Jumped by Colette Auclair Page B

he thought, I can build a better house. I can make it greener and more beautiful. I can do this. I can design a dream of a house for good ol’ Uncle Mitch.
    Driving to the kayaking school, Finn had begun designing the Frederick house in his head. The rest of the wedding group—eight of them—was already there. Finn spotted Bethany immediately. He had regained the radar he used to have for her when she was his wife. When he saw her, a shaft of sunlight slid over his heart. Better to feel this than all that anger, pal. At least you’re on speaking terms now.
    He said hello to everyone and sat with Nick on the bus that would ferry them and their watercraft to the reservoir.
    Once they got to the water, Kristen was right there, smiling and wordlessly demanding his attention. Here we go. She wore the hell out of a stretchy little tank top and shorts that showed off her long, tan legs. The other men noticed, giving Finn hope that in this target-rich environment she’d choose another victim. However, she hovered near him and dropped her keys. And picked them up. Right in front of him. Twice. Subtle as a sledgehammer. And he had experience with sledgehammers.
    When it came time to get in the water, Finn caved to his urge to stick near Bethany. This was the last day of wedding activities. There was a dinner tonight, and then everyone would leave tomorrow and he’d return to his rental. He was an accomplished kayaker, and although he was tempted to take on the Roaring Fork River’s class four Slaughterhouse runs, he opted for the beginner excursion instead. Bethany was game to ride the rapids, but today’s group divided into expert and beginner, and she had only kayaked once before, in the Everglades. As stubborn as she could be—and he knew firsthand all about that—she didn’t complain or challenge the guide.
    On the Ruedi Reservoir, the kayak armada glided through the water like a family of ducklings, often ending up in a line. Finn was polite to Kristen, but he wished she wouldn’t paddle so close that she sometimes bumped his kayak. At least she couldn’t drop her keys anymore, but he noticed she had taken her black hair out of its ponytail and was whipping it around and kept running her hand through it. In addition, before they’d gotten into the boats, she’d removed her tank to reveal a bikini top and was about to ask Finn to apply sunscreen to her back, but Melissa had asked for his help with her life vest. Mike had happily assisted Kristen. While kayaking, she also enjoyed arching her back and stretching her arms, claiming they were stiff. He chuckled—while her ultimate goal had everything to do with “stiff,” it had nothing to do with her arms.
    The reservoir was the result of damming the Fryingpan River, and the scenery was spectacular. Pine forests sloped up and away from the water, which was the bottomless blue of the clear sky. It really was Bayer blue. The kayakers had lucked out with weather, since on summer afternoons in the Colorado Rockies thunderstorms were the norm, and they could be sudden and severe, with plenty of lightning. But as stunning as the natural beauty was—and the reservoir was one of the most breathtaking spots Finn had ever visited—he preferred to look at Bethany. Pretty Bethany with toned arms. As long as he wasn’t obvious about it, he decided it was okay to indulge, since he’d never see her again. They didn’t run in the same circles. This is how he’d remember her now that the hurt between them had faded and they had moved on. Even if he wasn’t over her, he didn’t have a choice.

    Nostalgia had a stranglehold on Beth’s heart. The bike ride was supposed to have been a pleasant diversion from Finn and his sunscreen. But it merely gave her time to think about him and those ridiculous goose bumps. Yes, she was surrounded by some of the best—and most expensive—outdoors America