Heartbroken Heights Read online

  The next second it was gone—all of it. David leaned away, his face once again hidden by the erratic movements of the clouds. “Sorry. I, uh… have a safe drive, okay?” David turned away and strode off toward the campsite, leaving Chloe with pink lips, a deep blush and a thousand questions.

  Chapter Six: David

  From last time he had tried to indulge his unenergetic mood, David remembered that lying in his tent past when the others got up drew suspicion. So, instead of spending the morning reliving last night, David chose to go out of his way to busy himself in the hopes of keeping Julian off his back and Chloe out of his mind.

  It didn’t work, of course. He could no more get Chloe out of his mind than he could shake the way he had been feeling over the past several days.

  Chloe fascinated David. Sometimes she was adorably shy, but out in the canyon she got along with all David’s friends. Once David made that first move and finally kissed her, she wasn’t satisfied with just one kiss—she had to have a second. She dressed professionally for work, but she could calmly brush an insect off her bare arm. Plenty of city girls David knew would scream and flail wildly until they dislodged the insect, but not Chloe. She was comfortable with all things outdoors, and David appreciated that in a person.

  David sighed cavernously under the cover of the running faucet at the dish-cleaning facilities. He sure had shown her that appreciation last night.

  Why does that have to be a bad thing? he protested silently against the naysaying part of his brain. Chloe was many things—many fascinating, beautiful things—but he didn’t think she was a tease. If she had a boyfriend or husband, she would have mentioned him by now. There was no harm in kissing a single and very pretty woman.

  Unless… unless David wanted more. A lot more. He hadn’t been close to someone in a long time, emotionally or physically, and Chloe reawakened feelings he had thought would never return to him.

  “What do you think?”

  Jess’ voice startled David out of his thoughts. “About what?”

  “Vegas. Think we should go Wednesday or Thursday?”

  “Oh. Either day works.” Neither day works too.

  “Then Thursday it is.” The rest of the group nodded in agreement as Jess reached for the bag of trailmix they had been passing around while they gathered their gear for a day of climbing. “You’re driving home on Sunday too, right David?”

  “Yeah.” The reminder of his limited stay put a knot in his throat, and he had to fight to get down a mouthful of banana. David couldn’t blame them for being excited. They had agreed to keep most of this trip low-budget—camping in tents, sharing food and avoiding restaurants and expensive coffee shops. This Vegas trip was the one thing everyone had decided to splurge on. They would be staying at an actual hotel so they could spend the night doing whatever they wanted, and they would drive back the next morning or afternoon.

  Honestly, David wasn’t in the mood. He doubted that would change by Thursday. He didn’t really enjoy drinking, and he had no doubt that if he went, he would be that person driving back to the canyon the next day because he would be the only one without a killer hangover. His friends should have fun and enjoy their trip. David just didn’t want to get stuck playing babysitter.

  Hm. Actually, maybe he wouldn’t have to. An idea had just crossed David’s mind—an idea that sounded much more enticing than Vegas.

  The soles of his boots scraped across the rocky soil as David stood up and went to join Julian on his wide, flat shelf of rock. “I’m thinking I’m going to pass on Vegas.”

  “What? Why?” Despite his questions, Julian didn’t look surprised at all.

  “Not my scene. Besides, I was actually thinking I would see what Chloe is doing on Thursday.”

  David expected that this pronouncement would elicit full forgiveness for skipping out on the Vegas trip, and he was right. “Great idea,” Julian told him enthusiastically. “I’m sure the others will be fine with it. You would’ve just been a wet blanket anyway.”

  “Thanks,” David said wryly.

  “By the way,” Julian added, innocently examining the calluses on his hands, “if you wanted to stay at my house for a few more days after the trip is over—you know, to climb some more or rest up, or for some other reason—that would be cool. I’ve got a guest bedroom and a spare key.”

  David had to fight to keep from rolling his eyes. Of course, Julian meant that David could stick around and spend more time with Chloe. Since he didn’t feel like deflecting Julian’s suggestive remarks—if he still had the ground to deflect them—he just answered, “I’ll remember that.”

  The rest of the day passed quickly, as all winter days did in Red Rock Canyon. On Tuesday, David called Chloe to see if she might be free on Thursday. Unsurprisingly, she had work, but she told him that she got off around three and might be able to shave that down a little more. The way she mused over the possibility of leaving work a little earlier to spend more time with David put a little smile on his face.

  “Yeah, maybe two-thirty. Definitely two-thirty,” Chloe decided.

  “Sounds great,” David told her, just thrilled that she didn’t have other plans that afternoon.

  “Cool. And maybe we can just figure out what to do when we meet?” Keys clicked rapidly behind her words.

  That sounded great too, but David didn’t want to repeat his signature “Sounds great”. “Sure,” he went with instead.

  There was something else David wanted, though. Their Sunday-night kiss hadn’t come up yet. David didn’t know how Chloe felt about it, but he knew how he did. “Can we call this a date?”

  The pause lingered poignantly. David knew what she must be thinking, because something similar played like a broken record in his own mind. Are you sure? You’re leaving soon. You don’t live around here. You don’t know when you’ll be back. Are you sure?

  “Yes, we can. I’d like that.” She didn’t mention the impending end of David’s stay in Reno, and he didn’t bring it up either. That was… well, David didn’t know what it was. He just knew that he didn’t want to figure it out right now.

  “Thanks.” Thanks? David shook his head at his response. Chloe had a way of making him lose half his vocabulary. “I’ll text you on Thursday morning and we’ll figure out the details?”

  Chloe fired David’s own “Sounds great” back at him, then she hung up and left David to marvel that he missed her voice already.

  Thursday rolled around and brought with it an icy wind that made the climbers glad they chose this day to abandon the cliffs for the comfort of heated vehicles and establishments. For a short time, David stayed behind at the campsite while everyone else piled into Julian’s SUV and headed for Vegas, then he got into his green Subaru to drive to Reno. He still had a couple hours before it would be time to meet with Chloe, but he’d rather go into the city and get a cup of coffee while he waited than stay at the freezing campsite alone.

  Ensconced in one such little coffee shop, David sat in a comfortable lounge chair with a cup of coffee in one hand and his laptop on a little individual laptop table, using the place’s wifi to catch up with media he had missed during the past week and a half while his watch ticked away the minutes.

  Finally, it was time to meet Chloe. They had agreed that Chloe would go back to her apartment so she could change and get ready, then David would meet her and they would decide what to do from there.

  Sure enough, when David pulled up to the curb and cut the motor of the Subaru, he spotted a bundled figure waiting for him on the steps to the apartment building. “Hey,” Chloe said, leading him up to her apartment. “I’m pretty much ready, but I thought it would be best to figure out what we’re doing first.”

  Glad to get out of the wind for a moment, David checked the bottoms of his boots for mud and found none. “Probably a good idea. I honestly don’t know much about Reno. I know where the closest supermarket to Red Rock Canyon is, and I know where this apartment is. That’s about it.”


  “Let’s get you more acquainted with it then, shall we? Honestly, though, I’ve been sitting on my butt at a computer all day and I’d rather not do something like watch a movie, if that’s okay.”

  “That’s definitely okay.” David couldn’t remember the last time he saw a movie in a theater, actually, and he saw no need to break that streak. “Uh… well, I would suggest that we just walk around and see what happens, but it’s a bit windy for that.”

  Chloe’s eyes lit up. “Ooh, how about ice skating? There’s a nice indoor rink I know of that shouldn’t be too busy on a weekday night. Parking is free and there are places to eat nearby.”

  Something active with food nearby, and David appreciated the added detail about the parking. It showed thoughtfulness for others and their budgets. “I’ve actually never been ice skating, but I would love to try it. You might have to give me some pointers, though.”

  “Really? It’s a lot of fun. I don’t mind doing something else, though. If you had another idea in mind.”

  “I don’t,” he assured her. “Ice skating sounds great. I’ll drive,” he offered.

  “Sure,” she accepted without arguing the point, which David also appreciated. Why not move things along and let the person who offered first just go ahead and drive? So many people would argue the point for the sake of being polite. David understood that reasoning, but it tended to drag things out and delay decisions.

  “Then, shall we?” David didn’t open her door for her because he knew she would need to lock it behind them, but he did open the passenger-side car door. Her cheeks, already flushed from the wind, grew a little pinker as she smiled her thanks. “Do you want to put it in the GPS? Or just tell me how to get there?”

  Chloe opted for the second suggestion. She navigated them easily and efficiently through the streets of Reno to a parking lot outside a large, warehouse-like building with a large, flashing sign that read “Reno Rinks” on the side. “Are you nervous?” Chloe asked as they headed toward the building, hunching into their warm coats like turtles into their shells.

  “Not at all. I like to try new things,” David replied honestly, stepping aside to let a family with three young children exit before he and Chloe entered the building. “This’ll be fun.”

  Chloe produced a hairband from her wrist and began gathering loose wisps of hair into a single ponytail. “I’m glad you feel that way. Honestly… and I know this is a little shallow,” Chloe admitted, “but I can’t deal with picky people. Like in regards to food, travel, clothes or anything else in life, basically. I feel like they’re missing out on so much, and if I try to spend too much time with them, I miss out too.”

  “Well, I think we’ll be alright,” David chuckled. “I don’t like squash, but that’s about it.”

  Chloe giggled her hair right out of the half-finished ponytail and had to start over. “I think I can deal with that. But I’ll let you know if your dislike for squash ends up being too much for me.”

  Their laughter persisted until they had to sober up to speak with the woman behind the counter. Skates in hand and rules recited by the woman bouncing around in their minds, they made their way to the rink.

  Clearly, someone did some sort of sport here. A small row of stands encircled the large expanse of ice, and an impressive array of lights currently not in use hung from the ceiling. Right now, though, no one on the ice was a professional. Most looked a bit younger than Chloe or David, probably college students who lived nearby, and the rest were parents and their kids. As Chloe had guessed, the place wasn’t too busy. There was plenty of room for David to make a fool of himself without taking anyone else down too.

  “I guess I’ll just put these on and go for it.” Since David’s sport required falling almost all the time, he could take a few slips in his stride.

  “That’s a good place to start. I can give you some pointers if you’re having trouble.” Her own skates securely strapped to her feet, Chloe stepped carefully onto the ice.

  David pushed his coat and shoes into a cubby hole and went to join her. The ice wasn’t as slick as he had expected—he had been half afraid he might do a very unintentional split. Rock climbing required excellent flexibility, but not that excellent.

  “So far, so good,” Chloe observed. She set an example by digging the edge of one skate into the ice and gracefully sliding away from the wall, on which David still had a balancing hand. “Come on!”

  Cautiously, David followed her. He may not have ice skated, but he had skied once or twice, and the concept seemed similar. With Chloe occasionally offering her hand for balance and giving him advice, David progressed quickly and soon felt fairly comfortable on the ice.

  “You’re good at this!” Chloe slid to stop beside him. “Not that I’m surprised. You’re really athletic.” Her cheeks flushed slightly. “I mean, you’d probably be good at just about any sport.”

  “I don’t know about that. I don’t like water,” David admitted. “Frozen, it’s okay, though.” He gestured at the ice beneath their skates.

  Chloe’s eyes darted downward to follow that gesture right as they skated into a corner. “Watch out!” David reached out to grab her hand, missed and nearly overbalanced. A second later, taken off guard by his sudden movement, Chloe shrieked as her skates scooted out from underneath her and brought David crashing down as well.

  A few people glanced at them, but their helpless laughter convinced those skating past that they were okay. “My bad,” David apologized, disentangling his legs from hers and using the wall to get to his feet so he could help Chloe.

  “It was my fault too,” Chloe insisted, wiping tears of mirth away from the corners of her eyes. “Rule Number Four: look where you’re going.” She pointed to the sign behind David that did indeed have that rule printed in bright red letters. “Also, you can let go of me now.”

  “Oh…” David realized his arms were still locked around Chloe’s waist in a steadying embrace. “Sorry. It’s just cold in here.” He let go unwillingly. It was true that it was cold in Reno Rinks, but, well… what man would ever want to let go of Chloe?

  “Yeah… it is.” The pause in her voice didn’t escape David. “And I’m actually pretty hungry. Want to get dinner?”

  “Sure. I saw a steakhouse and a sushi place right around the corner when we turned in,” David suggested. This time, he led the way as they maneuvered their way back to not-slippery ground.

  “Steak, then?” Chloe announced her preference. “I love sushi, but I kind of feel like eating a hot meal.”

  David could one-hundred percent agree with that, so about thirty minutes later, they sat at a cozy two-person table, indulging themselves in steaks fresh off the grill.

  “Definitely the right choice,” Chloe proclaimed. “These are so good. I can’t believe I’ve never eaten here before.”

  “Absolutely.”

  The conversation ended there while the two polished off their steaks and finished their last bites of salad. Since Chloe had paid for the ice skating, David insisted on paying for the meal, and then they headed back into the streets of Reno.

  They started to walk back to the car, but ended up ambling straight past it. Neither wanted this evening to end, and if they went back to the Subaru, David would have to drive Chloe home, drop her off and say goodbye.

  “Are those fountains?” Chloe asked in disbelief, clutching her coat closer as though the idea of running water in early January had leached the warmth from her body.

  “Yes, I suppose they are.” Four large fountains jetted water into the freezing air, and one even larger fountain gurgled away at the back of the plaza, marking the large, old-fashioned wooden doors leading into a church with elegant stained-glass windows.

  “Huh.” She and David reached out as one, trailing their fingers through the water and finding it warm. “I guess it’s not surprising that someone thought they would be fancy and heat the water so they could have their fountains going all year round.”

  “It is pre
tty though,” David pointed out, gesturing to a bench in front of the largest fountain. “Want to sit until we’re too cold and have to get moving again?”

  Chloe’s giggle mixed with the splashing of the fountain was music to David’s ears. The two sat together, watching well-bundled people hurry along the sidewalk at the far side of the plaza. Strangely, even though they were in the middle of Reno, it was quiet here. Maybe the fountain disguised the buzz of the city.

  “This is one of the times I like the city best,” Chloe commented. “When it’s this cold, I mean. When it’s nice outside, everyone’s outside in places like this. When it’s cold, it’s just as beautiful, but I have them all to myself.”

  “Mhm,” David agreed absentmindedly, suddenly uninterested in the fountains. Someone was definitely beautiful, and David suddenly realized that he had her all to himself.

  He couldn’t help it any longer. The first brush of his hand across her face startled Chloe, but her sharp glance softened immediately. “Beautiful,” David whispered. “But not cold. Radiant.”

  Chloe blinked, then a flush began to travel up her neck under her scarf. “You mean—"

  David cut off her question with a kiss. Her lips immediately relaxed against his, molding to their shape and trapping the shared warmth of their breath. The cold couldn’t mar this kind of warmth, the kind that spread from the depths of their hearts to their colliding lips. Chloe tasted like cherry chapstick and smelled of lavender and a fresh, clean fragrance that reminded David of nights spent under stars like the ones that twinkled overhead.

  This time, there would be no abrupt goodbyes, no apologies. David’s fingers caught in Chloe’s hair, silky even against his calluses. His hand touched her neck through the chocolate locks, and he marveled at the heat of her skin under his touch. As their kisses deepened, he moved his hands, finding each new plane of skin to be as warm and soft as the last.