections in my direction. I snagged a chocolate-chip power bar because it was easier to pretend that the thick, chewy texture was a yummy candy bar.
Sweets are my weakness, my downfall, and my Achilles heel. I’ll pass up any other food to have a doughnut, a cookie, or a bag of M&Ms. I’ll finish the last doughnut in the box the morning after they’re brought in, all of which is another reason I always work out at the gym. I don’t know if I go to the gym because I eat so much crap or I eat crap as a reward for going to the gym. Either way it doesn’t matter, because I’ve managed to maintain my size with minimal effort.
Lowe handed me a cup of water, our fingers touching as I reached for it. Our eyes locked. Judging by the look in hers, I knew the same thing was going on inside her as was going on inside me. A bolt of desire shot up my arm, whizzed through my chest, and landed right where I knew it would. My face flushed, and I came alive all over. Lowe must have seen my reaction because her eyes widened, recognition and desire reflected at me.
This is ridiculous, I thought. We’re in the middle of a hot, humid jungle, surrounded by other people. I had an unflattering harness wrapped around me like a pretzel and a bright-yellow cooking pot on my head. It had been quite a workout, climbing the trail up to this spot, and I’m sure I had sweat and dirt all over my face. But the expression on Lowe’s face told me that none of that mattered.
“Thanks,” I said, finding my voice and taking the cup from her.
“My goodness, this is quite an adventure,” Shirley said, breaking through my lustful haze. She sat on the bench to my left.
“Yes, it is,” I replied after a moment, grateful for the interruption. “How are you doing?”
“Well, these old bones aren’t what they used to be, but I’m not dead yet,” she replied, making fun of herself. Lowe sat down beside me.
We chatted for a few more minutes until break time was over and the first person stepped onto the next platform.
The last line was, by far, the longest, at over seven hundred feet. I stepped up first, more to get away from the bickering couple, and jumped. I let go of the steering handle and stretched out my arm and legs like I was skydiving. I arched my back, almost flipping over, my back parallel to the ground. The sky was crystal clear, and in this position, all I heard was the rush of the wind in my ears. Far too soon, I righted myself and prepared to land.
After the last person hit the deck, we hiked back to the main staging area. Kendrick was pointing out native vegetation while Martin told god-awful jokes, and I stumbled over an exposed tree root. Lowe grabbed me around the waist, and I fell against her. Her body was hard yet soft in all the right places, and she smelled like a mixture of sweat, outdoors, exercise, and woman. Being so close to her almost made me stumble again. We stopped, the others continuing up the trail.
“You okay?” she asked, her arms still around me.
The top of my head just met her chin, and I had to look up to peer into her eyes. What I saw almost made my heart stop. In an instant her blue eyes turned dark, transforming from concern to desire. Her arms around me tightened, and my heart raced, my mouth suddenly very dry. Her eyes shifted to my lips, tracing their outline. I’d seen that look before, the one right before I was going to be kissed by someone who knew how. Lowe bent her head toward me.
I needed to stop this. This was not a good idea, and nothing was going to come of it. At least nothing other than sheer pleasure, if my instincts were right. And they were never, ever wrong. I settled against her, wanting nothing else in the world at this exact moment except to feel Lowe’s lips on mine. I reached up, my hand on the back of her neck.
“Hey, you two.”
I jumped away from Lowe like we’d just been caught by her father in the basement with the lights off.
“Everything all right?” Kendrick asked, rounding the corner.
“Yeah, sure,” Lowe replied. “Sorry we fell behind.”
Kendrick looked from me to Lowe, then back at me. He knew exactly what we’d been doing. Or, to be precise, almost done. One more second and he would have gotten an eyeful. The way he smiled at us told me he’d probably seen more.
Lowe held out her hand toward me, her eyes still burning. “Come on. We need to catch up.”
I looked at her hand and was finally in control enough to use my brain instead of my crotch to guide me. I ignored it and started walking toward the rest of the group.
Back at the gear shack, Lowe stepped forward and reached for the buckle on my harness.
“Let me help you with that.”
I stepped back quickly, needing distance between us. If Lowe helped me, I couldn’t possibly get out of this harness without her touching me. I didn’t need that kind of temptation now.
Lowe looked at me, surprise clear on her face.
“Thanks,” I said quickly, keeping my tone light. “I can get it.” I put my helmet on the shelf and ran my fingers through my hair several times, rubbing my scalp. I’m sure I had helmet hair, like all the other women, except for Lowe, whose hair was so short, it didn’t matter. I’d often toyed with the idea of cutting mine. It fell below my shoulders and was thick and hard to maintain, especially in humid climates. I don’t think I’d have the nerve to cut it as short as Lowe’s, but if I did, it would give me more much-needed sleep time.
My hands were shaking so hard I could barely open the buckle at my waist, and I turned to the side so my distress wasn’t so obvious. After I finally got it unfastened, the weight of the heavy material slid the harness down my legs, and it landed with a thump at my feet. I stepped out of it, picked it up, and hung it alongside several others on a bright-red hook on the wall.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we invite you to step inside the office. Check out our souvenirs or any other items you find you just can’t live without,” Kendrick said, pointing to the office where we’d signed our paperwork. I’d noticed racks of long-sleeved T-shirts in one corner and several shelves on the wall with hats and cups, all displaying the Airwalk Adventures logo.
I’d just sent money to my mum and didn’t have much to spare, so I sat on a bright-yellow bench beside the door when everyone but Lowe went inside. She sat down beside me, her leg touching mine. We had plenty of room on the bench, but she obviously wasn’t going to let me get away from the closeness of our almost-kiss on the trail.
“No shopping?”
“No, not today.”
“With as many years you’ve been on the Escape and the places you’ve been, I bet you have souvenirs from dozens of countries.”
“Not as many as you’d think,” I said. “My cabin’s pretty small.”
“I’ve always wondered where the crew lived. Do you have your own cabin, apartment, room, bunk?” She rattled off the various choices of living arrangements.
“All of the above, but I do have my own. The captain and the senior crew have their own apartments, obviously not nearly as luxurious as the residents’. Some have small cabins they share, and, therefore, some have a bunk.”
“What about Faith? Do you share?”
I looked at Lowe again. The way her lips moved mesmerized me. My skin heated just thinking about them traveling over me, demanding that I respond. Like that would be a hardship. I was already halfway there. Lowe Carter could be trouble, and I needed to go very far and very fast from this woman.
Lowe’s eyes shifted from my lips and bored into mine. Fire and desire burned in her dark pupils, and my mouth
went dry.
“No, I don’t,” I said seriously.
Lowe quirked an eyebrow and nodded. “Neither do I.”
I couldn’t stop my heart from racing. The idea of being Lowe’s one and only short-circuited my mind. That she would, as the wedding vow goes, forsake all others for me made me limp. It was a heady thought to be the sole focus of her attention.
Chapter Twelve
The bus ride down the hill was more subdued than the ride up, everyone tired from the fresh air and exercise. I think I even heard someone snoring in one of the seats behind us.
“That was fun,” I said, breaking the tense silence between us. When Faith had boarded, I saw her glancing around the bus, probably looking for a place to sit other than next to me. She obviously hadn’t found one because she was beside me, yet keeping her distance.
“I’m glad you liked it,” she replied professionally.
“Shirley is quite a character.”
“Yes, she is. Her husband passed away several years ago, and now she spends all her time on the Escape.”
“How old is she?” I asked, anything to keep the conversation moving.
“I’m not sure. Probably in her mid-sixties. Her children are in their forties, I think.”
“Do they visit her frequently?” I’d often wondered if other residents saw their kids once a year like my parents did.
“All the time,” Faith said, loosening up a bit. “They come at least every other month, I think. It’s hard to keep track sometimes.”
“What did she and her husband do?” What I really wanted to know was where they got the money to live on the Escape. My parents never said how much they paid for their apartment, but when they were first considering buying I’d done some research and gasped at the prices.
“I’m not sure.” Faith scrunched her lips. “I think he was in banking or something like that.”
“So that’s where all the interest I pay goes. Must have been quite a bank,” I said sarcastically. That remark finally brought a smile to Faith’s lips. And my god, what lips they were.
