He twists his body, looking at the ice. “Because I thought I looked dead sexy climbing that wall, but I guess not.”
“You did.” I startle, catching myself. “I mean, I admire how you can climb the ice so fast. I respect yourskills.” Nothing more. “That’s why I said you were the abominable snowman, because you looked like you were in your element. Like you belonged on an ice wall.” And because nothing about a yeti is sexy, it’s a very safe comparison. Ice climbing with your boyfriend’s good-looking twin brother is all about staying safe.
“It’s your turn. Let’s get you up there.” Caleb hands me two curved ice pick things. “When you use the ice tools, think of flicking the wrist rather than swinging your whole arm.” He demonstrates the motion with his own hand. “And keep your legs wide for a greater base of support. You're almost making a triangle—your legs wider than your upper body.” I try to mimic his position and get a nod of approval from him like he’s satisfied with my effort. “I’m going up first. I’ll be a few feet above you, but don’t worry, your rope is attached to me, and I’ll be belaying you the entire time in case you slip.”
“So I won’t fall to my untimely death?” I tilt my head, lifting one shoulder.
“You’re too important to me to let that happen.” He clicks a carabiner onto my harness and starts his ascent, leaving me wondering what the heck he meant by that.
I’m too important to himbecauseI’m his brother’s girlfriend. That’s what he meant. Phew, I'm glad I sorted that out.
“You coming?” Caleb flashes a charming smile over his shoulder. He’s already ten feet up. How did he get that high so fast?
“Yep, yep. Right behind you.” I flick my tool into the ice sheet and kick my crampon-ed foot until I have enough leverage to pull myself up.
And we’re off!
“There you go!” Caleb says above me. “You’re a natural.”
I just focus on the moves, flicking and kicking as I go.
“I feel like I have the upper-body strength of a jellyfish,” I say as I pull myself to the next level.
“If you get tired, that’s what the belay is for.”
“It’s un-belayable!”
“Oh, you’re even making jokes. Next, you’ll be singing ‘Ice Ice Baby.’”
I flick the tool into another frozen piece and lift myself higher. “It’s looping through my head as we speak.”
“How did I know?”
I glance at Caleb above me as he hoists himself to another level. I take a second to study him as he climbs, the smoothness of his movements, the ease of his strength.
He looks good—pure athleticism and confidence.
“You’re checking me out, aren’t you?”
My head drops. “What? No! I’m climbing. You can’t get”—I look down, checking my progress—“twenty feet off the ground without focusing on climbing.”
He drops his eyes to me with a cocky smile. “It’s my butt, isn’t it? I know how good it looks in a harness.”
I laugh as my mouth falls open. “No comment.” Great answer. Very Switzerland-esque.
“Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.”
I roll my eyes, focusing on each flick and kick as if my life depends on it. I’m halfway to the top when part of the ice protrudes, making it difficult to climb upward.
“You can go to the left if you want to take a little easier route,” Caleb calls to me.
Easy sounds good right about now, so I shift to the left, kicking my foot into the ice, but it doesn't catch. Instead, both feet slide out from under me. My hands tighten around the tools like I can muscle a save with my jellyfish upper body, but the weight is too much. My heart panics as I slide downward. I’m quickly yanked to a stop by Caleb and his belay rope.
“Oh my gosh!” My eyes shoot to him. “You saved me!”
His smile is calm and relaxed. “I’ll always be here to catch you.”
There’s a place in the back of my heart, a hidden cavern where I hide my deepest, darkest secrets. Right now, that cavern wishes Caleb was talking about more than ice climbing.
