by Gerri Hill
“We should probably head back up,” Lee called.
Kate rolled her head to the side, smiling as she watched Lee sit up. Their eyes held for a moment, then Kate looked away as Lee stood. She gathered her own clothes, dressing with her back to Lee. It was foolish. It wasn’t like they hadn’t spent the better part of two hours frolicking in the water naked.
“Oh, now you’re shy,” Lee teased.
Kate laughed. “Silly, I know.”
“It’s okay. It was fun as hell though, wasn’t it?”
“Absolutely. I’m so glad you brought me.”
“Now, we just have to get you out of here.”
Lee shouldered her backpack, then led the way back along the trail. Kate only made the first switchback before she had to stop, panting.
“Okay, so maybe you are a little out of shape.”
Kate shook her head. “Smoker,” she gasped.
“You smoke?” Lee shook her head. “Never would have pegged you for a smoker.”
“I officially quit two years ago,” Kate said as her breathing returned somewhat to normal. “Actually, I’ve been on and off for two years. More off than on, I’m proud to say. But technically, I quit at the airport the day I left Dallas.”
“Snuck one in, did you?”
Kate grinned. “I hate flying.”
“Well, I’m glad you quit. Congratulations. They tell me it’s tough.”
“Pure hell,” Kate admitted as she followed Lee up the trail. “But I feel great.”
“We can stop as much as you need.”
“Don’t worry,” Kate huffed. She paused, looking nearly straight up the cliff wall. “Good God,” she murmured.
“What?”
“It looks steeper from this angle.”
Lee laughed. “Yeah, I’m thinking the rope part is going to be real fun.”
“I tried to warn you,” Kate said. “No upper body strength.”
“We’ll manage.”
It was all a blur but after four more rest stops, they finally made it to the rock wall. Kate collapsed where they stood, her lungs burning. Damn cigarettes.
“You okay?”
Kate could only nod. She rested her arms on her drawn-up knees, hanging her head between her legs as she tried to catch her breath.
Lee slid down beside her, then offered her a drink of water. Kate’s bottle was long gone. She took the bottle, taking a long swallow before handing it back.
“I swear, it’s like you’re jogging up this trail. I think you’re trying to kill me.”
Lee laughed outright. And she realized she did that a lot around Kate. Laughed. It felt good. Maybe that was why she enjoyed Kate’s company so much.
“Jogging? We’re practically crawling up the trail.”
“You could at least pretend to be winded.”
“I’m sure after I have to haul your ass up this rock wall, I will be.”
Kate lifted her head, meeting the hazel eyes that danced with amusement. Laughing eyes. She liked them.
Kate smiled at her. “In case you do have to haul me up this wall, there’s really no need to tell anyone about it, right?”
Lee raised her eyebrows mischievously. “We can probably work something out.”
“That sounds dangerous. Maybe I need to give the wall a try first.”
“Oh, you’ll do fine.” Lee stood, offering a hand to Kate. “I’ll go first, like before.”
“First? But what if I fall?”
“You won’t fall. You’ll do just the opposite of when you came down. This time, you’ll pretend you’re climbing up a ladder.” Lee grabbed hold of a couple of the pitons and gave a jerk. “They’re still in tight. Don’t be afraid to put your weight on them, just remember to hold tight to the rope.”
Kate watched in amazement as Lee walked up the wall, hand over fist on the rope, pulling herself up with ease. Wow.
“Tie my backpack like before,” Lee called from above.
Kate did as she was told, then waited while Lee pulled the rope up. Kate shielded her eyes from the sun, her eyes locked on the fluid motions of Lee’s body.
“Okay, coming down,” Lee called, releasing the rope.
Kate stepped back, letting the rope fall where she could reach it. She took hold of the rope, then stared at where the first piton was—her foothold. Crap. She glanced up at Lee. “Wonder how I’m going to reach that?”
“It’s just three feet. Use the rope to pull yourself up.”
“I’ll try. But no laughing from the bleachers if I bust my ass!”
Lee grinned. “I promise.”
It only took two tries, but Kate did manage to reach the lowest piton. Unfortunately, she put all her weight on it and she felt it slip.
“Don’t let go of the rope!” Lee yelled.
Kate didn’t. She steadied herself, then like Lee, pulled herself up the wall, hand over fist. Unlike Lee, she did not skip over the very useful pitons. At the top, Lee was squatting, holding out her hand.
“Are you kidding? That means I’ve got to let go of the rope with one hand,” Kate said.
“How else are you going to get up here?” Lee asked reasonably.
“Good point,” she murmured. “You won’t let me fall, right?”
“Of course not.” Then Lee winked. “And then you’ll owe me.”
Kate rolled her eyes. “Maybe I’d be better off falling!”
But she didn’t. Lee grabbed hold of her hand, steadying them both until Kate was ready to push off. Then Lee grabbed both her upper arms, hoisting her onto the ledge. It was a perfect plan. That is . . . until Kate lost her balance, causing Lee to tip backward, pulling Kate with her.
They landed with a thud, Kate lying completely on top of Lee. They both froze, their eyes locking together. Then Lee laughed.
“This could be fun,” she murmured. “If only you hadn’t knocked the wind out of me.”
Kate came to her senses, rolling off Lee immediately.
“I’m so sorry,” she said, helping Lee to sit up. “Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine,” Lee said as she rubbed the back of her head. “I’m sure this huge knot is nothing.”
Kate’s eyes widened. She reached around Lee, moving Lee’s hands out of the way, gently feeling for the knot. It was the size of a pea. A small pea at that.
“I think you might live.”
“Could be a concussion.”
“If you’re lucky, it’ll bruise. Then you’ll have something to complain about.”
Lee laughed, then stood. “You’re not much for sympathy, are you?”
Kate smiled sweetly, then handed Lee her backpack. “Lead on.” But an hour later, still a good fifty feet from the rim, Kate collapsed, waving Lee on.
“No, you go on. I can’t make it. I give up,” she gasped between breaths.
Lee walked back down the trail where Kate sat, trying to wipe the smile from her face. “So, what now? You going to spend the night here? Just you and the coyotes?”
Kate glared at her. Lee laughed harder.
“We can see the top. We’re almost there,” Lee said reasonably.
Kate took a swing at her. “You said that thirty minutes ago.”
Lee tried another approach. “You’re doing great, Kate. It’s always harder—much harder—going back up. In fact, I didn’t think you’d be able to go as fast as you’ve been.”
Kate stared at her, then started laughing herself. “Oh, God, Lee, you are so full of shit!”
Lee spread her arms wide, her smile contagious. “You doubt me?”
“Oh, yeah. I doubt you, sweetheart.”
Lee’s smile faltered only slightly. And thankfully, Kate had turned away as she stood. Lee watched as Kate tilted her head back, looking up to the rim where they had to go. Sweetheart? Lee took a breath, wondering at the funny feeling that word caused.
“Wonder how many more times I’ll have to stop before we get there?”
Lee shook off the feeling, finally walking ahead o
f Kate. “As many as you need. We’re not in that big of a hurry.”
“I thought you had a crime scene to investigate,” Kate reminded her.
“Oh, just so I’m there before the evening crowd, it’ll be fine.”
“Well, let’s just say if it takes that long for us to reach the rim, you’ll have to call search and rescue.”
“Kate, the hard part is over. You climbed nearly fifteen feet on a rock wall. This is easy, it’s just uphill.”
Kate stopped. “Fifteen feet? You said it was barely twelve.”
“I may have fibbed a little.” Then she stopped too. “Are we resting already?”
Kate shook her head. “No, I’m just slowing down.” She stopped again. “And it’ll be a miracle if I can even get out of bed tomorrow, much less walk.”
“Does that mean you don’t want to make this a weekly activity?”
“You ask me that now? Before we’ve even made it out of here?”
“Look,” Lee pointed. “Thirty more feet.”
Kate sighed. “Yeah, the promised land,” she murmured. She walked on, urging Lee to go in front of her with a quick tug on her shorts. She had long ago lost the energy to watch Lee’s legs as they walked. She only wanted her in front in case she slipped and fell.
Lee stopped, turned around and reached for Kate. “Okay.” She looked up. “I’m going up first. Watch me. Use the tree limbs. I’ll pull you over the rim like I did the ledge.”
Kate nodded. “Okay.”
Like a cat, Lee scampered up the trail, pulling herself up with the help of the piñon pines. At the rim, she swung one leg up, then pulled herself over the top, leaving Kate staring after her. I’m going to fall.
“Come on, Kate.”
“Why did it seem so easy going down?”
Lee laughed, then sat on the rim, legs swinging casually over the side, waiting.
After a silent count of three, Kate grabbed the lower limb of the pine, pulling herself along, stumbling several times on the rocks. She wondered how much easier it would have been had she owned hiking boots. But she kept going, moving from limb to limb as Lee had done.
“Grab my hand,” Lee instructed.
Kate didn’t hesitate. The next thing she knew, she was sitting in the bright sunshine, the deep canyon of the waterfall far below them.
“Piece of cake,” Lee said.
Kate nodded, then laid flat on her back, relieved she made it. “The next time I ask you to take me somewhere like this, remind me I’m old and out of shape.”
Chapter Fifteen
“Oh, my, darling. Are you okay?”
Kate walked gingerly into the living room, flicking her eyes once at Brenda, then back to the floor as she watched every step she took.
“I’m . . . I’m not sure,” she said. “Everything is numb.”
Brenda took her arm, steadying her. “I was worried when we got back and you weren’t here. Whatever have you done?”
“Lee. Lee took me hiking. To the oasis.”
“The waterfall, darling? Down in that bowl?”
Kate nodded. “Yes. Bowl. That’s an excellent word for it.”
“Oh my.”
“I want a shower. I’m starving and I’m exhausted, but I want a shower.”
“Okay, go on, darling. Sophia put a nice roast on for us before she left. I’ll bring you a glass of wine.”
Kate paused. “Sophia? Ahh, your maid service. I’d forgotten.” She paused. “She didn’t come last week,” she stated.
“No, her sister was ill. But she’s better than anyone I’ve ever had in Dallas, darling. Of course, she costs more than anyone I’ve had in Dallas. But, she’s an excellent cook.”
“Wonderful,” Kate murmured as she walked into her room. She stripped on her way to the bathroom, then eyed the tub instead of the shower. A soak in hot water—extremely hot water— seemed in order. She let the tub fill as she rummaged through the cabinets, looking for bath salts or gel or even bubbles. Something soothing. She grinned when she found the jar of scented bath salts. Then she spied a blue bottle—Soothing Aromatherapy Foaming Bath Oil. Is that heaven or what?
“Oh, my, darling.”
Kate turned quickly, but she was too tired to feel embarrassed as she stood there naked. She simply reached for the cool glass of sangria that Brenda offered. “Thanks.”
Brenda raised her eyebrows as she looked pointedly at Kate’s breasts. “You have a sunburn. What in the world did you do?”
“We went swimming.”
“Naked? With Lee?”
“Yes, with Lee. Brenda, I’m not one of her blond bimbos. We’re becoming friends. And I’m surprised that I can even say that about her, but yeah, we’re friends. I enjoy her company.”
“Well, I’d hoped you would hit it off, darling.”
Kate waved her away. “We can’t stand here and have a conversation with me naked. It’s just weird. Give me an hour to soak and I’ll be out.”
“Of course. The roast should be ready by then. Yell if you want more wine.”
As soon as Brenda closed the door, Kate sank into the hot water, an audible sigh left her body as she submerged to her neck.
“Oh, God, that’s good.”
She leaned her head back, resting it against the cool tile as she relaxed. She had used muscles today that she wasn’t aware she had. And she only knew that because she hurt in places she’d never hurt before. But it was so damn much fun.
Yeah. And the more time she spent in Lee’s company, the more she liked her. She had fun with Lee. She laughed with Lee. And, surprisingly, she felt comfortable with Lee.
“And she’s sexy as hell,” she whispered, remembering the way Lee’s body looked—stark naked—water dripping off every tanned curve. Then she sighed and shook her head, again hating the fact that she was . . . she was attracted to Lee. And it was so out of character for her. For one thing, Lee was the epitome of what she despised in lesbian relationships. There was nothing healthy about jumping from bed to bed, either physically or emotionally. Yet Lee had turned it into an art. Well, regardless that she found Lee attractive, she could take solace in the fact that she would not end up as one of her bed partners.
She sipped her wine, trying to turn her thoughts to Jennifer and Paul instead of Lee. Jennifer as a lesbian? What are you thinking? Despite thinking that Lee had lost her mind when she suggested Jennifer was a lesbian, it was really the only thing that made sense. Especially since she had unknowingly turned her into one in the last few books. And poor Paul, what in the world would she do with him? Would he be heartbroken? Would he be surprised? Or would he, as everyone else apparently, have already suspected?
A knock on the door brought her back to the present. Brenda stuck her head around inside.
“Sorry, but I answered your cell,” she said, holding up the phone. “Robin.”
“Thank you.” Then, as Brenda made a face, Kate stuck her tongue out, still grinning when she answered.
“Hi, honey. I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”
Kate lazily splashed the warm water around her. “I’m in the tub, actually,” she said.
“At this hour? Are you okay?”
“Yes. I was out hiking today,” she said. “I’m beyond sore.”
“Hiking? Doesn’t that cut into your writing?”
Kate leaned her head back and closed her eyes as the guilt settled over her. This was Robin, her girlfriend. Why did she feel the need to lie? Why couldn’t she just tell her the truth? It wasn’t like she’d done anything wrong. Was swimming naked with another woman wrong?
“Actually, it did cut into my writing,” she admitted. “But Lee offered to take me to the oasis.” She waited for the question.
“Who’s Lee?”
“She’s the local sheriff. Didn’t I tell you she is a friend of Brenda’s?”
“No, you didn’t. But what’s the oasis?”
Kate raised her eyebrows, expecting more questions about Lee. For some reason, she th
ought Robin would be jealous. But why should she? She’s not met Lee. She has no idea that Kate finds her attractive.
“The oasis is a waterfall in a canyon. Steep hike down. Killer of a hike going back up.”
“I didn’t know you liked to hike. Well, I’m glad you’re getting out and doing something. I had visions of you locked in your room with your laptop, coming out only to eat.”
“No. And actually I spend more time on the deck with my laptop than I do my room. It’s so pretty here.”
“Well, that’s one reason I called. I can get a Friday off in two weeks. I thought maybe I’d come visit. Fly out on that Thursday night. What do you think?”
Kate was aware that she was hesitating and she had no idea why. Of course she should want Robin to visit. She missed her. Right?
“I think that would be wonderful, Robin.”
“Great. I’ll check on flights. Can you meet me in Santa Fe or shall I just rent a car?”
“It might be better to rent a car. That way, if Brenda is out and about, we won’t be without a vehicle,” Kate explained.
“Okay, great. I’ll call you later with the details.” She paused. “I can’t wait to see you.”
Another stab of guilt as Kate realized she had not really missed Robin. Perhaps this visit would be good for them. They needed to probably spend some time together, get reacquainted. Maybe her earlier thoughts that separation from Robin would make them both realize the emptiness of their relationship was wrong. Maybe the separation would bring them closer together.
She tossed the phone on the mat, dismissing thoughts of Robin. She drained the now cool water, her bath over. Hopefully, dinner would be ready soon. She was starving. And if she didn’t pass out from exhaustion, she would write for a couple of hours. She laughed. Jennifer as a lesbian. Wouldn’t she have fun trying to write that!
Lee pulled her Jeep in front of Opal’s, noting only a handful of locals there. It was still several hours before the summer crowd would leave the river for the day and venture over to the bar. But most nights, the place would be packed. And some nights, the summer crowd would get rowdy. It was on those nights she was thankful to have Skip as her backup. The locals knew he was as easygoing as they came. But at six-foot-five, two-hundred-fifty pounds, he could stop most fights with just a glare.