Page 24 of Love By a Landslide

Lucy

Lucy and Jonathan continued steadily onward, making their way along the trail. Jonathan had loosened up a little, and it was probably the fall landing him flat on his ass that Lucy had to thank for it. Up until that point, he had been as sure-footed as a mountain goat, avoiding rocks and roots with the deft skill that only came from strength, balance, and years of regular hiking. In contrast, Lucy clomped along, lacking all grace and finesse and most likely scaring off birds and chipmunks in the process. If he was a mountain goat, she was the proverbial bull in a china shop. But the momentary display of clumsiness had equalized them, and Jonathan had been more relaxed and almost friendly since it happened.

Lucy was grateful for the change in demeanor. He’d started off the morning as a surly grump and had since morphed into someone whose company was somewhat enjoyable.

A few steps ahead, Jonathan stopped and turned to face her. “We’re coming up on a section lovingly referred to as Skydiver’s Bluff.” He paused to take a quick gulp from his water bottle. “It can be treacherous if you aren’t paying attention, but that won’t be the case for us, will it?” he said this pointedly, as though Lucy wouldn’t heed a more casual warning.

Please. She was the queen of caution. If someone said danger, she’d perk up and listen and probably take notes to refer back to.

“Excuse me, but I’m fairly certain you were the one who ateshit earlier today, not me.”

He flicked his hand ahead of him as if swatting her words away. “I just want you to be prepared. The cliff is unforgiving, and it’s a long way down.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice. I’ll be exceedingly careful. I have no desire to be a cautionary tale for your future customers.”

“Good. The view’s beautiful, and there’s a safe spot to take pictures before we cross if you feel so inclined. But then I want you to put your phone away until we’re fully across. Is that clear?”

Lucy stood at attention and jerked her hand to her forehead, giving Jonathan a stiff salute. There went that scowl again with a little dose of nostril flaring to top it off.

“This isn’t a joke, Lucy.”

She liked how her name sounded rolling off his tongue, especially with the slight tone of warning. He was right, though. She needed to take this seriously.

“Ok, sorry. No more teasing.”

Satisfied by her apology, he replaced his water bottle. Lucy followed him around a thick cluster of trees and boulders until they came to a break in the forest. The sight before her was more than challenging to take in; it was overwhelming. Mechanically, she unclipped her bag and let it slide from her shoulders. Setting it on the ground carefully, she felt around for her phone in one of the outside pouches, never once taking her eyes off the view.

Stopping short of a row of boulders that protected hikers from the steep drop, Lucy let what she saw seep into her. The rich blue sky was painted with wisps of white as though someone had dipped a feather in paint and swiped it across a canvas. Plush gray clouds loomed, hinting that a more aggressive rain might be headed their way. Deep indigo mountains, freckled with snow, stretched across the horizon. Jagged foothills hosted thick swaths of evergreen. Sporadic breaks in the covering revealed rich browndirt that adorned the steeper slopes. A crystalline river snaked its way through the valley where some of the hills met, and vibrant reds, purples, and yellows peeked out amidst the sea of rolling green vegetation.

It was breathtaking.

Lucy hadn’t noticed her mouth hanging open until she managed to croak out a quiet, “Whoa.”

Remembering her phone, she lifted it up to snap a few pictures. The resulting images didn’t do justice to what she saw. Beauty came at her from all angles, and there was no way to distill it down into a tiny rectangle on a screen.

“It’s something, isn’t it?” Jonathan said absently. Despite Lucy’s focus, his words didn’t startle her out of her reverence. Instead, the husky timbre of his voice felt like a soundtrack expertly curated for the moment. “Few things compare to a view like this.”

Lucy turned and smiled. “I couldn’t have imagined it better.” She brushed past him and safely stowed her phone away in her pack before settling the weight back in place.

Jonathan led them down a steep set of steps likely fashioned by a trail crew some time ago. Though a little washed out from the ridiculous amount of rain the spring provided, they were still serviceable.

“This is Skydiver’s Bluff,” he stated loudly, ensuring he had Lucy’s attention. “As you can see, the trail was cut into the side of this cliff. It’s about three feet wide but doesn’t feel quite that generous when you’re crossing it. It wraps around the rock face for about twenty-five yards before it dumps us out on another safely enclosed dirt trail on the other side.”

“Holy shit.” The words popped out of Lucy’s mouth as her pulse quickened. The drop was outrageous. So steep that it appeared to concave before meeting the tops of the trees a goodhundred and fifty feet down. She had the same sensation when she was seven years old, peering over the edge of Ross Dam. Her family had camped in Rockport and did the little mile-and-a-half hike that crossed the Skagit River by way of the concrete structure. She remembered feeling slightly dizzy with her heart thundering in her tiny chest. It took her mom and dad on either side of her to coax her across and back. As an adult, Lucy wasn’t afraid of heights, but someone had to be crazy not to be at least a little wary of being up that high, especially without some barrier separating them from the plunge.

“Are you all right?” Jonathan asked gently, breaking her out of her memory.

Pulling her attention from the sheer drop, she focused on Jonathan’s handsome face. His brows drew together, concern washing over every feature. “Yeah,” she said automatically, unsure of whether she meant it.

“Would you like me to carry your pack or can you manage?”

“I think I got it. Thanks, though.” Lucy gave him a reassuring smile.

Jonathan nodded and said, “Fair enough. I’ll go first, you follow a couple of feet behind me, and also, I wouldn’t recommend looking down. Even if you aren’t afraid of heights, it can still feel disorienting.”

“Too late. I already looked.” Her attempt at aloof humor came out all wobbly.

“We can take a few minutes if you’d like,” he offered. “Before we continue.”

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