Page 53 of No Such Thing as Serendipity
Annie laughed. “You may be short, but, honey, you ain’t short enough to slide under that, no matter how far back you bend.”
I’d already determined that doing a traditional limbo, bending backward, wouldn’t work unless I wanted to rip my face off. That was if I didn’t get hung up on my boobs.
“I’m gonna hunker. There’s plenty of room in here. But I need a couple of you to steady me while I get into position.”
“This is not gonna end well,” someone muttered.
“Annie, would you care to help me?” Robyn said. “You and I are probably the strongest.”
“Hey, I might be small, but I’m mighty,” Emma protested.
“Um, could you guys stop arguing,” I said, “before I get crushed?”
Robyn and Annie rowed into place in front of my kayak. The pressure against my chest lessened.
“Can you push back a bit? Give me a little more room.” I held up my paddle. “Em, can you grab this?”
Emma rowed back to the tree, shaking her head. Her eyes twinkled. “Let the record show, I declare this a bad idea.”
“Hold my beer.” I laughed and extended my paddle. “Or in this case, hold my oar.”
Robyn smiled. “Don’t tell Vera I allowed this, or she might pull me from leading any more groups. Also, I want to second Emma’s assessment that this is a bad idea.”
“Yeah, yeah, so noted.” With room to maneuver, I pushed the kayak’s seat back, so I could no longer touch the foot pegs.Promising.It meant I should have plenty of room. I scooched down farther, pushing my legs toward the front of the kayak. I felt cocooned. Good thing I wasn’t claustrophobic.
Just as I thought it, Katlynn said, “Oh, god, I’m having a panic attack. It’s like being in an MRI.”
“Hush,” Annie said. “Not helping.”
I chuckled. She was right, it was like an MRI. When my feet hit the end of the kayak, I still wasn’t low enough. I bent my knees as much as I could before they knocked against the top of the kayak and slid my butt a little farther down.
“Shit.” I wedged myself farther into the kayak. I glanced at the tree. “Will I have enough clearance?”
“No!” Emma shouted. “You’re going to whack yourself in the face. Admit defeat.”
“Never! This calls for drastic measures.”
Emma groaned and pointed at Katlynn. “I’m holding you personally responsible for the stitches she’s going to end up with.”
Katlynn laughed, obviously hearing the levity in Emma’s voice.
“Okay, here goes.” I flipped onto my side, and the kayak rocked. I didn’t move for a few seconds, letting it steady. Then I pulled my knees into a fetal position and wiggled down until my head rested on the seat. “I did it,” I called from inside the kayak.
“Say that when you get to the other side,” Robyn said.
I wiggled a little more, getting as comfortable as possible, took a deep breath, and hollered, “I’m ready. Let’s do it.”
I couldn’t see anything, which was worse once the kayak surged forward.Shit.I hadn’t expected the rocking motion as I raced down the creek. At least, it felt like it was racing. I gave a victory scream, though it was tinged with a bit of terror.
“Blake!” I heard Emma’s voice, farther away than I’d expected. Or maybe I was just having a hard time hearing stuffed in the kayak. “We need to catch her.”
I felt like I was back in the pickup bouncing along the pothole-filled road. At least this was much smoother. Still, I pinballed against something as I bounced along. I felt a jolt, which I assumed meant I’d hit the bank before I bounced off in a different direction.
I tried to unbend my legs, but I was wedged in tighter than I realized.Fuck.I wiggled, trying to flip onto my back. As I did, the kayak rocked, causing my stomach to lurch.Perfect.I was going to make myself seasick and vomit all over myself.
Something about the visual tickled me, and I started laughing.
“I told you she’s lost her mind,” Katlynn called. Her voice sounded closer than Emma’s had earlier.
