Page 13 of Just Act Natural

“Oh, I’ve decided,” she mutters under her breath.

I stifle a laugh. I admire her self-acceptance, even if it undermines my defense of her just a touch.

“We climbed a mountain in Colorado last year,” Scott says. “A fourteener. You might not be familiar with the term.”

His superior tone pricks like a burr. Unfortunately, his attitude isn’t all that uncommon in a group with a mix of skills and experience like ours. I don’t really care if he aims it at me—I’m more than comfortable with my abilities—but it grates when he directs it at Lila.

I tell myself I would shield any other newcomers from the same condescension, but the urge has never been quite this visceral before.

“I know the term,” I say. “Which fourteener did you bag?”

“Gray’s Peak. There’s no better feeling than standing on top of the world.”

A bit of a lofty description for a relatively short day hike, but I’m not going to argue—the high of reaching a mountain peak is addictive.

“Congrats,” I say, and I mean it. “Sounds like a good trip.”

“Ranks right up there with the births of my kids.”

Now I do want to argue. Lila and I share a brief look before I focus on him again. “I don’t know if I’d mention that to your kids.”

He laughs as though he didn’t equate the arrival of his children with an afternoon hike. “You just haven’t pushed yourself yet. When you’ve had enough of the beginner trails, you might want to try something more advanced. See what you’re made of.”

Brian’s goading grin slides right off my back. Pointlessly competing with my brothers? Bring it on. Pointlessly competing with strangers? Not interested. I climb mountains to prove myself to exactly one person: me.

“What if he doesn’t want to see what he’s made of?” Lila pipes up at my side.

His expression falters as he looks from her back to me. “There’s nothing wrong with a little challenge to test your mettle.”

“Yeah, but there’s nothing wrong with not testing it, too, right?” Her cheerful smile doesn’t hide her annoyance. “What if he’s fine with trails like this? Maybe Grant never wants to climb a mountain? That’s his choice, right?”

Brian blinks at her like he can’t quite figure out where he went wrong. And me? I’m way too flattered by how vigorously she’s defending me. True, she’s probably thinking of herself and her own choices, but I like the way she’s speaking up.

Just ahead of us, Mitchell pauses on the trail. “I’m sorry—did you say you never want to climb a mountain again, Grant? You’re giving up mountaineering?”

Here we go. Maybe I should have cleared this up sooner, but it felt like a harmless bit of conversation. Now, I’m not so sure.

“I said he doesn’t have to try it if he doesn’t want to.” Lila swipes the back of her hand across her forehead, grimacing at the sheen of sweat that comes off. “Everybody has different tastes and likes different things.”

She makes deliberate eye contact with me. “And that’s totally fine.”

I am loving her unequivocal acceptance. Her insistence that I acceptmyselfis even more endearing. I just wish I could come clean to her without our current audience listening in.

“I didn’t say he had to do anything.” There’s a note of laughter in Brian’s voice, as though he’s about five seconds away from saying,“Calm down, little lady.”

Is it wrong I’d like to see her reaction to that? I have a feeling she would take him down in spectacular fashion.

“I only suggested he try something tougher than these entry hikes one day,” he explains. “He might think about pushing himself with the kind of challenges Scott and I have been doing.”

Mitchell looks at each of us in turn, confusion swirling in his eyes. “I guess I missed something. Why does he need the suggestion? Grant’s summited half the mountains in this country.”

In the silence his bombshell leaves behind, a bead of sweat trails down the center of my back. A chipmunk chitters somewhere close by. Everyone’s eyes are glued to me.

Lila spins slowly to stare up at me.

“It’s not half,” I say.

Her eyebrows tick up, telling me the clarification didn’t help anything.

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