Page 39 of Burning Escape

“I’m good.”

“You sure I don’t need to find a replacement? Not that we even have a plane yet, but if you need time off?—”

“No. I’ve had enough time off.” Sure, his shoulder was killing him at the moment, but after a good night’s sleep and some pain meds, he could work on exercising and strengthening it before he needed to jump again.

And he just happened to know a good trainer that could help.

* * *

Tori parked her old Honda Civic in front of the Rock gym.

“So why are we here again?” she asked Orion as they walked to the entrance. “Not that I mind. Now that Joann and Josiah are settling in at the base camp, I feel like I can get back to something resembling normal life.”

“They’re definitely in good hands. Who knew that those Trouble Boys were such baby freaks? Kane rocked Josiah to sleep in a matter of seconds.”

“And can you believe Hammer with his ‘Trouble’ tattoo saying ‘goochie goochie goo,’ trying to make an infant smile?” She adjusted her duffel bag. “Oh, and I got word from Kitri. She was cleared from the hospital in Anchorage. Besides the weird eye-rolling tick and a lingering rash, she’s okay and anxious to get back to her homestead.”

“Is she going back soon?” Orion asked as he held open the door of the gym for her.

“Yeah. They still don’t know what the spray was, but officials have been up there and tested everything. They said it’s safe, so her husband is going to pick her up tomorrow. They’ll take Joann and the baby back to the Refuge too. With the new bottles and a handheld pump to express milk, Josiah should be set. He’s already gaining weight, and Joann is going to come back for a checkup in a couple weeks.”

“Good.” Orion didn’t say anything else.

“So…why did you want to work out here instead of the weight room at the base camp?” Tori stared him down.

“Like I said, I wanted to come to town to check in with the sheriff’s office in person. Make sure there was nothing else at your apartment.”

“Yeah, but we did that. We could work out somewhere else.”

They walked into the open gym. A row of treadmills and elliptical machines ran along the wall of windows facing the mountains. The smell of disinfectant and sweat was familiar, as well as the clink of weights and the running fans. She stopped at the empty front desk and faced Orion.

He looked down at the counter and picked at a piece of tape holding down the paper schedule. “I wanted you to run me through a workout for my shoulder. It’s still sore, and I thought the machines here would be safer than the free weights out at base camp. But I need to be back to normal before we jump again.”

“So you don’t want the others to know you’re injured?”

“Not until I know how bad it is. I’ve had this happen before in high school, and it’s already a lot better. I just need to strengthen it since it’s been over a week of doing nothing.”

She frowned. “Which is what a body needs to heal. You should really have a medical professional check it out.”

“You are a professional. So you can check it.”

“I’m a fitness trainer. I have no physical therapy experience. And I have no way of knowing if there’s damage to tendons or ligaments or muscle.”

“Tori. Please. Just put me through the paces. If you don’t think I’m up to snuff, I’ll get it checked out. But give me a shot. Why pay big bucks to some doctor if I just need to do some exercises?”

His earnest plea, and probably those big blue eyes staring into hers, went straight to her good sense and turned it to mush. “Fine, but you’re going to tell me why it’s so important that you’re willing to take the risk of fighting fires with a bad shoulder. You shouldn’t be jumping out of an airplane with a parachute if you’re hurt.”

She moved behind the desk to get the paperwork set to start Orion’s membership.

“Hey, you’re back? I thought you were off until fall.” Callum, one of the gym’s owners and resident handyman, came from the break room. He gave her a hug. “I’ve had a lot of members upset that you’re gone for the season.”

“That’s odd, since I let all my regular clients know I wouldn’t be here. They’ve all been assigned to other trainers.” She smiled, wondering who was giving him a hard time that she was gone. “But I found you a new customer. Thought I’d get him signed up and show him around. Don’t worry, I won’t punch in.”

Callum laughed. “Wouldn’t care if you did. You’re worth every penny. A lot of people are here because you’re good at what you do. You have the right amount of push and concern that helps our clients reach their potential. So…” He slapped Orion on the shoulder—his good one. “I leave you in good hands.” Then he walked over to a woman struggling with the rowing machine.

“See.” Orion grinned. “I’m in good hands, like he said. So lead on, trainer.”

She showed him to the shoulder press and set it at the lowest weight. “Let’s see how you do. But you have to be honest with me about your pain level.”

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