Page 5 of Beck & Coll

“We’re gonna start with an easy pace.” Beckham gave me an easy smile.

This dude was so freaking gorgeous that it was all I could do to keep my composure around him.

He had that whole mountain man look down to a science with his shades and baseball cap pulled down low on his head to protect from the sun’s rays, dust, dirt, and low-hanging trees.

His muscular upper body was clad in what I knew was a sweat-wicking t-shirt topped by a half-zip pullover.

And the hiking pants were loose fitting but still somehow managed to showcase his dick print.

All I knew was that if his fine ass kept flirting with me, the elevation of the mountain range was going to have us joining a “mile-high club” that didn't have anything to do with an airplane bathroom.

I followed behind him, trying to regulate my breathing like I’d learned to do while working out. I needed to make sure that I controlled the level of energy I put out in the early stages of the hike, so I would have the energy I needed to complete the hike.

As we ascended, we were surrounded by trees. I split my time looking up and out at the trees and making sure to watch the ground for anything that might cause my footing to slip.

There was something about being surrounded by foliage from the trees on each side of the path.

It was like being hidden in God’s own hand.

We were in the shaded part of the hike. I knew from my research that during many parts of it, we wouldn’t have the shade provided by the leaves of the trees to shield us.

I tried to stay in the moment and enjoy the sights and sounds all around me.

Beckham’s cadence was moderate, but not too fast. I was able to keep up with him just fine.

After about an hour, he stopped and turned to face me.

“How’re you feeling?”

I nodded. “Pretty good.”

“Good. Good.” He nodded as well. “We’ll keep going.

In about another hour or so, we’ll come out of the trees, and from the elevation, you’ll be able to spot some of the glaciers that Cascada Noir National Park is known for.

Hydrate when you need to hydrate but be moderate.

We have a long hike still ahead of us, and I don’t want you to run out of water. ”

“Dang. I hope I brought enough.”

He gave me a smile and patted the large bag that sat on his back. “If you didn’t, I’ve got you.” He took a beat and his smile widened. “I’m a professional. I have the remedy for any number of unexpected or… spontaneous situations.”

Though I tried to fight it, I didn’t win against the blush that crept across both of my cheeks. I really needed Beckham to stop flirting with me and throwing out innuendos. It had been a long time since I’d indulged in a man, and he was pretty much too fine to deny.

“I’m estimating this to be a five-hour hike.

We’re one hour in. Rain’s expected to start during hour three.

The forecast is predicting that it will last into the night.

I’m going to try to keep us on track. We should be on flat terrain while it’s raining.

We’ll make a stop at the Luckett Pass Visitor Center.

They have bathrooms there. We’ll rest for a bit then head back. ”

“Okay.”

“You ready?”

There he went, smiling that panty-dropping smile again. I fought not to fan myself and instead nodded my head, while pushing a big lock of hair behind my ear. “Ready.”

The next two hours of the hike were made easier for several reasons.

One being that Beckham kept the manageable pace he set at the base of the mountain.

He never varied, which allowed me to settle in.

A second reason was the beauty all around me.

We hiked through beautiful alpinemeadows, spotting herds of Big Horn sheep and mountain goats.

The rain started to fall as our trek brought glaciers into view and Clever Creek, which was fed by the melting water of the glaciers. When the rain picked up, going from a drizzle to an actual rainfall, Beckham stopped walking and encouraged me to don my raincoat, which I did.

The beauty of Cascada Noir National Park was breathtaking.

It was truly God’s majesty to behold, and I was thankful that I didn’t listen to the hate from my mom and my sister about taking an “adventure” vacation as opposed to a “relaxing” one.

Even if I didn’t see anything else for the rest of my trip, this was enough. This beauty would hold me over.

As promised, at a little over the three hour mark, Beckham slowed his gait at Luckett Pass Visitor Center.

The vistas from the visitor center were no slouch.

We had spent three hours ascending, so from where we were standing, we could see far and wide.

I stepped up to fully take in the view before us, and my mouth dropped. It was glorious.

I could see down into the Rotunda Valley.

The floor of the valley looked like it was covered by green carpet made of moss, the walls of the canyon surrounding the valley colored in various shades of brown.

The sky was blue, and the clouds were puffy and white.

Behind me, I could peer at the tops of both glaciers and mountains and look down into the pristine waters of an alpine lake that I couldn’t identify.

“What lake is that?” I asked Beckham, knowing that he would know.

“Younger Lake.”

“The water looks so deep and blue.”

I could feel him studying me even as I studied the amazing views around me.

“What?”

He shook his head. “Nothing. I guess I’m just surprised by how much of a nature girl you are.”

“It is glorious,” I muttered.

“It is.” He watched me with intensity. “But I feel like it might be more than that.”

I gave him a smirk. “More like what, Mr. Beckham?”

He returned my expression with a smirk of his own. “I thought I told you to call me Beck.”

“Did you?” I fronted.

“Yeah.” His smile was bright… dazzling even. “I told you that all of the beautiful women call me Beck. Anyway, I feel like you may have found your… inner outdoor adventurer.

I didn’t respond. I just grinned. Then I pulled out my phone and began taking photos. I knew they would never compete with the real thing. I also knew that in the months and years to come I could look back and remember that I was once face to face with some of God’s most wondrous creations.

“Let’s use the facilities right quick,” he suggested.

After using the bathroom, I made my way back outside of the visitor center. I took more pictures with my phone, wondering how and why I’d waited so long to see the western part of the country.

His deep baritone broke into my thoughts. “What did you bring for a snack? You should eat it quickly and hydrate as much as you need for now. The rain is expected to pick up even more.”

We headed over to one of the benches that was outside of the visitor center, and both went into our backpacks. I watched Beckham pull out a gallon-sized Ziplock bag filled with what looked like granola.

“You want some hand sanitizer?” I questioned, right before he dug his hand in the bag.

He held out his hand for the dollop of sanitizer I dropped in it. “This is an overkill because I just washed my hands in the bathroom.”

“Don’t think of it as overkill. Think of it as extra protection.”

I pulled out one of my snacks—a pouch of squeezable nut butter and some crackers.

Beckham and I ate and drank in companionable silence.

When we were finished eating and had cleaned up after ourselves, I took out my phone.

The rain had picked up significantly, but that didn’t diminish the beauty of our surroundings, and I wanted to make sure that I had enough pictorial receipts to make both my mother and her oldest daughter eat their words.

“We should get going. Let’s head down.”

“Okay.” I was distracted, sending a text of the best photos I’d captured to my mother.

“Collins.”

He didn’t yell my name or even really say it loudly… It was the authority for me. My eyes popped up from my phone, finding his eyes trained on me.

“Yes?”

“The ascension is all about moderating your energy output. The descent, being a beginner and in this rain, is about paying attention. I’mma need you to pay attention.

So, please put your phone back in your backpack and take whatever final sips of water you need.

When we head back down this mountain, I need you to be focused. ”

I took a few large gulps of water before putting both my phone and water bottle away. “I’m ready.”

Beckham led us away from the visitor center in the opposite direction from which we had come, setting yet another comfortable pace.

The incline on the descent wasn’t the steepest thing in the world, but it did require careful consideration about where I stepped. I paid way less attention to the beauty around me, choosing instead to stay focused.

Much to my own embarrassment, in circles where people knew me, the word clumsy tended to be thrown around a lot. I was not trying to go tumbling down the side of a mountain.

“You’re doing good,” I whispered a bit of motivation to myself.

The next thing I knew, my left foot slipped out from under me. I was tumbling down the side of a mountain… just like I told myself that I didn’t want to be.