Free The Last Bride (DiCarlo Brides #6) by Heather Tullis Page A

already stated the ground rules. And she really wanted to climb that rock. She pushed her personal feelings aside and drove out to the ski resort.
    Gage was walking down the hill to the front parking lot when she pulled into a spot a few minutes later.
    “Hey, there. Glad you could make it,” he said. “I almost called to see if you had changed your mind.”
    She checked her watch. “I’m only two minutes late.”
    “Yes, but usually you’re early.” He grinned. “Get held up at work?”
    “Yes.” She didn’t want to bring up Angela with him. It would be too weird. It was already too weird, so she put it aside.
    “Are you ready now?”
    “Let’s go.” From her trunk she pulled a backpack full of gear, with treats, drinks and some basic first aid supplies in it. “How tall did you say the rock face is?”
    “About a hundred feet. There’s a natural ledge about halfway up, which is where most people stop. If you’re still feeling adventurous when we reach there, we can go all the way.”
    “I’m an all-the-way kind of girl.” Jonquil caught herself right after she said it. That came out wrong. She glanced sideways at Gage. He didn’t react to it, so maybe he didn’t catch the unintended double entendre.
    “Cool. Looks like we have a perfect day for a climb.” He smiled up at the sky like there was nothing he wanted more than to be out there in the sunlight and cool breezes.
    She had to admit that it sounded pretty good. Time to put her conversation with Angela behind her and focus on what she was doing.
    It took nearly forty minutes to drive up to the rock face. They talked about when they started climbing and some of their experiences. They joked about mutual friends and just generally had a good time.
    When he stopped the car, they still had to hike for ten minutes to reach their destination. One glance at the rock face and Jonquil understood what he meant about people stopping halfway up, but she was more determined than ever to scale the whole thing.
    “You think you can tackle that?” he asked.
    “Oh, yeah.” She got out her harness and stepped into it, buckling it in front and doubling it back on itself for security. “Do you rappel too?” she asked.
    “Every chance I get. You ever bungee jump?”
    “No, but I’ve been skydiving a few times. It’s awesome. I definitely want to go again.”
    “I’ve always wanted to skydive. I checked into it last year but the business doesn’t let me have much time off. It kind of sucks up most of my life.” He shrugged, apparently not bothered by it.
    “Tell me about it.” She glanced over and they shared an understanding look.
    They secured their rope and began hooking it through everything and into their harnesses with a couple carabiners for security. She checked her pack for the anchors and bolt gun for the climb, then zipped it closed.
    “Ready?” he asked.
    She tightened the strap on her helmet and nodded. “Let’s go.”
    For the next half hour Jonquil focused most of her energy and attention on the stone in front of her. There was something primal that called to her, luring her back to rock climbing, skiing, mountain biking. It was a high, her against the mountain, calling her to do more, be better. She sucked in a breath of fresh air, brushed the sweat from her forehead with her upper arm, and pushed herself farther.
    She heard Gage breathing harder than usual beside her. They helped each other here and there, double-checked each other’s safety lines and pushed on with only a few comments back and forth as they scaled the wall.
    When she pulled herself up onto the ledge—and it could barely qualify as that, she looked over at him. “You game to finish the run to the top?”
    “Bring it on.”
    They shared a grin and turned back to the rock again.
    When they got to the top, Gage climbed over and reached down to help her the rest of the way up. “Come enjoy the scenery.”
    He steadied her as she stood on the top, his arm around