Slow Burn: A Colorado High Country Novel (9 page)

* * *

V
ic tapped
her foot in time to the music, describing what she’d seen to Winona, her dinner salad long since eaten. “Its antlers must have been five feet wide. It looked like it was probably as tall as my horse. I had no idea they were so big. We saw a couple of golden eagles, too, and some deer, and … what was the name of that cute squirrel?”

“Abert’s squirrel,” Eric answered. “And, yes, I got a photo.”

“It was adorable. It had little tufts of fur on its ears. It chattered at us like it was furious with us for trespassing.”

“Squirrels are very territorial,” Winona said. “It probably
was
furious.”

It was then Vic noticed the little smiles on everyone’s faces. “You think I’m funny, but this is all new to me.”

“I’m glad you had such a good time,” Lexi said. “Jack refused to let us pay for it. He said it was part of their wedding gift to us. Can you believe that?”

“He’s a generous man,” Austin’s words were upbeat, but his expression wasn’t.

Something had happened with the Team today. She’d overheard Austin and Eric talking about it in low tones when they’d gotten back to the ranch house—something about a drowning. She’d only caught a few words before they’d seen her and changed the subject. Whatever had happened, it had left them both shaken, and they were trying to protect everyone else by not talking about it.

A man with a beard and long hair pulled back in a bun walked up to their table, his gaze fixed on Vic. He held out his hand. “You’re Victoria Woodley? I’m Joe Moffat, the owner of Knockers. I hear you don’t like my pizza.”

Vic stared up at him, mortified to think that someone had passed on to him what she’d said. “Well, I ... um... The pizza is fine. It’s just not what I’m used to.”

“Don’t try to spare my feelings.” There was no anger on his face. “Just tell me how I can make it better.”

Before she could answer, Eric piped up. “She promised me she’d make me some pizza. Maybe it’s time for her to keep that promise and show us all how it’s done.”

“I said I’d do it
if
we could find the ingredients. It’s not slapping canned stuff on pre-made dough and shoving it in an oven.”

“You tell me what you need, and I’ll get it,” Joe said. “When can you come in? You can use my kitchen, and I’ll even clean up.”

Vic didn’t have a recipe at hand, but she’d made it often enough she was pretty sure she could remember everything. She ran through a list of ingredients for the dough, sauce, and the toppings. “When will I have time?”

“How does Wednesday morning sound?” Joe asked. “That gives me some time to round up these ingredients. We don’t open till eleven, so I can make room for you during our prep. It can be our lunch.”

Lexi shook her head. “We’ll be on our way back from rafting Browns Canyon. How about Thursday morning?”

Joe’s brows drew together. “I usually do payroll Thursday morning.”

And for a moment, Vic thought she was off the hook.

“But if I come in early and get payroll out of the way, that will work. How about nine? You show me how to make better pizza, and your meals for the rest of your time here are on the house.” He held out a hand.

She took it, and they shook. “It’s a deal.”

Rain came up behind them and spoke to Joe. “You wanted to see me?”

He turned away from the table, lowered his voice. “If the Team shows up tonight, their drinks are on the house. They’ve had a rough day.”

Rain nodded. “I heard.”

The two of them walked off together.

What had happened?

“How cool is that?” Lexi took a sip of her beer. “You’re going to give cooking lessons to Caribou Joe.”

The idea made Vic nervous. She’d only ever cooked for pleasure. She’d never cooked under pressure before. “I hope I don’t mess something up.”

The band reached the end of a song, then the lead singer spoke. “We hear we’ve got a bride and groom in the house tonight. Lexi and Austin, this next song’s for you. From what we’ve been told, it fits.”

They slipped into a Zydeco version of
Paradise By the Dashboard Light
, their choice of song making Vic and everyone else laugh.

Austin took Lexi’s hand, kissed it, and led her onto the dance floor, where people made way for them, cheering as they started to dance.

Eric took her hand. “Let’s put those fancy boots of yours to work.”

She pulled back. “I don’t know how to dance like that.”

He didn’t back down. “I’ll teach you. It’s not as hard as wakeboarding.”

He led her to the dance floor, took her right hand with his left, and placed his other hand on her back. “You hold onto my shoulder. Yes, just like that. The steps are easy. Just follow my lead. Quick, quick, slow, slow. Quick, quick, slow, slow.”

It wasn’t hard, but being close to Eric like this destroyed Vic’s concentration, and more than once she lost the rhythm. He smelled like sunshine and saddle leather, his movements confident, his hands strong as they guided her.

He looked down at her, his blue eyes dark. “You’re doing great.”

When the song ended, she applauded along with everyone else, then cheered as Austin scooped Lexi into his arms and carried her back toward their table.

And there was that damned lump in her throat again.

The band started another song, a slow song with a sensual, bluesy vibe, and Vic turned to walk back to their table.

Eric held fast to her hand and drew her against him, the heat of his body seeming to enfold her. “Don’t run away.”

“I wasn’t running.”

That was a lie. He was too much, and if she weren’t careful, she’d start having feelings for him. Where would she be then?

She’d be in Chicago, that’s where. He would still be here in Scarlet. Besides, wasn’t she done with men? And then there was the little matter of the promise she’d made herself.

“You amaze me, Victoria. Every day you surprise me.”

She looked up at him. “How?”

“Saturday, it was your willingness to try something completely new. Sunday, it was your compassion toward Bear.” His voice was deep and soft, the sound rumbling in his chest as he spoke. “Today, you showed me that you’re good with horses. Let’s not forget your skill with computers.”

She didn’t know what to say. Most of the time when men said kind things to her, it had to do with her body. “I’ve spent more time with you than I have with Lexi.”

“You don’t hear me complaining.” His fingers traced circles on her back through the fabric of her blouse, sending shivers down her spine.

“We should probably go work on the vid—”

“We’ve got time for that later. Just dance with me.”

“Okay.” She gave in and did what she’d really wanted to do since he’d brought her onto the dance floor. She rested her head against his chest and forgot everything else but him.

E
ric watched
as Vic finished adding the last photo, trying to keep his mind off her and on the video. He could still feel her in his arms—the gentle swaying of her body, her soft curves, the silk of her hair beneath his fingers. It was driving him nuts. Even so, he didn’t want to leave. He liked being close to her like this, just the two of them.

She dragged the cursor back to the beginning of their timeline, images playing in reverse order on the screen. “Okay, are you ready?”

“Let’s see it.”

She let the video run.

Eric watched as the project he’d started six months ago came together, interviews edited expertly, photos fading in and out. “I love how you did that. I wouldn’t have been able to figure it out.”

Vic sniffed.

He glanced over to see tears in her eyes. “You think it’s that good?”

She reached for a tissue. “Would you shut up and let me listen?”

“Yes, ma’am.” He held his hands up in a gesture of surrender. “I would’ve thought you’d had enough of this, given the amount of time we’ve spent editing everything.”

“Shh!”

“Geez.” He chuckled.

On his computer screen, Rose was talking.

Yeah, he was going to have words with her later.

“Oh, Emily knows. Of course, she knows. Whatever journey her spirit has made, she knows more about us now than we know about ourselves. She’s thrilled that Lexi and Austin are together. She used to come to me for readings. She had a lot of second chakra energy just like Lexi—very fertile, very sexual.”

What the hell did that mean? They didn’t go into chakras in paramedic school. Eric had almost asked, but he’d known it would send Rose off on a tangent.

When the video finished, Vic’s cheeks were damp from crying, but there was a smile on her face. “You know what it needs now?”

“What?” He’d thought they were finished.

“A soundtrack.”

“A soundtrack?” Okay, sure. “Do you know any musicians?”

“Oh, thousands.” She typed something into Google and clicked on a link. “See? There are lots of sites that offer royalty-free music. We just have to find a composition that fits, buy it, and edit it in.”

He glanced at his watch and stood. “We’ll have to wait till Wednesday night. It’s after eleven, and you still need to get packed for the rafting trip. We leave at five in the morning, remember?”

“Oh, God. I don’t even know what to bring. I’ve never gone camping.”

He stared at her. “You’ve never gone camping?”

“Not in a tent.”

“What other way is there?”

“Camping in a custom RV with a TV and running water and my own bedroom. Or staying in a lodge with room service in the middle of the African bush. My father once took us to Kenya. There were giraffes outside every morning. My brother and I fed them through the windows.”

“Honey, that’s not camping.” He didn’t know what that was. “Want help packing?”

“You would do that?”

“Sure.”

“Just don’t look at my panties, okay?”

At the word
panties
, his pulse skipped. He couldn’t resist. “What’s wrong with your panties?”

“Nothing’s
wrong
with them. I’d just feel embarrassed if you saw them.”

He hated to break it to her, but he’d seen a lot more than her panties the other night, and she hadn’t seemed embarrassed then. He couldn’t say that, of course. “Okay, fine. No snooping in your underwear drawer.”

She shut down the computer and walked into the bedroom, flicking on the light as she entered. She went to the closet, opened it, and took out one of her suitcases and a brand, spanking new wetsuit. “I bought this.”

It was distinctly feminine with short sleeves, legs that ended mid-thigh, and cheery color blocks in yellow, pink, and green.

“You bought a wetsuit? For one rafting trip?” It was high-quality, too, something a pro might own. “Most people rent those.”

She shrugged like it was no big deal. “Lexi told me the rented ones sometimes smell like mildew.”

Okay, yeah. “That’s true.”

“Do you know if we’re going out on the town while we’re there?”

“Out on the town—in Buena Vista?” Eric laughed. “I doubt it.”

He walked to the closet, searched through her clothes, pulled out a little black beaded dress. “I’d pay money to see you in this.”

She took it from him, jammed it back into her closet. “Some help you are.”

“Sorry. I got distracted.” He grabbed a pair of jeans, two tank tops, and two T-shirts off their hangers, then tossed them onto the bed, together with a fleece jacket and the winter coat she’d brought. Next, he dug in the bottom of her closet where her shoes were neatly arranged and took out a pair of running shoes and a brand new pair of Teva sandals. “Add two pairs of socks and two pairs of the sweet little panties you don’t want me to see, and you’re mostly set. You’ll need your personal items, too, along with sunscreen and mosquito repellent.”

She stared at the small pile he’d made. “That’s it?”

“That’s more than you’ll need. We’re only camping for one night. The outfitter Austin and Lexi hired will supply the tents, sleeping bags, and all the other gear, so unless you want to go down the river in a fancy gown or tromp around the campground in heels, yeah, that’s it.”

“What about pajamas?”

“In a tent?” He laughed out loud. “Just sleep in your T-shirt and underwear. That’s what I do.”

“Okay.” She looked away, worry lines on her face.

“Hey, you can bring pajamas if you want, but—”

“It’s not that. The idea of whitewater rafting scares me. I read online that people have drowned rafting in Browns Canyon.”

It was true.

“Hey, come here.” He drew her against him, held her. “I’ll be there. Taylor, Moretti, and Chaska will be there. That’s four rescue guys, and two of us are paramedics. The rafting guide will be there, too. You’re not going to drown.”

“How can you be sure?”

He couldn’t resist. “I’m very good at mouth-to-mouth.”

She laughed, pushing him away. “Yes, I believe you probably are. Now go. Let me get some sleep.”

He left her suite, still grinning, and headed down the stairs and outside. He was on his way to his truck when he remembered what he’d planned to do.

He hurried across the street and knocked on Rose’s door—hard.

She poked her head out of the window above him, naked as a jaybird, her breasts visible, her long silver hair tousled. “Eric Hawke? What is it? Is someone hurt?”

“Everything’s fine.” He hadn’t meant to scare her. “It’s eleven thirty-six. I just wanted to make sure you got the time right so you can tell everyone in Scarlet exactly when I left Victoria’s room tonight.”

With that, he turned and walked to his truck, chuckling to himself.

* * *

V
ic looked at the others
. “Why am I the only one wearing a wetsuit?”

Everyone else was dressed in tank tops and shorts.

Eric’s gaze slid over her. “I don’t know, but I’m grateful.”

“Did Lexi tell you to buy a wetsuit?” Austin asked.

Lexi shook her head. “I just said most people rent wetsuits.”

They left their gear in the rafting company’s dressing rooms, then walked as a group down to the riverbank, where their guide, a tall man with a tanned face and shoulder-length, sun-bleached hair was waiting for them.

Was it too late to back out?

No, she couldn’t do that. Lexi and Austin had paid for this. Besides, she didn’t want to look like a chicken. If they thought this was safe, it was probably safe.

Then again, most of them were rock climbers.

“The number one rule of rafting is ‘stay in the boat,’” said the guide, whose name was Logan. “If you break that rule and fall in, or if the boat flips, the first thing you need to do is stay calm.”

Somehow, hearing she should stay calm made Vic feel anything but, her heart beating fast and hard. Ten feet away, the Arkansas River raced by them, a swirling menace of rapids and eddies.

“I’ll say that again. Stay calm. Your vest will bring you to the surface. It’s important that you get out of the water quickly to prevent cold shock. The safe way to do that is to point your feet downstream. Use them to keep yourself from hitting rocks. Some of those rocks you can see. Some you can’t. Use your arms like rudders to steer yourself toward the riverbank.” He looked over at Austin. “I know you’re all in Search and Rescue, but I have to give the speech.”

Austin grinned from behind his sunglasses, zinc oxide on his nose. “We understand. Safety first.”

“Any questions?”

Vic had about a dozen, but she was pretty sure she’d sound like an idiot, so she kept them to herself.

“Let’s get our boat in the water.”

She grabbed her handle and lifted, the raft much heavier than she’d imagined. Fortunately, six other people were carrying it, too. Jesse had backed out at the last minute, showing up this morning at five a.m. in Austin’s driveway to say he couldn’t make it. Vic didn’t know why he’d backed out, but from the looks Austin and Eric had given each other, she’d bet it had to do with what had happened with the Team yesterday.

“All right, everyone, get in. Taylor and Hawke, why don’t you sit up front? You’ve done this more than the others.”

“I’d like to sit in front of Victoria if that’s okay. I promised her she wouldn’t drown, and I aim to keep that promise.”

“Let’s put her between the two of us.”

While Logan held onto the raft, everyone got into their spots, Victoria positioning herself the way he’d shown her, oar in hand.

“Okay. It looks like we’re ready to rock and roll.” Logan jumped into the boat and let the water take it. “We’ve got calm water for a while, so let’s practice rowing as a team. It’s important that we work together. Oars in the water.”

Vic tried to do exactly what he told her to do, rowing hard when he told them to row hard, lifting her oar out of the water when he shouted, “Oars up!”

“We’re coming up on our first rapid—Whitewater Park. We’re going to row hard right through it.”

Eric turned to look at her over his shoulder. “It’s going to be fun.”

She nodded, heart in her throat.

“Row!” Logan told them.

“Bring it on!” That was Austin.

They flew through the rapid, the river seeming to drop from beneath them as if they were on a roller coaster, icy-cold water spraying up around them.

Vic let out a shriek—then found herself laughing. “Woohoo!”

“Hoka hey!”

“All right!”

“Yeah!”

They hit two more sections with rapids, then came to a calm, lazy stretch. They glided along, Logan sharing the history of the Arkansas River Valley and naming the mountains that passed in the distance. “Those are the Collegiate Peaks over there, part of the Sawatch Range.”

Vic took in the sights—grassy riverbanks, rocky foothills, distant mountains, sunlight sparkling on water. On the shore to their left, something moved. “A deer! Look! There’s a deer!”

“Where are you from?” Logan asked.

“Chicago,” everyone else said in unison.

* * *

T
hey stopped
for a catered lunch at roughly the halfway point, paddling the boat into shallow water, then dragging it onto the sand beside a half dozen other rafts from other rafting companies.

“How are you holding up, city girl?”

Victoria smiled up at Eric, her dark hair damp, her face flushed from sunshine and excitement, the mirrored lenses of her sunglasses beaded with water. “This is a freaking blast!”

He bit back a “told you so,” his arm finding its way around her shoulders as they walked toward the picnic area. Other rafters and their guides crowded around the tables, but the group found a place to sit for a quick lunch of deli sandwiches, potato chips, and fresh fruit. Then the women left en masse for a bathroom break.

Why did women do that?

Hey, I gotta take a piss. Want to come with me?

Said no man ever.

Eric didn’t miss the way other men’s gazes followed Victoria as she passed, checking her out from head to toe. As long as they kept their distance …

“Hey, Hawke, did you hear what the other guides told Logan?” Taylor called.