Trapped Under Ice (18 page)

“Oh no! Go back. I love that song. I love how he set it on a cruise ship and you can hear the people talking in the background.”

He complied and listened to Beth as she sang the lyrics in her soulful voice. “That
is
pretty cool,” he admitted.

“It makes me wish I knew how to soft shoe.”

“It makes me wish I could get you on a slow boat to China,” he teased.

As he took in her profile, he had a sudden
urge. He leaned over and began to kiss her neck.

She moaned. “Chad. Are you
trying
to wreck us?”

“I’m sorry.” He sighed. “I’ll be good. So what do you want to listen to now?”

“Umm…U-2, ‘Sunday, Bloody Sunday.’ They were my favorite band before I heard Trapped Under Ice.”

“
Ahh.” He squinted at her sideways. “I suppose you had a thing for Bono, too?”

She nodded and giggled.

“You’re kidding. He’s like, sixty or something.”

“Yeah, but he’s still got it.”

“Nah, you just dig his Irish accent. Admit it!”

“Well, there is that.”

“I’ve got you so figured out.”

“No, no, wait. There’s more to it than that. He’s a humanitarian.”

He snorted incredulously. “I knew you were going there.”

“No, really. I think there’s something special about a person who believes in the ability of one person to change the world.”

“I do, too,” he added seriously. “I’m a huge fan.” He sat up straighter. “Hey, get off at the next exit.”

She squinted at the sign. “Sweet Springs. Just what’s in Sweet Springs?”

“Nothing. I just thought I could drive for a while, if that’s all right?”

“Sure.”

They pulled into a gas station and Chad got out, leaving the car door open and strolling around to her side of the car. Beth stretched muscles tight from driving. He came over and grabbed her hips. He kissed her, and soon their kisses became increasingly urgent and out of control. He walked her back until she was against the car, pressing his body to hers.

We should stop this
, she thought.
People could be watching us
. But the gas station was deserted. Chad searched for the skin at her waistline. The touch of his hands and the strength and desire with which he pulled her to him nearly drove her wild.

She couldn’t be sure who it was that pulled away first. They just sat for several minutes with foreheads together, eyes closed, gathering themselves.

“My God. I could take you right now. Right now, in the middle of this dusty parking lot. Why didn’t I just stay home with you and make love to you all day long?”

Beth didn’t respond. She couldn’t respond. The sound of his voice so close made her melt.

“I guess we better go,” he finally said.

“
Uhm-hum,” she agreed, though reluctant.

He watched her all the way around to the other side of the car. Then, he put one foot on the running board and crossed his hands on the roof of the car with a goofy smile. She mirrored his posture for a minute, and without saying anything, they slid into their seats.

She giggled as he started the engine. “I hope we don’t have to stop for gas down the road, or we may never make it to your secret destination.”

He grinned and swung the car around, speeding out of the parking lot. “
Whoo! This baby’s got some zip.”

She grabbed his hand. “May I say I’m absolutely loving this?”

“You may.” He returned with a grin, obviously pleased with himself.

Farther down the road, she let a huge yawn escape.

“Beth, why don’t you close your eyes for a while?”

“Oh no. I couldn’t do that. You’re the one who should be tired. You need someone to keep you awake.”

“No, really. I’m fine. Just shut your eyes for a few minutes. You could cover up with the coat in the back.”

Beth glanced at the down jacket on the rear seat. She reached over and pulled it up to the front, drawing it around her body and tucking it behind her shoulders. “Maybe for a minute.”

With the sun warming her and the drone of the road, she dozed peacefully for several miles. It felt good to be taken care of. It was so terrifying after Paul died to be suddenly forced to make decisions on her own, and care for herself and Cassie. She felt comfortable letting him make the majority of the financial decisions in their marriage. But over time, she became more used to deciding things on her own, with input from her friends on most occasions. But, even the act of letting someone else drive was freeing.

She found her mind returning to the scene at the gas station. Her body luxuriated in the sensory memories washing over her—the first thrill when his searching hands left cloth behind and touched skin, the warmth and softness of his mouth, the feeling as if nothing else in the world mattered at that precise moment than that precise moment. It was a feeling Beth knew in the past.

She remembered a weekend in college they had spent in her dorm room. Paul came over, knowing her roommate went home for the weekend. They pulled both twin mattresses onto the floor to make a sort of nest for their lovemaking. And being young, foolish, and in love, they spent the entire weekend held up in the room. Beth checked the halls whenever Paul needed to use the bathroom, as it was an all-girls’ dorm. It was not unheard of for a boy to be present, but sneaking was half the fun. They slept in past the hours for breakfast in the cafeteria, and fooled around through the hours for lunch. On weekends, the cafeteria closed for dinner and students had to find their meal elsewhere. So at three o’clock, famished, they ventured out of the room, hiking across campus to the McDonald’s. They pooled what little money they had together for a meal, then returned to the dorm to find Beth’s roommate had returned from home earlier than they expected.

That wonderful, heady feeling of being in your own private bubble together, of making love while the world went on without you, this was what Chad gave her for a second time, and she knew just how precious it was.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Chad stole peeks at Beth as he drove, asleep on the seat next to him, a secret smile on her lips. He fantasized about kissing those lips again. He couldn’t get enough of her. Her face looked so serene. And as he thought about it, he realized that was what she brought to his life, a sense of peace. In fact, she demanded nothing of him, asked nothing of him, and simply enjoyed whatever it was he had to offer in the relationship. His heart had ached for so long that he had grown immune to the pain. But now, with her near, he could almost forget about those horrors that haunted him without ceasing.

He saw the sign for their exit. Rocheport. It didn’t sound like a nice place, but he knew she would like it. He looked over to see if she awoke with the change of speed, but her eyes remained closed. He turned down the rural route and drove about five miles before finally turning off on a short, bumpy side road.

Beth woke up as the car jostled over uneven pavement. She sat up and looked around to get a sense of where they were. They crossed a set of railroad tracks and then the car was moving along a concrete drive that dead-ended in a wall of vegetation. He pulled into a small parking lot to the left.

“We’re here,” he announced, smiling and turning off the engine.

She just smiled back at him. They got out of the car and she turned slowly in a circle to examine her surroundings. The mass of greenery in front of them was either a scraggly bush or an overgrown patch of weeds, she couldn’t tell which. Beyond Chad, on the other side of the car, was a concrete pathway leading who knows where into some farther foliage. Behind them was a small café, “Trails End,” with a few picnic tables in front of it. There was an attached shop, which sold hiking paraphernalia. To the right, across the drive, was a second trail, or perhaps a continuation of the first, as it was located directly across the parking lot from it.

He watched her as she took in their setting. He expected a sense of letdown. They drove over two hours for this? But her face glowed as usual. They walked around and met at the back end of the car. He held both of her hands in his, still smiling. He waved toward the café where there was a sign in the window reading, “Bikes for Rent.”

“Should we rent bikes?” he asked.

“Oh no. Let’s walk. That way we can talk.”

“Good idea.” He gave her a quick kiss and turned to his left.

“Besides,” she said, shading her eyes and blinking at the little roadside restaurant, “I don’t think it’s open. I think it’s just seasonal. It may feel like May out here, but remember, it’s still February.”

“You’re right,” he agreed jovially. As she set off on the trail in front of them, he casually waved back at the window of the café where someone watched from within.

For several minutes they meandered along the path, which now consisted of loose rock. They held hands and Beth seemed perfectly content to stroll along at his side, with the twist of plant life on her right, and what now appeared to be wooded hillside on the left.

“So? Just where are we?”

“Rocheport.”

“Rocheport? Did I sleep that long? We’re almost to Columbia. That’s where Paul and I went to school.”

“Have you been here before?” Chad asked quickly.

“No. No. We always talked about coming, but we never made it. There are supposed to be some cute bed and breakfast places near here.” She looked thoughtful. “But you probably aren’t into the whole bed and breakfast thing, huh? Being a rock star and all.”

“Actually, something like that sounds kind of good. Quiet, low key. I could use that sometimes.”

“I love you,” she blurted out effortlessly, bringing his hand, still interlaced with hers, to her mouth and kissing it.

She looked away, oblivious to the effect it had on him. The touch of Beth’s lips set him on fire, but it was her words that undid him. She, of course, would have no way of knowing how few the times were in his life when someone spoke those words to him. His mom, once or twice. Julie, whenever she wanted something. His dad, never. He could count on his hands the number of times he heard those three little words. He heard Beth saying them to Cassie, and Cassie to her, so the words came easily to them; yet he had no doubt she meant them.

Up ahead, the pathway made a wide curve to the right, and they could see the wild barrier of shrubbery came to an end at the foot of the curve, but could see nothing beyond it. The sound of water grew louder as they walked a few more yards, and then a breathtaking vista spread out before them. The mighty Missouri River, in all its grandeur, whisked past them, its current strong and swift. On the far side of the river, the bluffs rose skyward, and a singular hawk circled overhead.

“Oh, Chad!” She stood, spellbound by the spectacular view. “It’s awesome.”

He stood behind her with his arms wrapped around her, and bent down to whisper, “I thought you’d like it.” They stood that way for some time, transfixed by the beauty before them and happy to be sharing it with someone they loved. He leaned in again to speak to her, the current loud here in the open. “Should we keep walking?” She nodded, and they continued on, with his hand around her shoulder.

As they strolled, Beth chatted animatedly. “I forgot Rocheport was on the river. Can you believe those bluffs? Isn’t this called the Katy Trail?”

He nodded. “Named after the MKT railroad: Missouri, Kansas, Texas. The trains were actually still running through here even a couple of decades ago. When they closed the line, the state of Missouri turned it into a walking trail. I think it’s almost forty miles long, from St. Charles, just outside of St. Louis, all the way to Clinton.”

“You’ve been here before, then?”

“Yes, a couple of years ago.” Then, seeing the look of disappointment crossing her face, which she was trying to hide, he read her mind and added quickly, “But it was just with the guys—Roger, Dave, and Keith, oh, and Michelle and Cheri…and I think Pete and Dante tagged along, too.”

“Oh,” she said, seeming happier. “Look, Chad! There’s a little waterfall in the cliff here. The water runs underground and must feed into the river. Can you imagine what this must have looked like to Lewis and Clark? Totally unspoiled. It must have been extraordinary.” She pointed out pretty flowers along the path, a cave, the hawk banking overhead, and was, in general, delighted by everything she saw.

Chad tried not to be too conspicuous about searching for the trail. Finally, he suggested, “Hey, look, Beth. It says this path goes up to the winery. Let’s go up there. I’m sure it’s closed, but it’s bound to be a nice hike anyway.”

They began to climb. The dirt path led up the cliffside and past huge boulders hidden among the tall trees covering the slope. The recent snows were completely melted, even in the shade, but it made the path slippery in spots. It smelled wonderfully of dried leaves and pine needles, and although they could no longer see it, they could still hear the river below. The sun dappled the ground as it fell through the pine branches and the elms and oaks, which still stubbornly held a leaf here and there.