Page 17 of Just Act Natural

“I’m going to absolutely crush my presentation.”

“Woo!”

“That promotion is mine.”

She’s going absolutely wild. “You’ve got this, Lila!”

I thumb off our call and take a couple more pictures of the mountains for good measure. Hope’s cheer turns into a rallying cry in my mind. This boss babe can handle anything the wilderness throws at me.

As long as it isn’t more bugs, please and thank you.

SIX

GRANT

“There areno marauding men on my horizon.”

I would love to say I’m not fixating on that sentence as we walk back to camp, but the damage is done. It doesn’t even tell me anything definitive—it could be literal. Maybe she’s been plagued by robbers and bandits lately. Doubtful, but probably more likely than the tantalizing possibilities swirling through my head right now.

I’ve fallen into my usual spot close by her. It’s the safest option—we’re walking in pairs this way. Plus, I have the bear spray, and animals can be unpredictable. But that’s not really why I want to stay in her orbit.

It’s not just because of Lila’s wry enthusiasm for everythingexceptthis trip. She has no idea about my past. Living in a small town, my reputation is impossible to escape. But to her, I’m notGrant Irwin, Guy Who Was Left at the Altar. I’m theGuy With the Bear Spray.Potential Newbie Bestie.

I’m just Grant.

I didn’t realize how much the gossip had weighed me down until I met this woman who doesn’t know a scrap of it.

Unfortunately, Scott and Brian hang back with us, too, andthey’re dominating the conversation. They’ve been grilling me on my certifications for ten minutes, trying to find something I don’t have. It would be flattering if it didn’t feel like a trap.

“What about ice climbing? Do you have that one?” Scott asks.

I nod. I might tell them about one of my ice climbs in Wyoming or Banff, but they probably just want the highlights.

Brian snaps his fingers. “Wilderness first aid?”

“That, too.”

“You’ve been busy. How many mountains have you climbed?”

“I don’t have the exact number.” I do have it, but they’re treating me like a minor celebrity even without the specifics.

“What was it like climbing Mount Whitney?” Scott wants to know.

“Did you do the day hike or two-day?” Brian asks. “We’ve been thinking about tackling it, ourselves.”

“Did it in one day. But I applied to the permit lottery for four years before I got my chance.”

“How’d you handle the altitude?”

“I hiked a couple of smaller peaks in the area first, and camped at altitude to acclimate.”

“He climbs smaller mountains to get ready to climb the big mountain,” Lila says next to me. “As one does.”

I turn to her and drop my voice. “It’s the best way.”

She rolls her eyes, keeping me humble in the middle of my mini fan club meeting.

“What was the most surprising part of the climb?” Scott asks as he adjusts his sun hat.

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