Page 11 of PenPal Hero

It looked so sharp that Bonnie squealed out loud. She swiftly texted him back.

Congratulations! I’m so happy for you!!!

Moments later, her phone vibrated with an incoming call from Holt.

She was laughing when she accepted it. “You do realize that being a pen pal means we’re supposed to write to each other?”

“Hey, I wrote you about my big news,” he retorted, “but it takes forever to type with one finger.”

“I’m sorry you find being my pen pal so exhausting,” she teased.

“Hardly,” he scoffed. “Maybe I’m just ready to add in some boyfriend benefits.”

“Like frequent calling?” she inquired shyly, since they’d been doing a lot of it during her stay at Anderson Ranch B&B.

“And frequent kissing.” His voice grew caressing.

“Holt!”

“Don’t even pretend you’re not thinking about it, too. Not with as many times as I’ve brought it up.”

“I plead the Fifth.” She pressed a hand to her rapidly beating heart.

“Coward,” he jeered.

“Maybe a little,” she acquiesced. Then she heard herself declaring in a bolder voice, “Fine! I’ve been thinking about it. Are you happy now?”

“Yep!” He chuckled. “Though I’d rather do more than think about it. What’s your schedule like today?”

She leaned sideways to fish through the top drawer of her nightstand and dig out a crumpled copy of the retreat itinerary. “Breakfast, followed by…oh, no!” Not only was breakfast going to take place outside this morning, the team building exercise afterward was also outside. And it included one of her least favorite things — heights. There would be rock climbing stations, treetop hurdles, and zip lining. A whimper of alarm escaped Bonnie as she wilted against her pillows.

“You okay?” Holt sounded concerned.

“Uh, I’m probably going to die today.” Tears of terror prickled behind her eyelids. “No biggie.”

“What?” He barked out the word.

“We’re having a picnic for breakfast, followed by a team building exercise that’s guaranteed to kill me.” She struggled to hold back a sob. I’m so doomed.

“Because…?” Holt prodded anxiously.

“We’re going to be rock climbing,” she quavered, “navigating treetop hurdles, and zip lining into a lake. Take your pick. I’m going to either fall, drown, or break something vital.” She was normally a positive person, but she couldn’t summon a single drop of positivity about what was coming.

“Ah.” Understanding infused his voice. “Afraid of heights, huh?”

“Absolutely, positively terrified,” she clarified. “Ever since—” She bit her tongue in an effort to stop herself from finishing the sentence. She’d almost told him it had started at the age of fifteen. But if she told him that, he’d ask what caused it, and she wasn’t ready to talk about her abduction yet. Part of her longed to tell him to get it out in the open. The other part of her was desperately afraid of how he’d react. Yes, he’d probably be understanding about the abduction, considering he’d been through one himself. However, he was in the recovery stage, whereas she was stuck in limbo due to her inability to remember any details about what had happened to her. The only thing she was crystal clear about were the after effects. She’d become morbidly afraid of heights, darkness, and being alone.

“Ever since what?” Holt inquired quietly.

“Ever since I can remember,” she lied. It wasn’t true. Before her abduction, she’d spent years serving as a flyer on a competitive cheer team — the girl on the tippy top of the pyramid. After her abduction, though, she’d just stopped. Stopped cheering. Stopped attending her tumbling practices. Stopped working out in public places like the gym. She’d been unable to face the world after what had happened to her, preferring the quiet seclusion of places like her own bedroom. Her family had moved out of town shortly afterward, claiming they’d always wanted to live in the country. She knew the real reason, though. It was to give her a fresh start in a small town with a lower crime rate. It was to keep her safe.

“Okay, then.” Holt’s voice was soothing. “So, here’s the Cliff Notes version of what’s going on. The whole point of team building challenges like that is to help you overcome your fears. And to do a little bonding with the people around you.”

“You think I don’t know that?” A hysterical laugh bubbled out of her. Her problem was that it was impossible to overcome things she couldn’t remember.

He drew a heavy breath. “You want me to drive there and steal you away for the day?”

“Yes!” She didn’t have to think twice about accepting his offer. If she could, she would leave the country and come back after the dumb team-building exercises were finished. “But please don’t. I, um…I have to do this.” As wonderful as it was to have Holt’s sympathy, it hit her that she was never going to recover from her abduction if she didn’t face the ugly souvenirs it had left her with. Before meeting him, she hadn’t had a reason to face those fears. Not a powerful enough one, at any rate. But now she did.

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