Johnny Winchester: River Hunter (13 page)

The change in Suzi was profound and he would have given
anything to know what she was thinking.  She’d gone pale, which devastated
Johnny and he paused as he reconsidered.  The temptation to cut bait was
strong; he hadn’t said anything committal yet, he could still take a different
tack and not expose his feelings.  But, looking into the deep blue eyes
set in the face he never wanted to leave, he realized that, either way, he
still had to know.

Taking a deep breath, he continued.  “But then you
came into my life.  For all the people I’ve met, all the places I’ve seen,
all the things I’ve done, I have never met anyone like you.  And I never
felt like this, or even believed I could feel this way.  You have brought
a whole new dimension to my life, one I had no idea existed.”

He seemed to feel the sudden need to move the salt and
pepper shakers about to find just the right spot for them.  Then the water
glass needed to be moved around as well.  Finally, he finished:

“The bottom line is that – I never thought I’d hear
myself say this – I’ve fallen for you, hook, line, and sinker, as they
say.  I reckon you’ve changed my life forever, because, you see, that new
dimension will always be with me, whether you’re there or not.  I’m
hoping, desperately, that you’ll be there.”

Listening closely to every word, Suzi tried to reconcile
what he said with what she had expected to hear.  The incongruity slowed
her ability to take in the words, to understand their ramifications, to decide
exactly what she felt for this man.

Lifting her fork, she said, “Can I have a little more
chocolate before I respond to that?” 

“Sure.  Eat all you want.  You can have the
rest of mine, too, if you need it.”

While she consumed a bite, then a second, Johnny tried
to keep the demeanor of a calm man, but inside his stomach knotted and his
heart beat as though it would explode through his chest.

It was time to get past the denial.  “We need to be
realistic,” Suzi said.

“And what is the reality?”  Johnny swallowed hard.

“I’m pretty much in the same boat as you.  I’ve
never felt about anyone the way I feel about you, but the issues you bring up
about expectations and resentments are very real and I think we need to deal
with them.  I mean, what are you really saying?  I would never ask
you to give up fishing, and you wouldn’t like living without it.  And I
want to spend time with my family; will you want to do that?  We can’t keep
up a viable relationship with a week together here and there.”

“I know you’d never ask me to give up fishing, and I
won’t ask you to give up your family.  I love to fish, that’s true, but it
isn’t the same since I met you.  When I’m with you, I’m the happiest I
have ever been, when I’m not with you, all I think about is being with
you.  I can retire from the show, or cut down on the number of episodes,
or only go where you can go with me.  I have enough money to retire and
I’ve still got another book or two in me.”

“Yes, but as you pointed out, people can say that up
front and then in a year or two start resenting the other person for keeping
them from doing what they want to do.”  She’d seen this very scenario
herself far too many times.

“There would be no grounds for resentment.  I’m a
grown lad, I can make my own choices and if I regret them, well, that’s a
choice, too, one I don’t intend to make.  I’ll make you a deal, if I show
you any resentment, you can have me flogged.”

“Can I have that in writing?”

“Have the paperwork drawn up, I’ll sign it.”

She couldn’t help but smile.  “Won’t you be
bored?  My life, my health, doesn’t allow for anything near the adventure
you’re used to.  Even if I could try to keep up with you, my ability to
handle the primitive is far, far less than yours.  I have four
requirements for camping: four walls and a roof, a clean room, a comfortable
bed, and indoor plumbing.  That doesn’t exactly describe most of the
places you go!”

“I’m not asking you to ‘keep up’ with me.  I love
you the way you are.”

Deep breaths, she told herself.

“But I really think you’d get bored.”

He smiled, dimpling his cheeks.  “You’re not
understanding.  Like I said, you’ve opened up a whole new dimension for
me.  I reckon exploring it will take up the rest of my life.”

“What about my family?  Are you going to spend
Christmas with us?  Be there for Willow’s birthday parties?”

“Well, let’s see.  You have one son who thinks I’m
a sexual predator and the other thinks I’m an idiot.  No problem. 
Seriously, you love your family, I love you.”  He shrugged.  “I’ll do
everything I can to win over your sons, and I’ll be at every birthday party, as
long as they want me there.”

The two fell silent.  Johnny tried to figure out
what was going on with her, she had admitted her feelings for him, yet she
still seemed reluctant.  The salt and pepper shakers needed adjustment
again.

“So,” he started.  “What is the real problem
here?  I mean, you bring up a number of valid issues, but it feels like
there’s something deeper that’s bothering you.  Can we talk about it?”

Suzi studied his eyes, obviously looking for
something.  The nerves of steel he had developed over years of angling
stood him in good stead and he was able to hold her gaze while she searched,
for what, he knew not. 

Eventually she reached a conclusion, and answered. 
“You know I’ve been divorced for over twenty years and that I haven’t even
dated in all that time.  And you know why.  My ex-husband was a
horrible man and he made my life miserable.  The abuse I endured set me
dead against trying a relationship ever again.  Your words are what any
woman would want to hear, but I am not sure I can overcome my fear.  It’s
hard for me to believe that a man so dedicated to one thing for so long would
suddenly decide to be dedicated to me instead.  Then there’s the issue of
trust.  Among my ex-husband’s bad behavior was being unfaithful, and…”

Johnny’s laugher interrupted her.  “I’m
sorry.  I’m not laughing at you, but think who you’re talking to! 
I’ve been called a lot of things, but womanizer isn’t one of them.  I
hardly know what to do with
one
woman, I couldn’t possibly deal with
more than that!”

Having to join in the laugh over her comment, it still
didn’t allay her fears.  “It sounds silly, I know, but I can’t help it.”

No longer worried about the shakers, Johnny reached
across the table, laying a hand over hers.  “You can put me to the test
for as long as you’d like.  Come with me to New Zealand.  We’ll be
based at a nice hotel; I’ll get you your own room, and since I am of the same
mind as you, they’ll be no affront to your sensibilities.  When I’m
fishing up the river for long days or overnight, you can stay in your room and
relax.  Or take day tours; there’s plenty to do in the area.  Give it
a try, see what you think.”

“New Zealand.  I’d love to go there.  But I’d
have to ask my boss for vacation time.”

“Ah!  She’s finally tempted.”

The boss was willing to give Suzi three weeks off; after
all she’d been through this summer and fall, and all the extra projects she’d
gotten done, he was glad to give her some time to relax.  Not to mention
that he wasn’t going to be the one responsible for keeping her from going to
New Zealand.  It was summer down under, so she packed accordingly; Johnny
loaded up the Land Rover, drove them to the Spokane airport, and they were off.

The flights were long and the trip was grueling for
Suzi’s fibromyalgia, so she spent her first full day in New Zealand propped up
in bed watching movies, ordering room service.  It was more than a nice
hotel, it was a resort and the staff waited on them hand and foot.  Johnny
was gone all day and into the night, but she left him a note to wake her the
next morning, to see if she felt well enough to go with him.  Fortunately,
she did and when she met the crew again, needing to be reminded of the names
since the last time her mind had been somewhat murky, she wondered why Sam and
Chip both met her with a grin and a wink; not exactly what one would expect
from one’s rescuers.  However, during filming, she was in a boat with the
crew rather than Johnny, and they were both kind and respectful, so she chalked
it up to some quirky British behavior.

The process of shooting the episode was fascinating, she
spent the long hours of waiting for a strike watching how the crew
operated.  After a couple of days, however, she took advantage of the
books that Johnny had suggested she bring for the ‘hunt.’  Lounging in the
bow of the boat, soaking up rays in the midst of a gorgeous landscape, reading
books she’d not had time for in months, she was sure she could get used to
this.  Johnny worked long days, but even after sun, fresh air, and hard
work, he was never in a bad mood; whenever things got to him, he became quiet
rather than grumpy.

The days were idyllic, as far as Johnny was
concerned.  The river, the hunt, and Suzi at his side; well, in the next
boat.  But he had to wonder if he wasn’t simply setting himself up for a
fatal fall; after all, Suzi could decide against him at any moment.  Most
of the outings took only a day (although a long one, from before sunrise to
after sunset), so, since Suzi didn’t eat fish, they had the hotel pack a lunch
and then they had a late dinner in the restaurant or they ordered room
service.  By the beginning of the second week, however, Johnny received
information about a spot that would take the crew away for one or two nights,
depending on how things went.  They packed up and set out in the two
motorboats while Suzi stayed behind at the hotel; the place where they would be
didn’t meet her four requirements for camping.  Thinking she would take
day tours, she ended up lounging about the room and the resort, thoroughly
enjoying herself.

When the sun had set on the second day, Suzi sat in her
bed, reading, waiting to see if Johnny returned.  They had adjoining
rooms, but the door between them was open, so she could hear him should he come
in.   When she finally decided they were staying another night, she
rearranged the pillows, turned out the light, laid down, and fell fast asleep.

Just after midnight, Johnny dragged through his door,
rucksack slung over his shoulder, skin a darkened red, smelling fishy.  He
didn’t expect that Suzi would still be up, but the first thing he did was to
glance at the doorway between his and Suzi’s room, it was dark.  Slipping
the rucksack off his shoulder, he put it down in a chair, slipped off his shoes
and shirt, then sat heavily on the ottoman.  The last two days had been
long and frustrating, and unproductive as well.  He wanted to just get to
bed, but he knew a hot shower would help him sleep, so, dragging himself up off
the hassock, he showered, washing off the dirt, grit, and fishy.  Drying
off, he wrapped the towel around his waist and walked back into his room, ready
to fall into bed.  But as he walked by the door to Suzi’s room, the light
from his lamp fell across her bed, causing him to pause.  Sleeping deeply,
she was turned away from him, the blue of her satin nightgown deepened against
her white shoulders.  He desired nothing more than to crawl in next to
her, put his arm protectively about her, and sleep away his exhaustion. 
But he had promised that he would wait as long as it took, so he slid between
the sheets of his own bed.  He would have preferred to lie awake worrying
about what Suzi might be feeling, but he was too tired and, instead, fell
immediately to sleep.

They were up early the next morning, out on the river
for a day trip, and Suzi was glad she had spent the previous two days resting
so she could be there with Johnny.  The hours of waiting could be a tad
tedious, but she had to admit that the time from the strike to bringing in the
fish could be quite exciting.  Johnny was exhausted, but he forged ahead
in search of his fish, completely dedicated, while never forgetting to check on
her, to make sure she wasn’t overdoing it.  She wondered what it would be
like to have that sense of dedication devoted to her.

 The next few days slid by and as the end of the
second week approached, Suzi bemoaned how quickly the days were passing.

“I can’t believe my vacation will be over soon!” she
said to Johnny.  “My time is almost over and it feels like we just got
here.”

“Well, you know what they say: time flies when you’re
having fun.”  He had been having the same thought.

“Well, I can’t say it’s all been fun.  A lot of
what you do is really hard work.”

“Finally, someone who appreciates what I go through.”

“Can you be serious?”

“Sure, I can be serious.  Marry me. 
Here.
 Now.”

“Are you still teasing?”

The words had just tumbled out his mouth without an
adequate amount of forethought and he worried that he may be trying to set the
hook too soon.  But before he could stop himself, he responded.

“No,” he said, shaking his head.  “You asked me to
be serious, and I am.  Marry me. 
Here.
 
Now.”

“We’re in a foreign country, for both of us.  What
makes you think we could get married here?”

“There’s a vicar, a magistrate, in the city.  We
both have our passports, so we can get a license and the magistrate will even
go up river with us for the ceremony.”

Suzi was dumbfounded.  “How do you know that? 
You said I could have all the time I wanted, what happened to that patience of
yours?”

“I’m extremely patient.  However, I have learned
over the years that it pays to be prepared in the event that something should
happen.”

The blue eyes, the grin, the dimples.  There was no
resisting.  “Okay,” she said simply.

“Now, you be serious,” he chided.

“I am serious.”

Hesitating, he squinted at her.  “Tomorrow,
then.  First thing we’ll get a license and call the vicar.”