Chapter 19
The Coral Peak Trail, ten miles outside of Jasper, was steep, hard, and rough. It was Saturday morning. The last full day of their holiday. This was their last hike, and Shane could tell Krista was struggling with the climb. Every twenty meters or so, she’d pause and take a few breaths.
“You okay?”
She nodded and carried on. A few minutes later, they were faced with a thirty-meter scramble to the last ridge, where they’d finally get to thetop of the worldviews they’d been working towards for the past two hours.
Taking another deep breath, Krista eyed the rocky trail ahead. “Do you think it’s safe?”
“A hundred percent,” he told her, even though from where they were standing, the trail looked almost vertical. Shane’s thighs screamed just looking at it. The loose scree and stones would be fatiguing and uncomfortable on their hands and knees. But apart from a few scuffs and scrapes here and there, they weren’t in any immediate danger. He didn’t take risks—especially with safety—and there were plenty of trees and roots to rest on and grab, should they need to if they missed their footing.
The trail was also busy, with plenty of other hikers of all ages attempting the same climb.
Still, he didn’t want Krista to feel pressured. “We can turn back if you want to.”
Her gaze drifted to just below the peak, to where that ridge they were aiming for still looked so far away. She looked tired.
Their hike yesterday hadn’t been so steep, but at over thirty K, it had been the longest they’d done. They hadn’t been able to resist the meadows, extending their hike more and more to see as much of the peaceful surroundings as possible.
“Krista? Let’s turn back.”
“No, it’s okay.” With a deep breath, she pushed on. “We’ve come this far.”
“You sure?”
“I’m sure. Let’s do this.” She wrapped her hands around the thin trunk of a tree that grew out amongst the rocks. Placing her foot on a well-carved-out foothold, she stepped up and began her scramble.
Shane did the same behind her, following her path up. When she paused, he paused. When she climbed, he climbed, always scouring the route ahead of them, even though Krista seemed to instinctively know where to place her hands and feet. She was a natural-born climber. Fit, strong, determined.
Clutching at rocks and roots sticking half out of the ground, they continued to scramble, keeping their pace and momentum until finally, a few minutes later, they reached the ridge.
“Man, that hurt,” Krista gasped, dropping to the stony ground. She blew out a long breath as her trance-like gaze traveled across the jagged line of mountain peaks as far as the eye could see. Her face was red and sweaty, her hair all messed up and flicking in the wind, but she’d never looked prettier. Her delicate features were somehow more pronounced now that he’d just witnessed her strength and grit.
“But it was worth every second,” she said, her eyes sparkling with wonder and exhilaration. “This is just beyond awesome!”
Aware that he was staring at her more than at the incredible view, Shane dragged his gaze away from the side of her face. They were eyeline not only with ice-capped peaks but also big, fat clouds rolling by.
“We’re on top of the world,” he said, and then he felt it again. That swirling, aching feeling in his chest. He hadn’t been able to shift it for two days, not since the night they’d argued by the lake. Nerves, excitement, worry, and happiness. The feeling increased every time he looked at Krista and went off the charts when he thought about tomorrow.
After they’d kissed and made up at Medicine Lake, it was like an invisible shield had deflected any mention of their normal world, leaving them cocooned and safe to simplybeinside their holiday bubble.
But tomorrow...
He didn’t want to say goodbye to Krista. But what about his new life plan? It had been going so well, and he couldn’t risk it all on Krista’s pretty face and sexy times—no matter how much he liked her, nor how good she made him feel.
Too risky.
And Shane didn’t take risks—not with his safety and certainly not with his heart. He couldn’t have that trashed again, not when he’d busted a gut to regain his focus after Fiona.
And in a few months’ time, he’d be living 12,500 kilometers away in Sydney. Back to training hard for his last Olympics and working all other hours in between to get his new career off the ground.
There was no time for taking risks, no time to mess about and get distracted from his goals. No time to wonder if he’d be lied to and betrayed again, back to always having one eye on the door, waiting for someone to walk through it and say, “She’s not coming.”
***
Later that night, inthe campground that was beginning to feel like home, Shane stared at the darkened forest surrounding him. Stars twinkled in between the treetops, and moonlight tinted the edge of leaves and branches. Everything felt and looked so crisp and clear here, even at night.
He wished he could say the same about his thoughts.
