I went eight years without admitting it even to myself, but the good stuff wasreallygood.Even though we were dumb teenagers.It took me years to realize how rare that is.
“We hiked in, and I climbed the first three routes, but after that it got way too advanced,” he says, and laughs.“Not even a whole bunch of guys watching me could get me to climb a sheer cliff wall two hundred feet off the ground.”
“Did anyone climb it?”I ask.
Hunter shakes his head.
“Me and another guy were the only ones who did the second route,” he says like he’s bragging.
It’s working.I’m impressed.I’ve seen photos of the routes in the Spires, and they’re no fucking joke.
“Let me guess,” I say, teasing him.“You didn’t really want to do that second climb, but you couldn’t let some other guy doonemore climb than you did.”
Hunter grins, then kisses me.
“It’s like you already know me,” he says.
I callin the column of smoke.Mike is the one who answers the radio, and he runs through a detailed series of questions.I can hear him typing on the other end.He’s probably filling out a report, and as we keep going, he sounds more and more worried.
“I think it might be in the Spires,” I say, leaning against the fire finder and looking out toward the thin column of smoke.
“Well, that does lead me to my next question,” he says.“How are you at using that spinning contraption?”
I spin it.
“I could use a refresher,” I say.
Mike sighs.
“I was afraid of that,” he says.“I’m not gonna lie, it’s been years since I used one of those things, Clementine.If you can hold on, I’ll go get Randy.”
The radio goes silent.Hunter looks at me, sitting in a chair at the tiny table, eating instant oatmeal from a mug.
“Getting Randy sounds like some serious shit,” he says.
“Randy is basically the Gandalf of the Copper Creek Ranger Division,” I explain.
Hunter raises one eyebrow.
“You know, the wise old wizard who’s been around so long that he can show demons what’s what?”I say.
Hunter just kind of shrugs.
“FromLord of the Rings,” I go on, even though I know it’s pointless.
He just shakes his head.I’m starting to get incredulous.
“Did you not even see the movies?”I ask.“Didn’t you ever watch them at my house?”
“If we did I was probably too busy trying to cop a feel to pay attention,” he says.
He has a point there, actually.
“You seriously don’t know Gandalf, though?”I ask.
Hunter shrugs, a wicked gleam in his eye as he scrapes oatmeal out of his mug.
“I don’t know your nerd shit,” he says, barely able to keep himself from smiling.
