She flushed at that memory. "I forgot about that."
"I've never been able to. Even in underwear, you were spectacular."
"I was too skinny."
"And too critical of yourself."
"We're getting off track," she told him, not wanting to think about the fact that while she'd kept on her panties and bra, Jake had stripped all the way down, and his body had been more than a little impressive. "Which one is the lie?"
"The naked run."
She was happy he didn't know everything. "You're wrong. I did that on a dare and a couple of shots of tequila."
"I'm impressed."
"By that? I don't think your bar is very high for being impressed."
"I'm impressed you let loose and ran free."
"Things were definitely loose," she said with a laugh, as he grinned back at her. "And don't imagine it."
"Too late. I can't help myself."
"Your turn," she said, wanting to get his gaze off her body, as her nerves were tingling in all the right places. "Two truths and a lie." She was actually curious as to what he would say. She might get to learn something about him without having to show any interest. And that was another truth—she was interested to know more about the man he was now, even though she'd spent the past several years trying to keep his name and face out of her head.
"All right," he said, a sparkling gleam in his brown eyes. "I got to take batting practice with the Colorado Rockies, and on the first pitch, I hit a home run."
She nodded, thinking that actually sounded feasible, although it reminded her of one of his teenage dreams. He'd been the star shortstop in high school. Of course, he'd also been the football quarterback, and the high-shooting forward in basketball. Jake was the guy who did everything well. "Next," she said.
"I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. And in college, I played Romeo in Romeo and Juliet," he finished.
"You're making this too easy. I can see you hitting with the Rockies. I can see you climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. Romeo has to be the lie."
"You're…right," he said.
"So, I win. What's my prize?"
"We didn't agree on a prize."
"How about you let me out of the date?"
"Nope. You should have negotiated before we played. And I should have come up with a better lie."
"You should have," she agreed, as she sipped her coffee. "When did you climb Mount Kilimanjaro?"
"The summer after college graduation."
"What was it like?"
"It was grueling. It's a six-day trip—four days to get up, two to come down. I thought I'd trained. I thought I was prepared, but I have to admit the altitude got to me. I had to battle headaches and nausea on day three, and the last day was a nine-hour trek that tested my will and my body."
"But you made it."
"I did," he said, meeting her gaze. "And it was an incredible view from Uhuru Peak. We spent fifteen minutes on what they call the roof of Africa, and it was a stunning experience. Definitely worth the pain and the effort."
"That's incredible. It also sounds very difficult."
"Most incredible things are."
She nodded, thinking that was the philosophy Jake lived his life by. She'd been much more content to read about others' adventures, while Jake had wanted to experience them first-hand.
"After that climb," Jake continued, "I knew I wasn't ready for a nine-to-five job, so I turned a summer of traveling into two years of exploring the world. I spent two months in Africa and then I went to India, China, Vietnam, Thailand, and Singapore."
"How did you support yourself? Or did your parents float you a loan?"
"My parents were definitely not involved. My father was furious that I wasn't looking for a real job after paying for my college education. My mom occasionally sent me some spending money, but I worked along the way, picking up whatever jobs I could find. After the Asian swing, I moved on to Europe. I settled in Switzerland for almost two years, working at a ski resort where I taught skiing, snowboarding, rock climbing, whatever needed to be done. My experience in the Alps was what inspired me to create my own business."
"And you didn't want to run that business there?"
"No. It was time to come back to Colorado. We have some fairly spectacular mountains here, not to mention a beautiful lake."
"I know your parents were thrilled when you made that decision."
He shrugged. "It is nice to be closer to my mother again. And I'm fairly sure Paul will be headed here after medical school."
"Your dad can't wait for your brother to join the staff at the hospital."
"I'm sure," he said dryly. "He loves the idea of Paul following in his footsteps. I personally think Paul should work somewhere else for a while. Whisper Lake isn't going anywhere, but there's a whole world out there for him to see first."
"I agree with you."
"You do? I'm shocked."
She made a small face at him. "I was grateful for the experiences I had in two different city hospitals before I came back. I think they made me a better nurse. I hope Paul will consider all his options."
"My dad will pressure him to come here. And Paul won't fight him."
"I'm not sure your father will pressure him," she countered. "He knows that there's valuable experience to be had elsewhere. He'll want the best for Paul. Just as he wants the best for you, Jake. I know you two don't get along and God forbid I should mention either of your names to the other, but in some ways you're more alike than you realize."
"I am nothing like him," he said flatly. "Please don’t compare us, Hannah. You can say anything else you want about me, but don't say that."
She was taken aback by the strength of his negative response. "I—I'm sorry. But
