“Some views are better than others,” River said teasingly. Because, well, she’d been doing some looking too.
Instead of flushing or turning away, he held her eyes. Overly aware of the pressure of his hip against her own and her hand still gripping his, River inhaled a deep breath. The motion caused his gaze to flicker down, and she snickered at the expression on his face when Easton realized he was totally busted checking her out.
“You’re determined to get me in trouble out here, aren’t you?” he murmured ruefully.
River released his hand. “Hey, what happens on the mountain stays on the mountain.”
“Unless we film everything,” Bree piped up, changing the angle of the camera braced against her shoulder. “Then whatever happens on the mountain will be up for mass consumption.”
“Am I going to have to call a hand check on you two?” Ash asked. “Hold on, kids. This part always gets rough.”
The closer they got to Mount Veil, the bumpier the ride became. They angled upward instead of setting down at the base, flying higher on the heavily forested mountainside than River would have expected.
“Why aren’t we starting down on the tundra?” River asked as the trees started to thin with the higher elevation. “Aren’t we climbing the entire thing?”
“We’re starting below the tree line so I can get a grasp of your skill levels,” he explained. “No point heading up there unless you can handle it down here.”
“Aren’t we missing all the wildlife down there?”
“That’s some of the most heavily populated grizzly country in these parts. Do you want to climb, or do you want to be eaten for dinner?”
Even though his voice was teasing, River cringed. “Good point. Keep flying, Ash.”
The landing was smoother than the approach, despite setting down on an open slab of what looked to be granite. At their pilot’s direction, they hopped out with their filming gear, then waited for Ash to go back for Ben and the rest of their supplies.
The view from the mountainside wasn’t as grand in scale as it had been in the air, but it was equally impressive in its own right. Everywhere they turned, mountains rose around them. The thick, heady scent of evergreen overwhelmed her senses. They’d dressed for the weather, but the lower temperature at this elevation caused her lungs to inhale cold, fresh air with every breath.
She loved it.
“Is that really necessary?” River turned to see Easton grimacing at Jessie and the camera pointed his direction. “I thought you wouldn’t be filming me.”
Undeterred, Jessie continued filming. “We agreed to only minimally film you. It’s a small mountain and you’re a huge guy. At some point, the cameras will have no choice. Sorry, it’s part of the deal. What’s the point of having a documentary if we’re not going to document any of it?”
“I thought the rule was knees only.”
“You can go thigh level, Jessie,” River said, having sympathy for their guide.
Yes, he’d signed the paperwork. Yes, he knew he would be on film, but they’d assured Easton the camera would only turn his way when necessary. But it was clear he was far from comfortable being filmed, and there was no reason to make him twitchy now, when technically, Ash was coming back with an escape route. It wasn’t beyond the realm of possibility that Easton could jump ship and leave them there.
The crisp, clean air wiped free the lingering worries and doubts River hadn’t realized she still felt about this project. Gazing up at the mountain above them, River couldn’t help but turn a circle, arms outstretched as she soaked it all in.
“Ignore her,” Bree suggested to Easton as she passed by, camera panning their surroundings. “She gets like this every time we’re away from civilization.”
“Yeah.” Easton nodded at River. “Me too.”
Then he was forced to sidestep, because Bree was going to film where he was standing, and it was either move out of her way or get stepped on.
“So what’s the plan?” River asked, hoping to distract him away from the crew.
“We wait for Ben, gear up, and start for that ridge.” He pointed up the mountain a solid thousand feet above their heads. “There’s a few stops along the way that might make for a good shot for you.” One wide shoulder shrugged. “I’m guessing on that. Not quite sure what you’re looking for up here. I usually take people up and get them back down again.”
“If there’s anything cool you can think of,” River said, “I’d love to film it. Otherwise, we’ll grab what we can get along the way.”
She craned her neck, trying and failing to see the summit above them. The cloud cover was too low, blocking their goal from view. “I can’t imagine having a lack of amazing footage from here.”
River’s theory wasn’t wrong. In the time it took for Ash and Ben to return, both her camera crew had wandered off in opposite directions, filming everything around them. Easton led the way as Ben trailed behind, making sure no one got lost. Ben was a fun, likable presence as they hiked. Unlike Easton, he was happy being on camera, sharing tales of Moose Springs as they headed for the ridge Easton had indicated.
The day’s climb wasn’t easy, but River loved every minute of it. Stuck on a climbing wall in LA was nothing compared to being out here, the wind in her hair and real rock beneath her gloved fingertips. A sea of mountains in every direction, with Veil itself rising above her, taunting her with its elusive summit.
But, man, it was cold. And as the sun drifted lower on the horizon, the cold only increased.
“You can almost forget it’s summer, huh?” she murmured as they set up camp beneath an alcove of overhanging rock.
The new tents she’d purchased for the climb were tricky. Like the rest of her crew, River was struggling to put up her tent, and it didn’t miss her attention that Easton was watching them all with a critical eye.
“I could put up my other tent while blindfolded in a blizzard,” she told him. “Keep your judgy looks to yourself.”
She knew when he was standing over her because the guy was massive, and the shadow on the ground was massive too.
“If you’re going to lurk, please do so out of my light.” River nodded her head toward her crew. “If you’re bored, Jessie could use some more stock footage right now.”
The beard twitched, giving him away. “You really want to be caught on film putting this up wrong?”
“It’s not wrong, it’s…” Breathing a soft curse, River realized he was right. “I would have noticed that. Trust me, I can stand over you and find lots of things to point out you’re doing wrong too, buddy.”