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“He’s got more mountain certifications than I do, and I’m no slouch out here.” Mitchell continues on, oblivious to the way theothers are goggling at me. “Didn’t you just climb Mount Whitney?”
“Last year. How do you know that?”
“Highest peak in the continental U.S. That’s impressive.” He glances around at us again. “I don’t internet stalk our clients—it’s a total fluke. I get magazines and newsletters from trail organizations around the country. Just part of the job. Your family was featured in one a while back. The name rang a bell when you signed up, so I dug around a little bit, and there you were.”
“You were featured in a magazine?” Scott seems to view me more favorably all of a sudden, even though this tidbit means nothing. We could have been profiled as the laziest family in America, for all he knows.
“His family owns a chain of specialty outdoors stores in Texas.” Mitchell’s apparently become my one-man PR team, and is attacking his job like he wants a promotion. “The whole family’s big on extreme sports. You could probably do this little hike with us in your sleep, couldn’t you?”
I shake my head, ready for this Q&A to end. “You’ve put together a great hike. I appreciate everything you’re doing for us.”
“That’s a relief. I’d hate to think I could be replaced by that alpaca Lila wants.” Mitchell laughs and nods up the trail. “The view point’s not far now.”
He strides away, leaving me to face my bewildered companions.
Brian looks me up and down, his appraisal feeling just as accusatory as it did before he knew about my summits. “I guess you’re doing okay out here, after all.”
“Maybe we should be askingyoufor advice,” Scott adds like he’s ribbing an old pal.
Awkwardness hangs in the air, and they’re quick to get moving behind Mitchell.
I stare at my hiking boots five whole seconds before I meet Lila’s eyes. Her mouth forms a perfect pert frown. Probably not the best time for me to stare at her lips, but…I do anyway.
“You really climb mountains and stuff?”
“Yes.”
“What was all that you said about being an amateur outdoorsman?”
I shrug. “There’s always more to learn.”
She gives me a full-body eye roll, shoulders slumping, a sigh heaving from her lips. “Right.”
In a field that can get dangerous quickly, thinking you already know everything can be a deadly mistake. Not that my reasoning was so altruistic. I hadn’t liked the look on Lila’s face when they called out her inexperience this morning. Her smile had turned brittle, like she’d expected them to say something even worse. I’d wanted to make it better.
No way am I going to admit all that, though.
“I wasn’t trying to deceive anyone. I just don’t lead conversations with my accomplishments.” I guarantee she wouldn’t have liked that start any more.
“I guess that’s something,” she mutters. She turns to go but stops to narrow her eyes at me again. “That mountain Scott said they did—have you climbed it?”
I only hesitate for a second. Downplaying it now feels like a bad move. “Yes.”
“Was it as life-changing as he says?”
That day on Gray’s Peak in Colorado comes back to me, along with the views, the exertion, the thrill of accomplishment. “Yes. But I was in high school at the time.”
She freezes, eyes widening. Then she laughs and startswalking the trail again. “Scott had better call 911 to see about that burn.”
Even when she’s irritated with me, her laughter pings around inside my chest like lightning in a bottle.
She exhales a stuttering breath that’s probably half exasperation, half actual exhaustion. “But ugh, all that stuff I said about us being morons on the trail together like we’re newbie besties.”
“I’ll still be newbie besties with you.”
My earnest offer doesn’t land as well as I’d hoped. She fires an unimpressed glare at me as she stomps away.
Looks like I’m doing a great job following Rhett’s advice whether I mean to or not.
