Shane hated him immediately.
“I’ll help her,” Shane rumbled low as he moved forward.
“I got it,” the man said without looking up from her chest.
“Appreciate your help,” Shane clipped short, “but I’ll do it.”
The man looked up at his tone, caught the fire in his eyes, and nodded, stepping back.
“It can’t be that hard to put on,” Sage mumbled, looking down. “It’s just four buckles, but they won’t reach.”
“The pillow likes to fold in,” Shane replied, then adjusted the PFD and began buckling her in. The scent of flowers hit him, so he took a step back to avoid the temptation to bury his head in her neck and drink his fill.
“Remember what I taught you out there today,” he said to take his mind off her body. “If you fall in, it’s nose and toes out of the water. If you’re heading toward a boulder, turn around and swim backward in a ferry angle. That means you swim at a sixty-degree angle from the bank, heading toward the center of the river,” he explained. “If you fall in don’t worry, I’ll have my eyes on you, and I’ll get to you as quickly as possible.” When she nodded she understood, he continued. “Also, if by some chance you go over the falls and get sucked into the eddy, swim down not up. It’s gonna tumble your ass but swim down. The current will kick you out if you get below the hydraulics.”
“How about we avoid waterfalls all together?” she asked playfully.
“Babe, you can back out anytime. There’s no shame in that. You’re not ready for this trip, and Gregor would understand.”
Sage shook her head, the movements quick and short. “I spent half my life being scared. I like to meet challenges head-on.”
At the mention of being scared, his jaw tightened. He didn’t want to think about what she and her sister had endured at the hands of their stepfather, but he understood Sage’s need to face life head-on. It was one of the many things he respected about her.
“All right. Just know I have your back. If you need me, all you have to do is shout.”
“Same goes here,” she replied, looking him dead in the eyes. “If you need me, I’m here for you.” She placed her hand on his arm and squeezed once before turning and heading to her raft.
His arm burned where her hand had touched him.
If you need me, I’m here for you.
“Jesus.”
Unknowingly rubbing his arm, Shane waited until she was safely loaded into the raft before he headed for his kayak.
One by one, the rafts launched and all forwards were called out. Shane stayed at the back, keeping his attention on all the rafts, but most importantly, the auburn-haired rafter in the lead boat. Hours passed, people were rescued and helped back into their rafts, and thankfully, none was Sage.
When they broke for lunch in the predetermined take-out point, Sage jumped out of her raft when they beached and threw both arms in the air, shouting, “Best job ever.” Shane had to bite his lip to keep from smiling at her enthusiasm.
Gregor always stopped at predetermined put-in and take-out points. That way, if they had an emergency, a man was waiting with a vehicle. Since Shane had insisted on replacing Joel on the trip, he was the designated recovery man. Essentially, Joel was paid to hike into each put-in point and check for injuries or deliver messages to the rafters in the case of emergencies. He was waiting on the bank when they arrived, and at Sage’s outburst, he turned and glared at Shane.
“Told ya he’d be pissed when he got a look at her,” Gregor smirked.
“He’ll survive,” Shane responded but kept his eye on the young buck.
“Your girl there is a hoot on the raft, Shane,” Gregor chuckled.
“She’s not my girl,” Shane sighed, but it felt like a lie.
“Just a play on words. Don’t mean nothin’ by it.”
Considering Gregor and Maxine were thick as thieves, romantically involved or not, Shane knew exactly what he meant.
“Tell Maxine you did your best,” Shane replied, clapping the old man on the back before heading to check the rafts for air pressure.
“It’s just the first day, boy. There’s plenty of time to change your mind.”
That’s what he was afraid of.
Lunch consisted of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for protein and endurance, coupled with Gatorade to replace nutrients lost from overexertion. On the river, lunch was simple, but the dinners were extravagant. Gregor always served steak, lobster, and salmon. He had a deal with Smith’s, who kept him supplied with the best quality meats for his rafters.
Once everyone ate, Shane and the others loaded the supplies back in the Gear boat and readied themselves for the next leg of the trip.