Page 10 of Wild About the Mountain Guide (Maplewood Springs #2)

Knox

The next couple of days pass quickly. We’re walking more miles, I’m teaching the group more skills, and by the end of the day, everyone’s exhausted. Even me. Peyton and I still share a tent, but the lack of sleep has gotten to me, and I don’t lie awake for hours anymore.

This routine we’ve developed has become natural.

I change outside while she gets changed and settles in.

We talk for about fifteen minutes once we’re both in our sleeping bags, usually about the day or what tomorrow is going to look like.

Sometimes we joke about whether she needs to smudge her boots with sage before the next hike or if I should start carrying rose quartz to prevent blisters.

It feels like we’ve known each other for years.

I guess that’s how it goes. When you meet someone and you click, things move fast. Not that either of us has dared to talk about…

well, feelings . But sometimes I wake up to find our hands have found each other in the darkness again, and I think that gesture alone says enough.

I hate that the week is almost over. I don’t want to end my routine with Peyton.

But before it comes to that inevitable goodbye, we’ve got to tackle day six.

We’re finally within striking distance of Mount Hartley’s summit, and it shows.

A mixture of anticipation and nerves bounces around while we all eat breakfast.

“Today’s the day, guys. We’re hiking to base camp this morning. We’ll rest during the hottest part of the day, then start our summit attempt at three a.m. tomorrow.”

Brandon looks up from his breakfast bowl. “Three in the morning? That’s brutal.”

“It’s a standard time for big peaks,” I explain. “We want to be on the summit by sunrise and back down before any afternoon thunderstorms roll in. Plus, the snow will be firmer in the cold, which means better traction.”

Alexandra rubs her ankle, which has been fine for the last couple of days but clearly still makes her nervous. Alex notices and takes her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

“How long will it take to reach the summit?” Christine asks.

“Four to five hours up, depending on conditions and how everyone’s feeling.

Three to four hours down. This is going to be the hardest day of the week.

Physically and mentally. But if we pace ourselves and work as a team, we can do this.

This is the grand moment you signed up for and have been working toward all week, guys. I believe in all of us.”

My eyes find Peyton, and I smile at her. She should be proud of herself. She went from flailing to confident in a matter of days.

“Any questions before we head out?” I ask.

Harmony raises her hand. “I brought some protective crystals for the summit. Is it okay if I leave a small offering at the top?”

“As long as it’s something natural and biodegradable, sure. Leave only footprints, take only pictures, right?”

She beams and pats her pack. “Rose quartz and a pinch of sage. Both will return to the earth naturally.”

I hide a smile. Harmony’s spiritual approach to the mountains isn’t my style, but I respect her connection to the wilderness.

And honestly, after spending a week with this group, I’m starting to believe there might be something to her talk about energy and connections.

Especially when it comes to what’s happening between Peyton and me.

“If there aren’t any other questions, we’d better break camp and get going,” I say.

Everyone starts packing, and I feel a surge of pride come over me once we’re ready to go. Breaking camp has gone from a two-hour ordeal at the beginning of this week to forty-five minutes today.

The trail switchbacks through dense pine forest before opening up into alpine meadows dotted with late-summer wildflowers. Above us, the summit of Mount Hartley dominates the skyline, its granite face catching the morning light.

“It’s beautiful,” Peyton says, falling into step beside me. She’s been doing that more often these past couple of days, like she’s finding excuses to hike near me. Not that I’m complaining.

“Wait until you see the view from the top. It’s going to blow your mind.”

“I still can’t believe I’m actually going to do this,” she says, shaking her head with a smile. “A month ago, I could barely run a mile before being out of breath. I was mad at Melissa for forcing me to come here. And now I’m actually looking forward to summitting a mountain.”

“You’ve worked hard for it. You should be proud.”

She shrugs. “I had a good teacher.”

“Thanks. I try,” I say, and she smiles at me.

There’s that flutter in my chest again, the one that’s been showing up more and more often when she looks at me like that.

By noon, we reach base camp. The name sounds impressive, but it’s just a flat area beside a small alpine lake with a basic latrine, surrounded by towering granite walls. It’s one of my favorite spots in the mountains of Maplewood Springs.

Everyone drops their packs with groans of relief, but I can see the excitement building as they stare up at the summit route.

“Okay, everyone. Time to rest and hydrate. Oh, and be sure to eat something and try to take a nap if you can. We’ll do a gear check at five, have an early dinner, and be in our sleeping bags by eight.”

The afternoon passes quickly. Brandon gives up on trying to get cell service and actually lies down to rest. Alex and Alexandra set up their tent in record time and disappear inside.

Christine does yoga by the lake shore. Peyton finds a spot on a flat boulder overlooking the water, and I join her after giving her some time alone.

“Nervous?” I ask as I sit down next to her.

“Terrified,” she admits with a laugh. “But also excited. Is that normal?”

“Completely. If you weren’t at least a little scared, I’d be worried about your judgment.”

She pulls her knees up to her chest, staring at the summit high above us. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Why do you do this? Guide people like us, I mean. You could probably make way more money doing something else. Or just disappear into these woods for days without a group of rookies cramping your style.”

“I love the mountains. And I love watching people discover what they’re capable of. Most folks walk around thinking they’re not strong enough, not brave enough, not whatever enough. But out here, they find out they’re wrong. It’s amazing to see that.”

“Is that how you see me too?”

I turn to look at her. “I think you’re stronger than you know. Braver than you give yourself credit for. And tomorrow morning, when you’re standing on that summit, you’re going to realize it too.”

She smiles that bright, genuine smile that’s been undoing me a little more each day. “Thank you. This week has been… I don’t even have words for it, and that’s saying a lot, because I’m an author. I’m supposed to be great with words.”

“Don’t jump the gun. You can thank me once we’re back down the mountain safely,” I joke.

“I’ll do my best to survive. How else are you going to explain it to your best friend’s wife?” She laughs.

“You’re right.” I wink. “That’s the only reason I haven’t let you fall off a cliff yet.”

She playfully pushes my shoulder. “Hey, watch it. There are plenty of other reasons to keep me alive.”

“There are,” I say, locking eyes with her.

My heart’s about to leap out of my chest. This is it. I’m not going to hold back any longer. I’m going to go for it and… kiss her.

I gently put my hand on her cheek and brush my thumb over her soft skin.

“Knox,” Peyton whispers, a smile playing on her lips like she’s high on something.

I know I am. High on her .

I lean in, and our lips are mere inches apart, when a deafening scream interrupts our glorious moment. I immediately jump up and run to find the source of the scream.

Alexandra is standing a few feet from the latrine path, eyes wide and a hand pressed to her chest.

“I almost stepped on a snake!” she cries out in a shaky voice.

I jog over and glance down at the alleged threat, but it’s motionless. Just in case, I grab a nearby stick and give it a careful poke. Huh. It’s a rolled-up wool sock. It’s damp and mud-streaked, but definitely not venomous.

“False alarm,” I say, holding it up between two fingers. “Just an abandoned sock.”

Alexandra lets out a breathy laugh and waves it off. “My bad. It looked like it was coiled and everything.”

I toss the sock in our garbage bag and glance back at the boulder where Peyton’s still sitting. She holds my gaze for a second, then slides off the rock and walks toward the rest of the group.

Yeah. Moment’s definitely over. I just hope we’ll get a second chance at kissing.

I decide to start preparing dinner, so I have something to do. It keeps me from wallowing in disappointment after our kiss got interrupted by a muddy sock.

By the time the sun has disappeared behind the peaks, I let the group know it’s time to go to sleep. “Early bedtime, everyone. Two-thirty wake-up call.”

Groans and grumbles about not being able to sleep this early follow my announcement, but everyone complies anyway.

Peyton and I go through our usual routine, but when I duck into the tent, she’s not lying down. She’s sitting cross-legged on her sleeping bag.

“Knox,” she says quietly.

“Yeah?”

“Whatever happens tomorrow, I want you to know that this week has meant everything to me. You’ve helped me discover parts of myself I didn’t know existed.”

My throat feels tight. “Peyton—”

“I know you’re going to tell me to save it until we’re safely down. But I needed to say it now, while I have the courage.”

I want to tell her she’s changed something in me, too, that these past few days have been unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I want to tell her that the thought of saying goodbye after tomorrow makes my chest ache in ways I don’t understand. And most of all, I want another chance at that kiss.

Instead, I reach over and squeeze her hand. “Get some sleep. Tomorrow’s going to be the adventure of a lifetime. Let’s focus on nothing else but that for now.”

She nods and lies down, but her fingers don’t leave mine.

As I listen to her breathing slow and deepen, I stare at the tent ceiling and try to prepare myself for what’s coming. Tomorrow, I’ll guide her to the summit of Mount Hartley.

And then I’ll have to figure out how to let her go.

It seems like an impossible task.