26. Clara
Chapter twenty-six
Clara
I ’ve spent the past month trying not to think about Clark. Trying and failing.
I didn’t make a second trip to Noel in May. Work was busy, and I was helping my parents with some projects around their house. In actuality, I could have made time if I’d wanted to.
Instead, I’d avoided the town because I didn’t trust myself seeing Clark. I was already seeing enough of him in my daydreams. And in the movie script I’m writing.
As antithetical as the heroine, Renee, is to me, my main male character, Jack, bears a striking resemblance to a certain mayor. Right down to the absurdly attractive beard and grouchy personality. Despite writing him in to my character, I’ve been nervous to see Clark again ever since we had dinner at Syd’s house.
I’d expected Madison to help me out on my quest to dismiss Clark from my list of eligible men. However, Mads came home declaring him to be worthy of my affection. Apparently, his admonition to not let Michael take advantage of me was the key to her heart. That, plus his grumpy love for his town, won her over. Her assessment of Clark as an “extremely hot, broody woodsman” rounded out her closing argument in his favor.
She updated his contact in my phone to “Hottie McScrooge.”
Hearing Clark talk about the potential of a company buying the plant and the ensuing joy put into perspective the burden he’s carrying. I can’t imagine shouldering the weight of an entire town. Although, I still wish he’d let me help him share the load by planning a Christmas tourist experience.
I can’t avoid Noel or Clark any longer because I promised Sydney I’d come for a long weekend to experience the height of tourist season. It’s the first weekend in June, the launch of peak river season. Although I’m nervous about seeing Clark again, I am looking forward to understanding what the town of Noel is like in its prime.
I pull into the driveway of my cabin late Friday night, having driven here straight from work. I stayed later than planned in order to finish an article for Michael, a fact I will not be sharing with Madison. Or Clark. After unlocking the door and putting my stuff down in the living room, I text Sydney.
ME
Just now made it to town. Super tired, so I’m going to crash and see you tomorrow!
SYD
OK! We’re leaving for the float trip at 10, so come over any time before then. Be sure to bring sunscreen!!
My eyes are too tired to do any writing tonight. I do a quick plant check to make sure everyone is doing okay after I sent Syd over to water them last weekend. After a short bubble bath, I change into pajamas and collapse into bed.
Saturday morning, I leave early to stop by Becky’s Brews to pick up coffee for Sydney and me. I’m so thrilled to begin my day with a fancy coffee, I can hardly stand it. Parking in the Noland’s lot, the increase in traffic around town is evident. I enter the small coffee shop and take in the modern but homey vibes. I’ll have to pay compliments to Syd for her design . I greet Becky behind the counter.
“Clara! It’s great to see you again!” she says. “What can I get for you?”
I peruse her handwritten menu. “Ooo, a blackberry hazelnut latte? That sounds intriguing!”
Becky smiles. “I enjoy making unexpected drink combinations. When I was a teenager in Austin, I loved going to trendy coffee shops with interesting drinks. Most people around here don’t appreciate them, so I only buy enough supplies to make small batches for a week or two. But this is one of my favorite experiments yet! You should try it iced.”
“I’ll take your word for it. Give me a large, and then whatever drink Syd typically likes to order,” I tell her. We make small talk as she crafts our drinks, and a line starts to form at the register. I’m glad to see the customers, all dressed like they’re heading out for a day on the river.
I take a quick sip of my latte. “Oh, Becky, this is amazing !” Holding up my cup in the air, I announce to the waiting customers, “You won’t regret the blackberry hazelnut latte!” Becky calls goodbye as I exit, making way for more people to enter.
Sydney greets me with a zealous embrace when I get to her house. “Girl, it’s been too long! I’ve gotten used to my biweekly Clara fix!”
Laughing, I hand her a coffee cup. “Here, this is whatever Becky picked for you.”
“Oh, she makes the best caramel macchiato,” Syd says, taking the cup with eager hands. “Ahhhh, I love tourist season,” she says airily.
An hour later, we’re changed into swimsuits, lathered with sunscreen, and fully caffeinated. “Davis’ employees are handling the rentals today, and my parents are watching the kids, so you get the full tourist experience,” Syd tells me with a grin. The corners of her smile fall slightly before she adds, “I hope it’s okay with you, but we invited Clark to come with us?” Her inflection turns the statement into more of a question.
“I, yeah, of course, that’s okay. Why wouldn’t that be okay?” I mumble.
Syd pins me with a pointed look. “Uh-huh. We’ll keep pretending there’s nothing awkward going on and that you and Clark have zero attraction to each other.”
My mouth drops open, and I stare at her, unable to respond. She rolls her eyes.
“Look, I haven’t known you long enough to be thoroughly acquainted with what goes on in your head, and I’ve never understood what goes on in Clark’s. But I think we can agree it wouldn’t kill you two to just admit you like each other,” Syd says casually.
“You ladies about ready?” Davis loudly questions, entering the front door before I can respond to Syd’s observation. “Clark is meeting us down by the river. Let’s get a move on!”
We drive in Davis’ truck to the end of the route we’ll float today. He has supplies for dinner stashed in a cooler with dry ice to leave there. Clark is already waiting in the parking area when we arrive, so we pile into his truck. I’m trying not to be awkward as I greet Clark, but Syd’s observations aren’t helping me on that front.
After parking in the lot at the start of the route, we unload the tubes from the back. Davis’ company rents out all kinds of kayaks and canoes. But Syd insisted we should take a relaxing float trip in the inner tubes today, since the lack of rain has made the river current slow. These deluxe commercial tubes are nothing like the kids’ pool rings I was picturing. They’re enormous and look comfortable, even for an extended time.
“This is a whole new world that I never knew existed,” I say, awed by the cooler float Davis is attaching to his tube. Apparently, we’ll have snacks and drinks close at hand for the duration of our five-mile float.
“You need to get out of the city more often,” Clark teases, catching me off guard. Aside from the first night we met, this might be the most cheerful I’ve ever seen him. I assume the influx of people to the town must have a lot to do with that.
“Hey, sunscreen first, gentlemen!” Sydney scolds. Davis and Clark stop pushing the tubes toward the water and accept her sunscreen bottle.
I don’t have time to fortify myself mentally before Clark is pulling his shirt over his head. My imagination no longer has any work to do to picture the rest of his tattoo. Or any of the hard muscles that hide under his clothing. I should avert my gaze, but I can’t. I’m mesmerized as Davis and Clark take turns spraying each other with sunscreen, cracking jokes and oblivious to my perusal.
My eyes don’t know what to focus on. The details of the tattoo running the full length of Clark’s left arm up to his shoulder? Or the lines of hard muscle running beneath the ink, across his chest, and down his abs?
An elbow digs into my ribs as Syd’s voice singsongs, “I know my husband isn’t the one you’re over here ogling, so I won’t have to slap you.”
Her comment is enough to jolt me out of my embarrassingly obvious drooling over Clark. I turn away from the guys and face her. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say, but the breathy tone to my voice gives me away. Syd smirks. “Whatever,” I say, rolling my eyes and walking toward the river.
Syd and I sit down in our tubes, and the guys push us out into deeper water before getting into theirs. I try to play it cool when Clark’s muscular arms and chest are mere inches away from me. But I’m pretty sure he could have heard the pounding of my heart even if he was a mile away. I splash some river water across my face.
I wasn’t sure exactly how much I’d enjoy sitting in an inner tube for hours, but it turns into one of the most fun experiences I’ve had in a long time. Davis keeps the snacks and drinks flowing from the cooler, and the guys splash enough to keep us cooled off. I’m constantly laughing at the memories and stories that Davis and Sydney take turns sharing, with occasional additions from Clark. I’ve seen him smile more today than I ever thought he was capable of.
After a couple of hours, Sydney and I decide to take a quick dip in the river to cool off. I leave my jean shorts on, doubting that I could gracefully remove them while sitting in the tube. But I do take off the tank top I’ve been wearing. I have a fairly modest two-piece swimming suit on underneath, and I stay in shape with barre classes at home. So I shouldn’t be reluctant to forgo the tank top. But after seeing Clark’s extremely fit upper body, I’ve been too self-conscious. With the sun now scorching overhead, I decide to reapply sunscreen and leave it off.
I glance up and catch Clark staring at me. He has a baseball cap and sunglasses on, so I can’t see his eyes. But I can’t not see the firm set in his jaw, or the clench of his fist hanging over the side of his tube. I hope he can’t see the blush spreading across my cheeks and neck.
By the time we reach the end of our float, I’m exhausted from the sun and starving for a real meal. I perch my sunglasses on top of my head and awkwardly paddle my hands on the sides to try to guide my tube to the riverbank. I’m not overly eager to jump into the murky water—it’s much browner here close to the river bank than where we jumped in earlier. Syd and Davis are already on the shore, pulling their tubes out of the water. My paddling is failing miserably when my tube lurches forward.
“Afraid of the river snakes?” Clark asks in front of me, submerged in the water up to his thighs.
“What?!” I jump, pulling my feet into the tube. “There are snakes?! Why didn’t you tell me that before I jumped in earlier?!”
Clark’s deep laugh fills the air. “I’m kidding, Clara. I mean, of course, there are snakes in the river; it’s their natural habitat. But I won’t let ’em getcha, I promise.”
His baseball cap is now backward, and his sunglasses are off. I have a clear view of the crinkle lines around his eyes as a wide grin lingers from laughing. He pulls my tube closer to the shore, then holds his hands out to help me stand up. My eyes snap magnetically to Clark’s tattoo, mentally cataloging the specifics of the design—bare tree, storm clouds, lightning, raindrops trailing the tree trunk and dripping from the roots.
I gulp and place my hands in his. He gives an effortless tug to lift me to my feet in the knee-deep water. My foot slips in the slimy mud, but Clark catches my elbow to steady me. I’m now face-to-chest with Clark’s chiseled pectorals, and I can’t stop the hitch in my breath. His grip on my elbow momentarily tightens before releasing me.
“You steady now?” he asks, voice husky.
“Mm-hmm!” I squeak, finally moving my eyes to his face. A torrent of emotions seems to be flashing through his eyes. Possibly a lot of the same emotions flashing through me. I don’t miss Davis and Syd smirking from the shore as they watch us.
Syd is going to be insufferable now, I think as I drop Clark’s hand and make my way out of the water. Absolutely, positively insufferable .