Marlow
Settingoff for the summit of Craigleith’s peak, I had my fair share of back-and-forth conversations with Elaine while we hiked.
Despite my initial impression of her—and the very obvious mirror that had been kindly shoved into my face—we’d grown to have quite the repertoire between us. She was a nice woman, and while talkative, incredibly knowledgeable in survival.
Having been toAustin Adventurestwice before this, she’d come well-versed, pointing out spots to avoid along the trail while we walked, giving me tips on how to ascend up the steeper inclines when we finally reached them, and keeping up the reminders to stay well hydrated.
She kept my brain focused on the here and now, refusing to let me get too deep into my thoughts before she was pulling me out with another fun fact or regaling me with her stories about the two other times she’d been here, which was a crazy feat if you asked me.
Austin Adventureswas a welcoming place but definitely wasn’t for the faint of heart. The waivers that were signed before any sort of payment was taken were the real deal and definitely a component the older couple I’d helped rescue that day on the river failed to consider.
So, to me that meant Elaine was nothing short of a badass.
Plusshe shared her snacks with me.
What better partner could I have asked for?
Talos’s sabotage had turned into a blessing in disguise. One I was sorry to have judged at first glance but now was entirely onboard with making up, even if Elaine was none the wiser to my inner turmoil.
Making it to the top of the summit, right at sunset, was fucking spectacular.
Reds and oranges collided with the darkening blue of the sky. Peaks of pink were fading in between the stark colors of the dying light, golden rays touching the treetops of the evergreens that littered the side of the mountain and the valley below it.
A breathtaking view and nothing like we had back in Ellington Heights.
I got why Blake stayed up here. Why he refused to go anywhere past Wakefield. Growing up with this kind of scenery, like it was something out of a painting masterfully done by the most skilled of hands, was enough to almost convince me to call up my job and quit right here on the spot.
“Here…” I felt a nudge against my ribs, forcing me to rip my eyes away from the incredible sight as a disposable camera was offered my way by Elaine. “I know they’re old school but the pictures that come off of these things areunreal.”
“You’re the fucking best,” I said, carefully taking it from her.
She laughed and quickly moved along the other side of me to another vantage point, bringing her disposable up to snap a few shots before moving down farther. Other hikers were aroundus, some sitting, some taking pictures, too, with their digitals or phones, and others were helping Talos and Ivan, another one of our guides, set up our camp for the night.
Following in Elaine’s footsteps, the sound of the shutter in the disposable going off sprang up memories from my childhood, back when we were still living on supplemental income and trying to make it by before my dad hit big.
Times like this, I missed my old man. He would’ve loved to come out here and experience something like this. His heart failing him for too soon was still a sore spot to me. Being thirty-four and well into my adult years was sometimes a hard thing to cope with during those times I just wanted my dad by my side like I was still a kid.
I used to take my time with him for granted and now that I no longer had it, it ate me up inside.
Blake was lucky to have a man like his grandfather still around. I envied him a little bit for it.
I wasn’t sure what his family situation was and didn’t care to speculate outside of general curiosity with whyhewas given the director spot and his parent wasn’t. He’d certainly earned the damn title, but it was still an interesting topic to wonder about.
Maybe I’d ask him once I saw him again. I’d love to get to know him more outside of how he liked to be touched. He was such an interesting man that I was sure extended far beyond what I knew of him already.
A throat clearing right behind me had me swinging around. Talos stood close to me, his sunglasses pushed up into his hairline while he hit me with a sour frown. Right as I was about to ask him what his deal was, he lifted something in his hand.
“For you.”
My eyes shot down to the radio he was offering me, confusing me immediately. “Uh...”
“Take it past the tree line. I don’t want anyone else coming over to ask me if they can use it.”
What the hell?
Slowly slipping it from his grasp, I glanced down at the screen, realizing it was turned to channel six.
My eyes widened.
