Nine hours later, Sam tripped on a vine and went down on both knees. She winced but forced herself to get back on her feet. She gave the flashlight a violent twist and waited for the beam of light to appear. She ripped at the vine before she moved on. Her legs ached and so did her back. Sleep was something she longed for. A nice hot bubble bath, clean sheets, and sleep. Well, that wasn’t going to happen for a while, so there was no point in even thinking about it.

Alpha prodded her, growling deep in his throat. Sam moved, understanding that Alpha wanted to go home. She knew she had shin splints, and her knees ached unbearably. They were also swollen from her tumble. This too shall pass, she told herself.

As she continued to climb, Sam wished she’d kept up with her physical training after returning home. She should have continued with her daily runs and weight lifting. But, no, she’d wanted no reminders of her time on the mountain. So she cooked, baked, and got addicted to pineapple-coconut ice cream. You didn’t need to be in shape to crunch numbers or count your money in the bank.

More hours passed, with more frequent stops and sleep times. She knew she was seriously behind schedule, but she was okay with her delay. When she got to the top, if she got to the top, it would be okay. There was no one to chastise her for not moving fast enough. Even if there was, did she care? No, she did not. She didn’t care about much of anything these days.

Sam clenched her teeth. Every time she started to think like this, she invariably thought about her old team and wondered where they were and what they were doing. Slick, in her last email from London, said she would try to make it to DC over the Christmas holidays. But, she’d added, don’t hold your breath that it will happen. The last line of her letter said everything was on a need-to-know basis. It was all Sam had to look forward to.

Life back in Washington was going to be very boring when she returned without Alpha. As she climbed, she planned a cruise on a singles cruise line. And what would she find on a cruise line? Someone with baggage, someone who owed back child support, a nasty ex-wife in the background, someone else’s reject. Maybe even a secret alcoholic who pretended he didn’t have a problem. Sam grimaced. Olivia was the queen of cruises and informed her of what she’d found in her search for a suitable husband. Okay, scratch the cruise.