Liam sat next to him with his foot propped onto an ottoman. Dom sat in the recliner to Slade's right and Adam sat on the floor. Slade couldn't imagine going through the evening without having them there. For years, they'd been his family, there for him through injuries and hangovers and playoff celebrations and the everyday stuff that everyone took for granted. "Guys, thanks for being there."
Adam reached over and tapped his beer bottle against Slade's. "We'll be at the next one if you need it too."
Slade nodded his thanks. He was keyed up. Thoughts spinning out of control without knowing which way to go. Was this what Savanna experienced when she'd mentioned the countless scenarios that ran through her brain? If so, he understood and she was right: it sucked.
Focusing on her helped calm him. He couldn't wait to see how she'd respond to what he had planned for their next date.
But for now, he'd enjoy an hour with his makeshift family and pretend for a little while that his life wasn't as complicated and everything was as simple as drinking a beer with his boys and watching some baseball.
SAVANNA
LARGE GRAY PLASTIC rock formations jutted out of the walls at different angles. Colorful holds in different sizes dotted the space from floor to the thirty-foot high ceiling. Savanna stood on the spongy rubber floor, watching as Slade scaled the entire wall in under a minute. He didn't wear a harness, didn't worry about falling. When he reached the top, he twisted and waved at her.
Her stomach tightened. "What are you doing? Don't let go!"
Beside her, one of the employees laughed. "Slade's fine. He's holding on. But coming down is always harder than going up."
He really wasn't helping her feel better. She held her breath as Slade reached for foot holds that were a stretch for his long frame, bit her lip as he missed one and slipped, saving himself by grabbing onto a hand hold at his side, and then sighed in relief when he finally touched the ground.
Nearly two weeks had passed since their time in the hot air balloon, thanks to his team's road trip and then the evening ball games at the Riptide's park. He'd mentioned not having much free time during the season and the fact that he wanted to spend his day off with her made her feel special.
She turned to Slade with her hands on her hips. "Something tells me that you've done this before."
His lips twitched and he patted the wall. "Once or twice. If you've never gone rock climbing before, a gym is a great place to start. Liam and I come here sometimes to get some practice in before we hit an outdoor climb. They have a good selection of routes."
He ran his finger over the harness at her waist. They’d already gone over how the rope attached to the harness worked to anchor her and how the rope also attached to a person on the ground. That person would secure the climber, keeping a close eye on the climber's progress and letting out slack to the line by releasing the belay, a special device that locked the rope, a little at a time as the climber slowly ascended. The person on the ground, called the belayer, would prevent her from falling to the ground if she lost her footing and slipped off the wall. Slade was qualified to be her belayer, holding her rope as she climbed, but if he did, then they couldn’t climb at the same time. "You ready to give it a try?"
Her palms were sweating. "Uh, sure."
Slade laced their fingers together. "I told you I'm all about safety. This place hasn't ever had an accident. They check their equipment all the time and their employees are trained. I wouldn't bring you someplace if it wasn't safe."
"They made us sign a waiver when we arrived."
"People sign waivers all the time. There are even waivers on the back of baseball tickets."
"I know. You're right." She squared her shoulders and smiled at him, and then at the employee, Elias, who would act as her belayer.
Elias went through the safety checks and let her see how he'd secured the rope to his own harness. "We're good."
She dipped her hands into the chalk pouch and studied the colored rocks, seeking out the largest ones. The rock climbing shoes she'd rented were tight but she hadn't wanted much wiggle room. She stepped on a large red rock and gripped a yellow hold not far over her head.
"The purple one on your left would be a good foot hold." Slade's voice came from her left, but she didn't dare turn her head and thank him. Total concentration was paramount.
She reached it and then grabbed an orange hold with her hand. The rope loosened and then tightened as she climbed. Some of the holds were so small, she didn't see how anyone could use them for more than a fingertip grip.
Every step took her higher and higher off the ground. A glance down for her next foothold showed she was halfway up the thirty-foot wall. Her stomach dropped. The ground looked so far away. What if the lock holding the rope broke, or the anchor fell out of the ceiling? There would be nothing stopping her fifteen-foot drop.
Her hands shook and sweaty palms slipped in their grips.
She couldn't move.
Slade moved into her field of vision, climbing the wall with ease. "I'd go for the blue rock by your knee next. Then grab the pink one with your right hand."
"Um, I don't think I can."
"Sure, it looks hard, but if you push up onto your toes and stretch to grab the pink rock first, your left foot will be able to reach the blue hold."
But doing that could end with her slipping off and swinging in mid-air. And she was
