Bouldering, as it turned out, bore some similarities but, instead of a completely vertical ascent, was more like climbing stairs. Very large stairs that sometimes required one to use hands and feet simultaneously. At last, when everyone was suitably exhausted, Chase had pity on them and led them up an easier trail to the summit.

Lily stood on an outcropping of rock and tried to absorb the view. Chase joined her after all the campers reached the summit.

“I understand now why people climb. At least one of the reasons,” she said to Chase.

“Why do you think?” Chase asked.

Lily swept a hand toward the mountain range off to their left, and the valley and lake below them. She couldn’t even see the camp, shrouded by the forest between them. “All of that. I don’t know where to look first.” She turned to Chase. “What’s your favorite part?”

“Where the lake disappears into the mountains over there,” Chase said, quietly pointing. “I’ve always thought it sort of mystical, how the two join.”

“That’s very romantic,” Lily murmured. “But then, so are you.”

Chase smiled a little ruefully. “I can’t say anyone else has ever said that before.”

“Then they weren’t paying attention,” Lily said.

“No, but you do.”

“I can’t help myself.” Lily tucked her lower lip between her teeth. Most of the campers were too busy with their second round of trail mix and nutrient drinks to pay attention to them, but conversations like this could only go one place, especially feeling what she felt just looking at Chase. “Will you have much work waiting for you when we get down the mountain?”

“I’ll have to answer whatever calls are waiting. So hard to tell. Why?”

“I was thinking we could go for a swim later.”

Chase’s eyes sparked. “I’ll come find you.”

Lily smiled. “Good.”

“Soon as I can,” Chase said.

The hike down was much easier than the climb up, and Lily was secretly glad. She’d thought she was in reasonable shape just from the hours she’d spent on her feet in the ER, but she hadn’t done any concentrated exercise in longer than she wanted to admit. The feeling of straining her muscles, of challenging her body, was a welcome reawakening, but she’d rather not do it all at once.

She took a long hot shower to ease some of the stiffness in her shoulders and legs, enjoying a few visual memories of Chase’s shirt clinging to her shoulders and back, and the way her climbing pants pulled tight against her thighs. Probably not the best thing to be doing when she really ought to be heading down for the day’s windup and the briefing for tomorrow’s activities. She stepped out of the bath and was just wrapping a towel around her torso when a sharp knock sounded on the door.

Chase called, “Lily!”