Free Far Country by Karen Malone Page B

party.
               
Steve studied Deborah for a moment, liking what he saw in her a little more
each day. She had a gentle touch and a way about her that seemed to soothe his
wounded heart.  Both she and Pete had proven themselves to be true
friends, and he had soon put the uncomfortable experience in the hospital
behind him.
               
But Deborah…the way she looked at him sometimes made him wonder if she too
thought about those love scenes they had shared in ‘Oklahoma!’ so many years
before. If it weren’t for his commitment to Sarah, Deborah would be a girl he
would like to get to know better. Steve sighed and pushed away the thoughts
that were beginning to occupy too much of his mind. He loved Sarah! Time
had not changed that, even though it was becoming more and more obvious even to
him that his dreams of her eventual recovery were never going to come true. He
firmly put thoughts of Deborah aside, then he closed his eyes and concentrated
instead on the sun and water and clean fresh air, that still tasted of rain.
Slowly the tension of the last weeks drained from his body, and Steve relaxed
in his tube, simply enjoying the ride.  
               
With the river flowing fast after so much rain, they soon passed under the
trestle bridge and floated past the first set of ‘islands’. In dryer weather
this marked a stretch where tubers were often forced to walk downstream several
hundred yards to the next stretch of deep water.  Today, Steve could
barely see the bottom as they sped around the little islands. 
               
From there, the river broadened and slowed down for awhile, and the rangers floated
past a series of homes built along the river bank, and under huge trees, which
arched out over the water. They passed through an exciting series of small
rapids, where they struggled to steer their tubes around and over large rocks,
bumping spinning and scraping until the water smoothed out again. Occasionally
they rounded a sweeping curve to stare up at huge rocky outcroppings, which
jutted halfway across the waterway.
               
Then the river broadened out, and the rush of water slowed. Steve sprawled on
his back in his tube now, drowsy and relaxed.  The sun warmed him from
above and the river water cooled him from below.  The air smelled fresh
from the recent storms. Laughter and snatches of songs from his friends added
to the peaceful feeling of the day. 
               
Friends.  Yes, these were his friends, Steve admitted to himself, a little
surprised by the thought.  These were people that he not only liked, but
people he thought he could trust.  For so many years he had held himself
apart, never really letting down his guard around his co-workers, never wanting
to repeat the hell he’d experienced losing Sarah and David. But somehow, in
just the last few weeks, all that had changed. It worried him a little, but it
felt good, too.  Anyhow, he supposed, it was too late to do anything about
it now. Steve’s eyes closed and he felt himself drifting near to sleep.
               
A shower of icy water jerked him rudely out of his reverie.  Instantly,
Steve scooped up a handful of water and flung it in the direction of his
attacker.  He had been waiting for this, certain that Deborah would
eventually attempt to repay him for soaking her at the ramp. But instead of
Deborah, Steve found himself staring into Jill’s laughing blue eyes.  Jill
was a tall blonde with a Georgia drawl. Steve had barely spoken to her in the
two years they had worked together.  He smiled back uncertainly, troubled
by the unmistakable invitation in those deep blue eyes.  Jill and Chuck
had dated off and on for the last year, was she seriously flirting with him? Or
just trying to make Chuck jealous? He glanced toward Chuck, who appeared to be
unaware of Jill entirely.
               
Jill flung another spray of water in his direction, daring