The look of horror on her face was priceless and comical. “Oh hell no. Peeing off the side of a mountain, listening to Darice moan and complain… I’d rather bring a date home to meet my dad – that would at least be entertaining until I had to scrub the blood out of my clothes.” She gestured toward Bastien. “Think I’ll hang at base camp and watch over the two males who don’t whine like babies.”

Sumi laughed. “All right.”

Hauk turned toward Thia. “Hey, Thee? What size shoe do you wear?”

“Eighteen.”

He looked back at Sumi. “You?”

“Eighteen. Why?”

“You’ll need climbing shoes, won’t you?”

That would be helpful.

“I’ll grab my pack,” Thia said, heading for her tent. “Everything should fit.”

“Thanks, sweetie.” Sumi followed after her.

While Sumi and Darice changed, Hauk checked the ropes, anchors, biners, harnesses, cams, hexes, nuts, slings, belay devices, and packed them each a day sack.

When they returned, he took a moment to help them gear up and double-checked everything again.

Darice made a sound of supreme disgust. “Do I have to wear a full body harness? Really? Dancer, I’m not a baby.”

“If you invert on the climb, you’ll thank me.”

He rolled his eyes. And again when Hauk made sure everything was fastened properly to his sling. “Gah, Dancer. Really? I’ve been climbing since I was three. Stop, already!”

“Don’t get arrogant. I had a lot more hours than you in a harness when I fell over four hundred feet, and your father had even more. Humor me.”

Darice froze to stare at him. “What really happened on that climb, Dancer?”

Sumi held her own breath as she waited for the answer.

Dancer’s eyes darkened with sadness. “The anchors and belay failed.”

“Who was lead?”

“Your father.”

Tears filled Darice’s eyes as he realized Keris was responsible for setting the anchors and belay. That he’d been at fault when they failed. “Is that why you cut the rope?”

Hauk winced as anger and pain mixed inside him. He was so sick of that accusation. Furious at the way his mother and father looked at him as if he’d murdered his own brother. “I didn’t cut the rope, Darice. I didn’t have my hands free to do it.”

He scowled. “I don’t understand.”