“Who all is going to be there?” She asked the question casually, but he seemed to understand the fear that lay behind it.
He ran a thumb over her cheek. “Hey, that bastard and his buddy are far behind us. It’s just going to be Lexi and Austin and members of the Team.”
She wanted to tell him that it could happen again with someone else, that if a man in a gas station in Buena Vista had recognized her, it could happen anywhere. But, of course, she couldn’t, not without explaining.
He kissed her again, winked. “Admit it—you’re going to miss me.”
She did her best to look indifferent. “Not at all.”
She watched him leave, her lips still tingling, then took a quick shower and changed into khaki climbing shorts and a black tank top. She’d just finished putting her makeup on when she remembered that she hadn’t checked her phone or her email since leaving yesterday morning early. She was probably in trouble with Abigail, but, God, it had felt good to be unplugged and free.
She hurried over to the chest of drawers, where she’d left her phone charging, and found a half-dozen texts and sixteen emails. One was from Lexi.
OMG! Are you and Hawke lovers?
Smiling to herself, Vic answered.
No. I was scared. He let me sleep in his tent. But I would say yes if he asked.
The rest of the messages were far less interesting. They came from Abigail and Jeff, who was supposed to be filling in for her. And a weight she hadn’t carried for a brief and glorious twenty-four hours settled on her shoulders once again.
So much for feeling alive.
She sat at the table, booted up her laptop, and went through the emails one by one.
* * *
Eric could seesomething was troubling Victoria the moment she and Lexi walked into the rock gym. He finished tying on his climbing shoes then walked over to meet her.
“What’s wrong?”
“Her boss,” Lexi answered. “She doesn’t seem to care that Vic is on vacation.”
Oh. That again.
“Did you find a bunch of messages waiting for you?”
“Sixteen.”
“Jesus.”
“I told her I was going camping and wouldn’t have cell service. She reminded me I work in the fast-paced world of public relations and marketing and threatened to give my promotion to someone else.”
What a bitch! “Sounds like you need a new boss.”
“I wish.”
“Do you want to rent a harness and shoes just in case?” Lexi asked her.
Vic shook her head. “I’m here as a spectator.”
Eric grinned. “We’ll see about that. You’re quite the daredevil. You just don’t know it yet.”
While Lexi got her harness and shoes on, he took Victoria around, introducing her to the Team members she hadn’t already met. “This is Harrison Conrad. He’s climbed Everest a couple of times now. That’s Mitch Ahearn, Megs’ partner. This is Kenzie Morgan. She trains and handles search dogs for us. This is Creed Herrera. You already know Moretti. The woman talking with Sasha is Nicole Turner.”
At the sound of her name, Sasha looked over and saw them, a big smile sliding over her face. She bounded over to Victoria and gave her a big hug. “How’s our badass wakeboarder?”
The surprise on Victoria’s face made Eric want to laugh. There were probably thousands of people who would pay to have Sasha Dillon hug them and call them a badass in public.