Love's Haven by Catherine Palmer

Author:Catherine Palmer
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Steeple Hill
Published: 2005-11-08T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

Brock lifted his head to study the hues of gray, gold and pink mingled in the rock face he had scaled countless times. He knew the easiest routes up the slab, where balance and friction were more essential than brute strength. And he knew the more challenging paths that followed the natural line of cracks. These required such techniques as smearing, edging, clinging and fist-jamming. He had often gone up the cliff alone; he had led skilled companions; he had guided groups of novice climbers. More than once, he had successfully free-soloed the cliff using neither rope nor equipment. He was never careless nor casual, but he understood the soaring wall of stone so well it seemed like a comfortable old friend.

Yet to Mara—standing beside him in the ruins of the adobe house—the precipice represented death. He understood that, too. And for the first time in his life, another person’s feelings mattered more than his own.

“I have updated my will,” he told her quietly. In his arms, he held Mara’s baby, a soft, cuddled bundle who knew no better than to trust him instinctively. “Two weeks ago in Las Cruces I met with my lawyer to discuss the situation. A few days later I approved the revisions. When I die, my estate will belong to Abby…and to you, Mara.”

At the simplicity of Brock’s statement, Mara’s expression softened. She closed her eyes for a moment. “It’s not that I don’t care what happens to you,” she said softly. “I would never want…I mean, I’m hoping that nothing…”

“You just want to make sure your daughter has a future.”

“That’s right.” She looked up again, her eyes searching. “Do you understand?

“If I’m going to keep spelunking and parasailing and whitewater-rafting and rock-climbing,” he said, laying his cheek on the baby’s head, “you want to know you and Abby are secure.”

“I’m not hoping something happens to you, Brock. But I just don’t—”

“You don’t trust a man who would let Abby’s father fall off a cliff.” He spat out the words, and there was nothing he could do to hide his own pain. “There are a lot of things you don’t know, Mara. Did Todd tell you that he and I practiced on this slab until he could just about run up the thing?”

“No,” she whispered.

“Did you know that I bought two of every piece of equipment so Todd and I both would be outfitted safely? Did you know he made up for any lack of dexterity with his uncanny sense of technique? Todd could climb just about anything.”

She gave a mirthless laugh. “Obviously not the cliffs at Hueco Tanks.”

“Oh, he scaled those, too. We were on our way down when he fell.” The image of that terrifying moment flashed before Brock once again. “It was late in the afternoon. Since it was getting dark, we decided not to rappel down. Rappelling can take a lot of time, because you have to secure the ropes, anchors and slings. Todd was afraid we’d have to leave some of the equipment behind, and he never liked to do that.

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