Page 17 of Kayak Girl

Her left eyebrow arched. “Impressive! If it’s all self-sufficient, what do you do with the rest of your time?”

I leaned back and allowed my momentum to carry me forward. “Well, a good chunk of my time goes to the church. You know, community projects, mentoring kids who think I’m cool, and playing in the worship team. The usual superhero stuff,” I said, a playful glint in my eye.

Her eyes sparkled with a mix of surprise and amusement. “Really? Kids actually think you’re cool?”

I feigned shock, placing a hand over my heart. “Ouch, Elle. First you attack my singing ability and now you’re going after my coolness factor. Good thing I have all these amazing muscles to withstand all the blows.”

Elle laughed and scooped water up with her hand and splashed me. “You’re impossible. Okay, fine, now I’m curious. How’d you get your phenomenal muscles? Don’t tell me you’re a gym bro.”

“You think my muscles are phenomenal? I’m touched.” That comment got me another splash, and I laughed. “To answer your question though, when I’m not saving the world one church event at a time, Weston kidnaps me for his triathlon training. I’m his unwitting training dummy.”

She laughed. “You make it sound like you’re his personal fitness guinea pig.”

I shrugged. “Well, someone’s got to do it. He’s intense, but hey, it keeps me in shape.”

She giggled at my silliness. “Jokes aside, it sounds like you have life all figured out, Gray.”

“Not by a long shot, but I’m grateful for the life I lead,” I said, offering her a simple smile.

“I’m curious about your childhood now. What was it like growing up as a pastor’s kid?”

“I am an only child. My mom and dad have been the head pastors at Grace Bay Fellowship for twenty-plus years. My home life has always been stable. But our position in a successful church brought with it some challenges. Like always having our actions scrutinized. If I had a penny for every time someone accused my dad of something horrendous, I’d be rich. People seemed so desperate to catch a pastor out that they often created drama from nothing. We’ve gotten better at dealing with it over the years, though. Sadly, we all learned to keep our guards up. Our family has a zero-tolerance policy for lies, that’s for sure. But, hey, I got to grow up in this magical piece of the world, so I can’t complain.”

“Growing up here must have been amazing, but I can imagine how hard dealing with church politics could be. I’m glad you guys have learned to cope with it.”

“Thanks. And hey, now I can boast about being friends with Elle, the kayaking sensation and blogger extraordinaire.”

She gave me a contemplative look. “Kayaking sensation, huh? I’ll take that title. And I’ll admit, I’m proud to be in the esteemed company of Gray, the multitasking church hero.”

We both laughed.

As I paddled alongside Elle, I couldn’t resist the urge to stir up some mischief. “So, what are the odds I could tip you out of your kayak?” I asked with a grin.

Elle shot me a skeptical look. “Pretty slim, I’d wager.”

“How about a friendly bet then? Whoever flips the other’s kayak over first is the winner.”

“And the winner gets?” she inquired.

“If I win, I get your phone number.”

She chuckled. “Why on earth would you need that?”

“Just in case I find myself in a dire kayaking crisis,” I joked, trying to keep a straight face.

“Trust me, you don’t need me for your ‘kayaking emergencies’,” she said with a dramatic roll of her eyes.

I shrugged nonchalantly. “You know what they say. Better safe than sorry.”

Her laughter rang out again. “Fine, but if I win, you’re stuck with dish duty for the rest of the week. Solo.”

“Deal.”

I maneuvered my oar, aiming to wobble her kayak, but Elle was ready, brandishing her oar like a seasoned warrior. “Easy there, Lancelot,” I joked. “We’re not in a medieval joust.”

“I don’t like losing,” she said, her competitive spirit shining through.

“Neither do I,” I declared, and with a sudden splash, I was out of my kayak, swimming towards hers.

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