Chapter 5
Okay, so her date hadn’t been firmed up, and it was with a bike, not a man, but still…
On her way to the Black Apron, Emily had walked by a business that was either new or somehow had previously escaped her notice.
Gear Up Go Bike Shop was a bike rental, sales and repair business. From the number of riders inside, it appeared to do a brisk business.
Decades ago, Til had ridden her bike daily all over GraceTown. The year she turned seventy-five, she’d sold her Schwinn after falling and banging up both herself and the bike.
Though she hadn’t broken anything on that long-ago day when she’d hit a rock with her front tire and lost control, she had been badly bruised. Worse, her confidence had been shattered.
Excitement now tripped through her veins. This pretty silver bicycle was all hers, at least for the next two hours. That should give her more than enough time for a leisurely ride to the Dairy Sweet across town and back.
While Emily might have been full when she’d left the bistro, to her way of thinking, there was always room for ice cream.
She walked the Trek to the bike lane. Holding her breath, Emily got on and began to pedal. Her breath came out in a joyous whoosh as she discovered that riding a bike really was something you never forgot.
Reveling in the feel of the bike smoothly gliding over the path, the wind caressing her cheeks, Emily was filled with a sense of wonder.
How long had it been since she’d ridden so effortlessly?
By the time she reached the ice cream shop known for its peach soft serve, she wasn’t even out of breath.
The sun shone warm on her face as she stood in line with families, couples and other singles.
Once Emily had her cone, she took a seat on one of the white lacquered benches and savored the creamy peach taste. Closing her eyes for a second, she embraced the moment.
“Is it that good?”
Emily opened her eyes to find a man with hair as blond as hers standing by the bench. She smiled. “It really is.”
“I haven’t seen you around here before.”
Emily gestured with her head toward his cone. “Vanilla?”
He offered a sheepish smile. “Boring and predictable. What can I say?”
Chuckling, Emily smiled. “I sincerely doubt that.”
The man not only looked hot in his shorts and shirt, he possessed a confidence that had him approaching her, a woman he didn’t know.
He gestured. “Mind if I sit?”
Emily glanced down and realized she sat smack-dab in the middle of the bench. She scooted over. “Not at all.”
He returned her smile as he dropped down beside her. “Josh Ferrell.”
“Emily Curtis.”
He studied her as he licked his cone, then nodded. “The name suits you.”
Her lips curved as her tongue swirled around the ice cream. “It was a good choice.”
“Sometimes parents really do know best,” Josh agreed.
They finished off their cones as the sun began to dip. Emily had to remind herself only once to temper her words lest she give away her true age.
Josh, who she learned was in mortgage lending at First GraceTown Bank, brought up the recession of the late 1970s, early 1980s. Emily nearly mentioned she had a friend who’d gotten a mortgage in 1981 with an interest rate of eighteen percent.
Thankfully, she’d been smart enough to keep the memory to herself. Besides, there was plenty else to talk about. She found herself enjoying the conversation so much she didn’t pay attention to the alarm sounding.
“Is that your phone?” Josh paused in the story he was telling.
Emily blinked, then realized that setting the chimes sound as her alarm had been a mistake. It might have captured his attention, but it hadn’t hers. She abruptly stood. “I need to go.”
Though twenty minutes should be enough time to get the bike back on time, she didn’t want to be late and risk having to pay a late fee.
Josh pushed to his feet. “Right now?”
The disappointment in his eyes told her he’d been enjoying the conversation as much as she had. How long had it been, Emily wondered, since she’d had a lengthy conversation with a man who wasn’t someone’s husband? “It was lovely meeting you.”
His gaze remained fixed on her. “I enjoyed our conversation. Maybe we can?—”
The chimes sounded again—her backup alarm kicking in.
“I’m sure our paths will cross again.” She brushed a casual kiss across his cheek, surprised at how natural it seemed. “Thanks for keeping me company, Josh.”
Climbing onto her bike, she headed toward Gear Up Go, unable to keep from smiling.
After returning the bike, she made a quick stop at Sip and Charm Spirits to pick up a bottle of wine. Then Emily returned to her room, her head spinning and her spirits high. When she’d awakened this morning, she’d anticipated having a regular day. Nothing special. Nothing out of the ordinary. Lunch and cards with friends, starting to read a new novel and perhaps spending an hour working in her garden.
Instead, her world had gone topsy-turvy. Matilda Beemis was gone, replaced by Emily Curtis, a violin virtuoso.
She eyed the violin case on top of the dresser. If she picked it up, would she even know how to play it? Another unknown.
Right now, she had other priorities.
After turning on the water in the tub, Emily began to strip. When the claw-foot tub was nearly full, she tossed in the lavender-scented bath bomb she’d picked up earlier today.
While waiting for it to dissolve, she put her hair in the satin bonnet that had been another of her afternoon purchases. The young woman who’d rung it up had told her that her grandmother loved this style. Emily had only smiled.
She uncorked the bottle of wine and poured some into one of the glasses she’d bought, then set her book beside the glass of wine and the tub.
Realizing there was a step she’d nearly forgotten, Emily hurriedly grabbed the chamomile bubble bar and placed it under the running water. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of her body in the mirror as she bent over.
The supple, toned skin and soft, gentle curves had her staring in disbelief. Though nothing had changed on the inside, everything was different on the outside.
The wisdom of experience and the vigor of youth. Normally, you had one, but not the other. Serena had been right. This was a gift.
Smiling, Emily turned off the faucets, then lowered herself into the warm water of the deep tub, confident that when it came time to get out, she would do so with ease.
Just one more thing to love about the new her.
Emily awoke the next morning, ready to seize the day with both hands. She wasn’t sure exactly what was on tap for today, but whatever it was, it wouldn’t involve food or sitting around. She was determined to find an activity that had been out of her reach as a ninety-two-year-old woman.
Her gaze drifted to the instrument case she had yet to open. Soon, very soon, she was going to take out the violin and see if she could play. But not now.
Before she dressed, she used her phone to search for fun activities and had found just the thing. If she hadn’t seen the advertisement on the town’s website, the thought of climbing a rock wall wouldn’t have entered her mind.
Now, dressed in stretchy shorts, a fitted tee and sneakers, her entire body thrummed with excitement. Though she knew absolutely nothing about how to climb a rock wall, she was ready and eager to learn.
Emily glanced toward the reception area when she reached the hotel’s main level, disappointed not to see Chloe behind the desk. Studying her résumé last night had left her feeling confident that she could now answer any and all questions tossed her way.
Emily had hoped that if Chloe were working, there would be time for them to chat for a few. While spending time with her and Jaclyn at the Black Apron had been enjoyable, she had definitely felt like the outsider.
She could only hope that when she returned, Chloe would be at the desk.
Reaching the sidewalk, Emily found herself wishing for the bike she’d turned in last night. For a second, she was tempted to rent another, but Vertical Ascent wasn’t so far that she couldn’t walk or—and this thought had her smiling—jog there.
After taking a second to stretch, Emily took off at a light jog. The rhythmic slap of her shoes against the pavement brought a smile to her lips. It was early enough that the sidewalks were clear of all the foot traffic that would have made taking this route impossible.
The building housing Vertical Ascent soared high, the modern design, with its steeply pointed roof and glass and chrome exterior, fit the business to perfection.
The level of noise inside surprised her, until she realized that Vertical Ascent shared the building with Urban Movement, a family-friendly indoor adventure and trampoline park.
If the noise coming from that side of the building was any indication, the business was doing well.
Ignoring the Urban Movement check-in desk, Emily strode over to the one sporting a VA logo. A college-age girl with a name tag proclaiming her to be Kayla smiled a welcome.
“I’d like to try the rock-climbing wall,” Emily told her. “I’m not sure what that all involves, but that’s why I’m here.”
For just a second, the girl’s blond brows pulled together.
“Is that a problem?” Emily hadn’t seen anything about making an appointment, but maybe?—
“Not a problem,” Kayla said hastily. “It’s just that we have a group here from Funds Hub. They’re here for a team-building afternoon.”
“Funds Hub, the company that designs mobile banking software?”
“You’ve heard of it?”
Emily nearly said a church friend’s great-grandson had started the company, but she settled for a nod.
“We have a limited number of staff, as they brought more employees than we were expecting, but that’s great,” Kayla quickly added, then picked up a phone and held up a finger. “I just need to make sure we have someone to help you.”
After a brief conversation, she smiled brightly. “Chuck is available. He’ll be here shortly. While we’re waiting for him, since this is your first visit, I’ll need you to fill out and sign a waiver.”
Emily finished the paperwork right before Chuck appeared. Tall and muscular with a shaved head and serious brown eyes, he nodded approvingly at her hair, tied back with a band that Kayla had provided.
“I’ve never done this before,” Emily told Chuck as he walked with her toward several rock-climbing walls.
“Normally, we offer orientation sessions, but since we have a group here?—”
“Funds Hub.”
“Yes, since they’re here and we have limited space for others, I’m going to give you a one-on-one orientation.”
Emily offered him a smile. “I appreciate that.”
She listened intently as he took her on a short tour, talking about the gym’s layout, safety procedures and basic climbing techniques.
Once Emily rented climbing shoes, a harness and a chalk bag, Chuck made sure everything fit her properly. He then had her practice falling and landing on her feet with slightly bent knees.
Emily found it great fun.
“You’re doing great.” Chuck nodded approvingly.
Emily felt her confidence surge. She liked the idea that climbing not only had lots of physical benefits, but that it required her using problem-solving skills and mental focus.
The Funds Hub people appeared concentrated around the more difficult routes. Chuck took her to one marked with a green dot.
“This is a route for beginners like yourself. It has larger holds and is designed for someone who hasn’t climbed before.”
Emily’s gaze slid to the wall marked with a black dot, where many of the Funds Hubbers stood, laughing and talking while waiting their turn.
“Don’t worry about anyone else. This is about you. Take your time and climb at a pace that feels comfortable for you.”
Emily only nodded. No need to tell him that she wasn’t wishing for a more difficult course. It was the camaraderie she envied.
She missed having friends with her, cheering her on and offering encouragement, with her doing the same for them.
That would come in time, Emily assured herself. Right now, she had a wall to conquer.