Page 37 of My All American Girl

“Ready?” I called out.

“Are you?” Sarah shot back with unyielding confidence.

I nodded and blew the whistle that hung around my neck. “Go!” I commanded.

Without another word, they launched themselves toward the towering wall meant to simulate rugged terrain. Sarah was the first to reach the top. Her fingers gripped the rough wooden edges and she hoisted herself upward with a surprising amount of strength. The others were close behind, their faces strained as they climbed.

They all made it over and jumped down to race toward the next challenge. The field of tires they had to navigate through was tough, especially with Sarah’s small stature. Longer legs were helpful on this one, and she was a curvy little thing.

Despite that, she bounced through the tires without getting tripped up. She was a natural born leader, always at the front of the pack. The others tried to keep up, but she stayed a few steps ahead. I was proud of her. Maybe she was in better shape than I’d thought.

Their panting breaths were loud even from where I stood. Sweat dripped down them in rivers, darkening their uniforms. Sarah leaped over the last tire and made her way toward the monkey bars. This was going to be the real challenge. Could she jump high enough to grab the bars and did she have the upper body strength to make her way across? This was where I expected her to falter.

She jumped without hesitation. Her hands caught the bar and she swung her body to the next one in a smooth rhythm. Gliding from bar to bar with an ease that seemed to defy gravity, she didn’t look back, didn’t slow down. The things that made her a liability in the outside world were her strengths in the Air Force. If I could help her find the right balance, she would be unstoppable.

I watched with a slowly growing grin on my face. Sarah had just raised the bar for everyone else on that course. I had underestimated her, not that I was eager to admit it. She demonstrated tenacity and strength that would have made any instructor proud.

She landed on the other side of the monkey bars with a triumphant cry that echoed across the field. Her face was flushed as she pumped her fist. My heart stuttered in my chest and I couldn’t tear my eyes from her smile, radiating beauty in her victory.

Her friends, who had been trailing behind, were dragging their asses toward the bars. They looked quite a bit less breathtaking, although they were certainly out of breath. And out of gas apparently.

Sarah turned around and clapped. “Come on, you slackers.”

One by one, they tackled the monkey bars just as Sarah had done earlier. They all struggled while Sarah egged them on. She thought she was done. I blew the whistle to stop her cheerleading and pointed to the next challenge.

It was a colossal rope net, hung high between two scaffolding towers. Her eyes widened. She had to climb up, get over the top, and slide down the other side. The height was daunting, but the real challenge was handling it after the exhausting obstacle course. It was a test of stamina that most people failed the first time.

“Seriously?” She squinted up at it, then back at me with a look that could have burned me to a crisp.

I stared right back at her. “Are you throwing in the towel?”

Her gaze hardened and her nose wrinkled like the very idea disgusted her. “I’d rather die.”

“Then go!” I yelled.

Her friends were practically crawling. They made it through the first course, but I wondered if they were going to make it through the next part. Sarah was struggling but she wasn’t giving up. Rolley made it across the monkey bars and quickly hunched over and lost his breakfast, Clay collapsed in a heap on the ground, and Kaylee struggled to catch her breath. But through it all, Sarah remained resilient, her fiery spirit driving her forward.

“Hit it!” I ordered. “Move your asses!”

They managed to get to their feet and dragged themselves to the net. Sarah was already halfway up, moving steadily despite her fatigue. Her fingers clenched the rope, knuckles pale against the strain. She didn’t glance back at the progress of her friends. She had a singular focus—reaching the top. That kind of focus was what she was going to need to pass survival training.

Rolley was the next to start climbing. He grappled clumsily onto the rope, heaving himself up with a groan of effort that sounded more like a whimper. Clay followed suit, his hands slipping on the rough rope before he managed to secure his hold. Kaylee lingered at the bottom, staring up at the daunting climb with wide and fearful eyes.

I watched, noting who I thought was going to make it and who was probably going to be searching for a new career. Sarah finished the course and walked back to me with a gleam in her eye.

“That was fun.” The color in her cheeks betrayed the exertion she had just endured. “You can report that to my father.”

I grinned at her defiance. “Glad you enjoyed it. Same time tomorrow?”

She nodded, determination burning bright in her gaze. “You bet. We’ll be ready.”

“But tomorrow’s Saturday,” Clay groaned as he hunched over, holding his side. “Did you mean Monday?”

I raised an eyebrow, giving him a hard look. “What do you think?”

“You heard him, guys,” Sarah said. “Buck up. We’ve got work to do.”