“All this because I took my shirt off, huh?” he says from behind.
I gasp, feeling caught. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Sure you do. The sight must have put you under some sort of spell. You might have just stood there all day if I hadn’t gone back for you.”
I laugh out loud now. “Confident, aren’t you?”
“Aboutsomethings, yes,” he admits.
And for good reason, but I don’t bother telling him that. I also don’t mention that I texted Ross last night about my broken teeth. When I assured him the tooth chips were soaking in a marked container of milk in the cooler, Ross texted me back saying saliva is better than milk and that if Ireallywant the restoration to take, I should tuck the tooth bits under my tongue for safe keeping until I get back.
That sounds easy enough, right? Hah, yeah, they’ll stay in the milk, thank you very much.
Just as we make it back to camp, Annica leads a drenched group from the riverside. Excited chatter carries over the site as they pile innertubes and guiding sticks onto a tarp in the clearing.
“How was it?” Martin asks one of the kids and his dad.
Wayne, who’s decided toownhis boxer mishap by wearing the pair over his swim trunks for the ride, is first to respond. “Awesome!”
A group of kids answer next. “So fun! It gets fast in some places, so you’ll want to use the stick to push yourself from the branches so they don’t pop your tube.”
The sticks they’re referring to look like the staff of Moses—sturdy, tall, and bound to hold up under pressure.
“Good to know,” Martin says.
“Man, I can’t wait,” Cam adds before catching eyes with his dad. “No show?” he asks, and I realize he’s referring to Callie.
Liam shakes his head. “Link’s car broke down, but that’s not going to stop us from having a good time, right?”
“Right.” Cam joins the rest of the group as they pick out their sticks and tubes. They’re going fast. Maybe if I hold back, they’ll run out, and I won’t have to go. I head over to the craft table to check in with the kids, though one of the moms has already taken over.
Annica rushes up to me while running fingers through her dripping hair, her cheeks flushed from exertion. She looks me up and down. “I hope you have a swimsuit on under that, because you’re about to get drenched.”
I glance down at my cutoff jeans and tank top. “Yeah, I have a swimsuit on, but I was thinking, if you need me here, I can stay?—”
“Nope,” she says, “I’ve got it covered, sis.”
I shouldwantto go on this, but after seeing one too many whitewater rafting movies, I’m lowkey terrified. Still, I was assured that this would be nothing like what I’d seen on the big screen. In fact, this is mostly a lazy river with a few whitewater spots along the way. Plus, we’ll each have our own tube.
“Let’s move, group number three,” Annica hollers. “Grab a tube and head on up to the lot. Elijah should be there waitingwith the trolley.” She bumps me before nodding toward the dwindling pile where only three remain. Then two. Then one. I glance around to see that Liam doesn’t have one yet, either.
“Oh, looks like we ran out of tubes,” I say, trying not to sound too pleased. “Who else still needs a tube?”
“Just you guys,” Annica says. “And we have more we can blow up if we need to.”
“That one’s yours,” Liam says. He lifts his chin and inspects the area like something’s lost. “Where’s Bessie?”
Annica chuckles. “You brought Bessie again this year?”
“Who’s Bessie?” I ask.
“You’ll see.” Liam disappears into the trees. When he comes back, he’s toting a black and white cow-print swim tube with a cow head. “Thisis Bessie.”
The contrast between muscled Liam and that doe-eyed cow with its long lashes and pink accents makes me smile. “You arenotgoing down the river in that.”
“Oh, but I am,” he says proudly. “Unlessyou’dlike to ride her…” Liam acts like he’s about to hand it over, which is enough for me to snatch the final tube off the tarp.
“No thanks, I think I’ll stick with this industrial strength number and leave the pool floatie to you. I’ve seen those things implode before, and it’s not pretty.”
