Page 32 of Falling

Hot water sluicing over my body does wonders to wake me back up. The drive was beautiful but silent. Geneva didn’t stir until we were already in the park. I stand in the middle of the walk-in shower as the rain head guarantees every particle of dirt is washed down the drain.

By the time I climb out, the bathroom is steamed up. I wipe the mirror clear with my towel and study my face. The beard that’s started growing back out can wait until we return from the raft trip.

“Sorry it took so long,” Geneva says a little later after her shower. I’m dressed and sitting on the couch in the living area. “It was hard to convince myself to leave that rain head.” She walks across the room to look out the dark window.

“You look incredible.” She does. She’s wearing a pair of jeans, a long-sleeved button-down, and boots.

“You think so? It’s the only southwestern outfit I own.” She turns to face me. There’s a smile on her face. Smiling seems to come a little easier to her now. I like to think this adventure has something to do with that. That I have something to do with that.

“I do. You look like one of the locals.” Her long hair is brushed out straight. It lies in a dark curtain down her back. My hands itch to run through it. “Ready to eat?” I say instead.

“Yes, I’m famished.”

“Then we’d better go.” I stand and hold open the door. “After you.” She precedes me out.

The diner is mostly empty as we’re shown to our seats. The menu boasts everything from steak to vegan options. I order a ribeye. Geneva decides on fish. We forgo the wine list for water. I have a feeling we’ll need it over the next couple of days.

“So we’ll be camping along the river tomorrow night?” she asks. I’ve been reviewing what the guide said on the phone. “Do we take our gear?”

“Yes, we have to do it all this time. I’ve got our tent and sleeping bags packed. We also need to take a change of clothes in a dry bag.”

“This is why you asked me to bring my winter sailing gear?”

“It should keep you dry and reasonably warm. It’s the end of the season. We’re the last run before they pull out for winter. It’s going to be cold on the river,” I add.

“I’ve never done anything like this,” she says. “I’ve ridden horses before, obviously, and I’ve hiked. I’ve even heli-skiied but never whitewater rafted.”

“It should be a real learning experience for both of us.”

“I can’t wait,” she says. Her smile makes my heart pound in my chest. Her excitement is contagious. I find myself looking forward to hurling through the freezing rapids.

“Can I ask you something?” I ask after the waitress removes our plates and serves coffee. “You said something that’s had me thinking all day.”

“That sounds ominous,” she says.

“You said what if we don’t break up, what if we stay together? Do you believe that?”

She opens her mouth. I’m sure there’s something glib on her tongue. But then she reconsiders and takes a sip of coffee.

“I don’t know, Peter. Maybe we stay together. Maybe it’s just the thrill of the trip and we realize once we get to Austin that we’re better as friends. Maybe we don’t work at all, so it’s something we need to get out of our systems,” she says. “I just know that we’ve been circling each other since Rand left. It seems reasonable to see where it leads.”

I focus back on the coffee in front of me. We’ve been circling each other longer than that. Can I press forward knowing she might not want more than one night with me? I honestly don’t know where to go from here. A one-night stand has never been a problem for me. But I’ve never had one that involved Geneva.

“Mmm,” I hum. I’ll have to think about this.

“I’m sorry. I know that’s not what you were looking for.”

“No, it’s fine,” I assure her. “At least you’re honest with me.”

“Can I askyousomething?” she asks.

“Of course.”

“Will you promise me that, in the end, whatever happens, you won’t leave? That you’ll stay in Austin. That we can still be friends.”

I take her hand and kiss her knuckles.

“I promise.” I just hope it’s a promise I can keep.

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