This hadn’t stopped the daredevils from going up and attempting to free-climb the face. But true to its name, it’d killed more than one adventure-seeking idiot.

Ten years ago that idiot had been her sister.

Lily’s chest tightened. Well, what did she expect? She’d known she would stir up all sorts of emotions by coming back here. Still, it was harder than she’d imagined.

Turning away from the window, she changed her shoes and her intentions. Suddenly she needed to show the mountain she wasn’t afraid. She was going to go for a hike. Not a climb. Just a simple, easy hike. And if she got to the spot where Ashley had left the trail and tried to climb across the face of Dead Man’s Cliff and fallen to her death, then she’d stare that place down and … hell. She had no idea.

But since she had nothing pressing other than obsessing about how she’d ever thought coming back here might be a good idea, she geared up and headed out.

It took her a good half hour to force her feet to move past the trailhead. Twice she turned back but stopped herself.

She could do this.

It was another two hours before she got to the well-known fork in the trail at the base between Cedar Ridge and Dead Man’s Cliff, and she was breathing heavily from exertion by the time she did.

Decision point.

Left, and she’d get to an extremely popular hiking trail that would take Lily to about nine thousand feet and give her an incredible, awe-inspiring view.

Right, and she’d get to Dead Man’s Cliff. The trailhead had a sign posted that read:

EXPERIENCED HIKERS ONLY

DANGEROUS CONDITIONS

NO FACE CLIMBING

STAY OFF ROCKS AND OUTCROPPINGS

For most, this served as enough of a warning. But for the daredevils, it was an active dare.

And a death wish, of course, for those who chose not to listen …

Like Lily, when she’d been younger and far more stupid. Once upon a time she’d wandered all over this mountain looking for a way to challenge herself and she’d found it here. Hiking up to the top of Dead Man’s Cliff and free-climbing on the face was the one thing she’d been able to do that Ashley hadn’t, and remembering how she’d bragged about it backed up the air in her lungs.

Because of course Ashley couldn’t possibly let the unspoken dare go. Nope. She’d had to attempt to beat Lily, as she did at everything.

And she’d died because of it.

Lily’s heart started a heavy, fast beat as she stared at the sign another moment and then …

Took a step back.

Maybe back then she’d had no fear, but that had changed. Big-time. Feeling responsible for your sister’s death did that to a person.