She called Rick and moved their hike up to nine, and then left a message with Will for Jake that said she wouldn’t be going out with him that morning; she had a date.
Jake told himself that he wasn’t annoyed that Kate had canceled. Three mornings on a lake did not make a tradition or a commitment or anything else. The reason he was annoyed, he told himself, was that she’d left the message with Will. Will had looked at him and said, “You and Kate Svenson?” and grinned, and Jake had said, “No,” and stalked off. Of course not him and Kate Svenson. Extremely bad idea. Good thing she was only staying another week. Then she’d be out of his hair and things would get back to normal.
But maybe it wouldn’t make any difference when she was going home. Maybe she’d be spending the rest of her time with Rick Roberts. Jake scowled across the lake into the woods where somewhere Kate was walking even now with Roberts. Jake had met him a few evenings before and liked him a lot; an easygoing, down-to-earth kind of guy, dedicated to his business because he was dedicated to saving the environment. He was, Jake had to admit, perfect for her plan. They could hug trees together and Kate would see that they made a fortune doing it.
Well, good, Jake thought. That takes care of that annoyance. Sure is good to have the boat to myself for a change. He slumped back down onto the cushions, slapped his hat over his face, and tried to go to sleep.
Rick was perfect for her plan, and Kate tried to feel happy about it Rick had adjusted his stride to hers so she could keep up. He did not take her arm to help her over nonexistent obstacles, breathe heavily in her ear, or try to intimidate her with his knowledge, wit, or physical prowess. He was polite, funny, kind, interesting, and gallant. When she asked him about his business, he talked about the environment instead, telling her what could be done through consulting to ease the burden on the land, water, and air.
“I’m boring you,” he said at one point, and Kate said, “No, you’re not I’m envious. I wish my work was that satisfying.”
“We can always use help,” Rick said. “Especially somebody with a mind as sharp as yours.” He smiled down at her without guile. “If you ever want to join the firm, say the word.”
He was the one, she told herself. This was it. She wasn’t ever going to find anyone as great as him again.
So when he stopped at the edge of a trail deep in the woods and put his hands on her shoulders, lowering his mouth to hers, she kissed him back. It was a pretty good kiss.
When they broke apart, he smiled at her, stepped back to give her room, and promptly disappeared.
“Rick?”
He’d lost his footing and fallen over the side of the trail and rolled down a steep incline. Kate picked her way through the weeds and saplings down to where he’d landed, dazed, at the bottom.
“Are you all right?”
“Only my pride is wounded,” he said, and she helped him up and kissed him again for being so sweet. It was still pretty good.
“I can face anything now,” he said, smiling at her.
“Good.” Kate was relieved. For a moment, it had looked like Jake’s prophecy of disaster was coming true, but Rick was all right. He was going to make it through the whole date.
Kate started back up the hill. “I think we can get back up there if we use the saplings to pull us up.”
Rick took one step and collapsed, his ankle turning under him.
“I’m sorry, Kate,” he said, gasping. “I must have sprained it after all.”
Don’t panic, she told herself. You are not cursed, Jake is an idiot, and Rick will be all right. “Lean on me. There’s bound to be a trail down here that we can take.”
As they moved off through the underbrush, she looked back to where he had fallen. The vines grew thickly there, and they all had three leaves. She thought of Jake. If he laughed, she would kill him in the boat and push his body into the lake.
They found a gradual incline, and Kate coaxed Rick up to a clearing in the trees. He was scratching every now and then.
Please let me get him back to the hotel before I do something else to him, she prayed silently.
When they reached the clearing, they found a deserted road, but it wasn’t familiar and Kate had no idea which way to turn. Wonderful. Not only did Rick have a sprained ankle and terminal poison ivy, now she’d gotten him lost. He’d starve to death in the woods. They both would. But Jake would be wrong about one thing: If they starved together, this would be one man who had kept her until the end of the date.
“Sit here,” she said. “I’m going for help.”
He scratched his ankle. “I should come with you. It might not be safe.”
“You’re probably safer by yourself than with me anyway,” she told him. “I’ll be back.”
Kate automatically turned toward the lake while she reviewed everything that had happened to her since she’d left the city. This was not working, and she really didn’t know why. She’d had a perfectly good plan, and look at it now. The more she thought about it, the clearer it became that she and her plan were doomed. There were some forces in the universe that were too big for humans to comprehend. It was time to give up and go home.
She followed the shoreline until she saw Jake in his boat, floating under the willow.
“Hey,” she called out to him and waved.
She saw him sit up, so startled that he rocked the boat. Then he saw her and put his head in his hands, and she knew he was laughing. She sat down on the shore and waited for him to row across to her.
When he got there, he pulled the boat up and walked over to her.
“Where’s Rick?”
“Accident.”
Jake started to laugh again. “You’re like the Bermuda Triangle,” he said, looking down at her. “They go out with you, but they don’t come back.”
“It’s not funny.”
He reached his hand down to her, and when she grasped it, he pulled her to her feet. “Is he still alive?”
“Yes.”
“How bad?”
“Sprained ankle and poison ivy.”
Jake shook his head and let go of her hand. “I’ll go get the car.”
They picked up Rick, Jake helping him carefully into the front seat, and drove him to the hotel.
“You’re showing remarkable restraint,” Kate said to Jake from the back seat as he drove. “Wouldn’t you like to make a comment here?”
“I’m speechless. Maybe this is God’s way of telling you not to date.”
Kate sighed. “I’ve come to that conclusion, too. I didn’t push him or anything, you know.”
Rick turned to look at her over the seat. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m mad, bad, and dangerous to know,” Kate said. “Me and Lord Byron.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Rick said. “Let’s have dinner tonight.”
“Your insurance premiums will double,” Jake said. “Kate’s on the same list with asbestos and toxic waste.”
“I insist,” Rick said.
“Thank you.” Kate smiled wanly at him. “But I have to work. I appreciate the offer, though.” Besides, Rick was going to be hip-deep in calamine by dinner. She felt terrible. Just terrible.
Jake helped Rick up to his room, saw that his ankle was packed in ice, and then went back down to the lobby to collect Kate.
“Is he all right?” Kate asked. “I feel awful about this.”
“About time you developed some guilt,” Jake said, and then when he saw she was really upset, he said, “He’s fine. Come on out on the lake and cheer up. I’ll even let you have a beer. One. Don’t guzzle it.”
Even out on the lake, Kate couldn’t shake her depression. It was time to quit. Have a good time with Nancy and Penny and Jake and then go home. Marriage wasn’t everything.
“What’s wrong with you?” Jake asked.