Kendall swallows hard as she gazes up at the wall.
“The one in front of you is the ‘Getting My Feet Wet’ wall. See the black line of stones? That is the division that marks the medium skill level, known as, ‘So Far, So Good’ section. There are more mini-jugs and pinches in this section. On the wall behind us is his most popular climbing layout. He calls it the ‘Hey, I’ve Got This!’ section.”
“Okay, that makes sense. What’s next?”
“On the far wall is the expert level — otherwise known as ‘Nope, Maybe I Don’t’.”
Kendall is studying the walls carefully. “What determines the difference between the beginning wall and the expert wall?”
“If you look carefully, the hand holds and footholds on the beginner’s wall follow a predictable pattern. Left, right, left, right. They are evenly spaced jugs. The jugs are larger and deeper than the ones on the other walls. On the expert wall, Aidan moves the handholds randomly and they are spaced further apart, with obstacles you must navigate to get to them. He uses several kinds of holds. Some of them are only big enough to stick a finger or two in. Others are like small ledges designed to use only your fingertips.”
“I’m sure I’m not ready for that yet,” Kendall says with wide eyes.
“The other day, I was over here helping Aidan with clean up after one of his day camps and we had a little friendly competition between former military and law enforcement types.”
“Yeah? Who won?”
“Believe it or not, Katie Ashford did. She must’ve kicked butt when she went through the police academy. She left the rest of us in the dust. Tyler did well too. For a big, tall guy, he can get himself up that wall with admirable speed.”
“I’ve only met Katie a couple times, but according to Logan Anthony, Aidan’s chief of security, Katie saved his life and took down the suspect.”
“I can believe it. She out-climbed a bunch of us.”
“Perhaps someday, you’ll be talking like that about me.”
“I have absolutely no doubt that you are going to be a natural.”
“We’ll see. I think I’d like to start on the beginner’s wall.” Kendall starts to walk toward the stone structure.
I put my hands on her shoulders to stop her. “Wait. Get a mental picture of the wall in your head first. Do you see the pattern of grips? This wall has three different ways to the top. They are all pretty straightforward. Just choose the line that makes the most sense for you.”
“Okay, I think I see where I want to go,” Kendall says after she stops and studies the wall.
“Hold up. I’ve got a clip this to you,” I caution as I fasten the safety line to her harness.
She flushes. “Oh yeah, I probably don’t want to forget that.”
“Don’t worry about anything; I’ve got you if you miss a grip.” I show her the guide rope.
“I trust you. I know you won’t let me fall.”
“This may seem basic, but before you adjust a hold either with your foot or your hands, make sure you have two other points of contact.”
“Got it. Two on the wall at all times.”
“Sounds like you’re ready, let’s go.”
Kendall takes the first few jugs with ease. She has a huge grin on her face. I have a feeling she’ll be coming back to Aidan’s wall often.
She looks down at me with panic as she asks, “Which direction now? I forgot!”
“You can go either way. You’ve reached a fork in the road.”
“I’ll go right.”
“Sounds good to me,” I respond. “You’re doing a great job.”
Kendall moves up three more jugs. “This is a great upper body workout. I wish I would’ve done more. My arms are tired. It’s hard to balance with my legs this far apart.”
“On this portion of the wall, the jugs are large enough that you can stand on them with both feet. See the ones that are bright green? Those are the widest. If you can make your way to one of those, you can stand on them with both feet.”
“Isn’t that against the rules?”
“Darlin’ there are no rules. It’s just you and the wall. It’s all about emptying your brain of stress and finding a way to the top. It’s knowing your limits and feeling brave enough to push beyond them.”
Kendall turns her head and looks down at me.
“Whoa! I probably shouldn’t have done that. It’s a long way to the ground.”
“It is. But, look up. You are almost to the top of the wall,” I comment as I hold tension on Kendall’s safety rope.
She looks up. “Look at that! There’s only three climbing holds left. I can do that.”
“I know you can. Are you ready? I suggest you take the center jugs. It’s the easiest route to get untangled.”
“Got it.” Kendall says as she moves from one climbing jug to the other. She pauses at the top jug. “What do I do now?”
“Give me a second,” I instruct as I hook my guide wire to Aidan’s spotting device.
“You need a rope? That’s a little scary.”
“I guess there’s one rule. Aidan does not allow anyone to climb without a safety rope no matter how much experience they have.”
I climb the wall nearest to Kendall in a matter of seconds. I stroll down the scaffolding walkway toward the area of the wall where she is and extend my hand to help her up. With the additional security, she swings her leg over the top of the wall and onto the platform.
“I know it’s only a wall for beginners, but Oh my Gosh! that was fun. I want to do it again. Umm ... how do I get down?”
“For that, I need to be at the bottom managing your rope, I don’t want you to come down too fast.”
“How will you get down? No one is there to hold the line for you.”
“I’ll go down the same way I came up,” I answer as I examine her carabiner to make sure it is secure. “Your way is more fun. You just lean back and frog jump against the wall to move down. I’ll be at the bottom guiding your dissent.”
“This is where the trust part comes in, right.”
“What do you mean?” I ask, puzzled.
“Oh, it’s probably nothing, but Tara left me a lovely note about trust.”
“From what I understand, Tara’s messages typically have a deeper meaning.”
I pull on Kendall’s harness to test it. “I think you are ready to rock ’n’ roll. Let me get down the wall and I’ll guide your descent.”
Kendall gasps as I launch myself over the side of the wall and start to climb down. “Maybe I shouldn’t have watched that,” she says in a panicked voice.
“Don’t worry about it, your way is much more fun.”
When I reached the bottom, I unsnap the harness from my carabiner and walk over to pick up her guide rope.
“Okay, see the big green jug? Swing your leg over and place your body weight there. Right below it to your left is another green jug. Put your right foot there. Lean back against the harness. Don’t worry. The guide wire will hold your weight. You just jump on the wall moving from jug to jug. This is my favorite part of climbing. It feels like you’re flying.”
“Okay, if you say so. Right now, my knees are knocking together like a Congo band.”
“Look at what you’ve accomplished. You made it all the way up the wall without having to start over. That’s spectacular.”
I watch anxiously as Kendall follows my instructions. It’s nerve-racking.
Kendall makes her first leapfrog and slides down the rope. At first, she shrieks in surprise. But then she laughs. “This is like the best fair ride ever,” she exclaims.
“I know! The feeling is addictive. Wait until you get to try the real thing. Climbing outdoors is a joy all of its own.”
“You might want to wait to celebrate until I actually make it off the kiddie wall,” she says as she makes a few more bounces.
When she reaches the ground, she sways a little. When she regains her bearings, she does a little happy dance as she spins aro
und. “I did it! I really did it. Not only did I do it, I loved it! I want to do it again. Do you think I’m ready to move up to the next wall?”
“You should probably climb the other two routes to the top first. On the next level, the jugs are a little farther apart and have different holds. I want you to be secure in making choices before you move to the medium level of difficulty.”
“That makes sense. I need to take a rest. My arms feel like limp spaghetti noodles. Can I watch you climb the hardest wall?”
I shrug. “Sure. It looks like Aidan has rearranged things, so it will be a challenge for me.”
“A challenge like ‘Oh my gosh, I’m never going to make it up this wall’ kind of challenge?”
“Nah, more like I’m going to have to put my thinking cap on to figure out his maniacal plan. I can normally do this kind of stuff in my sleep. The last time I was here, Aidan said he was going to build me a pattern of climbing holds that even I couldn’t figure out.”
“Was he lying? Do you see a path to the top?”
“Yeah, there are a couple. I won’t get stuck, I promise,” I assure her as I tighten my straps and hook my carabiner to the safety harness.
I start to retie the end of the rope to the automatic spotter, but Kendall asks, “Can I do that?”
“If you want to. I was going to give your arms a break.”
“You won’t actually be putting any weight on the line, will you?”
“I don’t expect to need the rope. Aidan is clever, but he’s not that clever.”
“So, how do I use this thing?” Kendall asks holding the rope in her hand.
“You’re serving as a counterbalance. If you feel tension on the rope, just lean away from it.”
“I think I can handle that,” Kendall says as she bites her lip. “But, you’re not going to need the rope, right?”
“I think I’m good.”
Kendall walks up to me, plants a kiss on my lips, and gives me a quick hug.
“Don’t worry Jameson; I’ve got you covered.”
“I know. I trust you,” I answer. We might be talking about rock climbing, but I mean so much more.
With renewed enthusiasm that Kendall and I may be able to iron out our differences, I face down Aidan’s new challenge and scramble to the top of the wall. With all the new finger grips and shallow holes, I know my hands will be sore tomorrow. There are more than a few awkward twists and turns required to make it up the wall. Aidan didn’t renege on his promise to make it a challenge. Usually, if I want a challenging climb, I have to go outside.
When I reach the top, Kendall whoops with excitement. “I can’t believe you made it up there so fast. I want to learn to do that.”
“You just need practice.”
I start to climb down the same way I went up, and Kendall asks, “Aren’t you going to jump like I did?”
“Do you feel comfortable enough to hold the lead rope?”
“Yeah, I think so. I just take up the slack so the rope can stop you if you start to descend too quickly, right?”
“That’s right.”
Kendall widens her stance and says, “Go for it!”
I lean back and take a couple of frog jumps against the wall as I let my line out.
Kendall laughs out loud. “What I wouldn’t give for a videotape of this. All the people in high school who said I would die alone in my bedroom because I was too scared to face the real world would never believe what I’m doing now.”
I step out of my harness and give her a deep lingering kiss. “I would venture to guess they don’t know the heart of the fierce warrior that you hide behind all your nerdiness.”
“I like that. I am a fierce warrior, even if I don’t look the part.”
“Well, Warrior Woman, do you want to take a couple trips up the wall before we go get something to eat?”
“I do. There’s nothing like conquering what scares you.”
CHAPTER 13
KENDALL
“NO! THIS WASN’T JUST SOMETHING I read in a book. A lot of faith you have in me as your twin sister.”
“Didn’t happen if you didn’t capture it on video,” Will insists.
“It did so happen! If you don’t believe me, you should come talk to Jameson. He was pretty impressed with how quickly I picked up my climbing skills. He even let me try out the other levels of difficulty. By the end, I wasn’t scared. It was totally cool. It was like playing three-dimensional chess with my own body; I had to figure out where to go and how to stay balanced at the same time. Jameson was so great, he didn’t even make fun of my rookie mistakes. He just showed me how to get out of my jam and move on.”
“Well, I gotta give the guy kudos for getting you out of your comfort zone. That college professor you were going out with was a real snore.”
“Okay, so Dr. Noff was a little more obsessed with naked statues than I felt comfortable with — but somewhere in the universe there’s a match for him.”
“What’s wrong with this Jameson guy?”
“Nothing! He’s been a perfect gentleman. I think you’d like him.”
“So, when are the parents and I going to get to meet this guy who’s swept you off your feet?” Will asks.
“Mom has met him — over Skype at least.” I sigh. “As for you ... I don’t know. It’s complicated.”
“See, I knew there was a ‘but’. Do I need to have a heart-to-heart with this guy?”
“William Benjamin Kordes, don’t you dare. Our issues have nothing to do with the kind of person Jameson is. It has to do with our situation. It’s a work thing.”
“You’re sleeping with a co-worker? I didn’t know you had it in you. I mean, there’s living outside your comfort zone, and then there’s living on another planet. I don’t know if I should feel sorry for you or give you a virtual high five.”
“Oh shut up! It’s not like that,” I protest. After I think about it for a moment, I have to admit, “Okay .... so it might be a little like that. Or, it might be even worse.”
“Oh my God! Is the guy married?”
“No. Who do you think I am?” I reply indignantly.
“What am I supposed to think? You said it was complicated and then you said it might be worse than sleeping with a married guy. So what’s up?”
“You’re right. I’m making it seem like it’s a lot worse than it is. Jameson and I are still trying to figure it out.”
“It’s a good thing my shift was let out early because of weather. It sounds like this is going to be a long conversation. Start from the beginning.”
“I’ll tell you the story, but you have to not judge the situation until you’ve heard the whole thing. There are reasons behind everything that’s happened.”
“Am I still going to respect you after I hear this?”
“Of course, you are. We haven’t done anything wrong — it’s just awkward. You know that ransomware that’s been going around? Locate My Heart got attacked. So, one of Logan and Aidan’s friends came to help us out. He works for this company called Identity Bank and —”
“You’re working with Identity Bank? Do you know how famous Tristan Macklin is for his video games? You don’t even know! He’s like a god in the gaming community,” Will interjects.
“I suppose he probably is — but that’s not how I know him. I know him because he helped out with a fundraiser for Locate My Heart. He helped us get computer equipment we needed to run our age progression software. Anyway, when he found out we were the victim of ransomware, he sent his most talented computer tech.”
“The new guy in your life?”
“Yeah, Jameson used to be military, but now he’s not.”
“A cautious, careful person might want to know why someone is former military…” my brother lets his speech trail off.
“I do know why he’s former military — and that is at the heart of my problem.”
“You have problems with this dude?” Will growls.
“I did at first. There�
�s no doubt about that. He seemed to hate everything I’ve dedicated my life to, and he was convinced Locate My Heart, and all of its employees were out to fleece families everywhere.”
“Yikes, that’s not good,” Will says.
“We had a rough start,” I admit.
“Why would he even think that? There is nothing nefarious about what you guys do. Why would he think that you take advantage of people? He sounds like a jerk!” Will finishes in a huff.
“Although sometimes Jameson talks before he thinks things through, he’s not a jerk. He’s the older brother of a missing child, and his family was burned badly by conmen when they hired people to help them search.”
“Oh... I see. Does Colette know you have the hots for this guy?”
“Bizarrely enough, she’s encouraging the relationship. It’s really hard to read her. Did I tell you she stepped away for a bit and gave me a shot at a promotion?”
“Are you going to finally be the director?”
“I don’t know. Colette has some personal stuff going on, and she put me in charge for a while. During the time I’ve been acting director, we’ve had a few high-profile cases.”
“You mean the one with the baby, right? I’m glad that the kidnapper was finally arrested.”
“Me too. We’ve had quite a few cases in the last few months. We’ve been able to solve all the new cases except for Jameson’s. I feel terrible about that. I hate to treat any case differently than any other in terms of importance, but this one breaks my heart.”
“I know you. You get close to every single family. It’s like you adopt them as your own. You stress over every development in a case.”
“I know. But, this is entirely different. As near as I can tell, no one really bothered to look for this kid because they thought the parents had something to do with it. Nothing I’ve uncovered supports that theory. It was just the news media and the tabloids running with the story they didn’t even know. As far as I can tell, Toby was just a good kid who had a passion for video games.”
“Toby? Are you talking about the kid who was known as the Archaeologist? I remember that. I guess I was a freshman in college when it all happened.”
Heart Wish Page 13
