Chapter 21
twenty-one
Morning came far too soon. I packed us a quick breakfast to eat in the car and brewed an extra-large mug of coffee for both of us. We had to meet Olivia, Tripp, and the rest of the team by eight. The plan was to get an early start to avoid the rain that was forecast for the afternoon. We drove to Shelby Park in silence. I sensed that Ava wanted to bring up the conversation we’d had yesterday, but I didn’t have it in me. Melatonin-fueled dreams haunted my sleep. Every last one of them centered on Tripp. Some were amazing, and others were nightmares I wish I could forget. All of them were forever seared into my memory.
Ava parked her car next to Tripp’s Jeep. “Anything you want to talk about before we embark on an hour-long kayak tour?”
“Nope. Nothing.” I tugged my hair into a tight bun and flung open the car door. I paused, leaned back into the car, and said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t sleep well, and I’m grumpy. I shouldn’t be taking that out on you.”
“I know. You were talking in your sleep last night.”
“I was?” Oh, god. What had I said? I hoped it wasn’t during the dream where Tripp and I went on a tandem bungee jump in our birthday suits. Heat radiated from my core as I remembered the details of that dream. I fanned my face.
But Ava was frowning. “You were talking to your grandmother.”
Oh. My heart clenched. The memory of that dream was equally vivid. “I’d dreamt that she got to meet Tripp.”
“She’d have loved him,” Ava said softly. She’d known and loved Gran almost as much as I had.
“Yes, she would’ve.” I reached over and squeezed Ava’s hand. “Do you think she’d enjoy watching me do all these challenges?”
“Are you kidding? Gran would’ve been out here with us.” Ava laughed. She was right, Gran loved trying new things and exploring the world with Seth and me.
“Especially the hot air balloon ride.” A flood of warmth calmed my nerves as I imagined Gran up in the hot air balloon snapping photos and imaging animal shapes in the clouds. “But, I think she’d have enjoyed this kayak trip, too.”
Ava nodded. I swiped a tear away from my eye and took a deep breath to steady myself. Gran wouldn’t want me to mourn her today. She’d want me to get out of the car and go explore the river with my friends and clients. She’d tell me to find my happy and lean into it. So, I climbed out of the car and made my way to where the team was waiting for us.
Tripp, Olivia, Liam, and Kyle gathered at the river’s edge. They were already in their gear and ready to go.
“Are you going out too?” Olivia asked Ava. Concern filled her voice. Ava hadn’t joined in on any of our practices, and I could see Olivia sizing her up to make sure she’d be able to manage a kayak.
“Yes, I’ve done this a few times. Liam said I could go with him.”
“You’re with me.” Olivia moved toward us. When she got close enough to whisper, she said, “They’ve been fighting over who gets to sit with me for the last five minutes. Save me. Please.”
Ava smiled and agreed. She left me and followed Olivia to the middle kayak. I stifled a laugh as Liam and Kyle watched the two women walk past them without so much as a good morning or hello.
“How are you feeling?” Tripp asked. I don’t think he realized just how loaded that question was. I felt great about the kayak. We’d practiced enough that I wasn’t even nervous. I was ready for this. Besides, there weren’t any heights involved today. Just the risk of drowning, water snakes, and rogue river pirates.
“Great,” I said. “But quick question ... are river pirates a thing?”
He laughed and shook his head. “Not in metro Nashville.”
“Phew.” I wiped my hand across my forehead and grinned up at him.
Liam approached and adjusted the camera on my helmet. “Be sure to turn around and get some footage of this handsome man’s face, okay?” He turned to walk away before I could answer him.
I followed Tripp down to the riverbank. Olivia went through the safety guidelines while we all settled into our kayaks. Once we were ready to push into the water, Tripp confirmed I was set as well. I answered with a quick nod of my head and checked my grip on the paddle. This morning, those two days of practice had felt sufficient enough, but now that the nose of the boat was heading into the water, I began to doubt myself. I double-checked the paddle position and then turned back to Tripp. His warm smile immediately soothed my initial round of nerves. He always smiled like that when he knew I was scared.
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to panic today. You and Olivia did a great job preparing me. But,” I added, blushing, “am I holding this right?”
“Perfect.” He leaned forward and pushed us fully into the river. I settled into my seat and shifted until we felt balanced. Then we were off.
We floated down the river in silence for what felt like an eternity. I didn’t have to talk to him to know he was there. I felt his calming, confident presence. Every so often, his foot would brush against my back as if he were saying, I’m still here .
It was still early enough that the morning fog hadn’t completely burned off the river. We floated into the thick grey mist. I couldn’t see the others, but I could hear the soft chatter of their conversations. If I let my imagination run wild, I could almost pretend that Tripp and I were out here alone on a romantic morning date after a perfect night together. I bet he was the type that woke up ready for good morning kisses regardless of how bad your morning breath was. He also seemed like the kind of guy that would bring you breakfast in bed for no reason or let you sleep in while he went to get your favorite coffee and just because flowers. I quickly shut down that train of thought and focused on making sure my paddle strokes were smooth and well-paced.
I wondered if we were getting enough good footage. I knew the fog would limit what Liam would capture, so it was up to our head cameras to fill in the gaps. As much as I wanted to turn around and stare at Tripp, I wasn’t sure my heart could take it. I’d barely looked at him when we’d gotten here this morning. Every time I did, a flash of one of my dreams clouded my vision. I took a slow, measured breath and mentally counted to ten before turning toward him.
“This is much calmer than I was expecting,” I said.
“Were you expecting rapids and waterfalls?”
I shrugged. “Or water snakes and gators.”
“Gators in Nashville?”
“Maybe one escaped from the zoo.”
“I suppose that’s possible.”
“I bet there’s one lurking up ahead, just chomping at the bit for one of us to fall in.”
“I’ll let them eat me first, deal?”
“No!” I said too quickly. Fear gripped my chest as I pictured him being eaten by an escaped alligator. “Let’s throw him Liam.”
“I heard that!” Liam said from the boat next to us. “And here I thought we were going to be friends. But no, you’re ready to sacrifice me to an imaginary gator. Rude.”
“Sorry. I’m still weirded out by this new and nice version of you.” For a split second, I forgot we were on a kayak in the middle of the Cumberland River. I leaned to the side to whisper conspiratorially to Liam, “I’ll only let him eat an arm. Then, I’ll whack him with my paddle.” Still leaning toward him, I tilted the paddle to show him I meant business.
A shout from Tripp pulled my attention back to the kayak and the river. But it was too late. We were already tipping to the side.
I forgot everything I’d learned earlier in the week and flung the paddle away from me as I tried to steady myself. It didn’t work. The kayak pitched to the side and threw both of us into the water. I flailed my arms, and my wrist slammed into the edge of Liam and Kyle’s boat. A sharp pain shot up my arm. Before going underwater, the last thing I saw was their kayak rocking to the side.
I kicked my feet to push back up. Tripp swam toward me and pulled me to him.
“Are you okay?” Panic seized his face as he searched mine for any sign of injury.
“I think so.” I coughed. Once again, I hadn’t closed my mouth before plunging below the surface. I helped him right the kayak, wincing from the pain in my wrist. I didn’t say anything but shifted the weight to my left hand.
Tripp hoisted himself onto the kayak and reached to help me up. I shook my head. I could do this without him helping and risking flipping us back into the water. I put my hands on the edge of the boat and pulled myself up. Pain throbbed in my right wrist. I tried to ignore it until I was out of the frigid water, but it was almost too much. When I finally got on the boat, I glanced down at my wrist. Crap . It was already swelling.
Olivia had retrieved my paddle. Her gaze followed mine down to where I was cradling my arm. She handed it to me and asked, “Was that your wrist I heard cracking against their kayak?”
Nodding, I replied, “Yes. I think it might be sprained or something.”
She shot a worried look toward Tripp. With the other two kayaks on either side of us, keeping us steady, he leaned over my shoulder. His arms came around me as he gingerly lifted my hand away from the wrist I was trying to hide from him. “We need to get her to the doctor. Olivia, will it be faster to turn around or keep pushing forward?”
She took a moment to survey our surroundings. “I think we keep pushing forward. The current working with us will help us get downtown faster. Do you think you can still paddle?” she asked me.
I tried to hold the paddle with my injured hand. I couldn’t grip it tight enough to hold it steady. Pain shot up my entire arm. I gasped, unable to pretend that hadn’t hurt. “I don’t think so.”
“I can paddle for both of us. Liam, give me your keys. Olivia will take the rest of you back to Shelby Park while I take Sadie to the hospital.”
Liam handed his car keys over to Tripp while Ava protested. “I’m going with you.”
Tripp didn’t argue. He just said, “Then you better be able to keep up.” To me he added, “Hold your paddle flat across your lap. Don’t move your wrist.”
I didn’t argue. The concern in his voice and the fear in his eyes scared me. My wrist hurt and was swelling, but it wasn’t like I was going to need it amputated or anything. It was probably nothing more than a sprain or a small fracture. I dipped my hand into the water; the cold soothed the ache. The rest of my body shivered in response. My clothes, sopping wet with river water, clung to my skin. I wondered if I’d ever feel warm again.
“I hope his truck has heated seats.” I tried joking, but Tripp was all business. His jaw clenched as he started paddling. I watched his muscles beneath his river-soaked shirt. They flexed with every stroke of the paddle. He kept his eyes trained on the river ahead of us with a look of sheer determination. It was almost as if he were angry.
“I’m sorry,” I said and turned away from him. This was entirely my fault. If I hadn’t been too comfortable in the kayak, I wouldn’t have leaned over to tease Liam. If I’d paid closer attention to Olivia's instructions, I might have fallen into the river with more grace. If I were him, I’d be angry at me too. Not only was he freezing and soaking wet, but now he had to rush through what was supposed to be a relaxing float trip and spend his afternoon with me in the ER. “You can drop me and Ava off at her car. She can take me.”
“No.” His sharp tone startled me. “I’m not leaving you.”