Chapter Seventeen
“T hat was awesome, man,” Forrest said, extending his hand to shake Jack’s. They’d spent the whole afternoon out on the Bow, and he was helping Forrest load his equipment into the Hummer. “Thank you.”
“You’re casting a whole hell of a lot better,” Jack said. And he meant it. With a few tweaks, Forrest’s technique had improved a lot in a short time. “Next up we’re going to address that double haul. Then you might just be able to start calling yourself an angler.”
“Same time tomorrow?”
“Actually, I’m heading up north for a couple days,” Jack said. It had been a while since he’d been up to the cabin, and he wanted to check on how it had fared over the winter and start getting it ready for some summer visits. “But how about Saturday?”
“I’ll take you out for lunch after,” said Forrest.
Just before Jack was about to hop in his truck, Forrest cleared his throat. “Listen, uh, I’ve been thinking,” he said.
Jack almost made a joke about that being a new development, but he bit his tongue. After spending a few hours with Forrest, he found himself kind of liking the kid. Given what he was going through and his openness to feedback and learning, Jack’s goal now was to build him up rather than take him down. “What’s on your mind?”
“My summer calendar is really booked up,” Forrest said. “And I’m not ashamed to say you’re a hell of a lot better at leading groups than I am.” He scratched the side of his face. “What are your thoughts on teaming up? You run the tours, I’m there as a second-in-command when I can be, but most of my time I’ll work on getting us bookings and manage the behind-the-scenes stuff.”
Jack considered, doing his best to mask his surprise. He’d worked for years to build up his business, and he was proud of it. But there was no denying Forrest was a talented marketer, and that would free up more of Jack’s time to take out groups—the part of the job he enjoyed the most. “You know, it won’t take long for you to get more up to speed on all this,” he said, gesturing to the river.
“I know. But it’d be a lot more fun to do this with a partner anyway,” Forrest said. “Think about it at least,” he added. “Maybe we can talk more on Saturday.”
“I’ll look forward to it,” said Jack.
Teaming up. Why it hadn’t occurred to him in the past was beyond him. But in the past few weeks, he’d started to see the allure of it. For his working life, but in other ways too.
*
Usually Jack loved the sound of raindrops on a tin roof. Today, however, the noise was grating on him. The rain was coming down in thick sheets now, and even Bodie appeared wary of going out for his morning walk. Jack threw another log into the stove, then sat back on the couch, staring out the window. He’d wanted to get up onto the roof, but it wouldn’t be safe in this rain. And stocking up on firewood wasn’t really an option, so he was forced inside to wait out the weather.
The book he’d brought to the cabin sat unread on the side table, and the idea of making breakfast was unappealing.
Being at the cabin was supposed to be peaceful and relaxing. But between the weather and the fact that Jack hadn’t slept the night before, he was regretting his decision to come. As soon as the rain let up, he would pack up and head home. The only bright spot was what he’d resolved to do when he returned.
Bodie settled at a spot on the floor in front of him and let out a whistly sigh.
“I hear you,” Jack muttered. The rain pounded even harder overhead.
He knew exactly why he’d come. Being out here in the middle of nowhere meant he had no chance of running into Celeste. Or anyone else, really. He wanted to be alone. But being alone also meant all the time in the world to be with his thoughts, which, so far, were all about Celeste. The look in her eyes when he’d told her it wasn’t going to work out. The soft skin on her back that he’d traced with his hand as they’d been lying together in his bed. The playful defiance in her eyes on the river when she’d told him she wanted to do her cast her way .
A hundred times now he’d replayed the last time he’d seen her at the lodge and could think of a hundred different ways he wished it had played out instead of him being a selfish prick. Celeste had every right to pursue whatever job she wanted. He should have congratulated her and then waited to see how things went between them. Instead, he’d behaved even worse than he had with Christine. It had felt right in the moment. Protective. Now he was having trouble washing away the regret.
“What do you think, boy?” Jack said, and Bodie turned his head. “It’s time to go see her, isn’t it?”
Bodie sniffed his approval, and Jack scratched the area behind his ears. It was time. Celeste was the best thing that had happened to him in a long time, and he’d make it work long distance if he had to. Hell, he’d pack up and move out there if it meant a life with her in it.
A flash of red through the woods pulled him out of his thoughts. Bodie noticed it too and was immediately on guard. They rarely saw anyone out here.
Jack sat up and squinted, trying to make out the figure tramping through the forest, but the rain made it impossible to make out the features of whoever it was.
They’d better not be looking for shelter. Even though Jack was bored as hell, the last thing he wanted was to make small talk with a stranger who needed to get out of the rain. Maybe the hiker would pass him by.
But no such luck. The red coat moved closer to the cabin. He could pretend he wasn’t there, but the smoke from the chimney was a dead giveaway. Jack sighed and stood up, ready to greet the stranger through the door.
When he swung open the wooden door, rain blew into his face, and it took him a second to realize who was standing in front of him, so soaking wet that her hiking jacket and pants stuck to her slight frame, and it was clear that her cheeks weren’t just wet with rain.
“Holy hell, Celeste,” he said. She looked up at him and let out a small sob, then wiped her face with the soaking wet sleeve of her jacket. Her skin was red, and she was shivering.
He opened his mouth to speak again but was too surprised. He made way for her to enter the cabin, then shut the door behind them. She stood in the small entranceway, a puddle forming at her feet.
“Here,” he said, making a move to help her take off her jacket. “Let me take that. I’ll get you something dry to wear. Come over by the fire.”
She allowed him to help her strip down to the leggings and sweater she was wearing under her hiking gear. He grabbed a thick blanket from the couch and pulled it around her shoulders. “What the hell are you doing coming all the way out here? In this weather? How did you even find the place?”
She sniffled a little. “I needed to see you,” she said. “I remember you telling me about the painted rock and the marked path.”
“You put yourself in a lot of danger,” Jack said, his heart melting with the thought that Celeste, who avoided the outdoors in even the best of conditions, had braved the elements to get to him. At the same time he felt furious with her for hiking on her own through unknown woods. “Never mind that now,” he said as her body convulsed again in shivers. “Come here.”
She allowed him to pull her into his arms, his hands rubbing her arms over the blanket to generate heat. He looked down to see her eyes closed against his chest and drank in the feeling of her. It took everything inside of him to pull himself away. “Your clothes are damp,” he said. “You’re never going to warm up.”
He left her standing beside the fireplace, then dug into his duffel bag and pulled out a crewneck sweatshirt and a pair of fleece-lined hiking pants that she’d be swimming in, but they had a drawstring waist. He passed her the clothes. “I’m going to go boil some water,” he said. “I’ll be back in a couple of minutes.”
“Thanks,” she said.
He returned with a mug of hot black tea to find her sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace, Bodie lying on his back across her lap, happily accepting the tummy scratches Celeste was giving him.
“What an opportunist,” Jack said. He joined her on the floor and passed her the mug.
“He’s like a fur blanket,” said Celeste. She smiled, then nodded toward the table, where his unused place setting from breakfast was waiting to be used. “Cloth napkin? What’s happened to you?”
Jack grinned. He’d thrown the napkin into his duffel at the last minute. He’d come to like using it, and it was less wasteful than paper. “I could ask you the same,” he said. “I can’t believe you made that hike on your own. A few weeks from now, there’s a chance you could run into a grizzly on that trail. Did you tell anyone where you were going?”
“I left a note,” she said. “I didn’t want anyone trying to stop me. Or worse, trying to join me.” She took a sip of the tea. “I’ve had a lot of…attention recently.”
“What do you mean?”
“I guess you don’t follow Keystone Konnection.”
He tried to maintain a neutral expression but was certain she could detect a hint enough of amusement. “Well, that was some video,” Jack said. “Didn’t know you could dance like that.”
She shook her head. “I’m over the embarrassment. But Ava brought me out that night because I was incredibly upset about what happened between us. Because the truth is, Jack, that I’ve fallen for you. And all I wanted was for you to be happy for me and for us to talk about some way we could move forward, even though things might be a little messy. Because you and I—” Celeste paused, steadying her breath as the words tumbled out. “You and I might work really well together. But you just left, so I have no idea if you feel the same way.”
Jack was quiet. He watched her shoulders rise and fall under his old sweatshirt, then fixed his gaze on the forest outside of the window. He knew what he wanted to say; he just wanted to be sure it was the right thing.
Celeste broke the silence. “I didn’t take the job on Lagoon Island.”
He turned to face her. “But you were so excited about that job,” he said, his voice deep with concern. “They were rolling out the red carpet for you.”
“It’s an incredible place. And it was a good job…on paper. But to be honest, I was mostly excited about the certainty that the offer gave me. It wasn’t the job I was really into—I just wanted the sure thing. And…” She gulped, clearly trying to hold back tears. “I’m trying my best to believe what you told me—that I’ve got what it takes to survive whatever happens. I’ve decided to believe that everything’s going to work out with the lodge, which is where I belong. If it doesn’t, then I’ll find something else. But I don’t want to give up on what I really want before I know it’s a done deal.” She reached over and took Jack’s hand in hers. “That’s why I’m here. I hope you’re not done with me.”
Jack pulled Celeste closer, kissing the top of her head. “I was wrong to bolt like that,” he said. He kept her close against him, feeling the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed, waiting for him to explain himself. “It was stupid of me. You have every right to pursue whatever goal you want. And I made it all about me and stuff I clearly never moved on for. The truth is I would have packed up and moved anywhere for you. I just didn’t know if that’s what you wanted.”
“It is.”
Jack took a long, steadying breath. Celeste had just said the exact words he’d been wanting to hear, and knowing that she felt that kind of devotion to him gave him a sense of reassurance he’d never felt before, like he was standing on the most solid ground. “Okay,” he said, his warm, firm grip on her hand tightening even further.
He looked up to find her eyes searching his. “So, you’re staying,” he said.
Celeste nodded. “I heard there’s a part two to this really great class I just took, and I thought I’d better give it a go.”
Jack couldn’t stop the wide smile spreading across his face. He leaned over and slid his arms around Celeste, pulling her slightly up and off the carpet so that her legs crossed over his lap. “Well, I don’t know. You didn’t technically complete part one. Are you ready for the challenge?” He leaned in and kissed the soft, sensitive skin on her neck.
“I’ve heard the teacher has very high standards,” she whispered.
“Oh, he does,” Jack said. “I don’t think I’m going to be teaching anymore, though,” he said. “Something else has come up since I last saw you.”
“That underwear-modeling gig came through?”
“Not yet. Still waiting for the right contract.”
“So, what is it?”
“Well, it’s really too soon to tell.” Even saying it out loud felt a bit crazy, but he had a good feeling and wanted to trust it. “I might have found another match, in an unexpected place.” He filled Celeste in on what had happened with Forrest, how they’d spent the morning out together on the river and how Forrest had actually been a humble and gracious student, even if his jokes were kind of stupid. How Forrest had surprised Jack by floating the idea of teaming up.
“I like the sound of that,” Celeste said.
It was unexpected. And there was only one surprise bigger than that, and she was wrapped up in his arms. “So, what do you think—you like it out here?” he asked.
She glanced around the cabin. “I mean…it could use a woman’s touch.”
He kissed her again. “You can touch whatever you want,” he said, pulling her in even closer, unable to believe he’d almost let her go.
Celeste laughed. “But wait,” she said. “I haven’t told you what helped me make my decision.” He watched as she stood up and pulled her jacket off the rack by the fire and rustled through her pocket, then returned to the floor beside him. “Someone taught me about things that endure. Because they work.”
Jack kissed her softly. “If that’s the only thing you learned from that class, I’ll still call it a success.”
The End