Jo shook her head as the girls disappeared into the thick shrubbery. Ben was still sitting back against the aspen tree examining a rock. She didn’t want a lecture on geology, so she left her hiking boots behind and walked, carefully, downstream, keeping an eye out for poison ivy—shiny leaves of three! She had once had an unfortunate encounter with that plant. The water flowed calmly here. It glistened with sunlight. It was gentle on her eyes and she was not afraid of it.
She came upon an opening along the river’s bank where the trees and brush had backed away and allowed a small beach of sand to form. She waded through the grass and stepped onto the blackish-brown silt. It was soft and soothing on the bottom of her feet, like warm powder. She dropped to her knees on the smooth earth, and sat down with her legs out to the side, leaning on her right hand. She dragged the fingers of her left hand through the silky sand, watching the upturned particles sparkle like tiny flecks of gold. The clear water gurgled as it flowed by. Jo frowned thinking how much she had loved swimming not too long ago. Had things been different, she would have been the first one in.
She leaned over the water to see her reflection, but it was wavy and distorted. The sunlight falling on her hair made it glow like brilliant yellow silk. She waved a buzzing insect away and leaned back on her hands, face upturned to the sky. She closed her eyes to the brightness of the white sun and breathed deeply of moss and river-scented air.
Piano chords struck softly in her imagination. The sweet cry of violins rose and mixed with them. She hummed along with the serenade, a love song. Thoughts of Mike filled her head, his confession to her on the trail, the wink of that aquamarine eye. She lay slowly back onto the earth and pressed her palms on the warm, grassy ground at her sides. Her eyes closed.
Inside her daydream, she and Mike danced close together, enveloped by an indigo-blue night. Starlight glittered in Mike’s eyes. His sun-blonde hair was swept forward. She brushed it back with her hand. He looked at her with the desire of a man in love. He twirled her around with his hand and drew her back into his embrace. His face moved closer to hers, his lips about to—
The light over her eyelids darkened. Jo’s eyes popped open. She expected to see a cloud overhead. But the sky was clear. She sat up quickly. A shadow ended at her knees. It moved. She gasped and scrambled to her feet, wheeling around.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you—again.” Galen jumped down from the rock he was standing on, blocking the sun. “And this time, I mean it.” His tone was light, but, as usual, he wasn’t smiling.
Jo put her hand to her heart. “You scared the crud out of me!” She flashed aggravated eyes at him. “Why do you keep doing that?”
“Why are you here by yourself?”
“What’re you talking about? There’s seven other people, right over there.” She waved in the direction of the pool although neither it nor her friends could be seen from this spot.
Galen took a step forward. “Then maybe you should get back over there.” His tone was dictatorial, once again.
Jo drew herself up, exasperation eclipsing her fear of confrontation. “Maybe you should leave me alone.”
Her eyes grew big as came at her. His expression was surly and his eyes blazed with silver light. He walked swiftly, straight at her—like Red had on the bridge. Her bravado crumbled. She backed away from him, up against a tree. He stooped under the branches and stopped in front of her, reaching his hands out, curling them around limbs, fencing her in—just like on the porch in the moonlight. Jo was not going to be crying this time.
“Believe me, Jo, I wish I could.” His voice was cold. His eyes pierced her like grey nails.
Jo stared back at him, trying to control her breathing, trying to not quake so much.
Sunlight filtered through rustling leaves and wavering branches, dappling his face and body with ever-moving dots of light as if he was standing under a mirrored ball. In her peripheral vision, the muscles in his arms bulged. Before her, his hard, round shoulders evinced the power in his masculine body. His face was close, once again, with its smooth, blush-pink skin. His silky black hair swirled in licorice-colored waves on his neck.
The light flecking his face was hypnotizing. The anxious pounding of her heart calmed. His mercurial gaze washed over her like an ocean wave. Within its swell, she discerned his discontent—something she had seen in pictures of soldiers: men that had been in a hostile land too long, lonely and bitter. Her brow creased.
He was watching the light swirl over her eyes. His stony demeanor softened. “I really didn’t mean to scare you.” He let go of the branches and stood up straight, hanging his thumbs in his pockets.
Jo was taken aback by the sincerity of this tone and the depth of his gaze. She cleared her throat. “Why’d you say you wish you could leave me alone?” She waited, but he didn’t answer. He was unyielding in his silence. She took a deep breath, irritated with him again. “What were you telling that family?”
Galen jerked his head back. His hands went to his hips. “Wow. You do like to spy on people.”
“I saw you talking to them. They didn’t look very happy about it.”
Sunlight flickered over him while feathers of black hair floated around his face. “We were just chatting.”
“About what?”
He shook his head, his hair glimmering with sunlight. “Let’s go.” He turned and walked out from under the tree.
Jo followed him, as he headed back to the pool. “Why can’t you answer people?”
“I’m not much of a talker,” he said, without looking at her. “Come on.”
Jo stayed put, with her arms folded and her stance defiant. “You don’t have to chat. Just answer the question.”
He stopped and turned around. “What was the question?”
“Why did you say that? And you know exactly what I mean.”
“Brave, Jo. Finally getting some guts, huh?”
Jo’s mouth fell open.
“Let’s go.” He headed towards the pool again.
In her flustered state, she shouted the only thing she could think of, “You’re not the boss of me!” She grimaced at the childishness of her words. Embarrassment scorched her cheeks.
Galen turned. He looked back at her with a derisive gleam of amusement in his eyes.
Jo walked toward him, burning with indignation. “Listen, I don’t know why you came on this trip, but leave me alone. And stay the hell away from me!” She stomped past him.
“That’s redundant.”
She kept walking.
“Hey, I don’t want to be here anymore than you want me to be.”
“Then go!” She waved her hand up in the air. “No one’s making you stay.”
“Oh, I’m goin’,” he yelled.
“Good! The sooner the better.” Pleased with herself, she marched back to her friends, feeling avenged, but a little penitent. “Sorry, Lord.”
Back at the swimming hole, Dove was picking up the dry clothes on top of her backpack. Her eyes opened wide when she saw Jo. She dropped the clothes. “Jo what happened to you? Why is your face all red?” She glanced at Galen, coming from the same direction.
“Just another run-in with Zorro.” Jo thumbed the air over her shoulder.
“Jo.” Dove shook her head.
“It wasn’t me. I was minding my own business and he—” Jo caught the twinkle in Dove’s eye and the corners of her lips curling up. “Oh, no.” She shook her head furiously. “Don’t even think it.”
Dove laughed. “Come on, you have to admit—he sure follows you around.” She spoke quietly since Galen was in the vicinity.
“Yeah—to torture me,” Jo kept her voice low.
“I have a feeling it’s something else.” Dove raised her eyebrows.
Jo shook her head, gently this time. “So, April’s gotten to you.”
“Let’s just say, she’s helped me see the light about the two of you.” Dove giggled.
Jo sighed, looking in Dove’s blue eyes. “Dove, first, even a crazy
guy who looks like that is not going to be attracted to me.”
Dove opened her mouth to speak.
Jo threw her hand up. “Second—he’s insane—and I can’t stand him—and you know I’m ga-ga over someone else.” Her eyes searched for Mike.
“Jo—”
“He doesn’t even want to be here,” Jo whispered. “He told me that, just now.”
The playfulness left Dove’s face. “Then why’s he here?”
“I don’t know. But, listen, wait ‘til I tell you—”
“Dove!” Lary called to her. Dove’s head swiveled towards him and her face lit up.
Jo’s excitement withered. She hoped she could remember all the things she had to tell her. “I’ll tell you later. Get out of here.” She pushed her friend playfully.
Dove scampered off to join Lary. Jo watched the group, observing their merry, sunlit faces. She looked at the water and sighed.
Chapter 14