Wild Thing (5 page)

He waited for Yvette and the male models to stop laughing about stroking and shafts—they were worse than the kids from his camp. Hell, they were worse than his brothers. Hunter had a boat full of adults with the emotional maturity of teenagers.

“As I said, this will give you long forward and strong backstrokes, so you’ll be able to help the guide get the raft where it needs to go and keep yourself balanced in the boat.”

Toni moved slowly toward the back of the group. He probably should have made everyone get in the rafts before the lesson. Too late now.

“The raft is made of an oval tube that forms the perimeter and cross tubes. Sit on the outside tube, and tuck your feet under the cross tube in front of you. This way you’re supported with your feet, your butt, and your paddle.

“Every time you take a forward stroke you’re pushing the raft in the direction you want to go and keeping yourself balanced.

“Every time you wave the paddle in the air and scream, you have a tendency to fall into or out of the raft. Falling into the raft isn’t a big deal. Just grab your paddle, sit back on the outer tube, tuck your feet under the cross tube, and continue. If you fall out of the raft, I want you to lie on your back, point your feet downstream, and float. Look for a raft, and be prepared to get hauled in.”

James sidled up to Toni and put his arm around her. Hunter took a relieved breath before he continued.

“Do not, I repeat, do not stand in the river. If you do, you can get your foot or feet trapped between rocks. The water pushes against your back, bottom, and head, then pushes you head first into the river, and there you stay. It’s not a good time. It’s a great way to ruin an otherwise perfect day, or at least complicate it. When your head is underwater, it’s difficult for us to see you and harder still to pull you out.”

If he wasn’t mistaken, he heard someone whimper. Probably Toni. Damn.

“So, on your back, feet pointed downstream, and look for help. You may be asked to swim toward the raft. If you are, flip onto your front, and swim like hell. Got it?” He looked around and saw everyone nodding but Toni.

“To save someone, you reach down, grab onto the swimmer’s PFD by the straps, say, ‘I’m going to rescue you,’ straighten your legs, and stand, pulling the swimmer into the raft on top of you. After that, you can bump fists, friend each other on Facebook, sit back on the tube, and we can continue with our day.”

Yvette raised her hand.

“Yes?”

“Are you looking for a volunteer? I like being on top.”

Hunter shook his head. “Thanks. Fisher’s going to demonstrate later.”

Ari waved his hand. “Can I haul him in?”

“Not this time.” He took a quick glance at Toni. James was still with her, but she had backed away and was practically standing in the trees.

“The only time you can let go of the T-grip on your paddle is if a swimmer is out of reach. You offer them the T-grip, pull them toward the raft, then grab them, and pull them in. Any questions?” No one raised a hand. “Are we ready to go?”

Everyone answered in the affirmative, and Toni paled even more.

Hunter waded through the models, making it a point to avoid Yvette, and found Toni. “You’ll be fine. You’re going to be in Trapper’s raft—”

Toni’s eyes were the size of saucers. “I thought I was going with you.”

“I’ll be right behind you, and if you get into any trouble, I’ll be there to help you out of it. Trust me.”

She nodded and stepped away. He could almost hear her shutting down.

“You’ll sit right in front of Trapper and next to Fisher before he demonstrates falling in and getting rescued. You’re going to do fine. If you should fall in, I’ll be there to get you. Remember what I said. On your back, feet pointed downstream, and keep your eyes open. I’ll pull you in. Understand?”

“Perfectly.”

She turned and walked away, standing close to the tree line. Shit. He felt as if he just kicked a puppy.

***

Toni stared at the orange blowup raft she was supposed to go down the river on and wondered if she ignored it, and Hunter for that matter, if they would both go away—preferably without her. She could still find her way back to the cabin, but if she got on that raft, she wasn’t so sure.

“You’re not thinking of running back to your cabin, are you?” Hunter had snuck up on her while she was busy planning her escape.

“I sat through your little rafting class. Since I’m an auditory learner, I don’t see why I have to go.”

“I won’t force you. But for your own safety, I can’t allow you to go on any other rafting trips until after you have a lesson on the raft. The decision is yours.”

“The word
decision
connotes a choice. You’re giving me no choice.”

“I’m sorry.” He shrugged but didn’t look the least bit contrite. “I’m just doing my job to ensure your safety. Now let’s get you in the raft. It’s easy. You’ll see.”

Hunter took her arm and pulled her toward the first raft. She stopped at the river’s edge and twisted out of his grasp.

Hunter gave her arm another tug and looked as if he were counting to ten to keep his temper. “What is it now?”

She wiggled her ankle out in front of her, admiring her brand new Vans. “I’m going to get my shoes wet.”

“Yeah, so?”

“They’re brand new.”

“Did you bring water shoes or sandals?”

“No. The list said those were optional.”

“Okay.” He bent over and picked her up. By the time she stopped screaming and flailing, he was up to his knees in the river and was near the rear of the boat. She had a death grip on his neck and thought about climbing him, but he held her legs in one arm so tightly, she didn’t think she’d be able to manage it. He wore a smile on his face, which was so close to hers she noticed the dark green ring circling the lighter green iris of his eyes. The scent of his fresh-laundered shirt along with a combination of Ivory soap, deodorant, mountain air, and Hunter himself was oddly arousing. The altitude was making her crazier than usual. “Put me down.”

“Gladly.” He set her on one of the big tubes running across the raft. “You need to sit here on the outside tube so you can paddle. Just remember to tuck your feet under the cross tube. That’ll help anchor you.”

“I’m not deaf. I watched and heard your presentation.” Still, she stayed on the middle tube holding on for dear life until everyone had piled into the raft. James sat in front of her and gave her a smile before Hunter handed out the paddles, keeping the biggest, prettiest ones for himself and Trapper.

“I want a big one.” Better to hit him with as soon as he got within range.

He shook his head. “Sorry. These are guide paddles. They’re longer and help us steer. Maybe once you’re ready, I’ll give you a chance to guide the raft.”

Fat chance—like that’s ever going to happen. “Thanks, but no.”

He patted the outside tube. “It’s time to move over here now, Toni. You’ll do fine. Pay attention to Fisher when he takes a dunk and shows everyone what to do if you fall out.”

Toni remembered her brown paper sack was in the dry bag—on the other raft no less. A whole lot of good it was going to do her there. Hunter patted her back and gave the raft a shove before getting into his own and sitting on the back. She almost dropped the paddle when she grabbed the tube.

Fisher sat directly across from her. He looked over and bit his lip, probably silencing a laugh. “The only time you let go of your paddle is to pull someone in. It’s easy. Watch and learn.” He held his paddle in one hand and fell backward into the river, then floated with his feet pointing downstream as everyone in Hunter’s boat paddled toward him.

“Remember to stay on your side of the raft.” Hunter’s voice cut through the terror clouding her mind. “If everyone moves over to one side to save the swimmer, the raft will capsize. When you’re close by, you can hold onto the business end of your paddle and offer the T-grip to the person you’re rescuing.” He held onto the paddle, and Fisher grabbed the T-grip. Hunter pulled Fisher toward the raft and grabbed hold of the straps on Fisher’s PFD. “I’m gonna save you now—” With his knees bent and feet anchored under the outside tube, Hunter stood, pulling Fisher out of the river and onto him as they fell into the raft. When Hunter and Fisher were settled again, Hunter steered his raft up beside her. “See, it’s easy. Remember. Always go for the person first, gear later. Any questions?”

Toni caught his eye and realized she wasn’t paddling. “Are we there yet?”

Chapter 3

Toni tried to paddle when Trapper told her to. At least she wasn’t hyperventilating—well, not enough for anyone to notice anyway. The river moved so fast, she couldn’t imagine what the other parts were like if this was considered lazy.

They paddled, avoiding rocks poking up out of the river.

She stopped obsessing about falling in and concentrated on matching James’s strokes.
Lazy
river
my
ass.
As long as she stared at James’s back, she wasn’t focusing on the trees and rocks flying by at ungodly speeds.

Rafting was much louder than she’d expected. Not that she’d ever spent time wondering how loud rivers were, but still, the sound of water rushing all around was a constant roar.

They’d been at it about twenty minutes when Trapper had them paddle to the far bank. A rocky beach came into view.

“Everyone paddle. Let’s hit the beach up there.”

Toni paddled as if her life depended on it. She’d much rather be on dry land than on a blowup raft in the middle of a raging river.

Trapper slid off the boat, grabbed the rope in front, and tugged it to shore. Since her feet were already wet, thanks to her lack of paddling ability, Toni jumped out and ran toward the riverbank. God only knew what lived in the water. When she looked at her checkerboard Vans. It was hard to believe there was a foot and a half of water between them and the air. The water was amazingly clear and really, really cold.

Hunter slipped off of his boat and pulled it behind him as he grabbed her arm. “Be careful. The river rock can be slippery when you’re not wearing proper footgear.”

She wanted to shake him off, but the thought of falling in the frigid water stopped her.

“I watched you. You did just fine. Good job.”

“Why didn’t you tell me I was going to get all wet in the boat? If I had known, I’d have walked out on my own and gotten into the raft.” Toni rolled her eyes when she saw Hunter’s expression. She’d have better luck trying to sell him the Brooklyn Bridge. “I would have.”

“Yeah, okay, if you say so, but what would have been the fun in that? The look on your face when I picked you up was worth the price of admission. And after you finished flailing around, it was almost enjoyable. By the way, you’re heavier than you look.”

She hit him. She didn’t realize she had until her fist came in contact with his midsection. Shocked, Toni waited for retaliation. There was none. His only reaction was a low grunt.

“I meant that as a compliment. You’re more muscular than I expected. You must work out.” He rubbed his abs. “You’re also stronger than I’d imagined.”

“Thanks, I think. Though, just a hint, it’s never a good idea to tell any woman she weighs more than you thought she would. Most don’t think it’s a compliment—especially not models.”

“Point taken. So… what do you do?”

“When?”

“To work out?”

“Oh.” She stepped out of the river and across the beach not knowing where to go next. She had no idea where she was. “I kickbox, run, and take stick fighting classes.”

“I should have known you wouldn’t be into something as mundane as yoga and Pilates.”

James trudged up to them. “Everyone’s out. Are we heading up to the other beach?”

Hunter looked shocked to discover there were other people around. “Yeah, we are. You know the way, right? Why don’t you go on ahead with the others? I’m going to make sure the rafts are secure and get Toni’s bag.”

James waggled his eyebrows at Toni, but was smart enough not to say anything. When Hunter walked away, James let out the laugh he’d been holding back. “I’m surprised you haven’t progressed past the point of slugging the men you like. I thought girls outgrew that by the time they’re in their early teens.”

“What?”

“You heard me.”

Toni turned to tell him he was barking up the wrong tree, but James had already started downstream, and all the models followed. Trapper and Fisher carried coolers up the rocky path away from the river. Hunter carried her backpack.

“Here you go, all safe and sound. It’s still dry too.”

“Thanks.” She tossed it over her shoulder.

He took her arm and steered her toward the path.

“I think I’ll stay here and make sure nothing happens to the boats.”

Hunter blew out a breath of undisguised frustration. Toni had that effect on people. “They’re tied up. They’re not going anywhere.”

“Yeah, well, neither am I.”

“I can’t leave you here. There’s a buddy system. No one goes off on their own.”

“Yeah, and whose my buddy?”

Hunter smiled. “I am. You can hang out in my cabin if you want, but then you’ll miss out on the beach. Do you play volleyball?”

“Why do you want to know?”

“I was just thinking, with your reflexes and strength, I’d pick you for my team.”

Toni didn’t realize he’d led her up the rocky path until she looked to her left and saw the sheer drop to the river. “That’s so not fair.”

His superior smile told her he knew exactly what she was talking about. “Whatever works, right?”

“Wrong.”

Hunter stopped and turned around. He was on the uphill slope, so she had to crank her neck to see his face.

“Are you going to make me carry you again? Because I can. It’s not a problem.”

“It would be for me. I’m fine walking on my own. I just don’t want to be here. I would have been happy staying by the rafts.”

“Yeah, but then I’d have had to stay too. Them’s the rules. Since the food is up there…” He pointed over his left shoulder. “That’s where I want to be.”

She’d skipped breakfast, so yeah, by lunchtime she would be kind of hungry, unless he devised some other trip to scare the daylights out of her.

“What’s it gonna be? Are you walking? Or do you want a piggyback ride?”

“Funny. Are you going to stand there all day, or are you gonna lead the way?”

He took her hand in his and pulled her around him. “After you. Go straight up the path.”

From the cliff top, Toni gazed down at the river and had the urge to step back. She saw the rafts tied on the beach. Beside her, a meadow teeming with wildflowers bordered dense forest.

Hunter watched her every move. It was uncomfortable feeling like the subject of a science experiment.

“Isn’t it beautiful up here?”

She looked around again and nodded. The mountains in the background were some of the biggest she’d ever seen, dark gray peaks with a spattering of snow cut across the bright blue sky.

Pointing up the path, Hunter made his way into the meadow. “The cabin is right over there.”

Toni followed. “You live here?” His cabin was a log home that looked like it belonged on the cover of
Country
Living
. It seemed to fit with the strange landscape in a way an apartment building or a brick row home never would. More’s the pity.

“This is my base of operations in the summer. In the winter, I have a place right outside of Boise on Castle Rock.”

“Castle Rock?” Toni picked a wildflower. She would have liked to know what kind it was, but didn’t ask.

“A ski resort. I run the ski school, restaurant, and the ski shop on the mountain.”

She stopped and held the flower behind her back. “Do you ever see civilization?”

Hunter looked at her as if she were nuts. It wasn’t too much of a stretch to see that in his estimation, she wasn’t the picture of mental health. “Every day. The Rock is a half hour drive from Boise. There’s a gorgeous view of the Boise Valley.”

“Yeah, but you live on the mountain.”

“Uh huh. I have a car.”

“You drive in all that snow?”

“They keep Castle Rock Road clear so people can come up to ski.”

Of course they did. “You really are a regular mountain man, aren’t you? Have you ever lived anywhere but on a mountain?”

“I grew up in Boise. I went to the College of Idaho in Caldwell. That’s not technically the mountains, but I’ve always been able to see them from wherever I’ve lived. I spent some time in New York last year. It was fun, but I can’t imagine living so close to eight million other people. I need my space.”

“I can’t imagine living up here all alone. Just me and my TV.”

Hunter pulled a blade of tall grass and stuck it between his lips. “I don’t have a TV—not here at least.”

Toni stopped and stared. He had to be pulling her leg. Who didn’t have a TV? “You’re kidding, right?”

“I guess I could get a dish or something, but why bother?” He looked out over the mountains as if he’d never seen them before. “I’m only inside to sleep, and half the time I’m on a guide trip living in a tent.” He studied her again. “You don’t look like you watch a lot of TV either.”

How did he know that? The guy seemed to see so much more than she ever thought she let on. Toni couldn’t help but stare at him. “I spend most of my free time at a rec center. I work with the kids on their reading or help them with their homework. In the summer we usually have things going on. You know, arts and crafts, summer reading programs, field trips—that kind of thing.”

Hunter seemed like a pretty stoic guy. The most expressive she’d seen him was a smile. That last little tidbit brought out a full smile and raised both his eyebrows. “Really? That sounds like fun.”

Toni toyed with the flower she’d picked, pulling off the petals. “I grew up spending a lot of time at the rec center, so I thought it was a good way to give back. The kids need to know there’s someone out there who cares about them. They often don’t get that at home.”

“Did you?”

“Did I what?”

“Know that someone cared about you?”

No, she hadn’t. And damn him, he somehow knew that. Great. How did she end up back on the specimen table? “Look, Hunter. You’re a nice guy, and you’re fun to look at and everything, but I’m not interested.”

“In what?”

Wow, okay, she felt like a fool. “Nothing. Forget I said anything. I just thought… well, you saw that book I was reading.”

“Yeah, you’re looking to hook up. I remember.”

“Not just hook up, but even if I were, I’m not interested in hooking up with a mountain man.”

“Gee, Toni. I don’t remember making an offer.”

“Yes, well. Don’t. You’re not my type.”

“Then it’s a good thing I’m not interested in interviewing for the position.” He took a step toward her and crossed his arms. “I was just thinking back to that book of yours I was reading while you had your little meltdown yesterday—”

“It wasn’t a meltdown.”

“The book talks a lot about figuring out what you want in a man. I think it requires more specificity than a quote normal man unquote. You sound as if you have a pretty good idea of what you don’t want. Maybe you should start thinking about what you
do
want.”

He didn’t wait for a response before he turned and walked away. Toni gave him some space, but not too much. She followed him over a slope toward his cabin. It had a lot of windows and was topped with a green metal, high-pitched roof, probably to keep the snow from gathering. And it wasn’t alone. There were other buildings too.

“That’s the cabin. If you want to hole up inside, you’re more than welcome. Make yourself at home. There are plenty of pillows if you need one. If you’re interested in going to the beach, it’s up the path a few hundred yards. The food is in the cooler. I think they labeled everyone’s lunches. There’s a john in the cabin, and then there’s always the outhouse over there. I’ll see you later, Toni.”

Hunter took off up the hill toward where he said the beach was and left her standing alone in the tall grass. Mountains surrounded her. Everyone must have gone on to the beach because there wasn’t a soul around the cabin. Toni got that panicky feeling again and tried to keep her cool. She wanted to kick herself for opening her big mouth. She should never have said he wasn’t her type. If she didn’t know better, she’d think she hurt his feelings, which was ridiculous, since every one of those models would do him in a minute. Well, the single women and Ari, at least. She’d stuck her foot in her mouth. She was as far from his type as she could get. She’d known that the moment they’d met. “Way to go, Russo. You idiot.”

“You really shouldn’t talk to yourself like that. You’ll start believing it.”

Toni spun around and almost ran into James who had come out of nowhere.

“I saw Hunter headed toward the beach. It’s not like him to leave you all alone. Lovers’ quarrel?”

“Cut it out, James. Hunter’s not interested. He made that clear. I’m not interested in him either. I even told him he wasn’t my type.”

“Darlin’, I don’t think you have any clue what your type is.”

“Yeah, that’s pretty much what he said. Look, I guess I’ll go into the cabin and make decisions about the schedule. I have the map with me. I figure we can do the easier shoots first and then take on the more challenging ones.”

“What makes you think Hunter’s not your type?”

“Oh, I don’t know, James. Maybe because he’s as outdoorsy as you can get, and I hyperventilate at the thought of standing in the middle of a freakin’ meadow. Speaking of which, if you’d like to continue the armchair analysis, would you mind moving it into Hunter’s cabin? I’m sure he has a couch in there somewhere.”

James put his arm around her and steered her toward the cabin. “I thought you were doing better today. Sure, you looked like you were going to lose it when Hunter picked you up and put you in the raft, but you were a trooper. You did great.”

“Oh yeah, I’m just ducky. Thanks, but I’m on the verge of a meltdown and have been ever since we started up the mountain. Honestly, James, I don’t know how much more of this I can take.”

James gave her a squeeze and rubbed her shoulder as they trudged through the meadow. “Don’t forget what a great opportunity this series of photo shoots is. If Bianca hadn’t been in the middle of deal negotiations, she’d never have given you the chance to show her all you’re capable of. This is your chance to turn a job into a career. It’s all up to you. Don’t let a few trees get in the way of your whole future.”

“Great. All I need is a little more pressure. Thanks—like trying to keep from completely losing it is not enough.”