Page 8 of Riverside Reverie

“Both,” I replied, leaning against the counter.

“How many of you, and how many nights? Will you be renting a canoe or kayak?”

“There are two of us for four nights, and we brought a canoe.” I answered pleasantly, and the woman set to filling out a ticket receipt.

“License plate number and vehicle type, please?” she asked.

I pulled up the picture and recited the plate number and vehicle type. While I waited for her to write it down, I glanced around the store.

“Have you ever camped along the French River before?” the woman asked, making friendly conversation.

I laughed lightly. “I’ve never camped at all, actually. This will be a first for me.” I replied. “But I’m going with a bunch of experts,” I added hastily when I noticed the alarm on the woman’s face.

“Oh, that’s good then.” She relaxed and went back to filling out the permits. While she did that, I continued looking around with interest.

The thick hardwood floors and wooden embellishes added to the aesthetic of an old general store. It was exactly like taking a step back in time. Even the postcards in the rack sitting on the counter by the register had an old-timey charm to them. On a whim I grabbed one, tossing it down on the counter.

The cash register dinged as the woman rang it in. “That’ll be ninety dollars and thirty-five cents,” she said. After paying, I accepted the permits from her outstretched hand. “Enjoy your trip! I’m sure you’ll love it, it’s such a beautiful place.”

“Thank you!” I replied over my shoulder.

By the time I returned to the boat launch, Jasmine and Theo had already gotten the canoe down and were loading it up with the camping supplies.

“Put the parking permit in the car, Lux! We’ll need to bring the camping permits in case someone comes by to check that we have them.”

Nodding, I veered off to do as Jasmine had instructed. I opened the passenger door and reached in, placing the parking permit against the windshield. I tucked the postcard into the glove box and straightened, closing the door before bringing the camping permits over to the canoe.

Jasmine took the papers from my outstretched hand and put them in the small waterproof container along with her phone. I’d been tempted to leave mine behind in her car, but worried about the potential of someone breaking in and taking it—or missing an important email.

Turning, I headed back to the car to help finish unloading it, ignoring my phone—still buzzing and overwhelmed with Snap updates—in the centre console.

There wasn’t much left, and I was able to carry the rest of it over to the stony beach by myself. Theo met me there.

“Here, let me get that for you.”

His voice was decadent, filling me with saccharine sensations. Our eyes made contact yet again, tension of the sweetest kind building. Theo smiled again, his white teeth flashing against his lips as he took the last of the bags from me. I turned on my heel, feeling a little off balance, and went to go move the car while he loaded the supplies into our canoe.

I slid behind the wheel and started the engine, moving the car to an open spot in the parking lot. Getting out, I hesitated by the door for a moment, staring at my phone. The likelihood I’d get a signal while camping was low, but I couldn’t imagine letting the next several days pass without once checking my email. I wasn’t planning on being on it the whole time, but I wanted the option of checking to see if any of the jobs I’d applied to responded. I knew I might want to take a few pictures, too, since it had been so long since Jas and I had last hung out.

But I didn’t want to be bombarded with Snaps. My amusement of the app had died on the spot the moment I’d received that Snap of Brinley and Scott together. Reaching back in, I grabbed my phone from the console and deleted the stupid app without any further hesitation.

Instant relief came with that choice.

My moment of celebration ended when I looked up and realized the majority of the group was watching me. I was that city girl, holding them up by playing on my phone. Cheeks flushing, I walked quickly, not wanting to delay the others any longer.

“Everything okay?” Jas asked me when I reached her.

“Yeah, everything’s fine.” I smiled, showing her that I was, indeed, fine.

“Good. Put the keys and your phone in here,” she passed me the waterproof container. I did as she asked, putting the keys and my phone in the waterproof container along with the permits and Jasmine’s phone. I passed her the container and she tucked it beneath the bench.

Our canoe was so packed with supplies, I couldn’t see how it’d stay afloat once we were in it too, but Jasmine didn’t seem concerned. She climbed into the back of the canoe, leaving the front for me.

I slipped my lifejacket on, eyeing the canoe with mistrust. Taking a deep breath, I put one foot inside. It wobbled and my heart jumped at the unfamiliar motion.

Strong, incredibly attractive hands came to grip the nose of the canoe, steadying it. I looked up, meeting Theo’s eyes.

He smiled at me encouragingly. The darker flecks in the irises of his deep green eyes made them seem endless. He had the kind of eyes I could willingly get lost in.

---