Page 3 of Wrong Turn, Right Bear (Beartastic Summer of Love)

THREE

THEO

I wished the drive to the lake had taken longer for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, I was worried about learning to kayak in front of other people at the lake. I’d hoped the place where Ash taught was empty of people. But he pulled up in an area where tourists and maybe locals too were swimming and sunning themselves on the pebbly shore.

Damn! People were going to snigger when I went ass up in the water, unable to balance in the kayak.

Secondly, I needed time to consider why my hand was so tingly. I kept looking at it and rubbing the skin but there was nothing to see, except the more I rubbed the pinker my palm became.

Did Ash have something on his hands I was allergic to? Sunscreen, insect repellent, or moisturizer? Perhaps he’d touched a poisonous plant? My palm didn’t hurt as much as tingle. It teetered between pain and something else, but my brain couldn’t grasp what the second thing was.

Ash turned off the car.

“There are a lot of people.”

“Mmmm. Despite the cool weather, everyone flocks to the lake in the summer.”

I hugged my pack, putting a barrier between me and the public. “I suppose most people who live here can kayak like a pro.”

When he didn’t respond, I looked at my companion. A smile tugged at his lips. His eyes softened and held… maybe compassion. That was what I wanted to believe.

But us sitting in the car, in silence, gave me the opportunity to study Ash, who was more approachable than Ashby.

His twinkling green eyes, the scruff on his jaw and the parted lips made my belly jiggle as it did on the plane.

I wasn’t going to be sick but suddenly the air in the car was stifling and I pressed my nails into my palm, the one that had held Ash’s.

“It’s okay to lack confidence and be shy, but most people aren’t paying attention. They don’t give a damn.”

“Says you.” I jerked my head at him. “You’re an expert kayaker.”

“Nah. Just been doing it since forever.” He leaned closer so I got a whiff of his cologne.

Though I’d never spent time in the forest, that was what it reminded me of.

It held a hint of the scent outside my room when I arrived, which had been more potent last night.

He had to have been in the woods this morning.

He did lead groups of hikers so perhaps there was an early morning option. I wasn’t a morning person and hadn’t considered any lesson before ten AM. But maybe I’d reconsider.

“Don’t worry. We’re not conducting your lesson here.” He pointed to a bend in the lake. “That’s where we’re headed. I have a boat shed on the bank and the area is much more secluded.”

Awww he got me and understood I was insecure about being laughed at.

I heaved out a deep breath. “I’m so glad.” I returned his smile with a grin. His eyes lit up and those green irises appeared darker than they did when we met.

Grabbing my pack, I strutted along ‘cause I’d gained confidence since I entered the car, though that would ebb away once I got in the kayak.

I followed Ash away from the crowds along a narrow lakeside path until we rounded the bend. The water was just as placid, but the voices and squeals were in the distance as though someone had used the remote to turn down the volume.

“I like this better than back there.”

“Thought you might.”

The next two hours sped by faster than I had imagined.

We carried the kayaks from the boat shed to the side of the lake and the lesson began.

If we’d been close to a café, I would have suggested coffee or hot chocolate in order to put off the lesson.

But Ash was so easy to be with that my fears evaporated.

He explained he preferred the sit on top kayaks to the sit inside ones for beginners. I had no idea there were two types until he pointed out the differences between the two we’d brought out of the shed.

“The sit on top is easier to get into and out of.”

“Good.” If there was less chance for me and the kayak to go ass up, I was all for it.

He demonstrated how to sit in the kayak and allowed me to do it. It was so easy on land. Next he showed me how to hold the paddle but my technique wasn’t right, so Ash sat behind me, with me holding the paddle and his hand over mine.

His voice faded and I didn’t hear a word he said, but my heart sped up and sweat trickled down my spine even though it was cool. Goosebumps sprouted on my skin and the sweat slithered between the spiky flesh.

Ash’s cologne was even more pronounced than in the car, though that didn’t seem possible. His warm breath on the back of my neck had me wanting to lean my head against him.

There were skills needed to go forward and back and to turn and stop. But Ash’s voice was silky smooth and, as it washed over me, it almost lulled me to sleep. When I got into the water, I’d be reversing instead of going straight and going around in circles rather than heading back to shore.

“I think you’ve got it.”

Shame. I didn’t want to. Instead, I wanted my technique to be so bad that we had to practice all morning. It was on the tip of my tongue to ask him to show me once more, but he grabbed what he referred to as PFD.

“Your personal floatation device must fit snugly.”

“Oh, yes.” I was thinking of something else that would be snug inside me.

“Sorry?” He raised one brow in a perfect arch, a skill I didn’t possess.

I cleared my throat. “Yes, safety is important.”

Ash gave me a look I couldn’t decipher as he handed me the PFD. I put it on and he adjusted the straps, his fingers brushing over my water proof clothing. I shivered, which could have been because the wind had picked up. But I was convinced there was magic in those fingers.

There were stories from the past of healers who lived in the forest and created potions from herbs and other plants. Maybe Ash’s family had that skill.

He gave instructions on what to do if I fell off. “Hold the kayak and float.”

We placed my kayak half in the water and Ash steadied it while I sat in it. He handed me the paddle and said he’d be right beside me. With a push, my kayak was skimming over the surface of the water. There was no need to look for Ash because he was right there, offering words of encouragement.

“Your kayak is your friend, not an enemy. You don’t have to conquer or capture it.”

There was a moment I almost dropped the paddle, but Ash’s reflexes were so speedy, he caught it before it hit the water.

The kayak might not have been my friend yet, but the lake was. It was so smooth, not a ripple, allowing me to skim over it while Ash talked me through the different routines.

“Relax, Theo. You’re so tense. It’s okay.” His reassuring smile had the tension leave my shoulders and my grip on the paddle lessened a tad.

“You’re doing great.”

Ash pointed out land on the far side of the lake that some of his extended family owned. I wondered what they did to earn a living. Other than tourism and perhaps logging, I didn’t see how people could sustain themselves and their families.

“I think we’d better turn back.”

“What? So soon?”

“It’s been over an hour and your nose is a little pink. You don’t want to be holed up inside for the rest of your holiday.”

Damn, I hadn’t put on enough sunscreen.

With help from Ash, I turned the kayak by paddling on one side. Go me!

“That was fun.”

We stood on the shore after dragging the kayaks into the shed. I should have booked another lesson for this afternoon, but I’d arranged to go on a hike. It was with Ash’s company, but I doubted I’d be lucky enough to snag him as the tour leader.

“I’ll see you later. We have a small group today.” His offhand comment as he dropped me at the hotel brought about a mixture of emotions. I was just another client, and he was doing his job. But I’d get to see him again, though I wouldn’t have his undivided attention.

“Can I book another kayaking session tomorrow?”

He nodded. “I’m glad you’re so eager.” His broad smile reached his eyes, and his eyes were darker somehow. It had to be the light. Eye color didn’t change.

Eager. Yeah, I was. But while I was proud of the skills I’d learned, I wanted to be with Ash again. And that was silly because I was only here for a week.

What could happen in seven days?