Page 49 of Broken on the Mountain
I grin, remembering the way my phone lit up mid-rope drill with Piper in that dress. Midnight blue, backless, the kind of thing that made me want to book a flight to Chicago just to peel it off her.
"Nah. I saved that by claiming hydration break." I bump her shoulder. "Lucky for you, you looked so hot I was only gone five minutes. So please, continue."
Her laugh is genuine as we continue walking.
"I dunno… It all just feels… Easier here. Simple without being boring. People smile. People talk,andlisten." She pauses, and her voice goes softer. "And I like who I am here better. I don't know if it's because it's new and fresh. And maybe I've just been in this slump for so long."
I stop walking, turning to face her. She meets my eyes, and there's something raw there, something she's not used to showing.
"Why do you think you're in a slump?" I ask gently.
She exhales, looking away at the mountains rising in the distance. "Mother's already planning my life for the next six months. Galas, introductions… blah, blah, blah." She shakes herhead. "I keep telling myself I'll push back, but then I'm sitting there with Maxwell-fucking-Pemberton, smiling and nodding like a trained seal."
My jaw tightens at the name invading my head for the second day running, but I keep my voice steady and supportive. "You're not a seal. You're a woman who's been conditioned to please people who don't deserve it."
"I know." She looks back at me, eyes bright. "Iknowthat. But knowing and doing are different things."
"You'll soon work it out." I step closer, cupping her face in my hands. "For now, what if we just save pieces of here to take back with you. Maybe that will help you work out why you feel so different here."
She leans into my touch, and I press a kiss to her forehead before pulling back and tapping the thermos.
"Come on. Let's keep moving."
We walk in silence for a while, the rhythm of our steps syncing up until it feels like we're one organism navigating the trail. A chipmunk darts across the path, and Piper gasps, delighted at the sight of rare wildlife.
"Oh my god, look at him!" She clutches her mouth in excitement. "He'ssocute!"
"Oh, yeah. That's Terrence." The chipmunk pauses mid-scamper, tiny paws clutching an acorn as if listening to my absurdity. "He pays rent to the bears every Tuesday. He's also known for hosting killer Thursday night poker games. Full house of squirrels, usually."
She laughs so hard she has to grab my arm for balance, and I file the sound undersacred, right next to the way she says my name when she comes.
A pair of hikers pass us going the opposite direction, an older couple I see regularly on my own walks. They're always wearingmatching fleece vests and look like the kind of people who've been doing this together for decades.
I picture myself doing that with Piper as they wave. To my surprise, Piper waves back with this proud little move like she's earned a new local badge.
"Afternoon!" the man calls.
"Beautiful day!" Piper responds, and I swear I fall a little deeper.
"Well, well… Seems you've mastered the Stone River wave," I observe, grinning sideways at her. "Very authentic. Locally-approved."
"I've been practicing." She smiles smugly. "Though I'm still working on the head nod. Is it more of a chin-up or chin-down situation?"
"Depends on how well you know them. Chin-up for acquaintances, chin-down for friends."
"What about for hot mountain rescue guys who leave welcome notes on bathroom mirrors?"
My ears go pink. "That's a full salute, ma'am. Maybe even a smile if they're cute."
"Good to know the protocol."
The trail loops back toward the sound of water, exactly where I hoped we'd end up. The low, hypnotic roar of Silver Falls makes Piper's ears perk up and I glance at her boots, then at the pool at the base of the waterfall.
A feral idea sparks in the back of my mind.
"You up for round two of field testing?" I ask.
She narrows her eyes, suspicious of the grin on my face as we tread closer to the path leading to the edge of the waterfall. "Depends. Define 'round two.'"
