Page 40 of Class Clown

“We’re probably a mile and a half from camp,” he responded. “This distance isn’t far, but our slow pace makes it take a long time.”

I glanced down the trail and back at the kids. And then I remembered that I’d wanted to get Nico and Gina alone, and suddenly my fall seemed like the amazing opportunity I’d been looking for.

“You could sit here with Gina and I could take the kids back to camp, get a UTV and come back for you,” I offered.

“That sounds good to me,” Gina piped up. In my head we were giving each other love connection high fives.

Nico looked again at the top of Gina’s head, and his hands flexed a little, but he made no move to wrap his arms around her. I gave him a look and mouthed ‘hold her’. His expression closed off and he shook his head. I rolled my eyes. How was he not taking advantage of this romantic rescue moment? He was thicker than I’d thought.

“I’ll use the satellite phone to call ahead and make Cole aware of what’s happened,” he said, “but we have a ways before the trail opens up wide enough for a UTV to get through. In the meantime, everyone is wet and cold without shelter. That’s dangerous at these elevations. Better for all of us to keep moving.” He thought for a moment and then added, “I could carry her on my back.”

“That’s a long way for you to piggyback someone,” I said.

“I don’t mind,” Gina piped up from the shelter of Nico’s chest.

She shifted so her nose was pressed to his pecs and I was willing to bet five bucks she sniffed him. I did not laugh even when his shoulders bunched as though in reaction. She’d sounded awfully peppy about how things were playing out.

I gave Gina a once over. She was pretty small. Nico had been a Marine. They probably trained by carrying each other on their backs during hikes and marches. Maybe. Seemed like a thing they’d do.

I looked at Nico and assessed him. He looked confident and ready, and in that moment I fully trusted that he could do what he said he’d do. He wouldn’t have offered if he hadn’t meant it. For the first time in my knowing him, Nico’s reticence didn’t feel annoying, it felt like he was a person who considered things fully, which made him someone reliable. Once upon a time, reliable would not have been an attractive trait to me, but these days it seemed like the most desirable trait in the world.

I played with my lip. It may not be the stranded scenario I’d planned, but a man carrying you out of the forest after an injury was about as swoony as things could get. So, I pivoted and gave him a thumbs up.

“Okay,” I said. “I’ll carry both yours and Gina’s .” I turned to the campers. “Nico is going to carry Gina down the trail, which means I need you to stay together in line and watch for anything that might trip them up. Can you guys do that?” The kids immediately agreed, happy to help in some small way.

While Gina continued living in her fantasyland, stuck to Nico like glue, I untied the rope from around her waist and re-coiled it. Nico made a quick call using the satellite phone to alert Cole to our situation, and before too long we were ready to go.

I put Nico’s pack on my front and took Gina’s off her back, hoping to lighten Nico’s load, holding it in my hand by its top strap. When I was sufficiently pack-muled, I signaled that it was time to march out. Nico had to gently pry Gina’s arms from around him before he could turn and crouch down in order for her to climb aboard. In a fluid move she was in piggyback formation, with Nico’s arms wrapped around her legs, and we moved out, letting a couple of the kids lead the way. They perked up pretty quickly, kicking rocks and twigs out of the way as Nico set the pace and I brought up the rear.

Sure, it was still lightly drizzling, but that didn’t mean we couldn’t try to salvage this day. I made those kids sing The Ants Go Marching until they were once again giggling and happy and I was completely out of breath.

We had left the narrow forest trail and entered the sweeping valley of the camp when there was a distant shout followed by the sound of an engine being kicked into gear. I looked past Nico and Gina to see a side-by-side UTV come roaring across the wet meadow toward us.

The kids all stopped to watch, and Nico gently helped Gina slide off his back and stand on one foot. I caught up to the group and put Gina’s pack on the ground. I flexed my hands, both of which were weary from alternating the load of her gear.

“I’m glad you thought to call ahead,” I said to Nico as I came to stand by him and Gina.

“We have radios for a reason. It’ll be good for her to ride the last little bit. My back probably wasn’t very comfortable,” Nico replied.

Oh, friend, I’d guess Gina would tell a different tale. She’d cuddled right in and had her cheek pressed against his shoulder for the entire time. The staff would be hearing all about this for weeks. Gina, who’d already been nursing a crush, was now a goner. Full infatuation had commenced.

“Thatwassmart to call ahead,” Gina said, gripping him like she’d tip over without his support. Maybe she would. I’d never judge her. I’d been known to not-so-innocently rub a well-formed shoulder now and again. “You’re so good in an emergency. And so strong. I can’t believe you carried me all that way.” Gina looked over at me. “I swear, he wasn’t even breathing hard.”

I made my eyes big and rounded my mouth. “Wow. Talk about a Hercules.”

Nico shot me a look over her head, but Gina beamed. “Seriously,” she replied.

A breeze carried over the meadow as the UTV arrived next to us, and I shivered. Sweaty clothes that had gotten wet, plus cool mountain air, it wasn’t a great combo. Even though we’d been moving, I needed some and a big steaming cup of cocoa. And if I felt that way, I’d imagine these poor kids were ready to crash.

“Why don’t you get a ride with Gina?” Nico said to me.

I threw him a questioning look as Cole bounded out of the cab and hustled around. “Who’s hurt and how badly?”

The kids, not unsurprisingly, were more than happy to tell him exactly what had happened. I laughed as they tumbled over each other, making it sound like we’d fallen off a cliff and Nico had pulled us both up, one-handed, with nothing more than a leaf and a piece of chewing gum. Gina joined in, talking about her hero carrying her and I glanced at Nico once more, grinning even as a shiver chased up my spine.

“Here,” Nico said, gesturing toward his pack that was stuck firmly to the front of my body. I’d forgotten it was there. “Let me take it.”

I nodded, still smiling at the kids and Gina, and slid my arms out of the straps. Nico snatched it up before it hit the ground, and I rotated my shoulders, happy to have the extra weight off. That cool post-rain breeze cut across my torso, chilling the places where my wet shirt stuck to my body.

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