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January 19 - January 24, 2025
“Why am I not surprised the person dangling dangerously over the edge is you?” Easton’s rumble sounded amused.
River couldn’t help it. When his forehead turned all flushed in embarrassment and surprise, he was kind of adorable. “I almost didn’t recognize you without a pizza box in your hand.”
“I suppose I don’t need to check your climbing skills if you’re already up here. That surface was slick, with not a lot of holds. I’m tempted to be impressed.” Flashing him a grin, River popped another peanut in her mouth. “I’m tempted to take that as a compliment.” “Not a lot of free soloing up on the Old Man though.” River hadn’t heard that one before. “The Old Man?” “It’s what we call Mount Veil.” “Gotcha.” She tilted her head. “I love a compliment as much as the next girl, but why do my climbing skills matter to you?”
For some reason, the good opinion of this stranger on her climbing skills was a hundred times better than a stranger’s opinion of her acting skills. Maybe because acting was what she did. But climbing was who River was.
“River. Why am I signing paperwork for you?” Biting her lip to keep from giggling, River decided the look of slowly dawning horror on his face was better than beard stroking, tight shirts, or man buns could ever be. Leaning in, River whispered in his ear. “Because you, handsome, are going to star in a documentary.”
That smile was far more dangerous than even the broad shoulders or tightly muscled arms only inches away from her. To distract herself, River changed the subject.
The woman was quicksilver, and normally, that wasn’t his thing. But, man. He liked how she kept him on his toes.
“I’m here, and with your help, we’re going to make the most amazing documentary about the most amazing place, Easton. And it will matter. What we’re doing now matters. My time and talent will not be wasted on shower scenes in bad horror movies.” Something told him that was what River was chasing, as much as the summit.
Her voice calling his name did something to him. Something Easton couldn’t begin to understand and didn’t want to…not yet. But when she said his name, he couldn’t help but look into her eyes. He’d drunk from glacier pools and never seen anything as blue. There were worse things than being chewed on for a while.
“So, that reporter…” “I’ll make a call,” Easton offered. “But my gut says Tasha’s not going to write a very nice article about you.” “Yeah, well, she wrote a not-very-nice article about you. I couldn’t give two craps about what she says about me. So, the reporter. Tasha. How long were you two together?” Easton raised one eyebrow of his own. “You’re a really tall, very strong man. Men like you do this thing with their shoulders when they talk to someone they’re attracted to. They kind of drop them, a subconscious effort to make themselves less large, less intimidating.” The eyebrows furrowed
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“You can take the girl out of Wyoming, but you can’t take the Wyoming out of the girl. If I can outdrink you, outride you, and outshoot you, that’s fine. But if I can change a tire faster than you without calling roadside assistance, then you and I aren’t going to last long.” Easton took a sip of his beer, then asked, “Is this you trying to warn me or warn me off?” “I suppose that’s up to you.”
“This mountain has taken over a dozen lives in the last twenty years. I’d rather not have you and yours on my conscience.”
“Everything in life is a gamble, Mr. Lockett. You might have a barn full of meat hooks after all. But you never win unless you try.”
“It’s a tough life being famous.” “It had its perks.” “Had?” Standing so near hadn’t been the plan, especially since he couldn’t take his eyes off her. “Some of the perks are still currently being appreciated.” When River’s gaze lingered at his bicep, Easton wondered if maybe this steadily growing attraction wasn’t all one-sided. He really hoped it wasn’t. “I prefer a life of constant motion,” River added. “Work has become stagnant of late, so I’m carving my own path, making the most of the opportunities out there.”
It had been a long time since he had wanted to kiss a woman this badly. Eyes flickering down to her mouth, he tried to tell himself this was a bad idea.
Stoic affection for grandmothers might be River’s new favorite thing ever.
“You take care of my grandson, dear. He’s a good boy, but he doesn’t always listen to reason. The mountain is in his blood, and that kind of love can poison you.”
“Wow, you could not stay focused.” “It’s Easton’s fault. Did you see him this morning?” “That man should wear nothing but jeans and water all the time.”
“Has anyone ever told you that you can be a very aggravating woman?” Easton rumbled sexily. “It’s been brought up a few times.” “And half the things that come out of your mouth make absolutely no sense?” River beamed up at him. “I mean, they make sense to me, but I can understand the confusion.”
“All right, people. Tuck your sex drives in your back pockets. Let’s make a documentary.”
That was her film. That was what she would climb. Without thinking, River reached over and gripped Easton’s hand. She couldn’t remember the last time she had wanted to do something as much as she wanted to climb the mountain before them. The challenge was intense, and that was what she loved about it.
She craned her neck, trying and failing to see the summit above them. The cloud cover was too low, blocking their goal from view. “I can’t imagine having a lack of amazing footage from here.”
“You remind me of whisky,” Easton murmured. “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” “Depends on how long I stay within arm’s reach.” River wasn’t sure what to say about that, but if she was whisky, he was the biggest, most decadent brownie. And chocolate sauce. Easton was all the chocolate sauce. “Why do I have a feeling I don’t want to know what you’re thinking?” “My mind’s a wild, sticky, confusing place,” River admitted. “Trust me, I don’t want to think what I’m thinking either.”
Actually, he was looking at something even more beautiful than the ice waterfall, which was why every single part of him was recoiling from the risk.
“Hey, River?” “Hmm?” “I like climbing with you.” Resting her head on his shoulder, River was unable to help her smile. “Yeah. Me too.”
“How is it that I had to travel thousands of miles from home to find a place that reminds me so much of being back there?” “Maybe you miss it,” Easton said. “When I miss home, seems like everything reminds me of where I wish I was.”
“Your redneck roots are showing.” “And?” She raised her eyes to him in challenge. Easton lowered his face, mouth near her ear. “And I like it.”
Falling for River wasn’t a bad idea. It was epically bad. He wasn’t interested in being some actress’s part-time fling on location, and whispering in her ear was exactly what Easton shouldn’t be doing. Getting drawn in like this, so close all he had to do was inhale and she would be in his arms, was even worse. Easton was starting to lose his ability to say no to the woman in front of him. All she had to do was turn those pale-blue eyes his way and— Her eyes. That was what had happened.
“Sorry, time to emerge from your hidey-hole. We’re getting an early start today. The snow cones will have to wait for later.” He flicked some snow at her, earning a wrinkled nose and a tongue sticking out. “You’re not half as attractive as you think you are, Easton Lockett,” she called after him as the tent flap fell back down.
“Hey, Easton. It would have been an amazing kiss. Just so you know.” This guy was killing her, one sexy chuckle at a time. But when he was serious, it was even worse. “Trust me,” Easton said huskily. “You don’t know what you’re missing.”
“River, you don’t ever have to ask me if you can kiss me,” he told her, voice lowered and husky with desire. Reaching for her hand, Easton gave her gloved fingers a gentle tug, an open invitation. “Consider this a yes for whatever.” “Hold on there, buddy.” Her bright, pretty smile stole his breath away, the way a hard day’s climb couldn’t. “I’m not offering whatever. Just a kiss.”
It should have started soft, sweet. A first kiss, to see what this was between them. But the moment their lips met, it was like fire and cinnamon, sweet and hot and burning him up from the inside out. Just like she was…perfect.
With every word, sound, or soft pressure from her lips, River continued to blow him away.
Fear was a part of this lifestyle. Pretending not to be afraid—or being reckless enough not to be afraid—didn’t make a mountaineer. Understanding the risks, feeling the fear, but continuing anyway. That was what made a mountaineer.
“What happened today, that’s on me. And you were amazing. You saved my life, and I am grateful. I’m so grateful, and I’m so impressed by you. I hate that I put you in harm’s way, and I’ll never make that mistake again.” The words were right, but beneath them was a silent undertone that made Easton’s eyes narrow. “But,” he pressed. “But I am so angry with you.” Stepping up to him, River raised furious eyes. “You unclipped from the rope too, Easton. You could have fallen. You could have died.”
He was going to marry her if she let him. Also if she didn’t kill him first.
“Have you ever spent your life wanting something, but you can’t figure out what you’re missing? And you try and try, but nothing is ever quite right? That’s me. That’s been my life. And I feel like whatever it is I’m searching for, I’m going to find it up here. I’m already finding it up here. And I can’t quit halfway through. I can’t lose half the footage. I can’t fail, not when I’m this close.” “This close to what?” Easton asked quietly. “I don’t know. But I’m so close, I can taste it.” He nodded. “Then try to keep those toes on. You’ll need them to summit.”
She was all fire, but when he put his hands on her, pulling her close, River was sweet and rich on his tongue. He wanted her, so much more than he’d ever wanted a woman. The sheer idea of drawing someone into his arms, pulling her onto his lap and relishing the feel of her legs tightening around his waist on a climb was so unprofessional. Before her, he’d never been tempted. He’d never had a partner he literally couldn’t resist, but she was it. River was his drink of choice, and Easton didn’t have the willpower to say no.
The next morning, the marmot broke up with Easton. Its little marmot bags were packed. It was moving on. Sometimes, love wasn’t enough, not when you deserved better. And clearly, the marmot knew it deserved better.
River was going to summit. There was no fighting her when that stubborn look was in her eyes.
Easton didn’t have the ability to drag River down against her will. If there was anything the Old Man stole without remorse, it was one’s strength, one’s speed, and one’s ability to convince fiery redheads to give up.
“I don’t know who I am, Easton. I know who I want to be and who I’ve tried to be. I know who I’m going to be if I head down right now. Going back is the right thing to do. It’s the responsible thing to do, because I know how dangerous it is to keep going alone.” River turned her face to the mountain range and to the clouds clinging to the frozen peaks around them. “But what if this is it? What if this is my only chance? I’ve spent all these years trying to find myself, always feeling like the real person under my skin wanted out. What if I go back down, back to my life, and I never really know
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“I’m coming back, River. I’m not leaving you up here.” Her smile was the breath in his lungs. “It never once occurred to me you would.”
“Lead the way. I’m right behind you.” Which was how, at fourteen thousand feet, River fell head over heels in love without once touching the ground.
Are you ready for me?” He hadn’t been ready for her in the least, not since he pulled over on the side of the road. But like back then, try as he might, he simply couldn’t help himself.
“Even lone wolves mate for life. I want you happy. If you want to play, I’m game.”
For Easton, watching River stand on the top of the world, realizing she had accomplished the near impossible, was better than anything.
The reward for her effort was a view so beyond any she could have experienced so far, knowing the mountains she’d climbed. Mount Veil was beneath them now, a sea of ice and snow, of dark rock speckling otherwise pristine white. From here, the glaciers they’d climbed had become frozen rivers cutting wide swathes down through the mountainside, like drips from an ice cream cone. And farther below was the tree line, where they’d taken their first steps into this adventure. The cloud cover hung around them, clinging to peaks on other mountains, climbs yet to be taken, challenges yet to be met.
“When you’re at the top of the world, everything feels smaller. Your priorities shift. If you’re anything like me, you’ll spend the rest of your life chasing this feeling.”
“Tell us why someone should come to Moose Springs.” For a long time, River couldn’t say a word. Then she finally whispered into the wind. “Because it’s where I found you.”
