Page 69 of When The Mountains Held Us

“I know, buddy. I’ll miss him too. How about a hike?” Bandit lets out a woof of agreement, and I make my way upstairs to get dressed. I send a quick text to Jessie asking her to join us, and she responds immediately to tell me she’ll meet me at the house in thirty minutes. Thankfully, I don’t work tonight, so we can take as long as we want soaking in the dwindling summer sun.

I dress quickly, pulling on a pair of black leggings, sports bra, and simple gray tank top. I’m just securing the claw clip around my twisted hair when a knock sounds at the door downstairs. I finish my task quickly, and by the time I’m bounding down the stairs, Jessie is pushing her way through the front door.

“Hey, you! The door was unlocked, so I let myself in.” Jessie’s smile is bright, and there’s an excited energy buzzing through her. God, her personality is contagious.

I return her smile, feeling a renewed sense of happiness that our impromptu plans worked out in our favor today. She’s quickly becoming one of my favorite people in North Creek. It’s effortless with her, and it feels like I’ve known her for years rather than mere weeks.

“Let me grab some socks, and then I’ll be ready to go. Can you grab Bandit’s collar? It’s on the hook by the back door.”

“You got it. We’ll meet you outside in the car.”

I rush back up the stairs, throw on some mismatched hiking socks, and grab my boots.

Before I leave my room, though, I double check to make sure I have everything I’ll need, shoving my phone into the side pocket of my hiking pack. I close the bedroom door behind me, the rustic mountain sign swinging back and forth as I walk outside to join my friend.

Thirty-Five

Levi

Justin’s goofy smile greets me from where he leans against the hood of his truck as soon as I pull into the gravel lot of the shop. I bring my truck to a stop next to him, cutting it a little close on purpose just to mess with him. I laugh when he jumps back and shoots me a horrified look.

“Were you trying to run me over?” he asks incredulously when I hop out of the driver’s seat and circle the front of the truck as he unloads his duffel bag from his passenger seat.

“Just figured I’d keep you on your toes, old man,” I tease, and he shoots me a scowl over his shoulder.

“We’re the same age. If I’m old, you’re old.” His tone sounds annoyed, but the look on his face is anything but. This is the nature of our friendship, and I couldn’t imagine one without the incessant teasing and borderline bullying we dish out to each other.

Growing up together had us spending countless days over the years forming a bond that is more akin to brothers than friends. We’ve been there through it all. The awkward high school years, the breakups, the drunken nights at Joe’s. Justin is a man whose friendship and loyalty I will never take for granted. Half the time, I’m convinced he’s wiser than me. Not that I’d ever tell him that.

“Yeah, yeah. Get your ass moving, Hadley. I ain’t got all day,” I say.

He grumbles something under his breath, but I don’t catch it before he’s tossing his bag into the back seat of my truck. I climb back into the driver’s seat to wait for him, drumming my fingers against the steering wheel to the beat of the old country song playing on the radio.

I check my phone while I wait, eager to see if Oakley has texted me. I know it’s only been a half hour or so since I left the house, but I’m missing her already. There’s nothing from her, but there is a picture waiting for me from Jessie.

I open the message and grin at the photo of my cousin with her arm wrapped around Bandit’s neck, the two of them smiling up at the camera.

Jessie

Reunited with my favorite hiking buddy! I’ll send you a picture from the top.

I smile down at my phone as the passenger door slams shut behind Justin. I type out a quick reply before tossing the phone into the cup holder. When I look up at my best friend, I do a double take, trying and failing not to laugh.

“Dude what the hell is that?”

“What’s what?” he asks innocently as he buckles his seatbelt.

“That plushy thing around your neck. Is that… Are you wearing a neck pillow?”

Justin narrows his eyes at me, glaring with his arms crossed over his chest. He looks so ridiculous, with that thing around his neck and the pout etched into his features, that I burst into another fit of laughter.

“Not that it’s any of your business, but we have a long drive, and I slept like shit last night. I don’t want to get a crick in my neck.”

I throw the truck into drive and head for the exit to the main road, hoping that the sooner we leave, the sooner I can get back home to Oakley. “Don’t let any of the guys hear you say that. They’ll never let you hear the end of it.”

“Whatever, man. When you’re complaining that your neck is bothering you, I don’t want to hear it,” he sing-songs.

“You are way too excited for someone who is literally going to work.”