Chapter Eight
The day was perfect. Sunny and warm with a soft breeze coming off the river. Delaney had never been to this particular spot on the water but it was gorgeous. Tall pines for as far as the eye could see. Cattails and grasses of various species, heights, and colors covered the riverbanks. And everything smelled so fresh and green.
Exhilarating is how she would describe riding in the raft with Colt. He navigated with wicked dexterity that seemed effortless and made her feel extremely safe. She knew he’d been rafting and leading tours since a teenager. Delaney had never been outdoorsy or athletic, or even the slightest bit adventurous, but the outing had been so much fun she’d be tempted to try other activities. Especially with Colt as her guide.
“You enjoy that?” Colt helped her out of the raft, got her onto dry land, then dragged the boat in.
“Amazing.” She couldn’t stop grinning.
He gave her a quick inspection. “I should’ve told you to bring a set of dry clothes.”
“That’s okay. I’ll be fine in the sun.” She’d read on the Internet not to wear cotton because it took too long to dry. The only thing she had that was even remotely appropriate was exercise clothes.
“Well, I need to change.” Colt grabbed a bag from the truck and headed for a tree. “I’ll be right back to load everything up. Don’t try to look.”
He said it so dryly that at first Delaney didn’t realize he was joking. Colt was sort of an enigma. It was difficult to tell when he was being playful or flippant. He returned a few minutes later in a T-shirt and a pair of worn, faded cargo shorts. They’d definitely seen better days, but on him . . . yum.
“So, you get any design inspiration from the trip?” Colt asked, and she forced her face up to meet his eyes, instead of his chest, its own kind of inspiration.
“Uh, I don’t know yet.” She didn’t think so. Still, it had been a wonderful respite from sitting in her studio, frustrated.
“I’m pretty optimistic something will come from it,” he said with a touch of arrogance. Men always thought they could fix everything. Yet, Delaney wasn’t annoyed. His heart was in the right place and it had been so sweet of him to take her out on his day off.
“I can’t believe it took me this long to try river rafting,” she told him. “Had I known how much fun it is, I would’ve done it a long time ago.”
“Next up, waterskiing.”
She tilted her head back to look up at him and see if he was teasing. “You want to go waterskiing today?”
“Nah. But we could go next Sunday.”
“Uh, I don’t think I’m quite ready for that.” Although the idea of spending another day with him appealed to her. “What else you got?”
He thought about it for a few seconds. “Maybe just a hike.”
She could do that. “Nothing too strenuous, right?”
“Nope. We could just do something scenic. Maybe bring your sketch pad.”
“You do realize I’m a fashion designer, not a pleinairist, right?”
He slung his wet clothes over the opened driver’s door, dragged the raft closer, and hefted it into the bed of his truck. She helped him gather up the paddles and load the rest of the equipment. Then they both sat on Colt’s tailgate in the sun, silently listening to the birds sing and the river flow. The sounds were peaceful, and she found their lack of conversation oddly companionable for two people who hardly knew each other. As time lapsed, Colt’s stomach growled.
“Hungry?” she asked.
“Yeah, you?”
Delaney wished she’d thought to pack a picnic lunch. “A little bit.”
He eyed her still wet clothes. “Want to go home and change and then grab something?”
“Sounds good.” She wanted to take him somewhere nice as a thank-you. One thing she knew about Colt from the short time they’d lived next to each other was that he didn’t get many days off. It had been mighty generous of him to give up his Sunday to her.
They got in his truck and he took the winding road back to the highway. She managed to get in and out of her house in under thirty minutes—just enough time to change and put on a little makeup. He still had on the cargo shorts and tee when she found him sitting on his porch, talking on the phone. Something about a gig at Old Glory.
“You’re planning to play?” she asked when he hung up.
He nonchalantly lifted his shoulders. “Boden needed someone to fill in. You look pretty.”