“What happens after your senior test? Are you two going to become a competitive team?” Her dad cocked his head to the side.
“I don’t know. It’s a possibility. We haven’t really discussed the future.”
His face lit up. “Your dream was always to make it to the Olympics. Maybe with Mr. Blanks, your dreams could become a reality.”
Not likely. They’d have so many factors working against them, like age. If they made it to nationals, they’d probably be the oldest team in the field. The judges wouldn’t want to take a risk on them. Frankie would just be happy to say she’d made it to the highest level of the sport. She didn’t want to overreach. She’d learned that lesson the hard way.
Her father said something she didn’t catch. “Sorry, I was lost in thought. Can you repeat that?”
“I said not to worry about crashing my date. Enjoy your time with Charlie. I’ll take a taxi home from Norma’s when we’re finished.”
“Do you need my credit card or any cash?”
He shook his head. “No, everything I need is on my phone.”
Hearing her dad say that was surreal. She shot him a skeptical glance. “If you say so.” He climbed out of the car. She watched him stroll inside Norma’s to meet a woman with a stylish scarf and short silver hair.
“Good luck, Daddy,” she said under her breath.
* * *
“I meant to ask when you picked me up, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in this truck before.”
“It’s Jack’s.” Charlie glanced at Frankie. “My battery was dead. We swapped cars for the day. He had some errands to run with my grandma and said he wouldn’t mind dropping it off at the body shop for a couple hours while he waits for her.”
“What’s he going to do while he waits?” Frankie asked.
He shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine. I didn’t ask.”
Leaving Sequoia Valley for the King’s Summit trailhead, the road changed from being smooth and well-maintained to a road that was bumpy, uneven, and full of potholes. Frankie’s body jolted up and down in the passenger seat like clothing tumbling inside a washing machine.
Her hands gripped the side of the door. “Please tell me that we’re almost there and that the trail we’re hiking isn’t in as bad of shape as that road.”
“We’ll be there in two seconds and it’s not. I checked some of the hikers’ forums last night. The section that we’re going to explore had a green check mark next to it, meaning the park rangers have already cleared any hazards that were out here.”
Charlie parked the car, jumped out of the driver’s side of the truck, and walked around to the back to retrieve their backpacks.
“That’s a relief.” Frankie exhaled. She could still hear her teeth rattling as she climbed out of the truck.
He chuckled and handed her bag to her.
“Thanks,” she said.
They walked past two other vehicles in the parking lot. Dry pine needles and gravel crunched under Frankie’s feet. She breathed in the fresh chilly air, enjoying the scent of the pine trees and mud. A symphony of birds chirped.
“I’m excited. I haven’t been hiking in years. I just hope I don’t slow you down too much.”
Charlie matched her stride. Today, he wore khaki cargo pants, hiking boots, a hunter-green windbreaker, and a baseball cap. “The beauty about hiking is we can take all the time we need.”
“Who knows, if this ends up becoming a regular thing, maybe I’ll even work my way up to hiking in a place like Yosemite. I’ve always wanted to visit.”
“You’ve never been to Yosemite?”
“I know. It’s a running joke between Dad and me. We’ve always talked about going, but neither of us has ever done anything about it.”
“Do you want to go next weekend? I have a National Parks pass. If you aren’t up for hiking, there are tons of other things we can do there. This time of year, it would only take about an hour and a half to get there.”
“Can I get a rain check? I know it’s not too far, but I don’t want to leave my dad alone that long. At least until his hip is one hundred percent.”
