Comforted, Tabitha relaxed a little. “I’m looking forward to meeting Jonathan. He’s got quite the story.”
“Yep. Best big brother I could ask for,” Frankie stated.
Lark jerked her head in Frankie’s direction and gasped. “You’re related? That means we can get the dirt.”
“Lark,” Tabitha chastised.
“I’m only saying. You could write a multi-POV article. She’d be most likely to give us the straight shit on him.”
“I hate to disappoint, but there wouldn’t be any shit to share,” Frankie assured as she pulled into a small, rocky lot off the side of the road and turned off the truck. “Unless you count his over-protectiveness and unwavering dedication to his family, friends, and business.”
“Aaaaw,” Lark swooned.
“I look forward to meeting and climbing with him,” Tabitha said, donning her professional tone and taking note of Frankie’s assessment.
“About that.” Their driver hopped from the truck, and she and Lark followed suit. Frankie dropped the tailgate and hauled on her gear bag. “There’s been a little switcheroo.”
Tabitha collected her gear and asked, “Switcheroo?”
“Jon will be available for an interview later this week, but he had to bow out of your excursions. His wife, Lucy, signed them up for baby boot camp this week and she has him wrapped around her swollen little finger. She’s having twins,” Frankie added, and Tabitha was unsure if it was meant to explain the devotion or the swollen fingers.
Tabitha swallowed hard. Pivoting wouldn’t be an issue, even though she’d spent hours scouring the internet to learn about Off the Beaten Adventures’ owner prior to the trip. The information would still come in handy while writing the article.
“No worries,” she said, aiming for casualness and feeling pretty confident that she’d nailed it. “Does that mean we’ll be with you the whole week?”
“I wish, but no. Only for today.” Frankie started for a small trail at the edge of the parking lot, motioning for them to follow. “Today, you have me and another guide who’s been with us for as long as Jon has.”
“I bet they’ll have loads of juicy gossip too.” Lark huffed and puffed as the trio ascended the first hill.
“Oh yeah,” Frankie laughed. “Jon and Zac go way back.”
Tabitha felt the color drain from her face, no doubt she was white as a sheet. Lark snickered behind her, probably putting two and two together at the same rate. Frankie turned and miscalculated Tabitha’s blanched expression.
“Deep breath, red. Zac’s harmless. He doesn’t bite.” She smirked and continued up the trail. Tabitha barely heard her say, “Not anymore.”
Chapter eight
Zac
“Ok,ladies.Let’sseeyour figure eights,” Zac called then proceeded to mosey down the line of newbie lead climbers to eye their handiwork. “Good. Good. Very neat. Oof, Charlotte, that’s a sloppy knot. Beck, can you help her straighten things out?”
“Sure thing, teach,” replied the youngest woman of the group, who also happened to be the most experienced. Zac had taken note early on that the excitable ball of pep needed to have her surplus energy strategically focused or she’d drive him nuts.
“Thanks,” he said while continuing to check knots.
The group lead class began the same way as all the rest: waivers, gear, assessment of skills, and as soon as Frankie showed up, instruction could begin, which should’ve been any minute. She’d been delayed by the magazine chick who was running late, which lacked a little professionalism if Zac was being honest. Not that he was one to talk. He’d only just embraced his newfound sense of responsibility, and while he was still shaky on the execution, he could still call a spade a spade.
A tingle of pride licked at his chest, which was quickly replaced with something a bit more in the department of apprehension. He refused to let Jon and Lucy down. This article could mean big things for their business if it went well.
It could also mean irreparable damage if it didn’t.
Zac took a deep breath to calm the nerves that gathered where pride had initially begun to blossom. He wouldn’t let it take root. The Millers opened their home to him and taught him about climbing. The sport was a part of him, rooted so deeply that without it he’d have no clue who he was. He could run these beginner courses blindfolded with one arm behind his back. Where he struggled was playing the role of adult, but if his friends could entrust him with their livelihood, then he could trust himself too.
His phone buzzed in his pocket.
Frankie:
Parked and heading up. ETA 5 min.
