Forty-Four Box Set, Books 1-10 (44) (72 page)

“No,” I said. “I’m okay. They’re not that bad. Just 52 cards short of a full deck, if you know what I mean.”

“And you’re just left with the jokers, huh?”

“Exactly.”

He squeezed my hand before letting go. I was hoping he would stay here with me and the rafts and let one of the other guides talk to the group, but he started following them to the rocks. 

“Have fun,” I said.

As he caught up with them, they swarmed around him, full of questions. He was all smiles and charm as usual. I stayed back on shore with Amber and Pam, sitting in the shade after we made sure the boats were tied down. It was another scorching day and that sweet smell of pine needles filled the air, lingering as we talked about our plans for after the season.

Amber was going back to her job at a bakery. Pam was going to work in a physical therapy office. Neither of them seemed too thrilled.

“So what about you, Abby?”

“I’ll probably just pick up more hours at Back Street for a while,” I said. “Maybe something else. I’m not sure.”

They nodded and Pam sighed.

“It’s so nice out here,” she said. “I’m sure going to miss it.”

I felt better after sitting there for a few minutes at the edge of the forest, remembering how lucky I was that I was able to run the river all summer. It was a good life.

“So how are things going with Ty?” Amber asked as she rolled up the sleeves on her T-shirt.

“No complaints,” I said.

“You guys seem really great together,” Pam said. “But in case you didn’t know, it’s making the front office girls crazy.”

I did know actually. Neither of them said goodbye to me anymore when I checked out.

“But us guides are all really, really happy for you two,” Amber said.

The tourists were heading back over toward us and we got up and untethered the boats. We got in and pushed off. I back paddled while we waited for Ty’s raft to go first. I usually followed him down the rapids, staying in his wake.

My fools were a little quieter and listened as I reminded them about their footing and about paddling. It was how it usually was when we were heading into the deafening roar of the whitewater, when the waves started pushing us around. It tended to separate the men from the boys. And the sweethearts.

“Paddle left!” I shouted.

They followed directions like it was a team-building exercise. We were headed into a giant boulder, but I wasn’t too worried. We had time and I steered us into a good position, shooting around it and then letting the river take us down, throwing us into the sudden calm waters at the end of the run.

“Amazing!” one of them yelled.

As the men climbed onto the bus later, one of them walked over and handed me two twenties, the biggest tip I’d ever gotten.

“Thanks, that was really fun,” he said.

“Glad to hear it,” I said, pocketing the cash.

I looked over at Ty. He started laughing.

“So, sweetie, does this mean you’re buying dinner tonight?” he said.

I punched him in the arm and we grabbed the paddles and life vests and walked up to the shuttle bus.

CHAPTER 11

I circled the park. It was still hot. Large cauliflower clouds drifted across the sky up above. The weatherman had been talking about storms for days, but so far nothing had materialized.

I walked past the basketball court and watched the game for a minute. It was three on three and both teams were making most of their shots. Just as I thought of him, I glanced over at the bench and saw someone sitting, wearing a baseball cap.

“Jesse,” I said, walking up to him, my heart fluttering.

“Hey,” he said, adjusting his hat. He stood up and gave me a long hug.

“You’re looking good, Craigers. Tan, lean, happy. I’d say you’re almost glowing even.”

He smiled like there was something hidden in the words.

“You too,” I said, as we sat back down. “Except for the tan part.”

He looked at his arms.

“Man, I try. But so far, no luck.”

His eyes wandered back to the game.

“These guys are good,” he said. “You should watch them and get some pointers.”

“You’re better,” I said.

“Yeah. But you could learn something when I’m not around.”

I laughed, but then stopped suddenly as I wondered if there was some meaning in those words too.

That’s how it was lately when I saw him. I always feared he was coming to tell me that he had to leave, that he was permanently going to that other world where he really belonged and we could no longer see each other. I sensed that it could happen at any time and I dreaded it.

I let the silence sit for a minute in case he wanted to add anything, but he was quiet.

“Relax, Craigers,” he said, seeming to notice my tension. “I just dropped by to say hi. No big deal.”

“Good,” I said.

“See that guy with the Duncan jersey? Watch his wrist right before he releases the ball. That’s what you need to work on. That flick. You shoot the ball like a professional brick layer. Work on that and you might not miss all your shots.”

“I don’t miss
all
my shots,” I said, kicking him.

“So how’s life? What are you up to?”

I told him a few stories about my days on the river. Then about David and how Kate was back at the newspaper, working a lot of hours.

“Whoa, did you see that?”

The guy had just nailed a three-pointer.

Jesse played with his hat again. He was trying hard to act normal, but I could tell there was something off about him, something on his mind.

“Let’s walk,” he said.

We strolled next to the river. I took his hand. It felt right holding it, but it was also confusing. The only hand I had been holding lately was Ty’s. I didn’t know what it meant.

“So you happy, Craigers?”

“Yeah. It’s been a good stretch.”

We stopped and watched a family of ducks float by. He was making me nervous again, saying things without saying them. We hadn’t ever talked seriously about Ty, but I was pretty sure that’s what he was getting at. Unless it was something else.

“Are you here to warn me about something?” I asked suddenly.

“Yeah, there might be thunder and lightning tonight followed by periods of darkness. Otherwise, no, no serious warnings today. But I want you to know that if something happens, I’ll always be with you in one way or another. Even if you might not be able to see me.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m saying that it was foolish of me to tell you I would make sure to say goodbye if I had to leave. We don’t know if that’s possible. I couldn’t find you the other morning. I was looking, but couldn’t find your energy. It was blocked.”

“Blocked?” 

“That’s not the right word. I don’t know. I just couldn’t find you.”

“Really?” I said, trying to keep the panic out of my voice.

“It’s something to know,” he said. “That it might not always be a choice, me coming back to say goodbye.”

“Okay,” I said feeling deflated.

He turned and looked at me, his face serious. I stared up into those flecked eyes I loved so much.

“I’m glad you’ve had such a great summer,” he said. “That’s everything I wanted. For you to get your life back. And you have.”

He turned and looked back at the river flowing gently past us, quiet for a moment.

“Remember that game you played in, the one where you scored all those goals against that Portland team who thought they were all that?”

I smiled.

“I’ll never forget that game. It was my first and only hat trick.”

“That was a hell of a thing.”

I smiled and squeezed his hand.

“Those were the days,” he said, sighing.

“The best.”

He let go of my hand and I reached up and hugged him again.

“Well, bye, Craigers.”

Tears fell from my eyes as I watched him disappear into the trees.

“I love you, Jesse,” I said. “I’ll always love you.”

I didn’t know if he could hear me.

CHAPTER 12

When I told Kate that Ty and I were heading out later to Club 6, she stopped and stared at me for a moment.

“Why on earth would you guys go there?” she said.

“That’s where Paloma works,” I said, taking my plate into the kitchen. “I told her I would drop by and say hello.”

“Paloma?”

I had already told Kate about her a few days ago.

“Oh, yeah,” she said. “She’s the one with the ghost. I remember now. You didn’t tell me she worked at that club. Can’t you guys meet somewhere else?”

“No. That’s where she says the ghost appears.”

I could tell that she didn’t want me to go, but she didn’t say anything. I put on my sandals as she closed her laptop and stuffed it in her bag.

“Well, that’s too bad she has to work there. Yuck.”

“Have you ever been there?” I said.

“Oh, sure, years ago during my first few years of growing pains,” she said. “But not since then. It’s gotten worse too, from what everyone says. And they get a lot of police calls every weekend. Fights, drugs, that sort of thing. That place is bad news.”

I nodded.

“We’re meeting up with David.”

“No surprise there,” she said, smiling and grabbing her keys off the counter. “Bye, Abby. Have a good day out on the river. I’ll be in Redmond covering a story all afternoon, but I’ll call and check in when I can.”

I said goodbye and finished the last bit of strong coffee at the kitchen sink. I stared out the window at the pond and the waterfall, wishing I had a little bit more time to linger and enjoy the morning.

***

Kate was right. Club 6 was pretty sketchy.

“We don’t have to stay long,” I shouted into Ty’s ear over the pulsating dance music.

“Okay,” he said, taking my hand and leading me toward the bar.

It was crowded and hot in the club, the smell of beer and sweat and smoke floating around, the beat of the music rumbling through my body. We walked past a group of guys arguing.

There was a dance floor in the middle of the large room, filled with people, some just talking, others throwing their bodies into one another. High in the air, hanging from the ceiling in the far corner was the large cage that David had described.

Someone was in it. For a moment I thought it might be Paloma but then noticed the dancer had long hair that she started whipping from side to side to the beat of the music.

I texted David to meet us at the bar. Supposedly he was here, somewhere in this gyrating, unwashed crowd.

We walked past girls in short skirts, the lights from the disco ball moving across their faces. Just as we got to the bar I turned and saw David on the floor, waving. He kept his hand high in the air as he danced over to us.

“Abby Craig!” he said, throwing both arms around me.

“Hi, David,” I said, smiling.

“And Ty is here, too!” he said, giving him his own hug.

“Hey,” Ty said, looking at me.

“I didn’t know
you
were coming tonight too. I thought you were busy concocting vodka or whiskey or something. Yea, us! We’re all here together!”

“It’s crazy in here,” I said.

“It’s always like this,” David said. “That’s why it’s so fun. Most of the clubs in this little town are dead, dead, dead. But not here. You do have to wait till after 11. You guys got here at the perfect time. Come on. First round’s on me.”

Paloma was at the far end of the bar, stacking glasses.

I hadn’t told Ty the real reason I wanted to stop by Club 6, just that we were meeting David for a drink. I would tell him about Paloma and her problem eventually, but I figured I might as well make sure there really was a ghost before we had that talk.

“What’ll it be?” David asked us, his eyes glazed and happy.

“I’ll just take a Mirror Pond,” Ty said.

“Me, too.”

“You two grab those seats and I’ll go order and tell her you’re here.”

We slid onto the stools, sitting next to a group watching boxing on the television above the bar. I scanned the crowd, looking for the ghost, but didn’t see anyone who fit the description that Paloma had given me.

Behind the bar was the typical long mirror and shelves filled with glasses and bottles. Another bartender was working with Paloma, shaking a mixer and singing along to the music.

“Thanks for coming,” I said to Ty.

“Of course.”

Paloma waved when she saw me and then grabbed two beers. She opened them as she walked over and put them down in front of us.

“Hey, Abby!” she said. “Thanks for being here. It means a lot.”

Ty tilted his head at me, like a dog trying to understand human speech.

“Paloma, this is my boyfriend,” I said. “Ty.”

She smiled and said hello, shaking his hand across the bar.

Like she had said, she wasn’t wearing much. Mostly strings tied to other strings.

“Drinks are on David,” she said. “He told me to tell you he’d catch up with you guys after this song. Anyway, enjoy. Let me know when you need another.”

We sat and sipped our beers.

“To a great season,” he said, raising his bottle.

I picked mine up and we toasted, the glass clinking together loudly.

“Indeed,” I said, taking a big gulp.

The music seemed even louder than before as I scanned the dance floor for David, but he was lost in a sea of people. It was hot in the club and I felt for a moment like I was back at Back Street.

I studied the crowd. I didn’t see the ghost dancing, didn’t see him at the bar, or around Paloma.

“I’ll be right back,” I said. “Save my seat if you can.”

I walked to the back. People were standing in line waiting to use the bathroom. There was a door that read “Staff Only.”

When I came back out, I saw Paloma watching me as she made a drink. Her eyes were dancing to their own nervous music.

I weaved through the crowd, looking for the ghost. People were slouching against the wall and sitting at the bar. I looked over at the tables and at the different clusters standing around and drinking and talking.