Chapter 37
Chapter thirty-seven
Zac
“Atiny tripod and a selfie stick? That’s your grand plan to capture the action?”
Zac knew Tabitha’s agitation had nothing to do with him (ok, maybe a little to do with him) and mostly to do with her photographer missing the multi pitch.
And partially to do with nerves, which threw him a bit.
Regardless, he wouldn’t take offense. In fact, he wanted to provide her with the best possible pictures he could.
“Yes, and I plan to take a few firsthand as safety allows. I’ll take some of you fiddling with the gear, as you size up the route from the base, and at the top once we’re done.
Plus there’s a wide ledge after the second pitch that has plenty of room to snap a few shots while we eat lunch before finishing the second half of the route. ”
“Ok,” Tabitha conceded. “I suppose we have no other choice.”
“That’s the spirit,” he beamed with an exaggerated helping of optimism.
After he removed the lens cap and stuffed it in his pocket, Zac instructed her to sift through the quickdraws and flake the rope once more. The shutter clicked away rapidly, capturing the beauty of Tabitha in her element.
“Is this your way of getting me to prep the gear so you don’t have to?” she asked with an impatient tone that did not match her glowing-for-the-camera smile.
Click. Click. Click.
“Maybe. You’re doing such a great job at it. Want to quit the magazine and come be my lovely assistant?”
That brought the glare. And of course he had to snap pictures of her cute nose all scrunched and the tips of her ears reddening. God how he wanted that blush to extend to her face for him. Just once. Then he could die a happy man.
He grimaced. It probably wasn’t the best idea to joke about death when they were about to climb very, very high on a rock face.
“What?” Tabitha demanded, mistakenly assuming his expression was directed at her.
“Only mimicking your disgust at working for me,” he teased. “Let’s move on to you with your helmet on and tying in before we start.”
Zac had underestimated the affect she’d have on him as she released her hair from her signature high ponytail.
A cascade of red slid down her back, the ends tickling at the keyhole between her shoulder blades.
The slices of light coming through the trees illuminated strands of gold among the deep auburn mass.
He imagined the silkiness running through his fingers.
With breezy expertise she fashioned a tidy French braid then tied off the end with the elastic from around her wrist. Zac watched every single shift.
Every single muscle flex beneath her soft skin.
It wasn’t until she snapped her helmet in place and grabbed the rope that he noticed the drool.
“Shouldn’t you be getting this part?” Tabitha asked as she tied the initial figure eight knot. Her lips quirked in a tentative smile.
“Yes, shit,” he muttered and began capturing her movements. She looked up at the wall in between periodic glances at Zac. He snapped it all, trying desperately to capture the glow of her but automatically knowing he’d fail to do her justice.
Tabitha finished her knot, counted and recounted the quickdraws on her harness, and ensured she had her personal anchor and locking carabiners situated. “That’s probably plenty.”
“Right. I wanted to make sure blondie has enough to work with.” Zac attached the camera to the flexible tripod and placed it on a small outcropping in line with the route.
His plan was to record the climb so Tabitha could pull stills from it how she saw fit.
Or rather how blondie would see fit. Then once she set up her anchor, he’d stow it in the small pack he wore that housed the main first aid kit, food, and water and shimmy up the wall after her.
“Are you ready for this, tabby cat?” Zac asked once his helmet was in place and his belay device was secure.
“Ready as I’ll ever be.” He caught the slight wobble as she assured him, but he didn’t want to draw attention. He’d be a bit nervous too if it was the first multi-pitch he’d done in years.
“Slow and steady. We literally have the whole day. Be sure your holds are solid before you clip and for the love of god trust your feet—”
“Zac?”
“Yeah?”
“Would you stop? I’ve got this,” she said with a sturdier voice this time.
He smiled and held out his fist. She returned the gesture and faced the rock wall.