Taking the Heat. Victoria Dahl

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СКАЧАТЬ know. I still remember the day I decided I wasn’t leaving Jackson. It’s a great place to stay forever, even if I do have to live on a bartender’s tips and the occasional guiding gig. I’m guessing librarian doesn’t pay much more, but I guarantee you won’t find a reason to leave.”

      Yeah. Unfortunately, Gabe already had a reason to leave. He couldn’t put good views and crisp air over his family, no matter how much he loved living here. He didn’t have the option to stay. Not forever. But he’d be damned if he’d waste his time here dwelling on that.

      “Rappelling,” he called out, checking the anchor, the rope and the lock on his carabiner one last time.

      “Rappel on, my friend,” Benton said.

      Gabe turned around, stepped down and let his weight settle him into the right position. There was nothing but two hundred feet of air behind him and it felt perfect.

      “Hey!” Benton called as Gabe began to descend. “You coming out with us tonight?”

      “Absolutely.”

      “Great. We’re heading over to a new locals’ night at Three Martini Ranch. Dear Veronica hosts it. Supposed to be a blast.”

      Gabe’s hand tightened reflexively around the rope, slowing his descent. He loosened his grip and shook off his surprise.

      Between moving all his belongings into a new apartment and working his ass off at the library, he’d been too busy to think much about Veronica Chandler in the past week. She was a distraction Gabe didn’t need. But she was definitely a distraction.

      He had no idea what to think of her. She was pretty, a pain in the ass and absolutely not his type. She was also funny and smart as hell, if last Thursday’s performance was any guide. She’d been transformed into that warm, welcoming version of herself once she’d started speaking, but more than that, she’d been bright as a star.

      He’d agreed with every one of the answers she’d had for the letter writers, and he’d been looking forward to discussing them with her after the performance. So much so that he’d realized what a bad idea it was to stay, and he’d said his goodbyes and hauled ass before she could come out to join Lauren.

      He’d figured that was the end of it, but apparently, he was going to see her again tonight. Not that he had to go, but...what good was a day off if he couldn’t hang out with old friends?

      Gabe slid past an overhang and kept up a steady descent until he was back on flat ground, then shouted the alert back up to Benton.

      “Geronimo!” Benton yelled back. He was down in a few minutes.

      “What time tonight?” Gabe asked.

      “Starts at eight, but we’d better make it closer to seven. I hear it might be packed.”

      That would work in Gabe’s favor. He could check out Veronica again, but he wouldn’t draw her attention. He didn’t want to date her. He just wanted one more chance to figure her out before he filed her away.

      “Hey,” Benton said, nudging Gabe’s elbow as they began to pack up the gear. “Did you bring that book?”

      “Sure.” Gabe dug into his hiking pack and withdrew his worn copy of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Benton’s nephew had been diagnosed with autism and Benton had read through two dozen nonfiction books about the condition. Now he was looking for fiction, too.

      “If you want anything else, let me know and I’ll see if I can order it in to the library.”

      Benton shot him a narrow look. “I don’t know, man. Will I have to sit in on circle time on the rug?”

      “Benton, it’s a library, not a preschool.”

      “Same thing, right?”

      Gabe was used to this, but he still rolled his eyes. “I don’t run the kids’ section. Come on.”

      Benton shrugged. “All right. Since you’re in the adult section, any sexy librarians I should be aware of?”

      “Yeah,” Gabe said, slipping on his pack. “Me.”

      “Tempting,” Benton countered. “But I’m gonna need you to take the lead next time so I can get a better look at that ass.”

      “I’ll wear running shorts,” he promised, prompting Benton to groan.

      “Now I’ll never get that image out of my head.”

      Gabe grinned. “I like that you pretend it’s awful. That’s cute.”

      “Good Christ, man,” Benton muttered. “Your hairy fucking thighs. To change the subject entirely...how’s your sister?”

      Gabe shook his head. “Naomi is great. Want me to pass her a note from you?”

      “I can pass my own notes,” Benton said. “I’ve still got her number from last time. Is she coming to visit anytime soon?”

      “No idea,” Gabe said, throwing Benton a wary look. He didn’t want to know if his sister had hooked up with Benton three years ago when Gabe and Naomi had met up here with a group of friends. He didn’t care who his sister slept with; he just didn’t want to know any details.

      “Fine,” Benton said, holding up his hands. “How’s your dad? Still pressuring you to take over the family business back in New York?”

      “Always,” Gabe answered, not adding more. Even Benton didn’t know about Gabe’s plans. He wanted to live the next year as if he wasn’t planning to return to the city. He didn’t want to field questions about MacKenzie’s. He didn’t even want to admit the truth out loud.

      His dad knew, of course. It had been the only way to get his agreement to retire in a year. And his sisters knew, because Gabe had tried to talk each of them into stepping up and taking over the MacKenzie’s chain of restaurants. His sisters were older, after all, and someone had to do it or their dad would work himself into an early grave.

      But they’d refused, and so it had come down to Gabe, the one who liked to keep the peace and make things right.

      “Well, if Naomi does come out here, let me know.”

      “Yeah, yeah.”

      Benton shouldered his own pack. “All right, you’re not as pretty as your sister, but you’ll have to do for now. Come on, beautiful.”

      Gabe laughed as Benton started down the trail, but Gabe didn’t immediately follow. He was distracted by the echo of his own laughter off the rocks behind him. How long had it been since he’d heard that? His voice bouncing off mountains instead of being swallowed up by a cacophony of cars and air conditioners?

      He took a deep breath and felt years of stress fall away. If he’d been in any kind of shape, he’d have turned around and headed right back up the face again, taken a slightly different path, pushed himself a little harder. But his arms already burned and there was no way his hands would hold up. Sunday would be soon enough to push himself. And then every Sunday after that.

      Gabe СКАЧАТЬ