He stopped the motion of her thumb by twining his fingers with hers. “How about tonight we skip dessert?” he asked.
* * *
Eric took several deep breaths, willing his heart rate to lower. If kayaking had been Molly’s big challenge during the trip, today was his. Zip-lining in the rain forest outside Ucluelet. Heights were just not his thing. Particularly heights when one was hanging from some que
stionable-looking hooks and ropes.
“Hi,” she said, bouncing up beside him. “How’d you sleep?”
His nervousness was temporarily forgotten at her cheeky question. “Like a babe,” he replied, looking over at her. “All that fresh air yesterday, I guess.”
“Me too.” Her lips twitched, and with total disregard for the fact they were in public, he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her in for a kiss. When he released her she was speechless.
“That’s for being saucy.”
Her eyes were starry and her lips puffy, but her tongue was just as sharp as ever. “Then I’ll be sure to be saucy more often.”
He laughed. She had this uncanny way of making him do that. Forget all the things swirling around his brain and just have fun. If he didn’t know better, he’d say he loved her for it.
Of course, that was a ridiculous notion. Love wasn’t part of the equation. Fun was.
Except they were in these strange harnesses and preparing to step off a perfectly good platform into nothingness. Not that he’d let on that he was scared. No way. He set his teeth. He could charm. He could be honest. But he could never, ever let himself show actual weakness. He hadn’t gained his success by letting himself be visibly vulnerable. He was rather good at bluffing, though.
The team waiting for them was made up of college-age guys with hair a little on the long side, big laughs, and they said “dude” a lot. They were also incredibly efficient and firm when it came to safety, which Eric appreciated. Still, as they neared the first platform, sweat broke out on his back. He adjusted the helmet on his head and wiped his hands on his shorts.
One of the team leaders zipped off first, the line singing as gravity pulled him away, and he would be waiting at the platform at the other end for the first of their group.
Eric knew he shouldn’t go last, but he couldn’t seem to make himself get in line earlier. Molly was two people ahead of him, and she turned around with a bright smile. He smiled back and waved, but an odd look came over her face. A few seconds later she stepped out of line and came back to him.
“What’s the matter? Don’t you feel good? You’ve gone white.”
She’d just given him the out he’d needed. “I don’t know. Breakfast isn’t settling too well. Maybe it was the smoked salmon.”
She frowned. “I had the same and I feel okay.” Another of their group took off with a joyful whoop. “Do you want to stay behind? I’ll stay with you if you’re sick.”
He could say yes, but he wasn’t used to chickening out. Besides, she’d be giving up on part of her adventure, and she’d gone kayaking even though she’d been terrified. If she could, he could. “I’ll be fine.”
The guy from Arizona was next, all six foot five of him, and off he went through the trees and across the tumbling stones of the riverbed.
That left the two of them and the final guide.
“You go,” she said, “and I’ll come right behind you. Okay?”
“Okay.”
But he stood up to the edge, and as the guide clipped him onto the line, he couldn’t make his feet move.
“You nervous, dude? It’s okay. Lots of people are.”
Eric looked at the guy, who was maybe twenty-two. He expected to see some arrogance or ridicule, but what he got in return was understanding and patience. “I don’t do heights.”
“It’s a common thing. It’s okay. Take your time. Then you just have to step off the platform. You don’t have to leap or anything.”
“Step off the platform—easy for you to say.”
Molly showed up by his side. “Are you afraid of heights?”
He laughed. “Of course not.” At her skeptical expression, he sighed. “I’m terrified. I can’t actually make my feet move right now.”