Page 19 of Obsessed and Naughty Mountain Man

Take a breath, you got it.

One hold at a time.

I believe in you…

Those bursts of encouragement—and his hold on the belay line—pushed me higher until, before I knew it, I was sitting up there staring down at the sea of trees and Lucas dancing where I started.

We’re on the two-mile hike back to his van, our gear on our backs.

My heart is still flying.

“I amsoproud of you.” Lucas walks closely behind me, hands on my shoulders, shaking me and booming, “You did it!Woooooo!”

Even I let out a warrior cry.

Me.Yelling.Letting my voice carry into the trees and scare away birds. I don’t even feel the urge to shush anyone.

Nothing feels daunting.

Moving in with Lucas presents itself as the next step, the next chapter, the logical move that I’m eager to make. I envision us decorating together, moving all my books and his climbing gear into a spare room that becomes our library/adventure headquarters, even inviting his brother and Ana over for dinner so Lucas can flaunt his newfound stability. I’ll dote over him, praise him in front of his disapproving big brother.

If I can climb, I can do it all.

With Lucas, I can be the warrior princess I’ve always wanted to be.

Something cuts into my fantasies: a sound. A guttural moan.

Lucas and I halt on the trail. He meets my eyes and holds a finger to his lips.

The sound bubbles up again, only this time it sounds likehelp.

We’re both pulled toward the source, breaking off from the trail to the edge of a sparse ridge overlooking the forest below. I stop short, but Lucas creeps to the ledge and peers down.

“Oh, shit.” He turns, already getting his pack off. “Somebody’s down there.”

My heart plunges into my stomach. Suddenly, I don’t feel so brave. I inch my way forward while Lucas works frantically and calls down, “Stay calm! I’m coming down to you!”

Sure enough, there’s a man in highlighter colors sprawled out maybe twenty feet down. The jutting piece of rock he rests on is small, holding him out like Earth’s offering. His leg is contorted. He waves painfully to me and says something I can’t understand.

“Jesus.” I feel like I can’t breathe. “What happened? Did he fall?”

“I don’t know. Doesn’t matter.”

Lucas has lines of rope out and he’s stepping into his harness.

“Hang on.” I paw at him. “Did you say you’re goingdown?”

“Obviously.”

“Are you crazy? We have to get help!”

“No cell reception. Another twenty minutes back to my bus. Maybe fifteen minutes of driving until our phones work.” Lucas is calm, certain, running through a checklist in his mind as he secures a line through the carabiners on his harness. “If that guy rolls the wrong way, he’s gone. He could be losing blood. We have to get him up. Luna, I need your help.”

He storms off with the long rope, picking out the thickest tree near the trail and wrapping the line around the trunk. I follow him, but I’m not sure what I should be doing.

“Get in your harness,” he says surely. “You remember how to hook up.”

It’s not a question. He tells me I remember, so I remember.

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