Tobias wasn’t sure how to respond. It wasn’t as though he was unwilling to do something like that. He would do anything to give Atticus a fuller life. But was he physically capable of carrying another man while hiking Yosemite? Most of the hikes in the park weren’t easy even without that much weight on his back.

“How did he carry the other man?” he asked. “I mean, other than being strong. What’d he put him in? Some kind of backpack contraption?”

“That’s what it looked like. Sort of like those things parents use to carry children on their backs.”

Children were small, probably not more than fifty to seventy-five pounds. Atticus wasn’t large as men went, but he had to be close to a hundred and fifty pounds.

Still, he’d once read that military personnel carried as much as a hundred and thirty pounds of gear into battle. If he planned well and took frequent rests it could be possible…

“We’d have to find one that would be comfortable,” he said, thinking aloud. “And I’d have to train. A lot. Put on a heavier and heavier pack until I build up my stamina.”

“I bet you could do it,” she said, her face flushed with excitement.

Tobias felt it would be wise to temper that excitement. “Even if I could, I’m not convinced he’d be willing to try it, Maya. It’s one thing to experience a hike and another to feel so dependent. Atticus is good at taking care of himself. He might have a problem with letting another man haul him around. Especially me.”

“No, he likes you,” she said somberly. “A lot. I bet he’d be grateful.”

Was that true? Was it something Atticus would truly want and enjoy?

If so, Tobias would like to give it to him. But he’d have to test it first. Make sure he was capable before he made the offer. Even if he felt confident he could do it, he had no idea how to suggest it to Atticus. Hey, I’d like to take you on one of the greatest hikes of all time—and you’d want to go with me, right? After all, I’m only the guy who shot you.

That should go over well, especially with Susan if she caught wind of it. And what if he fell and hurt Atticus again?

That frightened Tobias more than any other part…

“What do you think?” Maya asked, her eyes round and hopeful.

“I think you have a heart of gold, little girl. But don’t mention this to anyone else, okay? Let me mull it over for a while first.”

She nodded right away. “Okay.”

“Promise?”

“I promise,” she said, crossing her heart.