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We’re here to have fun and relax. For today, anyway.
I lock away what she just told me, to be reexamined another day.
We’ve been hiking for more than an hour when Jessica’s steps start to slow. Her pace isn’t as fast as it was in the beginning, and her breathing is coming in harder. We’re at a higher altitude now and the incline is steep. We’re all breathing heavier, but she’s struggling the most.
“How about we take a break here?” I call to the group, not wanting to single her out.
We find a spot to the side of the trail, overlooking the valley. The women sit on the boulders to catch their breaths and drink water.
Fir trees blanket the mountains and spread deep into the valley, an endless forest for as far as the eye can see. The only break in the trees is the lake, the blue sky reflecting off the surface.
“It’s breathtaking.” The awe in Jessica’s voice makes me smile. For once, she’s appreciating what’s in front of her instead of searching for signs of danger.
My gut tells me she’s hiding from someone. But who? And why? Zara hired her to work at Picnic & Treats, so that means she didn’t already have a job when she moved to Maple Ridge. She doesn’t have friends or family in the area. She’s not an avid outdoor person who was lured here by the mountains. Maple Ridge is the kind of place where it’s easy to disappear from the rest of the world.
For the most part.
“How are the cabins you guys are building doing?” Zara lifts her water bottle to her mouth.
I sit on the boulder next to Jessica’s. “Good,” I reply. “We’re on schedule. The first bunch will be ready for early July.”
Jessica turns her head to me. “Where are the cabins located? In the mountains?”
“No, they’re on a plot of land just outside of town.”
“What exactly is the program?” She shifts her body to face me.
I explain all the ins and outs of the outdoor program for vets that my brothers and I created. Who it will benefit and how it will work. “We’ve ordered specialized equipment so vets with disabilities can participate in the outdoor activities. Our program is about inclusivity.”
Jessica claimed journalism ended up not being the right career for her, but her expression says the opposite. She leans forward, absorbing everything I tell her, curiosity gleaming in her eyes. “And you’re building cabins for this?”
“Yes. It won’t be a huge operation. We’ll still have our regular jobs, and for the most part it’ll be nonprofit. As it grows, we’ll hire additional trained staff who can help with the various programs. It’s our way of giving back to those who have served our country.”
Jessica’s mouth curves into a smile so big and beautiful, it’s as if her opinion of me has shifted on its axis. And for a second, I’m the one who’s breathless. I don’t want this moment to end. I don’t want her to stop smiling. “You’re doing this and the PTSD fundraiser? You sure are a caring guy. I think that’s really sweet and amazing of you.”
“Thanks. I’m not sure about the sweet and amazing part, but the program and fundraiser are important to me.”
We take a five-minute break, and then the women are on their feet, ready to get moving again.
Jessica resumes her position at the rear of the group with me. Asking her to join us was a good idea. She seems more relaxed now than she was at the start of the hike. Whatever ghosts she’s been dealing with have left her alone out here. Her eyes are brighter and she’s smiling more.
“I want to do the majority of the renovations on the house myself,” she says with no preamble, as if voicing the thoughts in her head midway through. “Ineedto do them but…but I would like to hire you to help me. Except…now that I’m working for Zara starting Monday, I won’t be…” She leaves the sentence unfinished.
“We can work on it part time if you want. But you’re not hiring me, Jess. I’m helping you as a friend.” That hadn’t been my original plan, but now that she’s giving me a chance to be her friend, I’d rather help her out as one. That will give me a chance to get to know her better. Give me the time I need to gain her trust. Fully gain it. That’s the only way she’ll let me help her when it comes to dealing with her demons. And I do want to help her. I’m not going to let her struggle. I’m not going to fail her like I failed Colton.
“You can’t do that,” she says, her stubbornness coming out to play.
“Sure, I can. It’s the same thing I’d do for any of my friends. We can work on it a couple of evenings a week.”
“But you’re already working during the day and building the cabins on the weekends. Surely you want your evenings off to do other things.”
“I enjoy what I do. And I’m always happy to help out a friend.”
“You think of me as a friend?” Her voice lifts at the end, as if she’s genuinely surprised.
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“You don’t know me.”
