Page 50 of Aim for Love

My—our—new apartment is within walking distance to Main Street in Telluride. I could go to Dorothy’s for coffee every morning on my way to work, commuting by foot. I can see the mountains from our little balcony. And there’s a sheltered spot to park, so I won’t be battling snow in the winter. It’s perfect. It’s everything I envisioned when I allowed myself to dream.

Zoe, who helped me move in, asks me how I’m going to fill my time outside of work. It’s a new concept—the idea that I need a hobby. And I realize that what I really want is to do what Hunter told me to do and keep trying new things. So I join a book club and a painting class. I go axe-throwing with Zoe and Tyler, even though I’m still terrible at it.

I have long conversations with Zoe, who understands the challenges of moving to Telluride. She’s a local who moved away and then came back. She didn’t move because of Tyler, she tells me, but he helped inspire the move.

“Inspire.” That’s her word.

“He made me feel OK about the inevitability,” she explains. “Change is hard without a little incentive.”

So I sign up for another mountain biking class at Tom’s. I don’t tell myself it’s because I hope to change Hunter’s mind about us. I don’t want to keep putting off seeing him and I can keep my hopes to myself.

Holding my breath the whole time, I show up at the adventure center. I know Hunter might be my instructor. I haven’t seen him since I moved, somehow, even though this town is small.

Instead of Hunter, the first person I see when I arrive is Tom. He smiles at me and nods approvingly at my jersey and padded shorts. I still feel silly, walking around in these shorts like Iknow what I’m doing. “We’ll have you clipping into the pedals eventually,” he says.

The idea of being attached to my bike terrifies me, so I shake my head vigorously. That’s one thing I’m not planning to try. He laughs.

“How are the tours going? I guess you’re switching to winter activities soon.”

“That’s right—your first winter here! You’re in for a treat.” Tom shrugs. “We have a lot of new ideas to try this year. Did Hunter tell you? He’s my new partner. Obviously the brains behind this whole business. We’re launching that subscription model he’s been talking about for a year now.”

“Really?” My heart skips a beat, knowing this is a big step for Hunter. Even though we don’t talk anymore, I can imagine how thrilled he must be. He wanted so badly to prove himself to Tom, and to prove that his ideas were sound for business.

“I’d been thinking about it for a while, truth be told,” Tom says. “But he hadn’t asked.”

I’m sad that I might not get to ask Hunter what inspired him to finally make the ask. I’m so proud of him, even if I have no right to be. Hm, inspire. There’s that word again.

“That’s great,” I say. “I think that’s a great decision.”

“Well, he made us one repeat customer,” he grins, nodding at me as the example. “Few people can do this line of work forever; you need a plan B and hell, maybe he’ll end up taking over for me.”

“Maybe so,” I agree. “Not anytime soon, I’m sure.”

“No! This is only the beginning!” He winks. “Anyway, you better get to your class. They’re lining up out by the bike shed.”

I hustle out to the bike shed, my nerves starting to zing. I haven’t been on a bike since I fell off one, and I’m still not sure who my instructor is going to…oh.

Hunter is standing at the shed, helping fit someone to their bike. He turns around and sees me, and I freeze.

He nods at me, a quick chin lift like we’re bros at a bar. I swallow and nod back. This is how it’s going to be now that we both live in town. We’re going to have to see each other casually and notseeeach other. I can do this. This is fine.

He helps me fit a bike, and while we have our heads together, he says quietly. “I wanted to tell you sorry. For treating you like we were just a fling.”

“Oh.” I pull back. “I didn’t think you did that.”

“Well, I didn’t intend to. But I guess I probably did. And you deserve more than that. So I’m sorry.”

Blinking rapidly, I nod. “Thanks,” I whisper, and try to come up with something else to fill the awkward void between us, and then someone asks a question and pulls Hunter away.

Once I’m on my bike and we’re heading down the trial, I wonder why I signed up for this. It’s hard enough keeping my tire on the narrow dirt track; next I’m going to try to climb a rock feature?

Hunter has everyone stop and explains the first feature, then demonstrates riding over it a few times. It’s probably a really easy one. It just looks hard to me. Like something a bike tire should never go over. Bikes are for flat surfaces, surely? There’s air in these tires. Couldn’t they pop?

Everyone else successfully attempts the feature as I stand there watching.

Hunter, who left his bike on the other side, walks over to me. “It’s OK to walk it,” he says quietly.

“No,” I say. “I’m going to try it.”

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