Companions were important not just for emergencies like a fall or injury, but also because of the bears in the area. They’d had a reminder of that just a few hours earlier, and now here shewas planning a midweek run when many of her friends would need to be at work.
Maybe Gina had a flexible schedule, but they’d need another runner or two for safety’s sake.
She could go into the Bighorns to train on the trail she’d be racing soon, and grizzlies weren’t an issue there, but it was a long drive from Irma. Going alone was still unwise, and it was calving season for both moose and elk. Those animals were plentiful in the mountains and could be just as aggressive as grizzlies when guarding their young.
When she refused to look back up at him, he shook his head. Once they got out of this storm and off this mountain, he’d talk with her and find out why she was acting so weird.
He crinkled his brow. She’d been odd since he’d arrived. He’d heard her quietly leave the house each morning while it was still dark. He knew she was going for a run, trying to get it done before she had to go to the coffee shop.
He would’ve thought one run a day would be enough, but some days, she added a second run in the evening or went to the gym for strength training.
She’d assured him it was all part of the training plan and was necessary to get her body ready for what was ahead. And he knew she was right, yet there was something that seemed almost unhinged about it.
Perhaps sensing him looking at her, she met his gaze. “What?”
“Sorry. I don’t mean to keep interrupting whatever you’re working on.”
“I’m just trying to make it all make sense. The Moose Range Run 100 elevation profile shows three major climbs.” Her fingers traced patterns on her phone screen.
“Since I missed today’s hill work, and it looks like I’ll miss my long run tomorrow, I’ll need to make both of those up. I’m supposed to have a rest day on Monday, so I guess I’ll make upthe vertical gain then, but that’ll leave my legs wiped out for the tempo work I’m doing on Tuesday. I can’t miss the tempo work. I need to practice my speed, and—”
“Brooke,” Nick said gently. “Your phone battery’s probably getting low. Might want to conserve it.”
“I have a portable charger,” she replied without looking up. “I need to figure out how to restructure my entire training block. This one delay will cascade through everything.”
She raised her head, a look of horror in her eyes. “What if we can’t leave tomorrow? What if we’re stuck here?”
Nick caught Gina’s eye. For a moment, everything else fell away—Brooke’s obsession, the storm, the group dynamics. There was just the two of them and what had happened in his SUV minutes ago. Then Gina’s gaze shifted to Brooke, and her concern replaced whatever had flickered between them.
Brooke’s behavior was moving into territory that worried him. He’d seen similar patterns in workers who’d been injured on job sites, the ones who became fixated on getting back to work too quickly and ended up making poor decisions that caused further injuries.
“We’ll leave when it’s safe to do so,” Gina said.
Brooke tutted. “Stupid weather. The reports showed a clear morning. We should’ve been finished before it started. We should’ve gone faster.” She shifted her gaze to Joe.
Joe had been quiet for a while, now sitting in the tent with a blanket around his shoulders. He met Brooke’s gaze with a fierce one of his own.
The guy was clearly still struggling with the altitude, even though he’d had water and carbs, things to help with altitude sickness, but he was also dealing with the social dynamics of being the newest member of an established group.
“How long have you been running?” Nick asked, directing his question at Joe.
“Off and on for years,” Joe replied. “Started in high school. It was harder to stick with once I got out of college and entered the workforce. I did some jogging back in San Diego, but nothing like this. When I moved to Wyoming, I figured I should get into trail running. Plus, my schedule’s more flexible now since I’m mainly freelancing. Seemed like the thing to do here.”
Having a flexible schedule meant Joe might be able to run with Brooke midweek, but she was a dynamo, and Joe would struggle to keep up, just as he’d done today, which would likely leave Brooke frustrated with the entire situation.
“You’re a writer?”
“Journalist, really.” Joe went on to tell Nick about his career in journalism and how things had changed in recent months. Joe’s expression suggested there might be more to the story, but Nick didn’t push. Everyone had their reasons for life changes.
“Trail running’s different from road running,” Nick offered. “Especially at altitude. You’ll adapt.”
“If I don’t get eaten by a bear first,” Joe said with a weak smile. “That encounter earlier was more wildlife than I’ve seen in my entire life.”
Nick appreciated that Joe could still find humor in the situation despite how uncomfortable he was.
Brooke had given Nick a rundown of everyone in their running group. She’d barely mentioned Joe, calling him the new guy, but she hadn’t spoken poorly of him. He was just trying to find his place among people who already knew one another, and that would take time.
After a day like this, with conditions that challenged even seasoned mountain runners, Nick hoped Joe wouldn’t quit. He also hoped Brooke would stop blaming him for the run falling apart.
