Chapter 5
Maverick
I can’t stop thinking about Josie. Watching her has become like an obsession. I’m watching over my staff and the boys too. There is even an extra person with us today, a reporter doing an article on the camp. But I always know where Josie is and who she is talking to.
I’m impressed with her can-do attitude. She seems determined to throw herself into this experience, even though I practically blackmailed her into being here.
After breakfast there were a few skills workshops and Josie joined in, helping the quieter boys, not taking any attitude from the louder ones.
I can see that the kids are all quite taken with her.
Who can blame them? She is nothing like the crazy woman who was yelling at me the other day.
Well, there is still a wild spark in her eyes that I find most intriguing.
Her challenging me to the obstacle course yesterday helped win the kids over. I think they see her as their champagne, even though she lost the race. That was something. To be challenged by Josie.
She is exciting to be around. Wild. I never know what she is going to do next, or how she will react. It’s been a long, long time since I felt so alive around a woman. Eager to be with her. Eager to talk to her. But I have competition with the kids always grabbing her attention.
I take my opportunity on today’s walk up to the camping grounds.
Normally I would take the lead, but today I let Maggie lead the troop up the mountain.
It is a bit of a trek but we have stops along the way to show little survival tips to keep the boys interested.
I fall to the back to where Josie is huffing and puffing.
She is not fit, making it even crazier that she took part in the race.
And if I was to guess, her body is probably feeling the pain from that today.
But I like her curves. It’s hard not to admire the glimpse of cleavage under her shirt.
Or how stretched the fabric is in her chest area.
She has lovely thick thighs too. I like a curvy woman.
I don’t want to feel like I might crush her with my size.
“How are you feeling today?” I ask, falling into step with her at the back of the pack.
“My body feels like I’ve been hit by a truck. Do you think it could be a delayed reaction to the car crash you caused?”
I let out a snort of laughter. “I think it’s more likely the exercise from yesterday.
You need a full body rub down.” Shit. Now I’m going to have that image in my head for the rest of my life.
“Ah, not that I meant me or here. Normally after playing sport or doing exercise….” My words trail off.
There is no good way to get out of this.
She grins and nods. “I get it. I doubt there are any good day spas up here in the mountains.”
“You’d be surprised. There are quite a few different businesses in Starfall Valley. A lot of city folk are moving up here for a better life.”
“And what about you? Did you move here or were you born here?”
“Both I guess. I grew up here on the mountain. But I moved away to join the army. I got my degree and lived in the city for a bit. But then I moved back. I just knew that this is where I wanted to be.”
She stops and looks around. We are in a bend in the trail with a rocky cliff down towards a valley.
It’s a great view over the forest. I watch as Josie takes a deep breath in and puts her face up to the sun.
“I can certainly understand the attraction of this place. This is a lot better than being stuck in a class room or an office all day.”
As we walk along she tells me more about her situation. How she is looking for what comes next. “I always had some sort of plan that I was following. But now.” She stops and shrugs her shoulders. “I just don’t know. It’s scary but also a little bit exciting. Anything could happen now.”
She smiles up at me and we both stop. Lost in her eyes for a moment. I feel a strong connection between us. An understanding. I went through a similar thing after I left the army. And again when I decided to move back to the mountains.
For my own sanity and my determination to remain professional and not grab her and kiss her, I leave Josie to move back up to the front of the pack.
It’s a hot, long trek up the mountain, but the camping ground is near a lake and the boys are all eager for a swim.
But first they have to set up camp and their tents.
Clayton and Maggie have things covered and so I follow Josie to the end of the lake where she has removed her shoes and is walking ankle deep in the cold water.
“I couldn’t resist.” She smiles up at me. Her face is a little red from the sun and the trek.
I pass her my water bottle. “You should jump in. It’s very refreshing.”
“I didn’t bring a swim suit.” She playfully kicks some water towards me.
If the boys were nearby I would resist. I would have to be professional. But I’ve been trying to resist Josie all day and with her cheeky grin, and since we are out of sight of the boys, I act on instinct. In one sweeping motion I pick Josie up and walk her into the water.
She lets out a little squeal but she is laughing as we both fall into the water.
It is gloriously cold. She comes up sputtering and splashes a wave of water my way.
I grin, watching water droplets run down her check to her pink lips.
Water glistening off her eye lashes and that sparkle of joy in her eyes.
It takes all of my will power not to pull her to me and kiss her.
I might have, if Maggie hadn’t appeared at the shore waving us in. But one day, I promise myself, I’m going to bring Josie up here on our own.