Page 41 of Just One Kiss

"What was it like?"

"It was grueling. It's a six-day trip—four days to get up, two to come down. I thought I'd trained. I thought I was prepared, but I have to admit the altitude got to me. I had to battle headaches and nausea on day three, and the last day was a nine-hour trek that tested my will and my body."

"But you made it."

"I did," he said, meeting her gaze. "And it was an incredible view from Uhuru Peak. We spent fifteen minutes on what they call the roof of Africa, and it was a stunning experience. Definitely worth the pain and the effort."

"That's incredible. It also sounds very difficult."

"Most incredible things are."

She nodded, thinking that was the philosophy Jake lived his life by. She'd been much more content to read about others' adventures, while Jake had wanted to experience them first-hand.

"After that climb," Jake continued, "I knew I wasn't ready for a nine-to-five job, so I turned a summer of traveling into two years of exploring the world. I spent two months in Africa and then I went to India, China, Vietnam, Thailand, and Singapore."

"How did you support yourself? Or did your parents float you a loan?"

"My parents were definitely not involved. My father was furious that I wasn't looking for a real job after paying for my college education. My mom occasionally sent me some spending money, but I worked along the way, picking up whatever jobs I could find. After the Asian swing, I moved on to Europe. I settled in Switzerland for almost two years, working at a ski resort where I taught skiing, snowboarding, rock climbing, whatever needed to be done. My experience in the Alps was what inspired me to create my own business."

"And you didn't want to run that business there?"

"No. It was time to come back to Colorado. We have some fairly spectacular mountains here, not to mention a beautiful lake."

"I know your parents were thrilled when you made that decision."

He shrugged. "It is nice to be closer to my mother again. And I'm fairly sure Paul will be headed here after medical school."

"Your dad can't wait for your brother to join the staff at the hospital."

"I'm sure," he said dryly. "He loves the idea of Paul following in his footsteps. I personally think Paul should work somewhere else for a while. Whisper Lake isn't going anywhere, but there's a whole world out there for him to see first."

"I agree with you."

"You do? I'm shocked."

She made a small face at him. "I was grateful for the experiences I had in two different city hospitals before I came back. I think they made me a better nurse. I hope Paul will consider all his options."

"My dad will pressure him to come here. And Paul won't fight him."

"I'm not sure your father will pressure him," she countered. "He knows that there's valuable experience to be had elsewhere. He'll want the best for Paul. Just as he wants the best for you, Jake. I know you two don't get along and God forbid I should mention either of your names to the other, but in some ways you're more alike than you realize."

"I am nothing like him," he said flatly. "Please don’t compare us, Hannah. You can say anything else you want about me, but don't say that."

She was taken aback by the strength of his negative response. "I—I'm sorry. But your father is a great doctor and a good man. I don't see how a comparison is so bad."

"Because you don't know him the way I do."

"Want to enlighten me?"

"No. I don't want to talk about my father at all. And you should know better than anyone that parents are not always who they appear to be to the outside world."

She couldn't disagree, since her mother had clearly shown a different side at home than she had out in the community. But she was curious as to what Davis had done to turn his eldest son against him. "I wish—"

Jake cut her off. "Let's change the subject. Let's talk about you. I know you went to school in Denver. What was that like?"

She didn't really want to change the subject, but she could see the determination in his eyes to move the conversation along. "It wasn't the typical college experience," she said.

"Why not?"

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