“Oh god, girlfriend. You’re the strongest woman I know. Here, sit down.” Kelli guided Amber to the corner and tugged a metallic blanket over her. Then she plucked a two-way radio off the wall.
“T-bar trap to base. T-bar to base. This is Kelli, do you read?”
The speaker crackled to life. “Yes, Kelli. We hear you.”
“Amber made it; the crazy woman just appeared right out of the storm.”
There were cheers on the other end of the line and Amber’s heart swelled at the sound.
“That’s great news, Kelli. Now for the bad news. You’ll have to hunker down for an hour or so, till the storm blows over.”
“That’s cool. Us girls have got some catching up to do anyway. Right, Amber?”
Amber grinned and nodded. As Kelli finished up the call and fussed about finding emergency supplies of water, energy bars, and space blankets, Amber realized how lucky she was to have found Kelli. Their friendship had grown to be one of the most powerful relationships she’d ever had. Kelli was both a source of fun and a wealth of inspiration. And even though she was a nonstop chatterbox, she was also a great listener. Not that Amber talked much. But as they settled into the corner that offered the most protection from the wind, Amber realized that this was the perfect time to tell Kelli some of the secrets that’d been crushing her for what seemed like ever.
Outside, the storm raged and wind slammed into the sides of the shed with such force that Amber wouldn’t have been surprised if the roof ripped off. Inside, snuggled up against each other, she told Kelli about her injuries, her coma, her recovery, and her mother dying.
During the story, they’d cried together, and Kelli hugged Amber often. There were many things she couldn’t mention, though. She never elaborated on the crash, and Kelli most likely assumed it was a car crash. She didn’t mention her fiancé or his son. She left out her name change, the bodies in the ice, the murderer label that Victoria had given her, and Milton’s inheritance. She hated that she couldn’t tell Kelli everything. She loved Kelli, there was no doubt about that. But she wasn’t sure Kelli could keep anything a secret. After all, verbal diarrhea was Kelli’s thing. She wasn’t malicious, she was just a chatterbox.
By the time the T-bar lift shunted to life, Amber felt like an enormous concrete blanket had been lifted from her body. It’d been cathartic to reveal some of her burdens, and Amber believed her friendship with Kelli had launched to a whole new level. And it was perfect.
When they finally arrived at the resort, the cheers from the waiting crowd were overwhelming. A party struck up almost instantly, and the second a woolen blanket was draped over Amber’s shoulders, a wine was put into her hand. Kelli was the life of the party, and during her retelling of the drama in the storm, she made Amber out to be some kind of mythical being that amazingly emerged from the whiteout.
She hugged Amber to her side. “She’s incredible.”
The crowd lapped it up, and Amber’s embarrassment over the attention hit maximum capacity. Yet for the first time in years, her hideous wound took a back seat.
It was like releasing the elephant in the room. And now that it was done, nobody seemed to notice. Maybe all these years of hiding behind it had been the wrong choice. People were more interested in what they couldn’t see. Once she got that initial exposure out of the way, it was like they no longer cared.
Like Oliver. He didn’t seem to notice it anymore either. Nor Kelli.
The whole concept was like a brilliant light. Focused, daring, enlightening.
By the time she’d had her second wine, she was totally relaxed, and for the first time in as long as she could remember, she was enjoying being in a crowd of strangers.
Once again, she found herself wishing Oliver could be here to see her.
It seemed like an eternity before she was able to leave the celebration, and Erik was a gentleman and walked her back to her chalet. Once safely at her door, he pulled her in for a hug and kissed the top of her head. “So glad you’re okay.”
“Thanks.” She was beyond flustered as she listened to his thumping heart.
He pulled back. “Okay then, see you tomorrow.” He turned and set off back toward the party.
She was glowing inside and out by the time she stepped into the cabin.
In her bathroom, she stripped out of her clothes and reluctantly glanced in the mirror. She already assumed she’d have bruises, but the quantity and the severity of them had her gasping. It looked like she’d been shoved in a cocktail maker with chunks of ice and shaken like crazy. The bulk of her bruising was on her hips, buttocks, ribs, and shoulders. A couple on her thighs and shins were straight lines, and she assumed they were from the dislodging skis.
Pain had been her constant companion for many years now, but that didn’t mean it hurt any less. She was eternally grateful her body had slipped into a coma after the chopper accident, because she doubted she could have handled the pain she would’ve suffered.
But the pain she was feeling now took a back seat to another emotion: pride.
Her determination in the storm proved her strength had improved a thousand-fold from the woman who’d woken from the coma. And not just physically, mentally too. The fact that she chose life over death was truly empowering. She’d turned a corner and was now treading on exciting groundbreaking territory.
After a long hot shower, she pulled on flannel pajamas and fluffy socks and wrapped a woolen scarf around her neck. She’d taken to wearing a red scarf, similar to the one Angel had been wearing when she’d frozen to death in that crevice. Somehow it made her feel closer to the poor woman whose demise had been destined to remain untold. Amber planned on changing that, though. And she was pretty confident she was on track.
She poured her usual glass of wine nightcap, although with how exhausted she already felt, she doubted she’d have any trouble sleeping. Placing her wine on the side table, she switched on her laptop and curled up in front of the fire to go through her emails.
The very first message had her sitting up, wide awake.
Carter Logan had finally responded to one of her five emails.
Chapter Seventeen
The entire time Oliver was belaying for Peter, who was halfway up the rock wall, he shared his concentration between the climber and the blackness outside. He knew Amber would be out there, hiding in the shadows. It no longer seemed strange that she did this. He’d come to accept her secrecy. He just hoped that one day she’d feel comfortable enough to confide in him. And when she did, he hoped he’d react in a way that didn’t scare her off.
The bell sounded, signaling Peter had reached the top, and Oliver scolded himself for missing it as he lowered Peter to the mat. “Good work, buddy.”
“Felt great up there tonight.”
“Excellent, that’s how it’s meant to feel.” Oliver clapped Peter on the shoulder.
“Yeah, it doesn’t always, though.”
“If it was always amazing, you wouldn’t recognize the good times.”
“You, my friend, missed your calling.” Peter unclipped his harness.
“Really?” Oliver chuckled. Intrigued, he asked, “What should I be doing?”
“Priesthood, or something just as godly.”
“Oh jeez, Pete, I think you went too high on that climb.”
Peter laughed. “It’s true, you’re a miracle worker.”
When he’d first come into Oliver’s gym, Peter had just separated from his wife of seven years. He was a broken man who’d devoted his life to his work and left little time for his marriage or his health. To his credit, Peter had since turned his life around. He put the balance back into his work/life equation. He dedicated a chunk of his schedule to getting fit, and he’d put a concerted effort into fighting for his marriage. His efforts had paid off—he was back with his wife and he looked incredible.
“You did all the work, Pete.”
“Thanks to you.” Peter tapped Oliver on the shoulder. “See you next week.”
>
“Sure thing.”
Oliver followed Peter to the front door, and after he left, he searched the shadows. Amber appeared out of nowhere, and he couldn’t stop the smile blazing across his lips. “There you are. Quick, get in before anyone sees you.”
She chuckled as she slinked beneath the arm he was using to hold the door open. As she strolled toward the office, he shut the door and twisted the sign around to closed.
Amber flipped the bag off her shoulder and turned to him. “How was your day?”
“Same, same.” A potent mix of hormones dosed his veins when he inhaled her delicious scent. It was floral, spicy, and familiar. It was Amber. “How about you? See anything interesting in those reports?”
“Well,” she said, “one of the doctors is treating a woman who eats dry dog biscuits to keep in touch with her dog that died.”
Oliver’s jaw dropped. “Tell me you’re joking.”
“Nope. The dog died ten years ago.”
“That’s disgusting. And weird.”
“And very sad.” She scrunched up her nose, and when she tucked her hair behind her right ear, he had to resist pulling her into his chest and squeezing her tight. When he’d first met her, she did everything possible to drape her hair across her scar. Now, though, she wasn’t as self-conscious. He liked to think he’d helped with that transformation.
“Actually, they probably taste better than those vegetarian sausages you eat.” Oliver was a devoted meat and vegetables man. Throw in a beer and he was as happy as the winner of the World Series. He couldn’t comprehend how someone could live on vegetables alone. He wondered how Amber had any energy at all.
She playfully slapped his arm. “You should try them, they’re good.”
“Oh, no no no. Bring on the big fat steak for me.” He chuckled and liked the easy grin lighting up her face. She smiled freely now. And laughed. It’d been a full six weeks before he’d heard her laugh. Now she was the one cracking the jokes, and he loved every minute with her—so much so that he’d become a constant clock-watcher, counting down the minutes to her next session.
“You ready to break your record?”
“Sure am.” Amber’s climbing ability had not only surprised him; it’d made him rethink the way he assessed new customers. Never before had he underestimated someone so completely. She’d taken to the sport so well that he occasionally wondered if she’d done it before. If she had, she did an amazing job of faking her inexperience. He doubted she was lying. Oliver had always considered himself an expert judge of people. He’d know if she were lying.
If it was competition rock climbing Amber was seeking, he was certain she’d be capable of winning gold soon. Although she’d never actually voiced that as her goal. At this point he had no idea why rock climbing was so important to her.
“Climber ready,” Amber announced as she paused at the base of the wall.
“Up you go then.”
She smacked the timer and launched up the wall with the confidence of an expert and the agility of a cat. Unlike his earlier customer, he couldn’t take his eyes off her. Amber was born for this form of exercise. She was tiny and slender, and since she’d started climbing, new muscle definition was noticeable despite the full-length clothing she wore all the time.
He’d give anything to see more of her. Her arms, her legs—hell, he’d like to see all of her flesh. He swallowed hard at that thought, but he couldn’t deny it. His attraction to Amber had gone beyond fleeting. He wanted to learn everything there was to know about this beautiful yet mysterious woman. Amber’s insistence on covering herself had him convinced she had more scars.
He didn’t care.
He’d dated gorgeous women before. Women who spent more time in the mirror than their beauty warranted. But they became so caught up in their looks that it cost them in personality.
Amber’s understated ordinariness made her simply stunning.
There was a shyness to her too, an uncertainty in her body movements that he sometimes thought was the result of constant pain. Yet put her near a climbing wall and she was a demon. And with each progression she made up the skill levels, she came more out of shell.
She was like a butterfly emerging from an oppressive cocoon.
When she smiled, something radiated from within her that rendered him useless.
Amber was nearly at the top, and he could already tell she was about to smash another personal best. She had yet to progress to the final level, but it’d been him holding her back.
It wasn’t that he didn’t think she was capable. Oh hell no.
He was more worried about where she’d go after that. Her progression through the levels had been so swift, she’d no doubt smash through the next level too. Then what would she do? Find another sport? He had no idea. One thing was certain: he couldn’t hold her off for too long.
Amber was on a mission, but he had yet to establish what that mission was.
She smashed the bell and the timer confirmed another personal record. Amber whooped as she fell into the harness. As Oliver lowered her to the ground, he couldn’t wipe the grin from his face. This was another aspect about her that’d blossomed since their first meeting. It’d taken her weeks to show any emotion. Not anymore, though.
Seconds after her feet found the padded mat, he loosened the rope and stepped forward to touch her shoulder. “You’re on fire tonight.”
“Must’ve been that herbed tofu I had before I came.” Her eyes twinkled.
“Oh god, stop it, you’ll make me sick just thinking about it.”
“Exaggerator. How can you complain if you’ve never tried it?”
“Is that an invitation to dinner?” He wriggled his brows.
The smile curling her mouth was so genuine and sweet, his breath caught.
He grumbled at the tinkle of the bell and turned toward the door. His heart sank as he watched Larissa stride toward them like a marauding bull. “What’s going on here?” She stopped two feet from Oliver, but glared at Amber.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw Amber pull the band from her hair and tousle it over her scar.
“Larissa, this is a private lesson, would you mind—”
“Is this why you’ve been ignoring me, ’cause of her?” The words snapped off Larissa’s tongue like they were laced with poison.
“I haven’t been ignoring you.”
“Bullshit.” She spun to Amber. “Who’re you?”
Amber had stepped back a few paces and lowered her eyes.
“Larissa, you have to leave.” Oliver pointed at the door.
“I will not. I want answers, Oliver. You said you’d take me to the championships, but now I find you taking secret lessons with… with this.”
“Hey, cut it out! You have no right—”
“Don’t I? I was going for gold… for you. You, and your stupid gym. What’s she doing for you?”
“Amber’s a better climber than you’ll ever be.” He spat the words out.
Three things happened at once: Amber snapped her eyes to him, Larissa noticeably cringed at Amber’s scar, and a look of absolute fear riddled Amber’s features.
“Oh yeah? Prove it, bitch.”
“Larissa, it’s time for you to leave.” He went to reach for her arm, but she snapped it away.
“No, Olly! We had an agreement.”
“What agreement? You’re a client—”
“A client! Is that all I am?”
“Yes. That’s all. And I’m teaching you how to—”
“Oh, and I suppose she’s just a client!” She aimed her finger at Amber.
He clenched his jaw, and maybe Larissa saw the fire in his eyes, because she stepped back.
“How do we prove it?”
Oliver and Larissa both spun to Amber’s comment.
“What?” Larissa snapped.
“You wanted me to prove it. How?”
His heart squeezed at both the danger and determination simmering in Amber’s stunning blue eyes
. “You don’t have to do this.”
“I know.” She squared her chin and glared at Larissa. “I want to. How’s it done?”
Larissa’s top lip twitched. “We race. If you’re as good as he says you are, you’ll beat me.”
Amber frowned, and Oliver knew why she was confused: she’d never seen anyone race. “You go up one at a time, the one with the quickest time wins.”
“Okay.” Amber nodded and glanced up the wall.
“Oh, this just gets better and better.” Larissa chuckled. “You’ve never even raced?”
“Shut up, Larissa.”
“Don’t tell me—”
“I’m ready.” Amber glared at Larissa. Oliver had seen resolve in Amber’s eyes before, but this was different. This look blazed with insane recklessness. He’d seen that look on her a few times too. It was like this was another test that she simply had to do. Like her life depended on it.
Realizing this had gone too far, he reached out to touch Amber’s forearm.
“I’m doing this.” She clenched her jaw, then, as she pulled her hair back into a band, she turned so Larissa could get a full look at her scar. Oliver had never felt such a strong sense of pride as he did at that very moment. His heart swelled to bursting, and all he wanted to do was wrap his arms around her and tell her exactly how he felt.
“I’ll get my gear.” Larissa’s cocky smile indicated she thought Amber would be a pushover. She turned on her heel, jogged to the front door, and disappeared outside.
Oliver reached for Amber’s hand, and when their palms connected it was like they’d been holding hands for years. “You don’t have to do this.”
“Did you mean what you said about me being a better climber than Larissa?”
“I meant every word. I’ve never taught a climber like you; you have a natural gift for this sport.”
A flicker of triumph rippled across her eyes and her cheeks blushed. “So, tell me how to win.”
Aware that there was no talking her out of it, he switched to coach mode. “Take your time, and don’t rush. Don’t even think about the clock. You’re good at this. Trust your instincts and concentrate on your core and balance. There’s a slight overhang on this one, only just a bit more angle than what you’ve been doing. Nothing that you can’t handle. Pivot your hips and reach, just like I’ve taught you.”
Extreme Limit Page 13