Ash snorted. “You’re totally getting a major role. Dad, do you think he’ll remember us when he’s famous?”

Joshua took a bite of eggs. “Probably not.”

“Do you have to tell him everything?” Easton asked his twin. “Just once, it would be nice if you two weren’t in cahoots.”

“Makes up for all those years when you two kids were the ones in cahoots.” With a playful wink at Ash, Joshua took a sip of coffee. “So what role are you playing? First man to fall off a mountain on film?”

“He might be playing sexy mountaineer number two,” she added helpfully. “How have your ab workouts been?”

Ignoring their comments, Easton rose to his feet and went to the sink, washing off his plate before sticking it in the dishwasher. To take away their ammunition, he rolled up the newspaper and stuffed it into his back pocket. “This is me leaving to go to work.”

“Tell Spielberg we said hi, Son.”

Ash was still snickering as the door closed behind him.

The old Ford truck started when he turned the key. Not every day was he lucky enough to experience that pleasure. Equipment check day was sometimes a long and frustrating process, and showing up late never helped get things off to a good start.

Equipment check day was all about going through River and her crew’s equipment with a fine-tooth comb. Assuming even an experienced alpine climber had the right gear for a climb was risky. All it took was one thing to derail a trip. Mount Veil might not be a monster like Denali, but fifteen thousand feet was plenty tall enough to run into trouble.

Providing his clients with a detailed packing list was part of his guide service and the one they tended to go off course on the easiest. He hoped she’d had time to get together everything they needed. Easton had long since learned that a well-packed crew made a happy guide, and a happy guide got his clients to summit on time.

He had an hour before he was supposed to meet River and her team. Which meant he might have time to get a real, palatable cup of coffee before the equipment check.

As he turned off the single lane gravel access road leading from their property and onto the main highway into Moose Springs, Easton’s phone rang. This time, he didn’t ignore it.

“Easton, it’s Tasha.”

“Yep.”

Yep, meaning she totally screwed him. Dad and Ash might give him a ribbing, but there were plenty in Moose Springs who would take the article seriously. Increased tourism was a bane to everyone’s existence. This was the first time Easton had ever been accused of aiding and abetting, which stuck in his craw something fierce.

Easton had spent his life protecting this town, and he didn’t like being on the defensive about his decisions.