Page 55 of The Falcon and the Foe

I let out a fake laugh to show I was cool, but I wasn’t ready to laugh it off just yet.

“Cool,” I said.

I wondered how much I really needed to check on the kids. They all seemed asleep. And the water looked refreshing.

“It’s probably a good idea that you go back there, just in case any of them are awake,” Russ said, with what I thought was a little bit of defeat in his tone. But he was probably wanting to get back to his zen-filled swim.

“Is it okay to take out breakfast stuff?”

“Yeah. That should be fine.”

As I walked back to the tents, I kept thinking about how badly I wanted to join him in the water.

* * *

After a breakfast of fresh-cooked eggs,as well as Pop-Tarts and PB&J, we returned to the river. Russ wore clothes this time, natch.

We rented canoes from the campsite, which launched them from a wide, sandy bank. Russ gave an impromptu lesson on how to row and steer. It was a straight shot down this section of the river with minimal rapids until we reached the small island for lunch. Still, he demonstrated the T-rescue maneuver in case a canoe capsized.

Throughout his instructions, I kept thinking that Russ was catching looks at me. Because I was doing the same. Russ didn’t bring his shaving kit and thus had a day-old stubble that I’d kill to have rub up and down my neck.

Or my inner thighs.

Maybe I should’ve joined him in the river this morning. Soaking in ice-cold water might’ve done me good.

Russ handed me his oar. Hisactualoar.

“You ready?” he asked, his voice doing things to my body.

I gulped back a lump. “Let’s do this.”

Russ and I launched the scouts’ canoes into the river. I sat in the front of our canoe, and Russ gave us a push. He hopped in as it sailed into the river.

“Now, we need to make sure we row in unison,” he told me. “So follow my lead.”

“How can I follow your lead if you’re behind me?”

“I’ll cue.” He cocked an eyebrow.

Such a top, I wanted to say.

“Right,” he called out. I stared at my oar, which made think of a paddle, and what Russ could slap with a paddle… “Cal? Sometime today?”

“Yep.” I jammed my oar into the water, which put up resistance to my row.

Russ sighed. “Your other right.”

“My bad.”

“Watch for my cue.” Russ rowed on the left side. I also rowed on the left side. We spun in a circle.

“Cal, what are you doing?”

“You said to watch out for your cue.”

“To row on the opposite side as me.”

“So when I watch you, I’m supposed to do the opposite?”

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