Page 52 of No Such Thing as Serendipity
“So you’re saying I’m not as big of an asshole as I come off?” My tone came out with a strange mix of defensiveness and playfulness.
“I rest my case.” Robyn chuckled. “You just solidified my assessment.”
Despite myself, I laughed, and it felt good. It had been an eternity since someone saw me as anything but the hard-nosed businesswoman I’d become.
After that, we’d moved on to other topics, and I found myself enjoying the winding conversation that flowed like the creek wepaddled down. We’d been talking for some time when Katlynn called from in front of us.
“What’s wrong?” Robyn asked.
“We’ve got a problem,” Katlynn said.
Since Robyn and I brought up the rear, I craned my neck to see around the others.
“Looks like there’s a tree limb across the creek,” Robyn said. “I better go investigate.”
Before I could say anything, she paddled off. As I approached the logjam, I realized the limb looked more like a trunk that spanned the entire width of the creek. It wasn’t in the water, but it still blocked our path.
When we’d all gathered near the blockage, Katlynn said, “Now what?”
“Under, over, or around?” I said.
“Or we could move it,” Emma said.
Annie laughed. “Honey, we might bust a gut if we try to move that.”
“I don’t want to get wet,” Katlynn whined.
“You’re right. The best solution is around,” Robyn said.
Emma and the others paddled the short distance to the shore, but I stayed in the middle of the creek. As I watched Emma move away, an earlier conversation with her rattled in my brain. She missed the playful me.
I smiled. “I’m going under.”
“Are you nuts?” Annie said. “You only have about a six-inch clearance.”
“I used to be pretty good at the limbo.” I approached the tree with a determined glare.
“No way. You won’t,” Katlynn called. She’d reached the shore and was tugging her kayak up the low bank.
Emma groaned. “Now you did it. I’ve never known Blake to turn down a challenge.”
Another woman clapped. “Do it. Do it!”
“People! Stop encouraging her, or we’ll have to fish her out of the creek,” Emma shouted, but the amusement in her voice told a different story.
Emma’s laughter warmed me. I glanced at Robyn, who was still sitting in her kayak, waiting for the others to finish getting out of the water. She said nothing, but the sparkle in her eyes told me she was watching my antics with interest.
The front of my kayak slid under the tree, so I wrapped one arm around it. With a dramatic flair, I hugged it and said, “I’m gonna make you mine.”
“Hold on, you fool,” Emma said. “Let us get on the other side in case you get stuck.”
Shit.I’d not considered I might get stuck, but I’d come too far to back down. “Hurry up then,” I yelled. “I’m on a mission here.” Little did Emma know the current was crushing me against the tree and my arms were already tiring.
By the time the others carried their kayaks around the tree, I’d formulated a plan.
“Okay, genius,” Emma said. “How you going to do it?”
“I’m not very tall.” I refused to use the word short.
