“You’re going to have a heart attack from exhaustion before you turn thirty-five.”

“Nag, nag, nag. Really, we need to find you something else to focus on.” Graham handed Easton a cup of coffee.

“Did you make this or Zoey?” Easton asked warily.

“Zoey. Yeah, yeah, I know. She’s better at everything than me, coffee included.” He took a sip from his mug, then sighed with contentment. “Life’s looking good from where I’m standing, East, old buddy.”

“You’re annoying when you’re happy.”

“That’s what Ash told me. Speaking of, I talked to her last night. She said you’re taking that film crew up Mount Veil?”

He wasn’t surprised Ash had already spilled the beans. “Better than letting them poke around town much longer.”

“Ash is worried.” Easton started to shrug, but Graham’s expression tightened. “Yeah, I know how she is about that mountain, but she may have a point on this one. Do they have the experience to get up there?”

“Are you asking me if I know how to do my job?”

Graham clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Nah, never that. I’m just saying this sounds like more of a pain than normal. Someone else’s pocketbook doesn’t sound like a good enough cause to risk your neck.”

Easton didn’t love being on the side of out-of-towners, but he found himself defending River anyway.

“Wouldn’t you rather them be out there, where most people wouldn’t want to come visit anyway? Peak baggers already know about Mount Veil. This is the least amount of damage. We’ll go up the mountain, take some nature shots, and come back down again. Then no one has to worry about it anymore.”

Graham’s raised eyebrow was more than a little skeptical.

“Dad gave his word that I’d guide the climb. I’m not embarrassing him by backing out now. Besides, after meeting her, she’s liable to head up there by herself, camera crew in tow.”

They both shared a grimace. Graham wasn’t a mountaineer, but they both knew exactly how bad of an idea that was.

Easton hadn’t been able to resist an internet search of his newest clients. He’d told himself it was for informational purposes only, but he’d found himself lingering on pictures of River taken by fans. Going into restaurants, making funny faces at her coworkers, even a few of her climbing indoor rock walls.

Her technique was good if nothing else.

Zoey returned to the kitchen, ready to go. Easton set his empty mug aside, then he tossed his keys to her.

Tilting her head to the side in confusion, Zoey lifted the truck’s keys. “I’m driving?”