That was enough! I screamed in frustration, “He’s not my boyfriend! He’s buddies with my roommate Karen. He wanted to take her on this trip, but she went to visit her parents. So I offered to go to get some climbing experience in, and he said yes. And now he’s abandoned me in the middle of nowhere and I have no idea what to do or how I’m supposed to get home and….,” I finally ran out of breath and the tears started dwelling up again. But I wouldn’t give this jerk the satisfaction to see me crying and quickly turned away.
Peter had stopped laughing by now and looked at me sternly, “He’s not your boyfriend? That’s pretty convenient, isn’t it?”
I shook my head, leaning my hands on my thighs to catch my breath and hold back my tears. “He’s not. I don’t have a boyfriend. I’ve hardly even dated the last year I’ve been so busy….”
Peter tried to tamp down on the urge to offer comfort to her. She looked so fragile and vulnerable. Even though he wouldn’t admit it even to himself, he was attracted to her. Her slim body, her long legs, the way she moved elegantly and swung her head to move that stubborn little strand of hair back in place. But he was a man of principles and didn’t allow himself to be attracted to another man’s girl.
Had he misjudged her that badly? Michael had sure acted like a boyfriend. “Do you make it a habit of going camping with men you barely know?”
I looked at him, hearing the censure in his voice, “No. I told you…”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I got what you told me.“ Crazy college girl! He muttered under his breath.
“So, will you help me, please? Perhaps you could help me get my stuff back to where you guys are camping and I could hitch a ride home in someone’s car?”
Peter shook his head, “I don’t think they have room in one of the cars. They are all packed up to the roof.” When he saw her face fall, he offered a small glimmer of hope, “But, hey, I might be wrong.”
Peter got on the bike and gestured with his head, “Hop on. I have to get these permits back to the group and later on we’ll see about your stuff.”
I nodded and tried to find the bright side of this situation. I had liked the group of people I’d met last night. I once again vowed not to drink anymore and I might even find some way to enjoy the rest of this trip.
*****
It became clear that my stuff was never going to fit on the back of the bike. Peter grew impatient and made no pretense otherwise. Finally, he’d had enough, “OK. Leave your stuff here. We’ll head down and send somebody up here with a vehicle to haul it back to our campsite.”
I nodded, not wanting to rock the boat. It was evident that Peter reckoned like he was babysitting me and we were starting to get on each other’s nerves. “Fine. Let’s go.”
I walked to the bike and waited for him to mount up before I climbed on. At the campsite, everyone was ready to tackle Half Dome. Peter explained briefly what had occurred and everyone seemed really empathetic. The men and the women in the group had some choice words for Michael – nothing I hadn’t already called him a million times in my head.
Marilee offered to help me retrieve my stuff and we made short work of that. After returning to their camp, I proposed to stay at the campsite for the day, while they went out on their hike, but they would hear nothing of it. Ten minutes later I found myself, backpack and water bottle headed towards Half Dome with a bunch of strangers I had met less than 12 hours ago. It was the weirdest feeling, knowing that I was dependent upon this group of strangers for my very survival.
Usually I’m not the adventurous type, I much prefer to stay in the safety of my comfort zone. This trip to Yosemite with Michael had been one of my most outrageous adventures yet. And I would never have done it had I known what would happen. It had felt safe to go with him, because he’s the buddy of my roommate. What a mistake! I was horrified with the possibilities of what else could go wrong, but tried not to show any trace of anxiety. Instead I put on the most assuring smile I was capable of.
I quickly learned everyone’s names and realized that this eclectic bunch of people all lived in Santa Clara, but not all of them were college students. There were two married couples along, Seth and Barbara and Seth’s sister – Anne and her husband Tom. They had met at college and made this a yearly trip to kick off summer.
Peter was friends with Seth and had been climbing and hiking with him since high school. All of these people were nearing thirty, but they didn’t seem old to me.
Three single girls, the one’s whose tent I had slept in last night had the names Marilee, Jamie and Sarah. All three of them students at the same college I attended, and roommates. Marilee was Seth’s younger sister and her fiancé, a Marine, currently attended training mission for the next three weeks.
The two single guys, Mark and Brad, were also college students who had just graduated. Both planned to head off to graduate school in the fall. Overall, the group was a good mixture of people who liked nature and having fun.
They made me feel welcome, well - most of them did. Peter didn’t seem to be too happy that I now formed part of their group. I tried to stay out of his way and observed him doing exactly the same. That was fine by me. Once we returned home, our paths would likely never cross again.
We climbed and hiked for two days and enjoyed the evenings around the campfire. I actually learned quite a bit about climbing during the second day, and knew that I would be finding other people to climb with in the near future. I loved the challenge of pitting my strength and knowledge against nature. It was exhilarating and even though the trip had started out horrible, I soon started to be thankful that I had come.
On the third morning, I awoke to find everyone breaking camp and packing up for the long drive home. Yosemite Valley is approximately 4 ½ hours drive from Santa Clara and everyone in the group was anxious to get started early.
I finished packing up my tent and noticed that Marilee, Peter and Seth had a somewhat heated argument off to the side of everyone else. I tried not to pay attention, but Peter looked upset with whatever they discussed. After several minutes, he stormed off.
Marilee looked at Seth and suggested something. Afterwards she came over to where I stood. “Everything alright?” I asked.
“It will be. Look, we can take your stuff back in the cars, but both vehicles are completely packed with people driving up here. We don’t have any room for you.”
I stood there not knowing what to say or do. “Uhm…”
“Wait, I’m not finished. Peter rode his bike up here. He has an extra helmet and everything…”
“… but he doesn’t want to be saddled with me. That’s what has him so upset, right?”
Marilee looked sad but nodded her head, “Yeah. Sorry. Don’t take it personal, he’s had it tough lately.”
I didn’t want to give him that much of a break. The man was rude and evidently very self-centered. I mean, it’s not like I asked to be stranded in the middle of the wilderness, hundreds of miles from home!
“Perhaps you guys could drop me off at one of the lodges and I hitch a ride home with somebody else.”
Marilee shook her head, “No way. I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night. I mean, what if you hitched a ride with a crazy or something. No, Peter can take you home, he just has to quit having a temper tantrum.”
“Should I go and talk to him…”
“Don’t. Seth’s already doing that. Just leave him alone and finish packing up your stuff. He’ll do the right thing.”
I wasn’t as confident as she seemed to be, but I did finish packing up my stuff. The I helped Marilee secure it in the luggage rack on top of her vehicle. Peter returned to camp several minutes later with Seth in tow. Stalking by me, he said, “I’m leaving in ten minutes. I only have room for you, so everything that doesn’t fit in your backpack, has to go with the car. Understood?”
I briefly considered saluting, but didn’t. Tensions were already running high and I didn’t want to exacerbate them anymore. I had placed my necessit
ies and a quick change of clothes into my backpack – just in case. With what had happened during this trip I didn’t want to take any chances!
Grabbing my backpack, I walked over to his bike and waited. I didn’t want to give him any more reasons to be upset. I would be a model travel companion. Maybe he would even forget about me. It was about 4 ½ hours back home. It would be noisy on the bike, we didn’t even have to make polite conversation. I would simply accept the ride and say “Thank you” once we reached Santa Clara. Simple. Easy.
Chapter 3
Stupid me! I should have remembered that nothing in this life is as simple as it seems. I said “Goodbye” to the rest of the group and climbed on the bike. Not before exchanging phone numbers with Marilee to get back all my stuff from her tonight or tomorrow.
Peter stopped at the first gas station to fuel up the bike and that’s when the simple began to get complicated.
“I have to run up to my uncle’s cabin before we head home,” he informed me.
“Okay. Is it on the way?”
Peter nodded, pointing to a tall peak outside the park’s boundaries, he said, “It’s up there.”
I looked up to where he was pointing and back at him, “At the top?”
“Not quite, but close enough. The ride’s pretty steep, so even though it pains you to touch me, you’re going to have to hold on when we start climbing.”
I blushed and replied, “It’s not that I don’t want to touch you, I thought you wouldn’t want me to. You don’t seem to like me very much.”
Peter looked me over from head to toe, “I like you just fine, but I don’t think you were very smart in coming up here with your un-boyfriend.”
I looked at him and narrowed my eyes, “You still assume I’m lying about Michael and I not being a couple?”
Peter shrugged, “Should I?”
I glared at him, “I already told you who Michael is. If you choose not to accept this, that’s on you.”
Peter didn’t reply, just mounted his bike. When I climbed back on, he gunned it and headed off. Thirty minutes later, he pulled off the main road onto what seemed more like a trail than a road. As we headed into the timber, I realized that I had no idea where we were heading. Would this guy also leave me in the middle of nowhere? Did he hate me that much as to dump me somewhere in the forest? To be devoured by the bears and wolves and what other dangerous animals lived there? I tried my best not to panic and found confidence in the knowledge that Marilee and Seth knew I was with him. He wouldn’t do any harm to me as long as I was under their protection, even though it was only virtual.
The thunderclouds had been gathering all day, and as we came out of the thick timber, the skies opened up in a downpour. Within seconds we were both drenched.
Peter turned the bike around and headed back into the trees. Parking the bike, he helped me off and pulled me with him to take shelter beneath the branches of a large pine tree. It didn’t stop all the rain but the majority of it.
I stood there, water dripping off my bangs, shivering with the cold and my teeth chattering. When Peter stuck a hand in front of me, holding a rain jacket, I took it with frozen fingers and pulled it on. “Thanks,” I mumbled through my chattering teeth.
As the rain started to subside, Peter spoke up, “Come on. My uncle’s cabin is a couple of more miles. Let’s go.”
We headed back up the mountain, going a little slower now as the road had become slick and muddy. I ducked my head against his back, trying to keep as much warmth in my body as possible. I considered pressing up against the warm body in front of me, but realized that would be way too forward. I would have to be a lot colder than I was now for that to be okay.
When Peter stopped the bike, I looked up and had never been so thankful to see a building in my life. I climbed off the bike on stiff legs, shivering so badly I barely managed to climb the few steps leading to the front door.
Peter retrieved the key and opened the door. “Stay there for a minute and let me get the generator started so we can see.” It had started to rain again, and the dark thunderheads made it seem much later than it actually was. Peter disappeared around the side of the cabin and moments later I heard the diesel generator start up.
He returned and flipped the light switch on, bathing the interior of the cabin in a warm glow. I shed my muddy tennis shoes at the door and stood on the tile near the front door, not wanting to drip water everywhere. Peter didn’t seem to mind and quickly disappeared through the cabin, returning moments later with an armful of towels. While tossing me a couple, he gestured towards a closed door, “You can change in there.”
I opened the door and was astonished to see the rustic interior. The hand-carved lodge pole bed with its quilted covering looked perfect. I was glad I had stuck a change of clothes in my backpack, and quickly retrieved my t-shirt and jean shorts. My underwear was soaked through, so I left it off, thankful the dark color of the t-shirt would help protect my modesty somewhat.
I dried my hair as best as possible and returned into the main room. Peter had changed into dry clothing as well and started a fire in the hearth. Puzzled, I asked him, “Do we really need a fire? I thought we were only going to be here for a little while?”
“I’m not driving down in this weather. That road is treacherous when it’s wet like this.” He sounded like trying to explain things to a kindergartner.
“So what, you aren’t suggesting we stay here overnight?”
Peter shrugged, “Why not? It’s clean and dry. We’ve got instant soup, plenty of water and fire. What more do you want?”
“Home? I want to go home. Unless you’ve forgotten, this has been a rather crappy couple of days for me and all I want is to go home.”
“And you’ll get home tomorrow. Now, I have chicken noodle, beef vegetable, or tomato.”
“What?” I asked, not quite sure what he was talking about.
“Instant soup,” he said, holding up several packages. “We have hot water, and instant soup. Dinner. What’s your preference?”
“Anything but tomato,” I replied with a shiver. I hated tomato soup and always had.
Peter gave me a look, tossed me one of the packages and nodded towards the kitchen, “There’s cups in the cupboard above the sink and spoons in the drawer. Bring me one of each, too.”
I couldn’t believe how laid back he behaves about being stranded high in the mountains. I located the utensils and cups and returned to sit near the fire. The warmth of the fire enhanced my mood – much better than the cold outside. I almost started to enjoy the situation. If I only had a more friendly companion! Peter looked so hot and even though his behavior was less than charming I couldn’t help but being attracted to him.
I stirred my soup, waiting the requisite three minutes for the vegetables and noodles to rehydrate and observed how calm and quiet it was. Peter silently did the same. We both ate in silence and I once again felt the tension starting to build – at least on my part.
Finally, when I pondered to scream just to hear something besides my own breathing, he asked, “You want some tea?”
I looked up and nodded, “Yeah. Thanks.”
He made the tea and brought me a mug. “Be careful, it’s very hot.”
I nodded, murmuring “Thanks” as he retreated to his side of the fire. I took a sip and decided I couldn’t handle the silence any longer. “This is your uncle’s cabin?”
“Yeah. We used to come up here a lot when I was younger. Now, I’m lucky if I make it up here three or four times a year.”
“Too busy?” I asked.
Peter nodded, leaning back against a pillow he had placed against the couch, “Yeah. I work about seventy hours a week. A buddy and I started our own company a few years back. It’s doing very well, but since it’s only the two of us, we put in a lot of hours.”
“What kind of company?”
“Computer stuff mainly. Programming and security stuff.”
“Sounds boring.” It was actually righ
t up my alley, but I didn’t want him to know that.
Peter chuckled, “To most people it is. It’s been a good career move for us though. It just doesn’t leave a lot of time for anything else.”
“That’s how I feel about college. This last semester has been tough. I’m glad I’m almost through.”
“Junior?” Peter asked.
I shook my head, “No, senior but I still 6 week internship to finish before I officially graduate. I didn’t care about walking the line, so I put it off until this summer.”
Peter nodded, “So, what made you decided to tackle Yosemite?”
“I didn’t really plan that. I needed a chance to unwind and when Michael said he would be driving up here, I came along. I started a climbing course in January and love it.”
“Climbing in the wild is a lot different than climbing in a gym, you know?”
I nodded, “Yeah. I noticed that in the last few days. In fact on our first evening here I was almost dead by exhaustion after two hours on an easy trail. And I consider myself in reasonable shape.”
“Nature can be lots of fun. I love being up here in the mountains, seeing nature and becoming part of it for a little while. There’s nothing like taking on a steep granite wall, knowing it’s going to require all of your strength and mental acuity to conquer. When you finally reach the summit, that’s the best feeling in the world.”
I watched Peter as he continued to talk about some of the climbs he had completed. He was quite accomplished and talked about one day tackling the famous free climber routes in the European Alps. That was one climb I had no intention of ever attempting. Too dangerous!
When I yawned, trying to hide behind my hand, Peter stood up and threw a few more logs on the fire. “We should get some sleep. There’s only the one bedroom, but it’s a king sized bed. I think we could share it and not cause any lasting harm to each other, don’t you?”
I wanted to protest, but I was too tired, and sleeping on the hard wooden floor didn’t seem appealing at all. I shrugged and decided if he could handle it, so did I. I didn’t want to upset the fragile harmony we had developed by complaining.
Falling For Him 1 (Rachel and Peter in Love) Page 2