Queen of Hearts

by Sheryl Wright

  “What? What kinda pilot doesn’t carry a little flask?”

  Ally just laughed at their antics. “I did drop a fishing line in the water. For all that it did.”

  “Whaddya use for bait?”

  “Just a squishy old worm. And a toonie for a spinner. That’s all I had on me.”

  “See!” the lead guide said as if Ally’s words proved something. “I told you she was better prepared than ninety-nine percent of the guys who come through here!”

  Just then, Erin screamed, “There something pulling on the line!”

  One of the guides, the young native guy, leaped to lend a hand. The other guides offered nothing but tongue-in-cheek encouragement, insinuating that whatever was on the hook was all they would eat that night.

  Done with her tent, one of the guides offered to get the sleeping bags in while she rejoined her friend. Back at Erin’s side, she was glad to be near the fire again. Her clothes, designed for the elements, were still damp and uncomfortable in the cool evening air. The young native man noticed her shivering and called out something in what Ally could only assume was his language. Another guide, began sorting through their backpacks. Finally he joined the group by the fire, advising Ally, “I put dry sweats in your tent for you both. Sorry. We shoulda done that first.”

  “Thanks so much. We’re doing okay, but dry clothing does sound nice.”

  Beside her, Erin gripped the stick Ally had tied to her fishing line. “It’s really pulling. I’m afraid the line will break.”

  The young native guy squatted down beside her, but never tried to take over. Instead, he offered quiet encouragement and Ally watched as he made suggestions, helping her reel in her catch with a level of patience far beyond anything she could provide. She was in awe as he coached Erin, playing her catch perfectly, the camerawoman recording every move.

  “I can see it!” Erin hollered. In the LED floodlights of the camera, it was easy to pick out the struggling catch in the crystal-clear water.

  In a swift movement, the young man beside her leaned in, grabbing and capturing the squirming brute in his hands and holding it up for the world to see. “Muskie! She caught a ten-pound muskie with a five-pound line!”

  Ally couldn’t help rushing to Erin and hugging her congratulations. “That was magnificent! Wow. I mean wow!”

  Ally could see the young man quietly dispatch the Muskellunge. He handed it back to Erin, making sure she had a good hold and suggesting she hook a few fingers through the gill to hike her prize up for Ally, the camera, and guides alike.

  “I guess I have to cook this now?” she asked jokingly. “It’s probably a good thing it’s a biggie.” She was still a little shell-shocked at her achievement.

  “Nope,” Ally said, explaining, “In my house, the provider does not cook. What do you guys say?”

  The young man said he would gut and prep the muskie while the guy they called Frenchy would do the cooking. The guys joked around and finished setting up camp and prepping the fire for cooking.

  Ally suggested to Erin, “Why don’t you go get changed.” Wrapping an arm around her, Ally pointed her toward the tent set aside for them. Now that normalcy had descended she didn’t know how Erin would feel about sharing. She remembered Connie had assigned all the tents by some logical thread that meant nothing to her, except Erin was supposed to spend the night with Pam. Was she disappointed to lose her opportunity for one-on-one time with her perfect cousin? The tents the outfitter provided would accommodate four, so it wasn’t like they would have been alone. Still, the idea of spending the night here and having Erin disappointed over losing time with good old Pam did plague her.

  Erin turned the arm hold into an enthusiastic hug. She was floating on her fishing victory and didn’t look to have a care in the world. “I’m so happy you’re here with me.”

  Ally could love her for that alone. “Go get into dry clothes,” she ordered with affection. “It looks like we get a great dinner tonight and all because of you,” she added with an immense smile across her face. Erin hugged her again, then practically skipped to the tent, zipping herself inside.

  Beside her, the camerawoman, stepped up, sans camera. She leaned in to give Ally a friendly shoulder bump. “I’m not sure I should let you guys share a tent.”

  That news threatened to crash Ally’s good mood. Before she could even think of what to say, the woman began laughing.

  “Oh, I knew you had it bad,” she teased. “And don’t worry. Connie said to let you two do whatever you like. Just get it all on camera.”

  “All?”

  She laughed even more. “No, not all.” She was still laughing as she strolled away. “S’cuse me. I gotta grab some footage of the boys cooking Erin’s big catch.”

  Inside the tent, Erin grappled with her wet clothes. She was never the type to go without undies, but it didn’t make sense to keep her wet drawers on when she had nice dry sweatpants and a sweatshirt to wear. The next challenge was deciding what to do with the wet gear. A place by the fire to hang them to dry for tomorrow would be best. Except, she wasn’t sure how she felt about everyone getting a glimpse of her white cotton granny panties. Who am I kidding? I have two brothers who’ve seen worse. It wasn’t the guys who were making her self-conscious but Ally—what she would think? We’re camping, not on some hot date! What the hell else would I wear? But in the back of her mind, she worried Ally would somehow be disappointed not to see some skimpy lace number on the line. No. She’s not like that. Finally she pushed herself and her armload of damp to soaked clothing from the tent.

  Outside, one of the guys spotted her and her armload, offering to string a clothesline. That was it. She felt silly and exposed as she hung her laundry for the world to see. She was even more surprised to realize Ally was standing beside her looking seriously adorable in sweats three times her size. At least she had the bearing to pull them off, but was forced to roll up the sleeves and the legs just to walk around. “You look like a Keebler elf.”

  “Oooh, I’m wounded. Here I was going for the cute forest urchin look.”

  Erin could only laugh, then took heart to see her hang her panties too. They weren’t exactly granny panties, but they too were white cotton, bottom of the drawer, and reserved for camping, fishing, and having your period-style pantaloons. The relief she felt was almost overwhelming. Ally just had a way of making things okay without saying a word. How come she couldn’t find someone at home like her?

  “Supper’s almost ready, ladies,” one of the guys called out. The camera lights switched back on, and Erin felt exposed, like a teenager caught doing something illicit.

  “Come on,” Ally said with a smile that seemed to erase her fears. Offering her hand, she said, “Let’s go eat.” Under her breath, she added, “If this all gets to be too much, just say the word, and I’ll take care of this lot. Okay?”

  Erin just nodded, walking hand-in-hand with Ally back to the group now gathered around the fire, including the camera recording their every move.

  During dinner, Erin mostly listened. It took some time for her to get comfortable enough to share. Not normally the quiet one, she was too overwhelmed by everything that had happened. Falling in the river, she had feared for her life. The unknown hand that had grabbed onto her hand, she’d initially assumed it was one of the guides or maybe Pam. She’d always assumed Pam had her back like she did at work. But this was different. They were both out of their element here. The only difference was, Erin could admit it whereas Pam never would.

  On the flight to Toronto, she had been snippy with Pam. Worried she would be this hanger-on with no purpose beyond keeping Pam informed. In a way, it felt unfair. The other queens didn’t have spies. Or did they? Did Ally have someone among the women informing on everything happening behind closed doors? She assumed Connie shared certain things with her, but she shared with Rene and Pam too, so that was expected. When the camera was off, and Sandy and the guys were debating something unimportant, she turned to Ally, men
tioning quietly, “I hear Rene has a spy.”

  “What? Like a corporate spy or something?”

  “No. No. Like one of the women on the show was placed there just to keep her informed on the goings on between the women.”

  Ally shook her head. “I have a hard time believing she would do something like that or that Connie would agree. I mean, I get where that could help, but it sounds wrong or childish.”

  “Childish?”

  “Like high school gossiping. I mean, if Rene wanted to know something about a contestant, why not just ask her?”

  “Maybe she was worried they might lie just to get close to her.”

  Ally nodded at the logic. “It must be hard for her to trust. I get that part. I’m not the most…desirable or…attractive. If I were in her boots and women suddenly started throwing themselves at me, I would be suspicious too.”

  Erin was stuck on the part where Ally didn’t think she was a desirable woman. “You don’t think you’re attractive?”

  Ally just gave her a look, a little sad, and a little grateful. “We all have our gifts. Pam was born with good looks and charm. And she’s always had that killer instinct. It serves her in the courtroom. Which, if you ever get a chance to see, you must. That woman can cut down an arrogant bastard in seconds and leave him on the stand crying for his momma. She’s incredible. I would not want to be in her crosshairs. Now me, I’d never get a word in edgewise with men like that. Although I am likely to drop them in the middle of nowhere and forget to come back.”

  “You have a kinder side, but you’re both driven.” Realizing she was probably saying too much about Pam, she added, “At least from what I’ve seen, I think you could hold your own with her.”

  “It’s a lot different to debate something over the Christmas table than in a court of law but you’re right, if it’s important, it’s hard for me not to fight. I guess it’s just easier for me to do so with actions, not words.”

  Erin grinned. “Like dropping someone off in the middle of nowhere and forgetting to pick them up?”

  “Something like that. Although…” Ally smiled. “I’ve never actually done that, but KC and I did threaten a fire boss that we would if he didn’t stop telling us how to do our job. You’d be amazed at how many guys jump into a helicopter for the first time and think if a girl can do it so can they.”

  “What do you do with them?”

  “The simple fix is to let them try. A helicopter isn’t forgiving or intuitive like a Cessna. It usually takes less than two minutes for them to work up a good sweat and get good and scared at how fast they lose control.”

  That was interesting, and very much the same as what Pam would do with a hostile witness in court; what Pam did with words, Ally did with actions. Maybe that was why she was the one to go in the water after her. When she couldn’t dislodge that thought, she had to ask, “Why did you come after me?”

  “Honestly, I don’t know. I saw you go over, saw no one could reach you. It only made sense to try. I actually thought I could hold onto the raft and you, but man oh man that current was strong. I had no idea.”

  “You’re telling me! First I thought I’m going for a swim then the next second I’m thinking, this is it. This is how I die.”

  Ally laughed, a good-natured laugh that helped Erin shake off the recollection. “Like I would let that happen. Besides, Connie would have killed me for letting a contestant buy the farm and who knows what Pam would have done.”

  The mention of Pam soured her mood. She couldn’t tell Ally she was just here as Pam’s spy or that she wasn’t interested in Pam. After all, she had bypassed Ally’s selection for Pam. Of course, it made sense that she would think there was something to it. How could she explain? Before she could think of anything, one of the guides interrupted.

  “Sorry to break the evening up, but if we’re going to catch the rest of the group, we’ll need to start our hike by five a.m. That means it’s time to hit the hay.” He named the other guides in order of their duty as fire pickets, explaining he’d take the last spot, that way he could get breakfast started for everyone. And with those final words of advice, everyone except the young man tasked to be first sentry headed to their shelters or to find a private spot to relieve themselves.

  Ally handed Erin the flashlight they had been given, suggesting she take care of nature first. “I’ll wait here until you’re back. Will you be okay?”

  Erin smiled at her concern. “I’ve been going potty on my own for some time now. I’m sure I’ll manage.”

  “Smarty-pants,” Ally said, but the smile that followed was all Erin needed to realize how much the woman cared.

  * * *

  When Erin had stripped out of her wet clothes earlier, she had chosen to keep her wet shoes and socks. The expensive cross-trainers were now soggy, cold traps for her feet. Finally able to pull them off, she stuffed her clammy feet into the sleeping bag before deciding what to do about the tracksuit. At home, she slept in the buff simply because pajamas or a nightie made her feel constricted. In the dorm, too shy to go au naturel, she compromised, wearing an oversized T and her cotton granny panties. Her T-shirt was carefully packed and sitting with her gear wherever that was, and her granny panties were still wet and hanging on the line just feet from the tent. She pulled off the sweatpants and bunched them up for a pillow. The sweatshirt, while bulky and uncomfortable felt like her last line of defense. Defense? What the hell? It’s not like she’s the type to take advantage.

  Erin hunkered down in the sleeping bag, thankful for the time alone. She had a feeling Ally had asked her to head in first so she would be more comfortable. But now her feet were cramping, the pain becoming almost unbearable. Ally, she noticed, had doffed her boots and gone barefoot the second they had a fire going. She admired that, but couldn’t understand how she could walk around a forest floor littered with branches, pine needles, and rocks everywhere. About to sit up and massage her feet, the sound of the tent zipper opening froze her thoughts and motion.

  Crawling into the small tent, Ally tossed her the flashlight. “Sorry, I should have left that with you. Did you get settled all right without any light?”

  “I did. And I didn’t need any light. You probably needed it more.”

  “Turns out there’s a full moon. Once it was finally up, it was easy to see and make my way around.”

  “A full moon?” Not one for signs, it did feel surreal. A full moon, a tent to themselves, and the only woman she found the least bit interesting stranded with her. Trying to be polite, she rolled away from Allyson to give her the privacy to change or whatever she might want to do.

  “You okay?”

  “Yes. No. I’m…My feet hurt. I should have taken my shoes off earlier.” She sensed Ally shining the flashlight on her, then around the tent. She unzipped the tent and disappeared with Erin’s wet trainers and socks, returning quickly.

  “I hung your socks and set your shoes by the fire. They may not be dry by morning, but they should be better than they are now. Remind me in the morning, if they’re still wet, we can snag some plastic from the guys to line them. It’s not fun but it’s better than putting dry feet into cold wet runners.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Okay, now how about I look at those feet?”

  “What? No. I mean, I…”

  “Erin,” Ally said in a tone gentler than any she’d heard before. “It’s just me. I know we don’t know each other very well, but you can trust me. And I want to help. I know how hard it is to sleep when your feet and legs get all cramped up. All I want to do is check to make sure you’re okay and, if you let me, I’ll try to dry them off and maybe give your feet a little massage to take the cramps away.”

  Erin was fighting her trepidation. “Why?”

  “Oh boy. I’ve done something to upset you, and I’m a dumb lug and don’t know what it is.”

  That admission confused her. Why would Ally think she had done something wrong? It took a second to examine everything
from her perspective. When she did, she could see how things looked with her keeping her back to her and refusing her help. “I…I…This is embarrassing. It’s just that I don’t have any pants on. I can’t sleep in big clumsy clothes. It makes me feel all tangled in knots.”

  “That I understand. I’ve never been good with nightgowns either. They always make me feel like someone’s strangling me.”

  Erin could sense her moving around the small space, being careful not to touch her or invade her miniscule personal space. When she felt the zipper being opened on her sleeping bag she almost screamed before realizing Ally was unzipping it from the bottom and up only as high as her ankles.

  “Okay, let’s have a look at the damage.”

  Forcing herself to remain calm, she chanced a look. Ally had the flashlight in one hand and her face close enough to give her feet a careful inspection.

  Finally, she asked, “May I touch them? I’d like to have a good look. Check for blisters and such.”

  Whimpering out a yes, she watched in fascination as Ally checked one foot, drying it with the front of her oversized sweatshirt before checking and drying off the other.

  “Lucky you were wearing quality runners. Anything less might have ripped your feet to shreds. Would it be okay if I massaged out those cramps making your toes look arthritic? I mean, you must be in pain.”

  “I, yes, okay.” Erin closed her eyes. Back in college, she had camped with her one and only boyfriend. When her feet got wet and cramped on a hiking trip, he had manhandled her twisted toes as if that was all she needed. Ally, on the other hand, didn’t seem to be in a hurry or rough in any way.

  “I’m going to suggest something, but I don’t want you to take this wrong. Maybe I should explain?”

  “Okay.”

  “I can do this thing with my physiology. I can warm myself up by raising my body temperature. Well, I’m not actually increasing my temp just getting my core to put out more heat. It can make my skin feel like I’m on fire, like I’m running a temperature, like I have the flu or something. Anyway, when I do it, I can share that warmth without getting cold.”