Hello? Keith said again, a hint of impatience in his tone now. Anyone there?
Wow, she finally managed. You sound the same.
There was a pause. Then, Lily? Lily Peterson?
How are you, Keith?
Thrilled to hear from you. I was just thinking about you not too long ago, wondering if you remembered me.
Of course I remember. You were Would she say her first bossor her first lover?
Both applied.
He merely chuckled. Yeah, I always was hard to pigeon-hole. Still am, to be honest.
Lily lay back on her bed, closed her eyes, and was transported back in time. Having just graduated high school, shed finally been able to give in to the wanderlust bug. Shed left Los Angeles, her mother and friends, and had gone to work as an expedition guide.
Keiths guide. Ten years her senior, hed been gorgeously worldly, and of course, sexy as hell. All that long, hot summer, shed worked for Outdoor Adventures, guiding hiking trips through the Sierras, teaching people about the outdoors by day, and by nightwell, Keith had certainly taught her plenty by night, every night.
Until shed moved on to her next adventure, and left him and all the memories behind.
But not too far behind, given the odd ping low in her belly just from listening to his voice. I saw your ad in the paper, she said.
And I saw you, not in the want ads though, but the front page. You had quite a fall.
After all these months, she still flinched. She hated that her mistake, her failure, had been so public. Yeah.
You broke your back. Youyoure in a wheelchair now, yes?
No.
But the article said you werent expected to walk again, that-
Im fine now. If fine meant a stupid limp and some serious lingering aches and pains that made her feel like an old lady all the time.
But not fine enough to fight fires?
And to think, once upon a time, I loved your characteristically blunt manner.
Yeah, I guess I havent changed much. There was a smile in his voice. So you want to trek again? But
I know I can do it. Okay, that was a little white lie. She knew no such thing. What she did know was that once upon a time, shed been the fittest of the fit, and strong as hell. Her body had never failed her.
Until shed failed it.
Just try me, she said, hating the desperation she could hear in her voice. Please just try me. She needed this, needed to be outside, needed to feel strong enough for something.
You always were a great guide, Keith admitted. I guess, if youre serious, I have a camping trek next week in the Sierras. Its high-altitude though, he warned. And high summer. Its also seven to ten miles of walking for four days running.
I can do it, she said quickly, even as she paled at the thought of pushing her body that hard.
Well, once upon a time no one knew that area better than you, he admitted. Should be right up your alley. Pre-trip meeting is in three days, my offices.
She smiled, and that alone feltamazing. She would do this, and shed feel worthwhile again, alive. Ill be there.
I guess a trip like this will be good for you, huh?
Good for her? Probably not.
But something to do, a direction to go in?
God, she hoped so.
OUTDOOR ADVENTURES offices were located in a large but old art deco building right on the bay. Twice she drove by looking for a parking spot. There wasnt one. There was never a parking spot in San Francisco, anywhere.
She glanced at the magazine on the seat next to her-the one with the Adrenaline-Rush article, which shed bought for herself to keep staring at.
Risk.
Yeah. She was risking, all right.
Just then a parking spot opened up right in front of Keiths building. It was a sign, she thought, a sign that she was doing the right thing, and she put on her blinker and-
And nearly crashed into a brand-new Lexus, whose driver was going for the spot at the same time.
Her truck a mere inch from his, he looked at her through his designer sunglasses.
Oh, no you dont, she thought, and pointed to the spot and then to herself. Mine.
Lifting a brow, he cocked his head, as if not used to being told no.
Well, she had plenty of nos for him, but then he did something she didnt expect. He waved her into the spot.
Go ahead, he mouthed, his glasses slipping down his nose. Pushing them up, he again waved her forward. Take it.
Huh. Go figure. He wasnt a jerk. She watched as he put his car in Reverse, giving her room to take the spot.
Still dazed by this, she pulled in. By the time she got out of her car, he was gone, probably having to drive to Seattle to get his own spot.
Thats when she looked up and saw it. The handicap tag shed been given after her injury, hanging off her rearview mirror. The tag she hadnt used in months but had never removed.
Hed given her the spot out of pity.
Well damn if she didnt hate that all the way down to her toes and back, where it settled into her gut like a slow burn. She didnt need the charity spot, damn it. Yanking the sign down, she stuffed it beneath her seat. Uncomfortably unsettled, she got out of her truck, refusing to admit to the shooting pain in her legs, the one she always got when she first stood up.
She ignored it. Her doctor had said she was healed enough to walk from here to the ends of the earth, which shed taken to mean she could certainly lead others there, or anywhere else she chose.
Shooting pain or not.
The San Francisco night was cool for July. Summer still hadnt really kicked into gear yet, and as usual, probably wouldnt until it was nearly over. Didnt matter. She loved the misty air, the salty breeze, but it was time to get back to the mountains.
Yeah, if you can really actually do this
Swallowing the doubts, she moved up the steps. Ahead of her was a man, tall and lanky, with short dark hair, dressed in clean, neat lines that would have looked just right on the pages of a glossy mens magazine. He held some sort of digital device in his hand, an earphone in his left ear, and was typing something at the speed of light with only his thumb as he walked and talked to himself.
No, wait. He wasnt talking. He was singing. Singing badly off-key toshe couldnt hear whatever it was he heard through his earpiece, but she caught his words. He was definitely screwing up a good U2 song.
He slid the Sidekick in his back pocket, the display still lit up, suggesting he had incoming messages and/or a phone call, all of which he ignored to squat and pat a stray dog on the steps of the building.
The dog, a mixture of black and white and grunge, rolled on its back and exposed its belly for more petting, its huge tongue lolling out of its head in ecstasy.
Good boy, the man said, taking a seat on the step in his well-fitting beige pants which meant he clearly didnt do his own laundry. Youre a good boy, arent you?
In answer, the dog drooled happily, his legs straight up in the air.
As Lily came level with them, they both looked up, the man letting out an easy smile.
Her parking spot savior.
2
IN RESPONSE to Lilys surprise, the mans mouth went from smile to grin, the kind that was instantly contagious, though she didnt understand why. Because for her, a contagious smile came from a different sort of man entirely: a rebel, a guy who could and would transport her, make her wonder what was going to come next, give her a sense ofadventure.
This guy, in his pretty-boy clothes and pocket full of toys was cute enough, but her geek alert was beeping an alarm as loud as his Sidekick. I didnt need that parking spot, she said.
Okay. He looked at her from hazel eyes that were more whiskey-brown than sea-green.
You should have kept it for yourself.
He seemed amused. Not used to gift parking spots, huh?
She wasnt used to gift anythings.
Leaning in, he arched his brow. A hint? The correct response is thank you.
Damn it, he was right. She hated that. Thank you, she said, moving through the door he opened for her. Twice. She moved past him into the buildings lobby, refusing to notice how good he smelled, or that she could feel him watching her limp.
You okay? he asked, right on cue.
Her shoulders stiffened. Im good. To prove it, she moved past the elevators, toward the door to the stairs. Im going to take these since you spared me the trouble of having to hike in from Timbuktu.
He laughed, a sound that seemed to come easily, and for some reason, she turned to look at him. Laugh lines fanned out from those interesting eyes, assuring her that he laughed often. Glad I could save you the trouble, he said. Think of how much gas youd have used going to Timbuktu and back. His Sidekick beeped again, and he reached for it. Excuse me. If I dont get that, it self-destructs.
Sounds dangerous.
Yeah, its not pretty.
Probably he couldnt make a move without something beeping or requiring his attention, and she wondered how a guy like that ever went to bed with a woman. Did he bring all his toys and leave them on the nightstand when he stripped? Not that she cared, but it was an interesting image, him naked, holding his PDA, saying excuse me, honey, hold that thought while I get a text message.
While he worked, she did as she usually did with things that made her uncomfortable, she walked away, letting herself into the stairwell to begin the climb. Halfway up, she thought she was going to die, and had to bend down at the knees and gasp for breath, which really pissed her off.
Damned body.
When she finally made it to the offices, she opened Outdoor Adventures door and immediately took a deep breath. Ah, she remembered this place fondly. There were still maps, topos and photographs of places from all over the world on the walls. The maps were dotted with pins signifying where Keith and his guides had taken people. Once upon a time, shed been the yellow pins, but someone else had taken that color. From all around her came a familiar sense of energy and excitement, and she was assaulted with memories.
The first time shed set foot in here, shed been awed and thrilled andexcited. During her interview, Keith had sat on his desk, right in front of her, larger than life, gorgeous and sexy. Hed agreed to teach her to guide that day, a promise hed kept.
After shed lost her virginity on that desk.