Page 39 of Impossible Rapids
“I’m okay.”
“Shawn really is a Viking hero,” Brylee exclaimed, her blue eyes full of awe.
“Thank you.” Shawn nodded to Brylee then looked to Cash. “And thank you for taking the controls.”
Cash didn’t look upset. “I was stoked to move positions and captain during the largest rapid I’ve ever ridden through.”
Shawn chuckled at that. “You did great. The boat made it, and Brylee’s hair isn’t even wet.”
Brylee patted her hair and laughed. “You know, the barmy bloke is right. My best mate is tops.”
They all laughed.
Hays and his crew approached and for once disregarded the status quo of not getting in the cameras. The producers could cut whatever they needed to.
“You all right, Jules?” Hays asked.
“Yes.” She smiled at her friend, then cut a glance to Shawn. “Apparently this guy has Poseidon DNA. Vikings do their best work in the water.”
Shawn gave an embarrassed smile. He’d seemed to like being Poseidon earlier, but she knew he wasn’t one who looked for praise or kudos.
He helped her into the boat, and they proceeded down the river.
When they approached another category four rapid after lunch, Julie’s heart raced out of control and her skin prickled with cold despite the full-length wetsuit that had kept her decently warm.
“Jules.” Shawn’s calm and commanding voice came from behind her. She glanced over her shoulder. “You are incredibly brave. You’ve got this and I’ve got you.”
“Thank you, Poseidon.”
He grinned. “Woman up, baby.”
Julie laughed and held up her bracelet. “Woman up, baby,” she repeated.
Cash and Brylee cheered even though they didn’t know the inside joke. Shawn was right. He’d protect her. He was born to command the rivers and the waves. She could do this because he was here.
The rapid took them and though she screamed and clung to the rope with cold, stiff fingers, losing sensation in her toes she jammed them so deep under the rubber lip of the raft, she was able to enjoy the thrill ride without losing her seat.
The raft made it through bottom-side down, and she glanced back at Shawn. “I am a rock star.”
“You’re my hero, Jules.”
She felt warm all over, despite the cold water.
They landed at their night spot and took turns stripping out of their wetsuits, taking a warm shower, and dressing in thick, comfortable sweats. They had a delicious taco dinner. A representative from the rafting company came and explained that tomorrow night there was no vehicle access to where they’d stay. There were tents, sleeping supplies, cameras, and dry goods ready at the site that they would have to set up, and they’d have two coolers for them to take tomorrow that would have lunch and the perishables they’d need for their dinner tomorrow night and breakfast the next day.
They all thanked him. They’d been so spoiled on this rafting trip. The other challenges had seemed much harder and more dangerous than this one. Nothing unexpected like the other episodes, but they hadn’t hit the class five rapids of day five yet.
After dinner, Julie and Brylee did their interview while Shawn and Cash went to shower. Brylee had Julie tell the camera about the ‘drowning adventure’ and her ‘Viking Warrior rescuing her.’ It was fun to chat with Brylee, but the further away she got from the dunking in the river, the more she feared she’d overreacted and put too much significance on Shawn coming after her like her own Posiedon. He was supposed to be her protector and guide this week. He’d been doing his job—an easy job, considering he could live under the water—not rescuing her because she was the love of his life, his unnasti. If only she could hear him say that word again.
Exhausted from the emotions, scares, and thrills of the day, Julie stood up from the campfire and headed for her tent as soon as the sun dipped behind the mountains.
She half-hoped Shawn would follow, but he watched her steadily from a camp chair next to the low-burning fire. Walking around to the tent opening, she couldn’t see anyone with the fire blocked from her sight and the light fading fast. It was interesting how much faster the sky darkened with the mountains so high and towering and the forest thick.
“Hey.” Hays walked up to her from their camp just through the trees.
“Hi, Hays.”
“You all right? That must’ve been a scary underwater ride.”