Chapter 10
Ten
I’m so sorry. I’m on my way.
Taryn’s apology text had come in overnight. Sarah hadn’t replied. What was there to say? She’d known there was no possible way her sister would make it for the certification. And she hadn’t.
Frustration and anger were likewise pointless.
They wouldn’t change anything, and would only serve as a distraction Sarah couldn’t afford.
She had enough of that already in the form of more texts from Dr. Osborne reiterating how badly she was needed back in the lab, with a heavy implication that her acquiescence would impact her standing in the program.
Or maybe Sarah was just reading that into the messages because of her own anxiety.
But that was for the day after tomorrow, when she was back in the city.
Her only priority right now was to pass these tests to the best of her ability.
And she had.
Over the course of the morning, they’d knocked out the written test and passed everyone through final First Aid and CPR certification.
As soon as lunch was through, staff would be breaking off into smaller groups for individual activity certification with the outside instructors who’d been brought in for that purpose.
Though her stomach was twisted into knots, Sarah nibbled at her sandwich, knowing she needed fuel for this last leg of certification day.
Objectively, she knew she was ready. Beckett had made sure of it, and she trusted him.
But she couldn’t shake the sick sense in her stomach that something would go horribly wrong.
Up on the dais, Heather clapped her hands. “Okay, people! Let’s get this show on the road.”
No way around it. Even if Taryn miraculously appeared, there was no easy way to swap out with her, so Sarah was doing this.
Tossing the remains of her lunch, she joined Beckett, the certification instructor, and the rest of the climbing staff for the walk out to the equipment shed.
When Heather and Michael fell into step with the group, that clench in her gut got worse.
She wished desperately for a private few minutes with Beckett, so he could hug her and reiterate that she had this.
But they were keeping things strictly professional today.
It’s fine. Everything’s going to be fine.
The certifying instructor, Richard, brought them inside one at a time, where they were asked to demonstrate knowledge of equipment.
When her turn came, Sarah rolled through it as if she’d been doing it for years, reciting everything Beckett had taught her, with only the barest of hesitations when her brain decided to remind her of all the up-close-and-personal study sessions they’d had in here.
Afterward, they trooped en masse to Boulder Mountain for the practical demonstration.
As he was already certified for far more challenging climbs than this, Beckett would be positioned up top to observe and intervene as necessary.
Before he made the climb, he paused just long enough to brush the back of her hand with his. Grounding her.
I can do this.
When her turn rolled around, Sarah started on lead, working seamlessly with Diego as he took the intermediate path up for his own top rope test. Once Diego was back on the ground, they swapped. The whole process went smoothly, and Sarah shot Beckett a grin as she reached the top.
“Nearly done,” he murmured. “You’re doing great.”
“I’m just ready for this to be over.”
They took the descent together.
“Now, for our last test of the day, each of you will be expected to demonstrate the ability to properly and immediately catch at least three simulated falls,” Richard announced. “Beckett has volunteered to be our test dummy. Now who’s first?”
“Me.” Sarah stepped up immediately. This was the last piece that stood between her and being finished.
They went through the safety check and clipped in.
“Belay on?” he asked.
“On belay.”
“Climbing.”
“Climb on.”
Beckett took the ascent fast, mimicking some of the rookie mistakes they were bound to encounter with campers over the summer.
She knew he could handle it, knew he was doing this on purpose, both for the test and so she’d be done.
But it didn’t stop her heart from leaping into her throat each time he slipped.
She took the first two falls like a champ, stopping his descent exactly as she should.
Then Beckett headed on up to the top for the long drop.
At the apex, he glanced down toward the crowd, then beyond them.
Gaze focused on him, Sarah saw the shock an instant before his muttered, “Oh sh—”
Then he was falling. A real fall, not one of the simulations this time. For one endless second, fear stopped Sarah’s heart. Then she threw herself into action, braking his descent as she’d been taught. “Gotcha!”
His momentum and greater weight hauled her several feet up the rock face. But she’d caught him.
“You okay?” she called.
“Yep.” But there was something in his face that said he wasn’t.
“Holy shit!” Diego exclaimed. “There are two of them!”
Dangling against the rock, Sarah just closed her eyes. Because she knew, even without looking.
“Ready to lower.” Beckett’s soft voice kicked her back into action.
After a brief hesitation, she managed, “Lowering.”
For the couple of minutes it took to get both of them on the ground again, Sarah kept her blinders on. She didn’t look. Didn’t break character or protocol.
At the base of Boulder Mountain, she and Beckett unclipped from the ropes. And there was no more avoiding the elephant she knew was standing behind her. Sucking in a breath, she turned to face her sister.
Taryn’s thumbs were tucked in the pockets of her khaki shorts.
Her dark blonde hair was pulled back in a braid.
Her skin was more tan than Sarah’s, and she’d lost weight since they’d last seen each other.
In that moment, Sarah realized the utter idiocy of their plan.
Yes, they were identical twins, but right now they wouldn’t fool anyone who knew them.
And Sarah had been around the rest of the Camp Firefly Falls staff long enough that, of the two of them, they knew her.
The Tullys and everyone else were staring, gazes bouncing back and forth, as if not trusting their own eyes.
“So you’re a twin?” Diego asked. “Seems like that’s something you might’ve mentioned.”
But Sarah was focused on the camp owners, trying to gauge their reaction. Shock. Confusion. They hadn’t yet clued in to what this likely meant.
Heather was the first to find her voice. “What…?”
For once, Sarah stayed quiet. This had been her sister’s plan. It was on her to make explanations.
“Right,” Taryn said. “This conversation would probably best be had in an office somewhere.”
“Oh, I think I saw this movie,” Laura muttered. “One of them is either hiding from a prince fiancé or is secretly an international spy.”
If only.
Michael’s usually affable face shifted from shock into something that was a mix of dread and the start of what was probably anger. Without a word, he gestured toward the trail back to the main lodge.
Time for all of them to face the music.
This is where it all falls apart.
Sarah didn’t know what she’d thought would happen.
Maybe for Taryn to just impersonate her until such a time as they could make the switch properly.
But she’d walked right up and asked to speak privately before the Tullys could make the request themselves.
And maybe that was good. She was clearly intent on taking responsibility for herself, which was progress.
But how were they going to explain Sarah’s presence here?
And what was going to be the fallout for her for participating in this charade?
Taryn interrupted her train of thought. “That was a nice catch back there.”
In the seconds it had taken to do her job, she’d lost five years off her life seeing Beckett plummet like that.
“Didn’t know you knew how to do that,” Taryn added.
“I’ve had a good teacher. And anyway, it shouldn’t have been me. Where the hell have you been?” Sarah hissed. “And how are you even here? Danny said you weren’t getting back from the trail until yesterday.”
Taryn shot her an assessing look, clearly wondering who that teacher had been, but she answered the question.
“My client wanted to extend the trip for a sum I couldn’t refuse.
But when he found out the pickle I was in with this job, he flew me out on his private jet last night.
I really thought I’d make it this morning, but there was an issue with my reservation at the car rental place, and construction on the route from the airport, and…
Well. I’m sorry. I got here as soon as I could. ”
Private jet?
Sarah couldn’t even respond to that. “Yeah, well, I’m thinking it’s too little, too late, now.”
In the moment, she couldn’t even care that more money from this mystery client meant more of the debt paid off. All she could focus on was the deep sense of failure and dread at what was coming. Her time here was well and truly over now. No more borrowed moments or reprieves.
“It’ll be okay,” Taryn soothed.
Sarah doubted it.
Michael shut the door to the office. “Okay, I think I’m well within my rights to ask what the hell is going on?”
“There’s a very simple explanation for this,” Taryn began.
Heather crossed her arms. “I’d love to hear it since this is clearly not simply a case of one sister coming to visit the other.”
“I’m Taryn Meadows. The actual Taryn Meadows you hired. This is my sister, Sarah, who’s been impersonating me the last two weeks.”
The Tullys stared, giving them both the hairy eyeball even as they shared a fresh round of dumbfounded shock at the resemblance. Sarah shifted, wishing she could just sink through the floor. This sounded even worse than when she’d told Beckett. She braced herself for a curt, “Get out.”
Eventually, Michael asked, “Why?”