15. Chapter 15
Chapter fifteen
Lucy
T he view from the summit was astounding, and Lucy could see for miles and miles as they stood at the top of Mount Stuart. Her heart pounded, in part from exertion but mostly from elation. She’d made it. She hiked to the top of a damn mountain. There was a raw and unfiltered connection to the rock under her feet and the air she breathed as though she belonged in that spot right at that moment, and while the expanse of the surrounding range should have made her feel small, filling her with a sense of quiet reverence, the predominant emotion she felt was big, beautiful joy.
Accomplishing this feat, struggling through wobbly legs and burning lungs was freaking empowering. And she buzzed as though she were a long-ignored appliance that had suddenly been plugged into a wall socket. Her soul roared to life, and she could hardly contain the trembling electricity coursing through her body.
The last few years, she’d been lost. Swallowed up in Brodan’s world as she longed for adventure yet excused it away in the same breath. Her days consisted of working at her desk or following Brodan to clubs and swanky bars with overpriced bottle services and deafening music. Everyone around her was as lost as she was yet desperately trying their best to feel like they belonged.
Lucy was never so deluded as to think that she was in the right place on those nights out. But she had learned from a young age—mostly by watching how her mom sacrificed for her dad—that sacrificing for your partner was what you did. She gave up a part of herself so that she would fit neatly into Brodan’s life. Moved into his apartment, opted to spend time with his friends, and frequented his favorite spots. The types of takeout they ordered, the wine they drank, and the art pieces picked out for the walls in “their” apartment. All of it . . . his call.
She didn’t blame him, because she couldn’t blame him. She’d made the decision to dissolve into a life that filled her with little satisfaction or happiness. And it wasn’t an overnight adaptation either. Charmed by another way of living that was so different from how she grew up seduced her, but it was ultimately unfulfilling. Much like a fluffy ball of cotton candy a child gravitates toward at a local fair, it tasted sweet at first but left her longing for something more substantial later. And with a belly ache to boot.
This view, though. This adventure altogether was the substantial thing that Lucy had craved for so long but never really thought she could ever have again. She was glad Brodan wasn’t here with her because he would have tainted the experience. He would have complained about how dusty the trail was, or how heavy his pack felt on his back, or that there were too many bugs. Either that or he would have turned the whole thing into a dick-measuring contest with their guide. She could clearly picture her ex trying to compete with Jonathan in strength and speed, bragging about how much he could lift at the gym or how fast his mile was. Lucy couldn’t decide which scenario would have been worse.
No. She was glad to be at the summit of Mount Stuart without him. Glad they had broken up so she didn’t have to pretend to like what he liked anymore to earn the label of supportive girlfriend. Instead, she could indulge in the selfishness of doing whatever the hell she wanted—for once in her life.
A slight welling of tears threatened to escape the confines of her eyes. But before she could cry, a burst of energy bubbled up and erupted from her throat. “Waaaahoooo—”
A hand gently covered her mouth and cut off her primal celebratory shout. “Shhhhhh . . .” Jonathan spoke quietly as he stood behind her, his other hand placed lightly at her waist. “You’ll scare them off.”
He removed his hand from her mouth and pointed at a rock ledge about twenty yards away. There stood a mother mountain goat and her two kids, traversing their way around the two hikers. The fluid movements of all three, even as the little ones bounded and leaped playfully about, were awe-inspiring.
“They’re so graceful,” Lucy whispered, leaning back ever so slightly, unconsciously settling against Jonathan’s chest.
“They’re sure-footed from the jump. Within days of being born, the kids are capable of following their mother almost anywhere.” His breath played through the wayward strands of her hair as it drifted past her ear. His heartbeat thrummed against her back, quick and erratic. Or is that my heart? The proximity made it too hard to discern whose was whose, and the sensation was titillating. She liked being this physically close to him.
She didn’t want the contact to end, which is why she was severely disappointed when the goats disappeared over the ledge and Jonathan stepped away, leaving her back cold despite the warmth of the early afternoon sun.
“Sorry.” His silky voice drifted on an increasing breeze. “I don’t usually grab on to customers during a hike, but I didn’t want you to miss seeing them.”
Customers, of course.
Lucy almost forgot she was paying Jonathan for his time and expertise. While his hands felt divine on her—something Lucy would have liked to have explored further—she had to remember that this tall, sexy mountain man was doing his job. And she was certain that a little tumble among the trees wasn’t listed in the services he agreed to provide.
“No, it’s totally fine. I totally wanted to see them. It was—” She cut herself off, realizing she sounded like a rambling fourteen-year-old.
Jonathan displayed a sexy grin and chuckled. “It’s ok. You can say ‘totally’ again.”
“Good, because it was totally fucking awesome!” Lucy’s hands went to the top of her head, eyes wide with excitement. “I mean, they were right there . I’ve never been that close to a mountain goat before, let alone one with babies.”
“Yeah, it’s pretty cool when it accidentally happens that way.” Jonathan nodded. “But it’s also important to remember that this is their home, and we’re just visiting. I wouldn’t have let you get that close if I had noticed them sooner. We need to give the wildlife space.”
“Roger that.” Lucy continued, “My dad always tells me, ‘We’re guests in the woods, kiddo, and we have to respect the animals’ home.'”
“Again, your dad’s a smart man.”
“I agree. But don’t tell him that, or he’d brag for weeks.” Lucy laughed, feeling a charge in the air, likely a result of the events that occurred over the last ten minutes. Turning in a slow circle, she scanned the horizon. “What mountains are those?”
Jonathan stepped up next to her, obviously ensuring there was a good eighteen inches of space between them. Despite the distance, she could still feel the hairs on her arms and scalp prickle like touching a staticky balloon. He looked southwest where she pointed. “The bigger of the two snow-capped mountains is Mount Rainier, and the smaller one is Mount Adams. ”
“So cool.” She turned toward the north, disappointed that the view was obstructed. “Too bad we can’t see all the way around us, pesky clouds.” She turned back to peer out at the peaks she could see. Though they were some distance away, the sight was breathtaking.
“Yeah, that’s my bad. I forgot to put in a weather request for ‘perfect blue skies.’” He smacked a hand against his forehead. “Some guide I turned out to be. I’ll talk to the owner on your behalf about issuing a refund.”
“Rookie mistake.” Lucy deadpanned, tossing the joke back to him. When he didn’t immediately volley a return, she glanced over her shoulder and found him looking intently toward the thick, dark mass of gloom northeast of where they stood. Her skin buzzed as the gentle breeze graduated up to a steady wind. “Everything all right?” she asked.
“Hmm. I’m not sure. Those clouds are coming our way, and they’re most certainly bringing rain along with them.”
“Not like I’m thrilled about camping in the rain or anything, but it doesn’t really seem like something to worry about.”
“Maybe not.”
In the distance, a flash of lightning illuminated the haze of gray.
“Woah! That was cool.” Lucy couldn’t contain her excitement. She had never seen lightning from such a high vantage point. It almost felt ethereal, like Zeus himself was making his presence known.
“—one-thousand-three, one-thousand-four, one-thousand-five—” Jonathan mumbled to himself.
Before Lucy could ask what he was doing, a teeth-rattling rumble shook the ground with savage force. The steady wind increased, bordering on gusty.
“It’s about six miles away.” He turned to her with a look of disappointment tinted with something else. Something he was trying to mask. “I’m sorry, Lucy, but we can’t stay up here tonight. A little rain is one thing, but lightning is something else entirely. Especially since the storm is headed our direction.”
He was worried; that was the other emotion he was working to hide from her. While she initially thought getting stuck in a rainstorm with Jonathan might be fun, his concern dampened the hope of enjoyment. If he was even the slightest bit scared, she should be too.
“Then what are we waiting for?”