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Scotty walks over and pats Terence’s shoulder. “You did good, kid.”
That seems to snap everyone out of their shock. Someone starts to clap, and then another. Soon they are all applauding, and I join in.
Terence blushes.
Clapping the loudest is the young investor, who is now propped up against the side of the picnic table.
When the applause dies down, the young investor gestures for Scotty to help him up. Once standing, he addresses Terence and Miss Chardonnay.
“I don’t think I have to tell you I am convinced. Not only did you demonstrate what’s possible, you showed me personally what it means to be generous of spirit. I had been anything but. I owe you an apology, and notwithstanding, I can confidently say you made your point. You are a hero—and the dog, too.”
Miss Chardonnay beams as Terence walks over to offer his hand. They shake warmly, and other investors then crowd around Terence with questions. This seems like a good time for me to fade into the background.
Scotty leans over my shoulder. “A pretty special guy, huh?”
“Very.”
“You were very professional yourself there, you know that?”
When Terence slipped down the side of the mountain, a part of me was in total panic mode. But another part of me—a part I don’t see too often—zoned in on what needed to be done and immediately looked for Terence’s best way back up.
As for setting up the pulley system and hammock, it felt like second nature after the weekends I’ve spent with Terence in the mountains during his training. Looks like more skill than I thought rubbed off on me.
But then there was that moment, lying beside him, when I was sure there was no one else on the planet but us. Just minutes before, I thought he was disappearing from my life forever, disappearing down the side of a mountain.
And then he was beside me again.
That kiss…
Did it really happen? Did I just imagine it? We couldn’t possibly have kissed like that, not Terence and I, not in front of a crowd of rich people. But we must have. I couldn’t have dreamed that up.
“Such a good boy, Ranger.” I give him a good scratch behind the ears and tell him to stay with Scotty while I tiptoe over to the small crowd of investors.
“I’m going to leave you to your work,” I whisper to Terence as the investors discuss the various ways the Dog’s Paw could incorporate mountain rescue into their business model.
Terence wordlessly squeezes my arm, his eyes tender. I can’t read their meaning, but I smile and then quickly find my bicycle to head back into town.
* * *
With all the adrenaline running through me at the mountainside, I was sure there was no way I was going to sleep when I got home.
But the minute I was crashed out on the sofa—boom.
When I woke up some number of hours later, everything was dark. The light of the phone screen blinds me as it beams out that it’s nearly dinner time. Cass hasn’t come home, but that’s not a surprise. She had an afternoon shift and can often be found at her choir practice immediately after.
She loves singing. It’s just too bad she can’t hold a tune.
I manage to get myself seated, my head still pounding with sleep, when the memory of the afternoon rushes at me. The investor’s reluctance. The investor going over the edge. Saving the investor.
Kissing Terence.
“Oh, boy.” I flop back on the sofa. “So that really did happen, huh?”
Was it me? Did I let my feelings get all jumbled up with the intensity of the moment? I’m pretty sure he kissed me back, too.
At least, I think he did.
We were lying in a clump on the ground. It’s hard to remember who moved what first that resulted in a kiss that was… perfect.
