by Donna Alward
“And you have some things to sort through.” He nodded as if he understood, confusing her even more. Was he really as good as he seemed?
“I do.”
“Well, if it helps, this isn’t my usual speed, either.” He let his finger trace along her jaw. “I mean, I’d been with Murielle for a long time. I never cheated, and since the split, I haven’t... Well.” His full lips twitched a little and his eyes twinkled. “You’re my first fling.”
It was flattering and frustrating all at the same time. She hated the word first. It presumed there would be others after her, and she didn’t like that picture in her head.
Then there was the term fling. It was very clear that this was a short-term, vacation-only affair. It couldn’t be anything else. So why did it bug her so much to be a first fling?
She rolled over to her back and kept the covers pulled up under her armpits, even though her peach nightie was back on. “We really should get up. Today we have the morning hike and then on to Tofino. I don’t want to keep the group waiting.”
His eyes darkened. “Well, you’re probably right. I should go shower and pack.” He leaned over and dropped a kiss on her nose. “But will you meet me for breakfast?”
She nodded. “Sure. In an hour?”
“Sounds good.”
Then there was the moment when he crawled out of bed and she got a tempting glimpse of the rear view as he stood to slip into his shorts and then jeans. He left his shirt untucked, just like last night, only now it was a mess of wrinkles from being on her floor.
She seriously couldn’t be sorry. She liked him so much. If circumstances were different, she might even find herself falling for him.
But, circumstances being what they were, that was out of the question.
“I’ll see you soon,” she said quietly.
He came over to the side of the bed and sat down. “You’re sure you’re okay?”
She nodded, because she was, even if her mind was going a mile a minute. “I promise I’m fine. More than fine.” That was true, too. It was being more than fine that had her tied up in knots.
He leaned over again and touched his lips to hers. “Thanks for the slumber party,” he said, then winked at her. She couldn’t help the bubble of laughter that rose in her chest at his impish expression.
“Next time we’ll braid each other’s hair.”
“So there’ll be a next time?” His voice was so hopeful that she knew last night was not “it.” There were four days left of this trip and four days they could enjoy each other. How could she say no when she didn’t really want to?
“No promises,” she said softly. “But this doesn’t feel over yet, does it?”
He jumped up and grinned. “So. Breakfast. One hour. And then it’s off to hike in the rain forest.”
When he was gone, Molly stretched in the bed and sighed. This was too amazing to be real, wasn’t it? At some point, there was going to be a thud, because there always was. She’d been here before. Oh, not with the fling but with relationships. There was a period of time where it was magical and then reality stepped in. Thud. Next thing you knew, it was all over. She’d seen it too many times—in her own life, and every day in her career.
She got out of the bed and hit the shower, then dressed in skinny jeans, sneakers and a T-shirt. Walking through the forest didn’t require her to dress up, and she put her hair in a perky ponytail and put some lip gloss on her lips in lieu of full makeup.
Breakfast was coffee and pastries filled with fresh blueberries and white chocolate; not exactly healthy but incredibly delicious. They sat together in the van, then hiked through the incredible Cathedral Grove old forest, with trees so tall it seemed they touched the sky. The guide took a photo of four of them “hugging” one tree just off the trail, and even then their fingers barely touched as they tried to reach around the circumference.
* * *
Thanks to the late night and the morning hike in the fresh air, Molly fell asleep in the van during the afternoon drive, which took them to the west coast of the island and the town of Tofino. The resort was small but lovely, with a day spa that catered to the whims of the guests. Molly went ahead with a facial and a pedicure, followed by a heavenly hot-stone massage. Anticipation curled low in her belly when she thought of the night ahead. Would they go back to her room after dinner, or perhaps stop in his?
Later, she stood in front of the full-length mirror in her room and looked herself over with a critical eye.
The silky panties and bra still fit the same, but she felt stronger and leaner, either from the physical demands of the trip or perhaps, she thought, some renewed confidence in herself. She turned sideways and squinted at the little belly just below her navel. It seemed...normal. Not perfect, but why did it have to be perfect? Why did she? She ran her fingers over the skin there and shivered, remembering Eric’s hands last night. He hadn’t complained about her figure. Her face heated. Nope. He’d done just the opposite.
She went to the closet and took out her best little black dress and highest heels. The dress was a silky, stretchy number that plunged down to just above the middle of her bra and stopped about three inches shy of her knees. Modest enough to be appropriate, but also sexy as hell. She pulled it on without her body shaper underneath and slipped on her heels. She dug out her curling iron and added some loose curls, then shook them out with her fingers and left her hair down. Her eyes, carefully shadowed and mascaraed, glowed back at her in the bathroom mirror. This was a different Molly. A freer one, on her own terms.
It was a woman she liked a lot. Smart. Sexy. Not afraid to take a few chances.
And right now, that chance was probably sitting downstairs at the bar, waiting for a dinner companion.
She grabbed her small purse and pressed her hand one last time to her belly, then let out the breath she’d been holding. It was now or never.
Dinner tonight was different. There was no will-they-or-won’t-they? vibe, or any careful conversation to lead up to that do-you-want-to-come-in-for-a-drink? moment. Instead, Eric gave her a once-over when she approached the bar, his dark eyes lit with approval. “I’m going to like taking that off you later,” he murmured as he kissed her cheek.
She grinned and whispered back, “I’m not wearing any Spanx.”
He laughed as he took her hand and led her to their table. “Oh, dear. What would your mother say?”
“Oh, nothing. I’d just get the look.”
“What look?”
She did her best impression and he chuckled again. “Ah, I see. The look that says, ‘Darling, really? Are you sure that’s your best look?’”
This time she laughed out loud. “Oh, you nailed it. Anyway, tonight I decided it was time for me to be, well, me for a change.”
“Again, good choice.” They ordered wine, and when it arrived, Eric lifted his glass and they touched rims before drinking. The waiter came by to take their orders, and after he was gone, Eric caught her hand in his and rubbed his thumb over the soft skin at the base of her thumb. “You know, back there I thought you were going to say you weren’t wearing any underwear.” His eyes twinkled devilishly. “Instead you’re just not...”
“Strapped in?” she suggested, and then turned his hand over and rubbed along the same spot with her thumb. “Well, to be honest, I am wearing underwear, but not much.”
His throat bobbed as he swallowed.
“You started it,” she said, biting down on her lip.
He stopped the motion of her thumb by twining his fingers with hers. “How about tonight we skip dessert?” he asked.
* * *
Eric took several deep breaths, willing his heart rate to lower. If kayaking had been Molly’s big challenge during the trip, today was his. Zip-lining in the rain forest outside Ucluelet. Heights were just not his thing. Particularly heights when one was hanging from some que
stionable-looking hooks and ropes.
“Hi,” she said, bouncing up beside him. “How’d you sleep?”
His nervousness was temporarily forgotten at her cheeky question. “Like a babe,” he replied, looking over at her. “All that fresh air yesterday, I guess.”
“Me too.” Her lips twitched, and with total disregard for the fact they were in public, he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her in for a kiss. When he released her she was speechless.
“That’s for being saucy.”
Her eyes were starry and her lips puffy, but her tongue was just as sharp as ever. “Then I’ll be sure to be saucy more often.”
He laughed. She had this uncanny way of making him do that. Forget all the things swirling around his brain and just have fun. If he didn’t know better, he’d say he loved her for it.
Of course, that was a ridiculous notion. Love wasn’t part of the equation. Fun was.
Except they were in these strange harnesses and preparing to step off a perfectly good platform into nothingness. Not that he’d let on that he was scared. No way. He set his teeth. He could charm. He could be honest. But he could never, ever let himself show actual weakness. He hadn’t gained his success by letting himself be visibly vulnerable. He was rather good at bluffing, though.
The team waiting for them was made up of college-age guys with hair a little on the long side, big laughs, and they said “dude” a lot. They were also incredibly efficient and firm when it came to safety, which Eric appreciated. Still, as they neared the first platform, sweat broke out on his back. He adjusted the helmet on his head and wiped his hands on his shorts.
One of the team leaders zipped off first, the line singing as gravity pulled him away, and he would be waiting at the platform at the other end for the first of their group.
Eric knew he shouldn’t go last, but he couldn’t seem to make himself get in line earlier. Molly was two people ahead of him, and she turned around with a bright smile. He smiled back and waved, but an odd look came over her face. A few seconds later she stepped out of line and came back to him.
“What’s the matter? Don’t you feel good? You’ve gone white.”
She’d just given him the out he’d needed. “I don’t know. Breakfast isn’t settling too well. Maybe it was the smoked salmon.”
She frowned. “I had the same and I feel okay.” Another of their group took off with a joyful whoop. “Do you want to stay behind? I’ll stay with you if you’re sick.”
He could say yes, but he wasn’t used to chickening out. Besides, she’d be giving up on part of her adventure, and she’d gone kayaking even though she’d been terrified. If she could, he could. “I’ll be fine.”
The guy from Arizona was next, all six foot five of him, and off he went through the trees and across the tumbling stones of the riverbed.
That left the two of them and the final guide.
“You go,” she said, “and I’ll come right behind you. Okay?”
“Okay.”
But he stood up to the edge, and as the guide clipped him onto the line, he couldn’t make his feet move.
“You nervous, dude? It’s okay. Lots of people are.”
Eric looked at the guy, who was maybe twenty-two. He expected to see some arrogance or ridicule, but what he got in return was understanding and patience. “I don’t do heights.”
“It’s a common thing. It’s okay. Take your time. Then you just have to step off the platform. You don’t have to leap or anything.”
“Step off the platform—easy for you to say.”
Molly showed up by his side. “Are you afraid of heights?”
He laughed. “Of course not.” At her skeptical expression, he sighed. “I’m terrified. I can’t actually make my feet move right now.”
“You don’t have to do this,” she said quietly, “but I know you can.”
“Like you did the morning after you capsized.”
“You were with me. These cables can handle a lot more than your weight, okay? Just let it take your weight and gravity will do the rest. And I’ll see you in a few minutes. Can you step to the edge?”
He made his feet move, finally. He went to the edge of the wood platform and looked down. It wasn’t far, but it was far enough.
“Do you ski? This is no higher than a ski lift. And those are run by cables, too.”
“I hate the ski lift,” he growled, and Molly burst out laughing.
“Of course you do.”
He could do this. There wasn’t much in life that he found daunting, but heights made him feel light in the stomach and weak in the knees. He’d conquered so much; surely he could do this, too.
He’d known all along this part of the trip would happen. He’d psyched himself up for it, and now he was psyching himself out. Well, no more. He sent Molly a grin and then, with his heart in his throat, stepped off the edge.
The first sensation was that of the cable taking his weight and then bouncing back up a bit. Then it was the sound, the whirring zing of the wire as he zipped through the forest and out to the riverbed. He kept both hands on the ropes in front of him that connected him from harness to cable, and before he knew it, he’d arrived at the platform and the other guide was unclipping him to prepare for Molly’s arrival.
He’d done it! And it hadn’t been scary, not after that first moment. It had been exhilarating!
A distant humming sound touched his ears and he looked up to see the cable bouncing a bit and Molly’s form getting closer. The brake mechanism caught her just before the platform and she laughed, grinning from ear to ear as she was unhooked and set free. “So?” she asked, rushing forward to grab his hand. “You made it!”
“I did. And I didn’t even pass out. Not once I stepped off into nothing.”
“Probably because at that point there was no turning back.”
“You’re not wrong.” He chuckled and they watched as their guide zipped in and the group then got ready for the next zip line.
The various lines took them over the Kennedy River Canyon; over craggy rocks and rushing water, even under a bridge. The more Eric did, the more he enjoyed it and let go of the death grip on the ropes in front of him. He laughed out loud when Molly came rushing over the canyon in a starfish pose. God, she was so beautiful when she was free and open like this. The same way she was in bed, he realized. She stopped overthinking and just was, and so did he. They were good for each other.
To his surprise, he really didn’t want this trip to end. He couldn’t imagine flying away and never seeing her again. But he also couldn’t think how they might make something work between them. They didn’t even live in the same country.
He looked over at her, talking to the same Alberta couple that she’d made friends with earlier in the trip. Her arms were moving as she told some sort of story, her face alight with fun and happiness. He needed that in his life, desperately. He knew how to make money, but he didn’t know how to be happy. He hadn’t focused on simple joy since he was twelve and his life had changed overnight. But that had changed this week, with Molly, and he didn’t want it to end.
The final zip of the day was next and no one could be more surprised than him that he wished it wasn’t over. One final rush and his feet were on solid ground again. He removed his helmet and harness and swiped a hand through his sweaty hair. The first thing he wanted to do back at the resort was have a shower, or maybe go for a swim in the Pacific. For all their snorkeling and kayaking, they had yet to have an actual ocean swim.
They were on their way back to the resort when he suggested it, pleased when Molly readily agreed despite her hesitation about the water. They made plans to grab a light picnic supper and head to the sand before their departure back to Victoria tomorrow.
Molly wore the simple one-piece suit she’d worn in the hot tub back in Campbell River, with a sheer cover-up ove
r the top and flip-flops on her feet. The beach was a short walk from the resort, and he carried the picnic basket while she managed a beach bag with towels and a blanket for sitting on. It was late afternoon by the time they reached the long stretch of white sand, and Eric took a deep breath of sea air. They walked down the beach far enough that there was no one around, and Molly spread out the blanket.
He reached for her and pulled her in for a kiss. “Know what? This makes me wish it were just you and me on a desert island somewhere. We could swim naked and eat coconuts all day.”
Her hands slid up his back. “What about fresh water? And a diet of only coconuts would probably cause us some gastro distress.”
“You’re no fun.”
“I’m very fun. And I don’t want to be anywhere other than where I am right now.”
“I second that,” he said and kissed her again, long and deep, until she made a little sighing sound in the back of her throat.
He pulled away and put his hand on her face. “This is getting complicated, isn’t it?”
“I want to say no, but...”
“I know. I like you more than I wanted to, Molly. It’s not just about this attraction thing. Today I did something that scared me to death and I was willing to let you see it. And you helped me, you know? I don’t usually let myself be vulnerable.”
Her gaze softened. “You trusted me.”
“It’s not a very common phenomenon with me. I don’t trust people.”
“Because the one person you were supposed to be able to trust let you down?”
He nodded. “Yeah. Why is it stuff that happened when we were kids seems to leave such an indelible mark?”
“I don’t know. Maybe because when we’re kids, we don’t have the experience or maturity to deal with it, and we just carry it with us to deal with later.”
“Well, it sucks.”
She reached for his hand and laughed a little. “It definitely does, but we can talk about it later. Let’s make like seals and go play in the water.”
He couldn’t resist her. With each day that passed, she seemed to let her hair down a little more. And so did he, metaphorically speaking. He peeled off his T-shirt and followed her into the water, where heavy breakers sent froth over the sand. “Be careful!” he called out.
