Page 72 of Booked on a Feeling

Her heart shot to her throat, then dropped to her stomach. She knew whatitwas. The unexpected epiphany hit her like a runaway train, and she held out her hand to steady herself on the side of Jack’s car.

“Hey.” He peered into her face. “You okay?”

“Weird vertigo thing,” she said with a nervous chuckle. “It passed.”

She got in the car and buckled her seat belt. She hadn’t exactly lied. It did feel a little like vertigo. No wonder people calleditfalling in love.

They pulled up in front of a dated log building befitting the adventure sports store it housed. Sierra Sporting Goods & River Adventures had been around for thirty-plus years. Jack had only been coming for about fifteen years and had been employed there on and off during his college days.

“Hey, Crystal.” He waved at the tan, broad-shouldered lady behind the counter with permanent laugh lines around her eyes and mouth. His former boss.

“Jack, my boy.” Crystal came around to grab him in a signature bear hug that never failed to knock the wind out of him. “It’s about time you showed your handsome mug around here.”

“Sorry. Busy with work,” he wheezed. He continued when she released him with a booming laugh, “Is Nathan out on a tour?”

“No, he isn’t,” the man himself said, walking out of the back room.

Nathan came in for a bro hug that was as hearty as the hug his mother had just given Jack. After pounding his back to an inch of his life, his friend stepped back and allowed him to resume proper breathing.

“This is Lizzy, my girlfriend.” Jack wrapped his arm around her shoulders and tugged her close. He loved the way that rolled off his tongue. “This is Crystal and her son, Nathan. They’re the proud owners of Sierra River Adventures.”

“It’s so nice to meet you both,” Lizzy said sweetly.

“She’s a first timer, so I want to avoid R2 rafting,” Jack said to his friend.

Nathan nodded. “That’s probably a good idea.”

“Do you happen to have room in any of your groups?”

“As a matter of fact, Steve just started his safety instructions. One group only has two people, so I’ll take you guys out with them.”

They went around back and joined the other groups. Jack nudged Lizzy to go listen to the safety instructions. Even while he and Nathan chatted quietly on the sidelines, his eyes kept drifting to her. She was listening intently to Steve, but her fingers were tapping impatiently against her thighs. Jack grinned at the sight. She was dying to take notes.

“Hey, do you mind if I borrow a pen and notepad?” he asked his friend.

“Go right ahead.” Nathan raised an eyebrow but didn’t ask any questions. “We have some under the cash register.”

Jack ran into the store and came back out with his bounty. He walked up to Lizzy and handed the pen and notepad to her. She hugged them to her chest, looking at him with wide eyes. She mouthed,Thank you,then returned her attention to the instructor and took copious notes. No one person had a right to be this adorkable. He rejoined Nathan before he could grab and kiss her. She wouldn’t be happy if he made her miss any of the instructions.

“She seems sweet,” his friend said with a sidelong glance at him.

“She is.” Jack did his best not to sound too besotted.

“Are things serious between you two?”

Panic slammed into him.Seriouswas a loaded word. He couldn’t examine how much all this meant to him. This was his one and only chance at a forever with Lizzy, but he still had no idea how to make her fall in love with him. A part of him wanted to fit in a lifetime of happiness into these couple of weeks—into this trial period—because it might be all he would get. Emotions, questions, hopes, and fears were churning justbeneath the surface. Touching it would feel like hitting a raw nerve. So he carefully and deliberately turned his back on it.

“We haven’t been dating long.” He shot for casual and missed it by miles.

“Right,” Nathan said after a pause.

Once the safety instructions were complete, they were loaded into one of Sierra River Adventures’ buses and headed for the river with a few other groups. Steve and Nathan kept a banter going for the benefit of their customers, but Jack appreciated it as well. Lizzy was lost in her own thoughts, and he needed a moment to regain his equilibrium. The other couple in their group snapped pictures nonstop on their phones the entire way. Jack had a feeling they were those people who let their food get cold so they could get the perfect picture to post on social media.

“I’m scared and excited,” Lizzy said in a small voice. “I’m scarecited.”

“You’re going to love it.” Jack kissed her forehead, running his hand up and down her back. “Nathan’s a great guide, and I’m not exactly a novice, either. You’re in good hands.”

The bus pulled over, and the rafts were unloaded. Led by Nathan, their group hoisted the raft over their heads and tracked down to the river. Lizzy and Jack boarded the raft, sitting side by side. The other couple sat behind them, while Nathan took the back end. The first thirty minutes on the river was relatively calm, and they got to enjoy the view of the rocky terrain and trees as they got accustomed to rowing in sync.

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