His Secret by Brisa Starr

Author:Brisa Starr [Starr, Brisa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780982372234
Publisher: Green Butterfly Press
Published: 2020-06-22T16:00:00+00:00

12

Alyson

We walk another few steps and approach a fork in the trail.

“Which way do we go?” I ask.

“We’ll go to the left.” He walks in that direction.

“What’s to the right?”

“The route to the left is easier. The route to the right is more dangerous, not for first-timers,” he warns with a scowl directed at me. “So we will go to the left.”

“Wait,” I say. “Why are you choosing for the two of us?”

“Because I just told you that the route to the right is not for first-timers.”

“So? How do you know what I’m capable of? You think I’ve never hiked before? Or are Arizona mountains magically different from all other mountains?”

“Well, your tolerance for heat to begin with. That route is directly under the sun at this time of day and there are no spots to rest in the shade. Plus, it requires more stamina, and although I’m still enjoying the process of getting to know you, I’ve yet to see you exercise beyond walking the dogs. Last, it’s a Class Three route, requiring some scrambling, and we didn’t bring gloves, and the rocks are too hot to touch. There’s a long stretch with some serious exposure, which means if you fall, you die.”

“Well, I think that sounds fun and challenging,” I say, standing up straight and putting my balled fists on my waist, giving him my best Wonder Woman pose.

“Alyson, I appreciate your boldness and your energetic spirit of adventure. In fact, it’s one thing I like most about you. But this is not one of those times, so tuck it away in your pocket.”

I let out a small, bitter laugh. “I’ll be the judge of that.”

I take off to the right and he calls out, his tone deeper, “Dammit, Alyson.”

But he comes after me, on our little adventure. We walk a few minutes, and I’m thinking he was just messing with me. “This doesn’t seem very difficult, Adron. I don’t know what you were worried about.” I wipe the sweat from my brow. Because, well, he was right about one thing. The sun is unrelenting, and it’s a bitch.

We keep on going for a few more minutes, and from behind, I hear him say, “Take it easy for the next quarter mile, the path narrows.” He’s right, and I look off to the right and down. It’s a long way. I’m surprised people even call this a “route.” There are no guardrails between you and the jaws of death.

I turn and face the wall, walking sideways, with my back to the long drop off the mountain. It feels safer and puts the sun at my back, too. I’m using my hands on the mountainside and grabbing at anything I can for a little extra security. I keep moving, not looking down. I reach for a handhold under a bush coming out of the mountain, and that’s when I hear it. A very loud rattle, like beads shaken in a hollow piece of bamboo, at puree speed. The heart-stopping sound of the famous Western diamondback rattlesnake.

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