She looked into the kayak and back at him. “I see two paddles. What if I hit you in the head and you go overboard?” This time she shook her head. “No, if I’m wearing one of these, so are you.”
Biting down on his smile, Lee snagged the other life vest. “Yes, ma’am.”
When they were both safely outfitted, Lee pointed to the front seat. “Okay, go ahead and sit down. I’ll hold it steady for you."
Lee bent down and braced the kayak as water lapped against its nose. He looked up and saw uncertainty in Wren’s eyes. “Don’t worry. I won’t let you tip over.”
She hid her expression with a frown. “You’d better not." She walked around him, moving just to the water’s edge, and she gripped his shoulder.
Lee looked down just as she lifted her left foot, and his eyes went wide.
“You have bluebirds on the tops of your feet.”
Wings spread in flight, colors true to life in detail like he’d never seen; the birds spanned her lovely feet, the straps of her flip-flops hiding little.
Wren giggled as she found her footing in the kayak and sunk down. “Yes, I do. Do you like them?”
He watched her plant each foot in the notched rests along the kayak’s hull. Lee had never been a foot guy, but the sight of Wren’s adorned feet did him in.
“Only better than anything I’ve ever seen,” he muttered, making her laugh again. Lee tried to clear his head. “Do you want Victor with me or with you?”
“Me!” Wren clapped her hands, and Lee scooped up the dog and set him down between her knees. Victor wagged and moved in to lick Wren’s face.
“Sit, boy.” The dog obeyed, and Lee handed Wren a paddle. “Okay, I’m going to push you in farther, and the kayak’s going to rock a bit when I get in.”
Wren glanced up at him again with apprehension. “It is?”
“Yes, but you’re going to brace us with the paddle. We won’t tip. I promise.”
“We’d better not,” she said, making him laugh.
He pushed until the kayak was a little more than halfway in. “Okay, here goes. You brace us on the left, and I’ll take the right.”
Wren’s back went straight, and she stabbed her paddle down the left side. Lee stepped in, and the kayak tilted left then right as he sat. He gave one push, and they glided into the water, balancing out.
“See? That wasn’t so bad." He anchored his feet on either side of Wren’s seat and began to move them away from the boat launch.
The day was cool and clear, and the wind blew enough to create a light chop, but the ride was smooth enough.
“How do I do this?” Wren called over her shoulder, her paddle raised awkwardly in front of her.
“It’s an easy motion,” Lee said. “It should feel natural and comfortable. Basically, just dip your paddle into the water. Your lower hand pulls while your upper one pushes. Do the same on the opposite side. If you want to go fast and straight, let your paddle enter the water as vertically straight as possible.”
She tested the motion, and Lee felt the kayak pick up a little speed. “Like this?”
He smiled at the excitement in her voice. “Just like that. And if we want to turn, just paddle on the opposite side with shallow pulls. Going straight and easy is the same. You just balance each side.”
Wren held the paddle lightly, and she stroked on the right, slowly making them go left.
“It’s easy,” she said, sounding surprised.
“Of course it’s easy,” Lee said, laughing.
“You’d better not be laughing at me again,” she threatened, but he could hear the tease in her voice.
Lee inhaled a lungful of fresh air and let it go in relief. It was going to be a good day.
CHAPTER NINETEEN