Gillian's Do-Over by Kate Vale Page B

whose tanned arms and legs suggested she spent many days on the water. Just as they were climbing into the big yellow raft, Herb galloped across the lawn and onto the dock, breathing hard.
    “I made i t! Sorry I’m late. Overslept.” Without asking, he clambered into the raft and took the seat Gillian had mentally reserved for herself and Bianca. “Hello, there, little lady!” he fairly shouted. “I was hopin’ I’d see you again. Lookin’ forward to doing the Class Fours? I sure am!”
    Gillian looked back at the guide, who shrugged her shoulders.
    “Tighten up your straps, Herb,” the young woman ordered.
    Quinn grabbed Bianca’s hand and took the forward-most seat. “Come on, babe. You’re sitting with me now.” He beamed at Gillian before leaning over to whisper something in Bianca’s ear, prompting a quiet giggle from his fiancée. Gillian had no choice but to sit next to Herb.
    The guide gave them a brief set of instructions and some practice paddling in calm water, during which the four customers learned how to paddle forward and backward, in sync with each other. Then they pushed off into the center of the river and began to glide quietly through the water.
    Gillian slowly began to relax. At a firm suggestion from their guide, Herb ceased his too-loud chatter. Birdsong and the slap of the waves against the sides of the raft became the primary sounds as they coasted along. Occasional comments from Quinn and Bianca served only to complement the calling of the birds. Soon, however, they approached an area of white water. The whooshing of the water against the stones in the river alerted Gillian to the increasing speed of the raft as it was carried along by the current.
    “Okay, people. Here’s your first test to see how well you work together. P addle one, two, stroke. Stroke together,” the guide ordered.
    Quinn laughed.“Here we go!” They entered the first chute through which the water foamed and bubbled.
    The spray that cascaded over them was bracing. Gillian looked over at Herb. He was beaming as he wiped his face. In the front seat, Bianca was laughing along with Quinn. “Fun!” she exclaimed. “Did you get wet, Gillian?”
    “A little.” But the water felt good on her face and arms against the heat of the sun’s strong rays. She made a mental note to apply more sunblock to her nose and her knees when they stopped for lunch.
    “You got that right, b eautiful,” Herb exclaimed.
    Gillian couldn’t tell if he was commenting on her bedraggled appearance or that Bianca was beautiful. He was probably right on both counts. One of them bedraggled, the other beautiful.
    At the next section of white water Gillian had a moment of fright when she slipped forward on her cushiony seat, and had to grab Herb’s beefy arm to avoid sliding down between the seats. After she righted herself, she pressed her right foot against the forward seat along the edge of the raft to remain in position. Herb patted her hand where she was still clutching his arm. She tried to act nonchalant as she let him go and grasped her paddle again.
    “Get ready, people,” the guide said. “This one’s a Class Three, a little bigger than the last one.”
    Gillian concentrated on paddling each time Quinn, in the seat in front of her, did so, and the raft scooted through the water. Now that she knew what to expect, the spray and bouncing movement of the raft no longer surprised her as they approached the next section of rapids. This is fun.
    “Everyone ready?” the guide asked minutes later. “Here we go again. Stroke, stroke.”
    Even Gillian responded with laughter. “Let’s do it,” she said. This time, she kept her seat more easily, imagining herself riding a horse as they bounced between the water-covered rocks, into and out of the white water, a rush of spray cooling them all. Quinn laughed and Bianca squealed. “This is great!”
    “ Good,” Gillian murmured more quietly. So much for the easy sections . Gillian