Page 1 of High Side
One
“High side left! High. Side. Left! Your other left!” Kylie Brockhurst hated screaming at guest clients, but the raft was about to flip right the hell over, and these folks were just sitting there frozen, their oars hovering over the water. She leaned on her double oar rig, trying to get the raft to stop its wild turn, and finally two of the ladies on the right side of the six-man craft scrambled to the left side, which was high as a kite and hanging in the wind.
The raft thudded back into the water.
“Left side stroke. Twice hard!”
The skinny guy at the lead position on the left side dug deep, and that was enough to stop their spin, thank God. Kylie pushed off with her paddles, and they shot out of the last rapid on this run without losing anyone over the side walls or flopping like a landed trout, and she was damn relieved.
“Thank you for flying M&M Outfitters, folks,” Kylie said, and there was a titter of tired laughter. “Lunch will be served poolside here in about ten minutes.” There were box lunches at the river pullout, and that would be the end of her responsibility for these folks. It was up to Brandon and Annie to get them on the bus back to the outfitters. “Give me a couple of strong strokes on both sides, and we’ll cruise right into our pull off.”
They dug in and rowed, and there was a lot of relieved chatter now. The rapids had really tested this batch of corporate types. They were all team-built now, though, and happy to still be alive.
She steered them into the bank, and Brandon waded out to pull them in so everyone could jump to dry land as much as possible. Water shoes were suggested, but these peeps had all worn sneakers.
“Thanks so much, guys. You were great.” She found smiles for all the clients as they piled out, and she collected oars, making sure the raft was pulled up on the bank far enough that it wouldn’t slide back into the water.
“Way to go, Kylie. We didn’t lose anyone.” Joe Byers clapped her on the back, the lead guide wet as hell and smiling to beat the band.
“I know, right?” She chuckled, trying to use the sound to relieve some stress. “It was a near thing for me.”
“You did good. I saw you take that last chute. You finessed the hell out of it.”
“It worked every muscle.” She flexed, which made him laugh some more. “I am so ready for a sandwich.”
“Well, go get your lunch. Good job.”
She climbed the bank, heading over to the bus to grab her lunch. The employees had a little more carb packed in their lunch boxes, because they worked their butts off. Being a rafting guide was a great job, but man, it was a workout.
“Here you go, Kylie.” Lena handed her a box lunch and a Coke, which she allowed herself only when she was working. Otherwise she got a little bloated from all the salt and sugar.
It was hell being the old lady on the team now at thirty.
They wrapped it up in about half an hour, the party bus atmosphere from the drive out far more subdued on the way back since everyone was pooped.
She hopped from the bus to gladhand the clients as they grabbed their stuff and left for the day, and she got three very nice tips as people passed and thanked her for a great day.
“Have a good one,” Kylie called as the last of them trooped off to change at the main building, then she threw in with the team to unload and service the rafts.
Almost two hours later, Kylie made her way to the office to check out for the day, Lena waving her down. “A bunch of us are going to Cherry’s for supper tonight. Want to come?”
She could use a beer and a slice, so why not? “Sure. What time?”
“Seven!”
“Will do.” She ducked into the boss’s office, smiling at the outfit owner Liz, who was at the desk doing paperwork. “Hey, Boss.”
“Hey, Kylie. How did it go?”
“Good. No one went in the drink.” She ran a hand over her short hair. “We need more guides.”
“Yeah. I know. Joe says the same thing.” Liz chuckled at her grimace. “I have interviews Monday. Come sit in on them if you want a say.”
“Cool. I’ll do that.” As a senior guide, she got the power of veto if someone really rubbed her the wrong way, just like Joe did.
Sometimes it was good to be the old lady on the crew.
“Have a good one. You’re off tomorrow, yeah?”
