closely to mother’s flank. A few silent
steps and they were gone.
Moose
are the most ungainly of creatures. Legs like matchsticks, so thin
you think they’d snap in an instant; all knobby knees and not much
else holding up enormous, heavy bodies. Yet they move through the
dry underbrush of the forest like dark ghosts, not a sound to mark
their passing.
“ Wow.” Rachel breathed into the silence. “That was really
something.” The spell broken, we pushed off into the
lake.
Unlike
Jeremy, whose pale English skin was turning pinker and pinker under
the summer sun, Barb’s peaches and cream complexion had gradually
taken on a fresh, light tan. A gentle sprinkling of freckles dotted
her nose and cheeks. She wore her hair twisted up at the back and
tucked into the ubiquitous Toronto souvenir: a Blue Jay’s baseball
cap. White teeth flashed against her tan as she handed back a
bottle of sunscreen. Canadian Backcountry Expeditions could have
used a picture of her, fresh and lovely and completely outdoorsy,
to advertise their trips. “This is such a great holiday,” she
sighed deeply when I returned the lotion. “Aren’t you having the
best time, Leanne?”
“ Yes, I am. But I do wish everyone would stop
fighting.”
She
waved one hand in dismissal. “That’s what men are like, they always
have to be fighting over something.”
“ No, they don’t. I know lots of men who never fight.” I took a
breath and plunged in. “Pardon me for saying so, but I don’t think
you’re helping the situation much, Barb.”
“ What do you mean, me? I’m not fighting with
anyone.”
I
sighed, but carried on regardless. Normally I wouldn’t interfere in
someone’s private life (well, not much). Let her make her own
mistakes. But on a trip like this things are different. We’re
living closely, very closely, almost in each other’s pockets and
everyone has to get along. If Barb was playing little-girl games it
was time for her to give it up.
I
stopped paddling and allowed the canoe to drift. A great blue heron
took off from shore with a loud flapping of powerful wings. We
watched as the bird circled once over the lake only to disappear
into the trees. Better fishing elsewhere.
“ You’re playing Craig and Jeremy off against one another and I
don’t think that’s terribly wise.”
“ I am not. Craig’s really cute. I’ve noticed you looking at
him you know. Are you interested in him for yourself? If you want
me to back off, just say so,” she offered generously, blue eyes
twinkling. “Not that I’m saying I will, mind. But we should be
honest and open-like, don’t you think? So we know where we both
stand.”
“ I am not interested in having anything with Craig, and that’s
not what I’m saying. I don’t think you’re being too honest
yourself. It isn’t fair to Jeremy to make him jealous over the
attention you’re playing to Craig. You can do what ever you want
the rest of the time, but we’re all feeling the strain
here.”
Barb
threw back her head and laughed. A bright clear laugh, it echoed
across the lake and bounded back at us from the trees along the
shoreline. Ahead I saw Craig’s head turn.
“ You think I’m trying to make Jeremy jealous? Oh that’s rich,
that is. Honestly, I couldn’t care less what Jeremy thinks. If he’s
not having a good time on this holiday, then that’s his fault,
isn’t it? Not mine.”
Now I
was confused. Could this woman really be as shallow and
cold-hearted as she appeared to be? “But Jeremy’s your boyfriend.
Of course he’ll be mad if you start flirting with another guy,
don’t you think so?”
Barb
laughed again. “Jeremy’s certainly not my boyfriend. Why on earth
would anyone think that?”
To my
horror I realized that I had rather jumped to conclusions. A
dangerous habit in my line of work. “He seems to think so. At least
he acts like he wants to be your boyfriend.”
“ I’m sure he does. But it isn’t going to happen, not in
steps and they were gone.
Moose
are the most ungainly of creatures. Legs like matchsticks, so thin
you think they’d snap in an instant; all knobby knees and not much
else holding up enormous, heavy bodies. Yet they move through the
dry underbrush of the forest like dark ghosts, not a sound to mark
their passing.
“ Wow.” Rachel breathed into the silence. “That was really
something.” The spell broken, we pushed off into the
lake.
Unlike
Jeremy, whose pale English skin was turning pinker and pinker under
the summer sun, Barb’s peaches and cream complexion had gradually
taken on a fresh, light tan. A gentle sprinkling of freckles dotted
her nose and cheeks. She wore her hair twisted up at the back and
tucked into the ubiquitous Toronto souvenir: a Blue Jay’s baseball
cap. White teeth flashed against her tan as she handed back a
bottle of sunscreen. Canadian Backcountry Expeditions could have
used a picture of her, fresh and lovely and completely outdoorsy,
to advertise their trips. “This is such a great holiday,” she
sighed deeply when I returned the lotion. “Aren’t you having the
best time, Leanne?”
“ Yes, I am. But I do wish everyone would stop
fighting.”
She
waved one hand in dismissal. “That’s what men are like, they always
have to be fighting over something.”
“ No, they don’t. I know lots of men who never fight.” I took a
breath and plunged in. “Pardon me for saying so, but I don’t think
you’re helping the situation much, Barb.”
“ What do you mean, me? I’m not fighting with
anyone.”
I
sighed, but carried on regardless. Normally I wouldn’t interfere in
someone’s private life (well, not much). Let her make her own
mistakes. But on a trip like this things are different. We’re
living closely, very closely, almost in each other’s pockets and
everyone has to get along. If Barb was playing little-girl games it
was time for her to give it up.
I
stopped paddling and allowed the canoe to drift. A great blue heron
took off from shore with a loud flapping of powerful wings. We
watched as the bird circled once over the lake only to disappear
into the trees. Better fishing elsewhere.
“ You’re playing Craig and Jeremy off against one another and I
don’t think that’s terribly wise.”
“ I am not. Craig’s really cute. I’ve noticed you looking at
him you know. Are you interested in him for yourself? If you want
me to back off, just say so,” she offered generously, blue eyes
twinkling. “Not that I’m saying I will, mind. But we should be
honest and open-like, don’t you think? So we know where we both
stand.”
“ I am not interested in having anything with Craig, and that’s
not what I’m saying. I don’t think you’re being too honest
yourself. It isn’t fair to Jeremy to make him jealous over the
attention you’re playing to Craig. You can do what ever you want
the rest of the time, but we’re all feeling the strain
here.”
Barb
threw back her head and laughed. A bright clear laugh, it echoed
across the lake and bounded back at us from the trees along the
shoreline. Ahead I saw Craig’s head turn.
“ You think I’m trying to make Jeremy jealous? Oh that’s rich,
that is. Honestly, I couldn’t care less what Jeremy thinks. If he’s
not having a good time on this holiday, then that’s his fault,
isn’t it? Not mine.”
Now I
was confused. Could this woman really be as shallow and
cold-hearted as she appeared to be? “But Jeremy’s your boyfriend.
Of course he’ll be mad if you start flirting with another guy,
don’t you think so?”
Barb
laughed again. “Jeremy’s certainly not my boyfriend. Why on earth
would anyone think that?”
To my
horror I realized that I had rather jumped to conclusions. A
dangerous habit in my line of work. “He seems to think so. At least
he acts like he wants to be your boyfriend.”
“ I’m sure he does. But it isn’t going to happen, not in
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