“A few hundred yards. Far enough to be separate, but close enough for the kids to manage without wearing themselves out.”
She could certainly appreciate that. As would the kids.
“However, I think I’d like to give you an overview first.” His steps slowed as the corners of his mouth tipped up into a silly grin.
“What does that mean?”
“You’ll see.” The glimmer in his eyes did not inspire a lot of confidence.
He led her onto another path that veered to their left and before she knew it, they were climbing. Nothing drastic, just different. The trail became rockier, dust replacing pine needles as they rose above the trees.
The path went straight for a time before making a sharp right turn. Then straight again, followed by a U-turn left.
She wasn’t a fan of switchbacks. Or hiking, for that matter. And even though they hadn’t gone that far, she found herself huffing and puffing.
“Do you need to take a break?” Daniel called over his shoulder.
“No.” She gasped for air. “I’m—” another breath “—fine.”
He stopped and faced her. “No, you’re not.” Lowering his pack, he unzipped it, pulled out a bottle of water and handed it to her. “Sorry, I failed to consider how the altitude might affect you.”
“How high are we?” She unscrewed the cap.
“The camp itself sits at just over eighty-five hundred feet.”
She almost choked on her water. “A little higher than I’m used to.” By more than three thousand feet.
“The good news is, it’s not far. Here.” He motioned for her to take the lead. “Why don’t you go first?”
Why would she do that? She had no idea where they were going. Yet she did it anyway, assuming he would stop her if she was about to lead them off a cliff.
With few trees to provide shade, she began to sweat. How unattractive was that?
Not that she was concerned about being attractive. Except it annoyed her that Daniel was still as cool as a cucumber. He wasn’t huffing. Nor puffing. And he definitely wasn’t sweating.
At the next turn, she reached to steady herself on a spindly tree. “Ouch.”
“Are you all right?” He was at her side in an instant, something she found rather sweet.
“I broke a nail.” She stared at her ragged index finger.
“Hmm, that is unfortunate. I have good news, though.”
She looked up at him.
“You’ll live.” He urged her forward.
Annoyed with both him and her fingernail, she forced herself to pick up pace. Dust puffed beneath each footfall. Then she stepped on a rock, losing her footing. She slipped, her whole body tightening as she prepared for impact.
Yet before she hit the ground, Daniel’s strong arms caught her. “I gotcha.”
Staring up into his mega-blue eyes she swallowed hard. “Yes, you do.” She righted herself. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He glanced left then right. “Stand by. I think I can help.” Next thing she knew, he started back down the trail.
Where was he going? He’d already helped her, now he was leaving her?
A minute later he returned with a long, rather substantial stick. “Here. Use it as a walking stick. It’ll help you keep your balance.”
Looking up at the towering adventurer, she simply blinked. The fact that he’d gone out of his way to not only protect her, but to help her, warmed her heart. Perhaps he wasn’t such a brute, after all.
“Thanks.”
“We’re just about there,” he said. “But I promise, it’ll be worth it.”
Strange, but she actually found herself believing him. Quite a feat for someone who was prone to pessimism.
His words kept her going. And only a few minutes later, they came to an outcropping.
“Oh, my.” She held a hand to her chest as a view of the entire camp stretched out below her. “It’s so beautiful.”
“Isn’t it, though? From here we can see both Mt. Sneffels—” he pointed to their left “—and the Cimarron mountain range.” He moved his hand to the right.
Eyeing the jagged peaks, she said, “This is stunning.” She lowered her gaze again to check out the camp. “I can see the cabins and the chow hall. Look—” she pointed “—there’s a lake.”
“That’s where the fishing and canoeing will take place.”
“What’s that over there?” She homed in on an area just east of the lake, tucked within the trees. There seemed to be a lot of stuff going on, though she couldn’t tell exactly what.
“That’s the zip line and challenge course.”
“In the trees? How is that even possible? And is it safe?”
Daniel laughed. “Safety is our biggest concern here. And yes, everything has been inspected and approved.”
He really had thought things through. Too bad she hadn’t. Could she really pull off being a camp companion? She wasn’t exactly the outdoorsy type. And her black running shoes were now covered in dust. This was so not her.
Lord, how am I going to do this?
Chapter Three
The early afternoon sun was high in the sky as Daniel loaded a cooler full of bottled water onto the golf cart Saturday. He still wasn’t sure what to make of Blythe. Or why God had chosen her to meet Daniel’s need for a camp companion. Yet that was exactly what had happened. So, whether he understood it or not, he had to trust God’s word that all things would work together for good.
After all, it wasn’t that he didn’t appreciate Blythe’s willingness to step up and take on the rigors of being a camp companion. What he wasn’t sure of, though, was if she could take it. She was a city girl, after all.
Moving back inside the kitchen, he retrieved the picnic basket Juanita had filled with chips, cookies, granola bars and other snacks before returning to the cart to settle it beside the cooler. While the other female companions embraced the outdoor events, Blythe had been much more standoffish when he’d walked her through Adventure Haven Thursday. As if she was afraid of getting dirty or breaking another fingernail. And that didn’t bode well for the kids.
Yet yesterday, when he’d decided to steer clear of any outdoor activities and concentrate on all of the classroom training, she was fully participatory and offered up all sorts of great ideas.
He shook his head. Who knew what today would hold? He and Levi had planned an afternoon of fun for the staff and volunteers with some team building exercises over at Adventure Haven, along with a little free time. If Blythe was half as excited about those as she had been about sharing ideas yesterday, he’d be a happy camp director.
He climbed into the cart and stepped on the gas. Continuing around the circle drive, past the camp office, he spotted Blythe and Teri heading in the direction of Adventure Haven.
Hitting the brakes, he said, “You ladies care for a ride?”
They looked at each other and smiled before hurrying to the cart, which kind of made him feel like he was back in high school.
Wearing gray yoga pants and a green Camp Sneffels T-shirt, Blythe scooted in beside him while Teri sat on the outside. It didn’t take him long to catch of whiff of something tropical emanating from Blythe. Her shampoo, maybe? Whatever it was, its sweet scent reminded him of the Amazon Lilies he’d seen on one of his white-water rafting trips in Peru.
Once they were in, he maneuvered the vehicle into the woods, moving up the trail until they reached Adventure Haven where Levi and a couple of his assistants were waiting near the multi-tiered, wooden zip line platform.
Teri, who usually worked as a paralegal at a law office in Durango, leaped out of the cart as soon as it came to a stop and hurried toward Levi while Blythe didn’t move.
Hands clasped tightly in her lap, she stared straight ahead. “Teri tells me you’re planning to have some te
am-building exercises out here.”
“Yeah, kind of a time for everyone to have a little fun before the campers arrive tomorrow.”
She had yet to make any attempt to move. “What kind of exercises?”
“Oh, just some fun challenges, where everyone has to work together. Things like Build a Bridge, Up and Over the Wall, Follow the Leader. Fun stuff.”
With the sun filtering through the trees, she continued to watch Teri as Levi harnessed her for a go on the zip line. “I would prefer not to participate.”
Twisting to face her, Daniel said, “But you have to. I mean, you are part of the team, aren’t you?”
“I’m not comfortable with these sorts of things.” She moved to the other side of the seat and stepped out.
With one hand draped over the steering wheel, he continued to watch her. “Come on, Blythe. Everyone else is participating.”
Arms crossed over her chest in a defiant matter, she said, “I don’t want to.”
He studied her, trying to determine if she was fearful or just prissy. Whatever the case, it really chafed him that she would flat-out refuse.
Stepping onto the pine-needle-covered ground, he rounded the vehicle to stand beside her. “I don’t know how you expect to encourage the kids to do any of these things when you won’t do them yourself. This—” he swept his arm wide, indicating the complex matrix that was the zip line and challenge course “—is why most of them are coming to camp in the first place. They’re tired of sitting on the sidelines. They want to experience the game.”
“I want them to experience it, too. I want them to have fun and try new things.”
He looked down at her, hating that he was now questioning why God had put her in his path. “I see how it is. Do as I say, not as I do.”
Her glare darted to him.
“Well, forgive me,” he said, “but I’d prefer my camp companions to lead by example.”
She walked away as other staff and volunteers began to arrive.
Just as well because he needed to reel in his anger. How could she refuse to participate?
People waved, chatting as they passed him on their way in.
Still waiting for his anger to dissipate, he grabbed the cooler and hauled it to a nearby picnic table, then did the same with the snacks. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this upset. Even his brothers, who knew all too well how to push his buttons, had never succeeded in making him this mad.
When it appeared everyone had arrived, Levi gathered them to announce how the events would unfold.
Teri came alongside Daniel as he watched his friend. “Where’s Blythe?”
He glanced to his right, noticing the outline of her petite figure standing near the lake beside a row of canoes. “Over there.” He pointed beyond the edge of the woods.
Teri looked confused. “Is something wrong?”
“Why don’t you ask Blythe?”
With a shrug, Teri took off in Blythe’s direction.
Daniel immediately felt like a heel. This wasn’t Teri’s problem to deal with, it was his. Yet here he stood.
Lord, do You really want Blythe to be in this position of camp companion, or did I misunderstand You? After all, just because Jack said she could take on the role, didn’t mean God wanted her to.
Levi directed a question his way from the front of the group.
After answering, Daniel glanced toward the lake again. Teri and Blythe were talking, even laughing. Had she explained to Teri why she was over there and not with the group? And why did it bother him so much that they were laughing together?
Focusing on Levi atop one of the platforms, he tried to keep his attention where it needed to be. Yet a short time later, he saw Blythe coming toward him. And for some reason, that made him nervous. What if she decided to quit? Campers would be here in less than twenty-four hours.
She can’t quit completely—she’s the overseer.
Like that was a positive.
She stopped beside him, but didn’t say a word initially. After a moment, though, she leaned toward him, arms crossed. “I’m afraid.” Her voice was so low he almost didn’t hear her.
“What are you afraid of?”
She shrugged. “Embarrassing myself. Getting hurt...”
“Why would you—?”
She looked up at him then, and the genuine fear in her pretty eyes silenced him. He wondered why he hadn’t noticed it before.
“But Teri encouraged me to at least give things a try,” she added.
“How?”
Just then, Teri called Blythe’s name. And as Blythe turned to walk away, she smiled. “She said please.”
* * *
When Blythe volunteered to be a camp companion, she’d envisioned herself cheering campers on as they tackled the challenge course or took flight on the zip line. What she hadn’t counted on was being an active participant.
Obviously, she should have asked for all of the facts first, then made an informed decision. Instead, she’d jumped right in, eager to help the kids, never imagining something like Adventure Haven. The enormity of this place was unlike anything she’d ever seen.
Standing at the edge of the small lake earlier today, she’d wrestled with herself, torn between facing her fears and just giving up. Which, in turn, meant letting the kids down.
Then Teri came along and not only encouraged her, but helped her see that she wasn’t the only one who felt that way. Still, what Daniel had planned for her next might be pushing it.
With the team building stuff over and everyone back at camp, he’d been determined to familiarize Blythe with each of the outdoor events, something the other companions had already done. Never mind that her body was already sore from the team exercises. Though, she had to admit, it had been fun. Who knew that trying to get half a dozen people over a wooden wall in the fastest amount of time could be so enjoyable? She’d been the last one to make it, of course. And if her teammates hadn’t pulled her over, she’d still be there.
Perhaps she truly was an arts-and-crafts kind of girl. But that wasn’t about to stop Daniel. He’d started his instructional tour at the lake where canoeing proved to be quite a challenge for her and fishing had been a fiasco. If she never had to bait another hook, that would be fine by her.
Now, with the late afternoon sun dancing through the trees, they were at the zip-line tower, and the possibilities of what could go wrong here were too numerous to count.
Atop the wooden platform, she eyed the mountains in the distance. “Did I mention that I’m afraid of heights?”
“Blythe, you can’t allow yourself to be a prisoner of your fears.” Daniel rummaged through a plastic bin. “Life is an adventure. Besides, you’ll be wearing a harness.” He held one up before setting it aside and continuing to dig.
“How will that help me if the line itself loosens from the post and comes crashing down?”
He paused his search and gave her a matter-of-fact look. “Blythe, the cables are bolted into the posts. They’ve been inspected multiple times. They’re not coming down.”
She knew he was trying to make her feel better, but he wasn’t succeeding. “They said the Titanic was unsinkable.”
Hands on his hips, he blew out an exasperated breath. “Look, Blythe, I truly appreciate you volunteering to be a camp companion. There’s a lot to that role, and you’ve been a real trouper these last few days. But if you’re not cut out for this type of work, just tell me.”
Studying the intricate web of cables and platforms, she said, “I just don’t understand why the camp companions have to do all of these activities.”
“They don’t, actually.” He reached into the box again. “However, I want them to be familiar with every aspect of them.”
Indignation stiffened her spine. “You mean the other counselors didn’t have to do all of th
ese things?”
“No.” Holding a helmet, he faced her once again. “They chose to.”
Her shoulders sagged. “Oh. So, what do you do if there’s a camper who doesn’t want to participate in something?”
“We give them a pep talk, the way Teri did with you. Encourage them to give it a try. But we’re not going to make them do anything, Blythe.” He handed her the helmet. “Here, put this on.”
“Why?”
“You need to know how to properly fit a helmet so you can assist the kids with theirs.”
“Oh.” She put it on.
“Make sure it’s seated forward, not on the back of your head.” He demonstrated with his own. “Then turn the knob at the back to tighten. It should be fitted, not loose.”
Despite her misgivings, she did as he instructed, because the kids’ safety was her top priority.
With his own headgear in place, he checked hers. “Good job.”
Next, he handed her the strappy looking thing he’d referred to as a harness.
“What am I supposed to do with this?”
“Put it on so you can help the kids. Simply step into it like pair of pants.” He showed her how, and she followed suit. “Then cinch the straps.”
She watched him, then adjusted the belt around her hips.
“All right. Now we attach the lanyard by slipping the looped end of it through the anchor point on the front of the harness.” He pulled the hook end up while she copied him. “Then, we weight the harness.” He clipped his hook to the zip line and reached for hers.
Panic rippled through her. “What are you doing?”
“Teaching you how to weight the harness.” He clipped her lanyard to the line. “The staff will hook you to the line, then you’ll pretend to sit to put some weight on the harness. That way you can make sure everything is snug.”
After an initial hesitation, she did as he said and easily adjusted all of the straps. “Looks like I’ll have no problem helping the kids.” She looked at him. “Now what?”
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