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Authors: James Buchanan
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'cause of anything suspicious. Naw, I just wanted to watch him. Meticulous, focused, Kabe sorted ropes and hardware into two piles ... his and mine. Things had gotten a little mixed together with the way we'd ascended.
64
Hard Fall
by James Buchanan
Long fingers nimbly worked over the ropes, drawing out tangles and easing kinks as he went, and I was thankful for that. Less work for me to re-rack everything. The sun warmed his skin to a deep, caramel hue and the tip of a deep red tongue rested just at the edge of his full bottom lip. Every so often, Kabe'd absently run his hand over his scalp, mussing the short dark waves of hair. It made me want to drag my own fingers through the mess.
"Joe," Fred's voice caught me and I realized I'd just been standing at the side of the truck staring at Kabe like an open-mouthed fool. A rock steady and friendly grip caught my arm.
"Be careful."
I snorted to break the tension, "I'm always careful. It's my middle name, Joseph Careful Peterson."
"I thought it was Price." He flicked the back of my Stetson with his other hand. "You know what I mean though. You watch your step."
For a minute we locked eyes. He worried about me, I could see it. If he worried, I should too, and I couldn't bring myself to. I guess my dick had the reins. "Okay, Fred," I blew out my breath and pushed my hat back. "I'll do that." It was the only bit of reassurance I could offer. Weren't quite a lie ... just came darn close.
After I watched them all drive off, I turned back to the porch. Kabe sat there, hands dangling between his knees and staring hard. When he saw me looking, that I got you look slid across his face. "So, not heading out with the rest of the gang?"
65
Hard Fall
by James Buchanan
There's being hunted and there's being played; up for one but not the other. Figured I needed to put that distinction to rest. "My gear needs sorting, too," I growled out as I ambled over. "And, I need some time to think over things."
He used his foot to push my pack over. "Like what?"
"Like why things aren't sitting right about Gunter's story for me."
"Maybe 'cause you're a suspicious son-of-a-bitch? I mean, you're a straight arrow cop," a lot of emphasis got thrown on the straight part of that sentence. "Everyone's got something to hide. All those hidden, dark spots inside that they don't talk about. Desires no one wants to admit. Skeletons hiding in every closet." If that whole thing didn't come out of his mouth loaded with twenty types of meaning, I'd eat my hat.
If I rose to that bait, I'd be dead. Best to play it off and pretend I didn't know what he meant by it all. "Always suspicious, that's why I'm good at what I do." I dropped down on the stair below his, my butt on the tread, my boots scuffing the earth.
My own ropes were a tangled mess even after Kabe's sort.
Want to know what evil is, it's the way climbing ropes twist in and around themselves while stuffed in a pack. Not much to do but start pulling, gently, easing the twists out as I went.
There's something soothing in a methodical task, especially one that's somewhat mindless. Only a little bit of my mind needed to focus on the feel of the cord in my hands. The rest of my thoughts could spin out, walk the paths that I'd only caught glimpses of. Twist the puzzle pieces around, see what 66
Hard Fall
by James Buchanan
fit and what didn't and where all the holes in the big picture were.
My fingers soothed nearly twenty feet of rope before it hit.
"Wait," my hands dropped into my lap and I turned to look up at Kabe. "Didn't her husband say she'd gone off to take pictures of the sunrise?"
"Yeah," he shrugged. "I think so. She took pictures of everything."
"Do you remember seeing a camera?"
Kabe stilled. "No, I don't." He let his fingers walk the rope a little longer. Then he added, "But, I might have missed it."
"Pretty straight shot down to where we found her. Might have bounced and gone further." Though I was sure I'd have spotted it
64
Hard Fall
by James Buchanan
Long fingers nimbly worked over the ropes, drawing out tangles and easing kinks as he went, and I was thankful for that. Less work for me to re-rack everything. The sun warmed his skin to a deep, caramel hue and the tip of a deep red tongue rested just at the edge of his full bottom lip. Every so often, Kabe'd absently run his hand over his scalp, mussing the short dark waves of hair. It made me want to drag my own fingers through the mess.
"Joe," Fred's voice caught me and I realized I'd just been standing at the side of the truck staring at Kabe like an open-mouthed fool. A rock steady and friendly grip caught my arm.
"Be careful."
I snorted to break the tension, "I'm always careful. It's my middle name, Joseph Careful Peterson."
"I thought it was Price." He flicked the back of my Stetson with his other hand. "You know what I mean though. You watch your step."
For a minute we locked eyes. He worried about me, I could see it. If he worried, I should too, and I couldn't bring myself to. I guess my dick had the reins. "Okay, Fred," I blew out my breath and pushed my hat back. "I'll do that." It was the only bit of reassurance I could offer. Weren't quite a lie ... just came darn close.
After I watched them all drive off, I turned back to the porch. Kabe sat there, hands dangling between his knees and staring hard. When he saw me looking, that I got you look slid across his face. "So, not heading out with the rest of the gang?"
65
Hard Fall
by James Buchanan
There's being hunted and there's being played; up for one but not the other. Figured I needed to put that distinction to rest. "My gear needs sorting, too," I growled out as I ambled over. "And, I need some time to think over things."
He used his foot to push my pack over. "Like what?"
"Like why things aren't sitting right about Gunter's story for me."
"Maybe 'cause you're a suspicious son-of-a-bitch? I mean, you're a straight arrow cop," a lot of emphasis got thrown on the straight part of that sentence. "Everyone's got something to hide. All those hidden, dark spots inside that they don't talk about. Desires no one wants to admit. Skeletons hiding in every closet." If that whole thing didn't come out of his mouth loaded with twenty types of meaning, I'd eat my hat.
If I rose to that bait, I'd be dead. Best to play it off and pretend I didn't know what he meant by it all. "Always suspicious, that's why I'm good at what I do." I dropped down on the stair below his, my butt on the tread, my boots scuffing the earth.
My own ropes were a tangled mess even after Kabe's sort.
Want to know what evil is, it's the way climbing ropes twist in and around themselves while stuffed in a pack. Not much to do but start pulling, gently, easing the twists out as I went.
There's something soothing in a methodical task, especially one that's somewhat mindless. Only a little bit of my mind needed to focus on the feel of the cord in my hands. The rest of my thoughts could spin out, walk the paths that I'd only caught glimpses of. Twist the puzzle pieces around, see what 66
Hard Fall
by James Buchanan
fit and what didn't and where all the holes in the big picture were.
My fingers soothed nearly twenty feet of rope before it hit.
"Wait," my hands dropped into my lap and I turned to look up at Kabe. "Didn't her husband say she'd gone off to take pictures of the sunrise?"
"Yeah," he shrugged. "I think so. She took pictures of everything."
"Do you remember seeing a camera?"
Kabe stilled. "No, I don't." He let his fingers walk the rope a little longer. Then he added, "But, I might have missed it."
"Pretty straight shot down to where we found her. Might have bounced and gone further." Though I was sure I'd have spotted it
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