It was all he could do not to kiss her when she looked up at him, fear in her eyes.“It’s going to be okay.I swear.”
Funny how just days ago she was teaching him everything he needed to know about canoeing.Now, here he was, recalling his Boy Scout training and reassuring her.They made a good team, and he was thrilled to be taking his turn as the person with the important information.
After a few minutes of staring into her eyes, his gaze slipped to her lips.He blinked and stepped back.The temptation of their plump pinkness was almost more than he could bear.“I’ll just…” he cleared his throat.“I’ll just stoke the fire.Come and get warm.”
They drank the water and shared one Crispy Crunch bar.She seemed more relaxed after their snack.There wasn’t much of their lunch left, just an apple and two cookies.They agreed to save them for later.“Tell me something about you that I don’t know,” he suggested.
“Um…” she hesitated long enough that he thought she was going to refuse.“I own and run a garden center.I take care of all the plants in your building.I have eleven employees.”
“Interesting.But that’s not about you.Something personal.”He knew she had a sunny personality, while he tended to be serious and stoic.She was persistent and tried hard at everything she did.She was scared of spiders, bears, and night noises.
Another long silence.
“I have a brother and two sisters.Our parents have passed.I have a large extended family.I have two besties, one of whom just got married.I’m single…” she trailed off.“What about you?”
He answered without hesitation.“I’m an only child.Both parents are alive.Dad was an only child, but Mom has six sisters…with lots of kids.I have twenty cousins.We get together at least twice a year.We call the gatherings Family Rebuttals, not reunions, because there are always a few arguments.I try to go to them all.Except this year.I missed it.I had work issues.”Guilt hit him.
“Issues that wouldn’t wait?”
“Honestly…”Why is her question hitting him hard?He wondered.“Honestly, no.I could have passed them on to someone else, but I thought I needed to be there myself.I should have gone.One of my aunts is in her nineties…”
Wanda squeezed his arms.He was glad for the comfort of her cool touch.
“Hey, don’t fret it,” she said.“Be there next time.Go visit her now.”She chuckled.“Well, not NOW, but when we get home.And maybe, in the future, you could make sure your staff can handle whatever comes up.”She pulled her arm away and slapped her hand over her mouth.“Forget I said that.It isn’t my place to interfere in your life.”
“It’s okay.”Her words hit home.“You’re not wrong.My Chief Operating Officer is more than capable of running things when I’m away.If he weren’t, he wouldn’t be in the position.It’s just…just hard to let go of the reins.”And after spending so much time with Wanda, he was realizing how lonely his life was.He’d quit dating years ago, and to his surprise, he missed it.
“Can I take you out to dinner?”
She blinked at him like an owl, her eyes sparkling in the fading afternoon light.“What?”
“Can I buy you dinner?”
“Um.”She pretended to look around.“Have you got a fast way out of here you haven’t shared with me?”
He chuckled at her wit.She was avoiding the question.“Not now.But when we are back in civilization.I’d like to take you on a date.”
“Are you sure there isn’t some corporate policy against it?”
“Wanda,” he said patiently, “I’m the CEO.I make the rules.I can break the rules.And there is no rule against dating coworkers, you just have to tell HR about it.”He grinned.“Besides, technically, you aren’t a coworker.You’re a contractor.”
She went silent again.
He noticed that she really thought about her answers when he asked her questions.She never rushed a response.He respected that…though waiting for this answer set his nerves on edge.
“Can I think about it?”
“Sure.”Disappointment rocked him, giving him a stomachache that had nothing to do with his lack of dinner.
“I mean…I have a business to run.I have to make sure things are still in order when I get back.You’re a CEO…”
He understood running a business all too well.“Well, you know where to find me when you’ve had time to consider the question.I’m happy to wait.”
He poked at the fire, resisting the urge to jump up and pace.Her non-acceptance bothered him more than he wanted to admit to himself.He held still for ten minutes, though it seemed longer.“I’ll go check the laundry.Maybe there’s a dry sweater for you.It’s cooling off a bit.”He checked his watch, which was still working.“It’s nearly eight p.m.It’ll be dark soon.”
“I guess they’re not coming for us.”
“We’ll be okay.We’ve got fire and food.Before it is fully dark, I’ll fill the water bottle.I can stick the base in the fire and boil the water inside it to make sure it’s safe to drink.We’ll bundle up.Too bad we don’t have our sleeping bags.”
