Megs took the newspapers and the paper bag. “You’re saving me from that stuff they call salad down in the cafeteria.”
Rain laughed. “Thank Rico. When he heard I was coming to see you, he quickly put this together.”
Rico was the head cook at Knockers, a former felon who’d learned to use knives for cooking instead of violence while in prison and had made a good life for himself in Scarlet. But that was Joe. He was a staunch believer in second chances.
“Thank Rico for me.”
While Megs ate her salad, Rain shared the news.
“Conrad seems to be managing the Team well. They got toned out twice yesterday—once to rescue a woman who twisted and broke her ankle on Longs Peak and once to evacuate a kid who fell thirty feet while free soloing on some rock formation in the Indian Peaks Wilderness. From what I overheard, it went pretty smoothly.”
“They had a busy day.” It felt strange not to be a part of it. “You’re pretty good with the lingo for someone who doesn’t climb.”
“Hey, I’ve been waiting on Team members since the early days. You’d be surprised what you overhear when you’re the one bringing the beer.”
“I can only imagine.”
Rain reached for a copy of theGazette. “When I read the article this morning, I was blown away by everything you and Mitch have done together. All of the world’s highest mountains. Climbing in Patagonia. Winning world championships. The lives you’ve both saved. What a life you two have made together! I don’t know if that brings you comfort or if that makes this harder.”
Megs remembered what Kurt had said yesterday evening about great love and great pain. “I don’t know. Probably both.”
Rain seemed to consider this, her gaze warm with sympathy. “Oh! I almost forgot. The Scarlet Springs Fire Department is doing a shirtless calendar to raise money for Mitch’s fund. It was Vicki’s idea.”
“A shirtless calendar? Like abeefcakecalendar?” Megs’ expression must have been comical because Rain laughed. “Did you hear that, Mitch? Scarlet FD is getting naked for you—or half-naked anyway. I might have to buy one of those.”
“They’ve already got a half-dozen orders from the women on Knockers’ staff—Marcia, Cheyenne, Sam, and the rest.” Rain stood. “Speaking of Knockers, I should go. I need to get back to help with afternoon prep.”
Megs hugged her. “Thanks for coming. We appreciate the company—and the food. Tell everyone hello for us.”
After Rain had gone, Megs settled down next to Mitch with the journal and the recorder, laughing to herself about the calendar. “When you told me you wanted to settle in your small, close-knit hometown, I had nightmares of something like Mayberry—or my awful hometown. But Scarlet Springs is too damned crazy to be either of those.”
Now, she couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.
She skimmed through Mitch’s journal, searching for another entry to record and found herself smiling at his growing sexual frustration. “It was your fault. You were the one determined to wait until I turned eighteen.”
But now that she was older and at least somewhat wiser, Megs understood what he’d done for her. He’d put her need to grow up ahead of his need to get laid.
But, oh, she hadn’t made it easy for him.
Mitch woketo the unmistakable scent of sizzling bacon, crawled out of his tent wearing only a pair of gym shorts, and found Megs in a tank top and cutoffs making breakfast on her little camp stove. “Good morning. God, that smells good. You always have the best food.”
She lifted her gaze to meet his, her hair braided. “That’s because I have a job.”
Though Mitch refused to sleep in the same tent—a man could only endure so much temptation—he had moved his tent next to hers. It had become part of their routine to eat breakfast together and talk about what they wanted to climb that day. For Mitch, the first meal of the day was always a package of instant oatmeal with instant coffee, while Megs tortured him by making real food—eggs, bacon, pancakes, sausage, hash browns.
“It just so happens I’m making this for you.” Her gaze was back on the cookstove, but that smile was still on her lips. “It’s my way of saying thank you.”
Was there something different about her this morning?
He must be imagining things. “Thank you?”
“Yes.” She divided the eggs and bacon between two plastic camping plates and handed one to him, leaning in close and speaking in a whisper. “I did it.”
Distracted by the food, he picked up a piece of bacon with his fingers, took a bite, tried not to moan. “Did what?”
She looked into his eyes, color in her cheeks. “I made myself come.”
Mitch forgot the bacon and eggs. “You made yourself … Oh!”
