13. Chapter 13
Chapter thirteen
Lucy
L ucy and Jonathan continued steadily onward, making their way along the trail. Jonathan had loosened up a little, and it was probably the fall landing him flat on his ass that Lucy had to thank for it. Up until that point, he had been as sure-footed as a mountain goat, avoiding rocks and roots with the deft skill that only came from strength, balance, and years of regular hiking. In contrast, Lucy clomped along, lacking all grace and finesse and most likely scaring off birds and chipmunks in the process. If he was a mountain goat, she was the proverbial bull in a china shop. But the momentary display of clumsiness had equalized them, and Jonathan had been more relaxed and almost friendly since it happened.
Lucy was grateful for the change in demeanor. He’d started off the morning as a surly grump and had since morphed into someone whose company was somewhat enjoyable.
A few steps ahead, Jonathan stopped and turned to face her. “We’re coming up on a section lovingly referred to as Skydiver’s Bluff.” He paused to take a quick gulp from his water bottle. “It can be treacherous if you aren’t paying attention, but that won’t be the case for us, will it?” he said this pointedly, as though Lucy wouldn’t heed a more casual warning.
Please. She was the queen of caution. If someone said danger, she’d perk up and listen and probably take notes to refer back to.
“Excuse me, but I’m fairly certain you were the one who ate shit earlier today, not me.”
He flicked his hand ahead of him as if swatting her words away. “I just want you to be prepared. The cliff is unforgiving, and it’s a long way down.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice. I’ll be exceedingly careful. I have no desire to be a cautionary tale for your future customers.”
“Good. The view’s beautiful, and there’s a safe spot to take pictures before we cross if you feel so inclined. But then I want you to put your phone away until we’re fully across. Is that clear?”
Lucy stood at attention and jerked her hand to her forehead, giving Jonathan a stiff salute. There went that scowl again with a little dose of nostril flaring to top it off.
“This isn’t a joke, Lucy.”
She liked how her name sounded rolling off his tongue, especially with the slight tone of warning. He was right, though. She needed to take this seriously.
“Ok, sorry. No more teasing.”
Satisfied by her apology, he replaced his water bottle. Lucy followed him around a thick cluster of trees and boulders until they came to a break in the forest. The sight before her was more than challenging to take in; it was overwhelming. Mechanically, she unclipped her bag and let it slide from her shoulders. Setting it on the ground carefully, she felt around for her phone in one of the outside pouches, never once taking her eyes off the view.
Stopping short of a row of boulders that protected hikers from the steep drop, Lucy let what she saw seep into her. The rich blue sky was painted with wisps of white as though someone had dipped a feather in paint and swiped it across a canvas. Plush gray clouds loomed, hinting that a more aggressive rain might be headed their way. Deep indigo mountains, freckled with snow, stretched across the horizon. Jagged foothills hosted thick swaths of evergreen. Sporadic breaks in the covering revealed rich brown dirt that adorned the steeper slopes. A crystalline river snaked its way through the valley where some of the hills met, and vibrant reds, purples, and yellows peeked out amidst the sea of rolling green vegetation.
It was breathtaking.
Lucy hadn’t noticed her mouth hanging open until she managed to croak out a quiet, “Whoa.”
Remembering her phone, she lifted it up to snap a few pictures. The resulting images didn’t do justice to what she saw. Beauty came at her from all angles, and there was no way to distill it down into a tiny rectangle on a screen.
“It’s something, isn’t it?” Jonathan said absently. Despite Lucy’s focus, his words didn’t startle her out of her reverence. Instead, the husky timbre of his voice felt like a soundtrack expertly curated for the moment. “Few things compare to a view like this.”
Lucy turned and smiled. “I couldn’t have imagined it better.” She brushed past him and safely stowed her phone away in her pack before settling the weight back in place.
Jonathan led them down a steep set of steps likely fashioned by a trail crew some time ago. Though a little washed out from the ridiculous amount of rain the spring provided, they were still serviceable.
“This is Skydiver’s Bluff,” he stated loudly, ensuring he had Lucy’s attention. “As you can see, the trail was cut into the side of this cliff. It’s about three feet wide but doesn’t feel quite that generous when you’re crossing it. It wraps around the rock face for about twenty-five yards before it dumps us out on another safely enclosed dirt trail on the other side.”
“Holy shit.” The words popped out of Lucy’s mouth as her pulse quickened. The drop was outrageous. So steep that it appeared to concave before meeting the tops of the trees a good hundred and fifty feet down. She had the same sensation when she was seven years old, peering over the edge of Ross Dam. Her family had camped in Rockport and did the little mile-and-a-half hike that crossed the Skagit River by way of the concrete structure. She remembered feeling slightly dizzy with her heart thundering in her tiny chest. It took her mom and dad on either side of her to coax her across and back. As an adult, Lucy wasn’t afraid of heights, but someone had to be crazy not to be at least a little wary of being up that high, especially without some barrier separating them from the plunge.
“Are you all right?” Jonathan asked gently, breaking her out of her memory.
Pulling her attention from the sheer drop, she focused on Jonathan’s handsome face. His brows drew together, concern washing over every feature. “Yeah,” she said automatically, unsure of whether she meant it.
“Would you like me to carry your pack or can you manage?”
“I think I got it. Thanks, though.” Lucy gave him a reassuring smile.
Jonathan nodded and said, “Fair enough. I’ll go first, you follow a couple of feet behind me, and also, I wouldn’t recommend looking down. Even if you aren’t afraid of heights, it can still feel disorienting.”
“Too late. I already looked.” Her attempt at aloof humor came out all wobbly.
“We can take a few minutes if you’d like,” he offered. “Before we continue.”
Lucy reminded herself that no guide would take hikers out on this trail if there were any real risk of tumbling off the side. Mustering all her courage, she shook her head. “No, I’m good.”
Jonathan scanned her face and must have found what he was looking for because he nodded and let out a clipped, “Ok. ”
Steadily, they made their way across, neither breaking the silence that hung between them. Lucy walked as close to the interior face as possible, hugging the wall and dragging her right hand against the stone as she went. Being on the south side of the mountain and encased on either end by towering trees, no direct sunlight hit them as they traversed the cliff. Periodic wafts of gentle summer warmth felt startling in its contrast to the cold, hard rock beneath her fingers.
A few times, Lucy dared to glance out at the view but never once looked over the edge. Jonathan’s assessment had been correct; the width of the cut trail seemed much narrower that high up, and she was confident that looking down would freeze her to the spot.
Hard pass.
They made it safely to the other side, and only then did Lucy let out a relieved breath. Jonathan turned back, appearing visibly relaxed as well. The lines on his forehead receded and his scowl drifted away.
He held up a fist. “Well done, Lucy.”
She bumped his knuckles with hers, beaming with satisfaction and enjoying the familiarity in his tone. They stood and surveyed the view for another moment before continuing their way up Mount Stuart.
Jonathan
“How much further? I’m starving,” Lucy said, huffing and puffing as they crested the intense stretch of switchbacks that immediately followed Skydiver’s Bluff .
The familiar pangs of hunger were starting to sneak up on Jonathan too, but he hoped to make it to camp before they took a long break.
“We have a little less than a mile to go, and it’s pretty level the rest of the way. We can probably manage it in fifteen to twenty minutes. Can you hold out?” Jonathan was willing to stop but would really prefer not to stand in the middle of the trail while they ate.
Lucy was flushed and sweaty, but she also seemed quite lively, considering. She’d been handling things like a trouper. Despite Jonathan’s near certainty that she was new to hiking or severely out of practice at the very least, she still managed to keep a respectable pace. He could relate to her stubbornness to continue onward rather than stopping every two minutes to catch her breath. Sometimes pushing physical, as well as mental, limits was necessary to appreciate the most beautiful things in life. And she’d done that when they’d passed through Skydiver’s Bluff. Her fear had been palpable, but she didn’t let out a single complaint. After mustering up her courage, she marched along and made it to the other side without incident. But not before gawking at the expanse of raw wilderness from the lookout.
He felt that same sense of awe every time he gazed out from the boulder-encased viewpoint at the Bluff too. A sort of spirituality trickled over him like he was standing at the altar of something greater than himself.
On the rare day off that Janet would make him take, his mind regularly drifted to unanswerable questions. The kinds of questions that could drive a person insane. Why couldn’t I have died instead of Cynthia? Why didn’t I listen to her on the river? Why did I childishly let my anger and resentment cloud my judgment that day? In those moments, the only thing that would clear his mind and provide a few moments of peace was losing himself on a trail. It didn’t matter which one—The Enchantments, Lake Ingalls, Lake Valhalla—they all provided enough comfort to quell the onslaught of the same self-flagellating loop. He’d honed his focus and learned to be fully present to absorb the beauty of nature, thus quieting the nag of what ifs and whys.
This one-on-one trip with Lucy was the first time he’d gone out solo with anyone else since the rafting accident. Hiking and climbing weren’t the same as taking a group into white water, but Jonathan attempted to mitigate risk in every possible way he could control. So, when he’d been capable of resuming his guiding duties, he elected to lead the more casual group outings while also making it crystal clear to his customers that they were responsible for looking out for each other. His conscience wouldn’t survive if anyone else’s blood ended up on his hands, so he put the ultimate responsibility back on them.
So then, how had he found himself in his current situation? One-on-one with a rusty-at-best hiker.
Fortunately, they were nearing the end of the more challenging part of the journey. After reaching camp and having lunch, they could make their way up to the summit for a quick look around. But not before caching their packs to conserve energy. The two miles up would be a delightful jaunt without the extra weight.
An audible rumble sounded from Lucy’s belly. Her eyes and mouth went wide. Shock gave way to laughter as she wrapped her arms around her middle. “Maybe I need a little bite to tide me over.”
Trying to stifle his own chuckles, Jonathan couldn’t keep the grin from his lips. “Clearly.” He reached into a side pouch and pulled out a granola bar, one of many he kept tucked away for such an occasion. Handing it to her, he said, “Here. This should help.” Better to get a few more calories in her before the adrenaline wore off. Otherwise, she could end up with a headache, stomach cramps, or worse, pass out from exhaustion and lack of food.
“Thanks.” She took the snack from him and barely pulled the wrapper back before shoving half of it in her mouth. The other half followed as she finished the bar with gusto. After a long drink of water, she let out a contented sigh.
“Better?” Jonathan asked.
“Yes, that should hold me for a few minutes.” Lucy patted her belly. “Thanks.”
A tiny smudge of peanut butter remained just below her bottom lip, and Jonathan imagined using his tongue to clear it away. Before he could think, he raised a hand to touch her face but stopped a few inches short as her eyes widened.
“Uh. You have some left on your lip.” He tried and failed to keep the husky drag out of his voice.
Lucy flung the back of her fingers to her face and hastily wiped away the remnants of the bar. “That’s embarrassing. I barely chewed my food, eating like a starving seagull and still ended up with half of it on my face.” Her laugh was self-deprecating and stiff.
“Nah,” Jonathan dismissed her comment. “Wait ’til you see me handle my lunch. It will make you feel like you’re the queen of etiquette.”
“Speaking of lunch . . .”
“Enough said. Let’s get moving. We’ll be there soon.”