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.
* * *
They stoppedfor 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 …