sit beside her on a log near the canoe. The sun had chased most of the chill from the air. Allison basked in its warmth.
“Gramps would have enjoyed this morning,” she said.
“Definitely.” Heath rested his elbows on his drawn-up knees, his coffee mug in his hands, and gazed out at the river. “And appreciated every minute. What about his granddaughter?” He glanced sideways at her before looking down at the coffee cup in his sun-bronzed hands.
“I never said this isn’t a gorgeous area, that I didn’t recognize its beauty. I just don’t want to spend the rest of my life tending it.” She stood, splashed the remainder of her coffee out over the grass, and headed for the river to rinse her mug. “Time to start packing. The sooner we get going, the sooner we get to the take-out point and the sooner I get on my way to Toronto.”
A half hour later they headed downstream, Allison in the prow, Heath piloting in the stern. As he guided the canoe around rocks, fallen trees, and other debris, she had to admire his skill. High water and strong currents that would have unnerved even experienced canoeists appeared to have little effect on his confidence in his ability.
She felt safe, an inane state of mind given the facts that the river was savage at this time of year and that she still—if only vaguely—suspected the one person capable of keeping her from injury or death of being involved in her grandfather’s passing. She wouldn’t have felt safe with Paul.
Where did that thought come from? Being shanghaied must have made me incapable of rational thinking. Paul would never force me into a trip like this. Paul would never…
She dipped her paddle deeper. I could handle this canoe alone if I had to. But she knew that was a lie. Her survival depended on the man sitting silently behind her.
She was startled out of her reflection as he touched her shoulder with the tip of a dripping paddle. When she turned to him, he held up a silencing finger, then pointed to the shore.
She looked. And gasped.
A massive black bear stood immobile as stone, staring down into a small pool formed by a semicircle of rocks near the shore. Suddenly, with lightning speed, it flashed a paw through the quiet water and flipped something twisting and gleaming onto the shore. Following immediately, the bear seized its catch. With the glistening Atlantic salmon dangling from its jaws, it lumbered into the bush.
“Wow! He’s good!” Allison’s delight colored her response.
“Could be as a result of thousands of years of practice…genetically speaking.” She glanced back at her companion to see a shadow of a smile brightening the lean planes of his face.
“Right.” She turned her back to him and took up her paddle. “I’d almost forgotten you’re a genuine degree-toting biologist.”
“True, but all the really useful stuff I’ve ever learned came from Jack.”
Allison felt her throat constrict. The wilderness was bringing her closer and closer to her grandfather’s memory, making her more and more aware of the enormity of her loss.
He never lets up trying to make me remember, make me feel the way I used to about this country, about Gramps’ hopes and dreams for it. He won’t succeed. After all, I’m Allison Armstrong, CFO of a major corporation. I’m one tough nut to crack.
“Put your body into it.” His voice cut into her thoughts.
“What?”
“Use your entire upper body, not just your arms.” He demonstrated. “Otherwise you’ll get sore muscles.”
The motion brought a rush of memories. Relaxing, she fell into it as easily as she’d done over a dozen years ago when she and her grandfather were running the river, in tune with the country and its inhabitants.
“Good.” He gave the canoe a powerful push with his paddle and sent it across the stretch of flat water near the pool the bear had deserted. “Time for lunch. There’s a stretch of tricky water ahead. I don’t plan to tackle it on an empty stomach.”
****
“Here.” He swung a cooler out of the beached canoe. “See what you can rustle up.”
“What?” She stared at him.
“Time you started acting like a shanghaied person. That means working your way. This isn’t one of your luxury cruises.”
“I’m well aware of the fact.” She stood with her hands on her hips and faced him. “But I’m not about to become your galley slave.”
“Slave? You’ve yet to lift a finger. It’s time you got with the program. I’ll show you how to light