elected.”
“Terrified? She doesn’t want to be first lady?”
“She thinks he’d be an awful president. I have to agree.”
“But if he did get elected, wouldn’t you be required to participate?”
“Participate in what?”
“Hell, I don’t know. Like I said, I’m not really into politics. It just always seems the daughters get air time.”
“What I’d be required to participate in would be a Secret Service escort. Can you imagine having someone around every single hour of the day?”
“What about your clinic? Your sessions?”
“Yes. We’d have an agent here with us right now.”
“Well, maybe you’ll get lucky and they’ll assign a female agent,” Jaime teased.
CHAPTER TWELVE
It was a cloudy, cold morning and Sara looked up, wondering if the forecast of no snow was wrong. Everyone had donned sweatshirts and some had even slipped on gloves. But within an hour, the skies began clearing and the sun warmed them. At the first stop, Sara pulled off her sweatshirt and shoved it into her pack.
Most of the others did the same. She noticed that Jaime replaced her sweatshirt with a flannel shirt that she left open over her Tshirt.
Their eyes met and Sara smiled slightly before looking away.
She hadn’t intended to reveal quite so much to the other woman last night but it had felt good to just talk with someone.
She spent most of her time listening to others talk and she rarely took the time for casual dinners with friends where she could share some of her thoughts and feelings. There just wasn’t enough time.
In truth, there really weren’t that many friends. And that was her fault. She had a hard time trusting people. She’d been burned too many times when she’d found they were more interested in her father’s name than in her.
Maybe that’s why she was starting to take a liking to Jaime.
Jaime didn’t care who her father was.
“Wow. Look at that,” Sandra said, pointing overhead. “What is it?”
They all looked up, watching the large bird as it circled over them.
“It’s a golden eagle,” Jaime said. “Isn’t he beautiful?”
“He’s huge .”
“I guess so. Six-foot wing span.”
Sandra stared at her. “You know a lot, don’t you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Out here. You know what the trees are, what the mountains are, the birds. Like that little bird we saw this morning, the one with the black cap. What was it again?”
“Mountain chickadee,” Jaime supplied. “And I don’t know all that much. You just learn as you go. Next time you’re out here, you’ll know a bird and impress someone, huh?”
Sandra laughed. “It’s beautiful out here but I can’t imagine doing another hike like this one.”
“Why not?” Jaime asked as they fell into step again.
“Oh, you look right at home out here. So does Sara. But I’m an old city girl. Never been camping a day in my life.”
“So this is a crash course, huh?”
“But I’m having fun. Yesterday in the hot springs was wonderful. I hope we can do that again.”
“I’m sure we can.” She pulled out the trail map that was folded in her back pocket. “Look here,” she pointed. “I’d guess we’re about right here,” she said, moving her finger across the map. “See all these blue dots? They’re springs. See where the trail goes? Once we cross over the Mt. Harvard trail, we’ll be crossing all sorts of streams and most of them have hot springs.”
“Where did you camp before?” Celia asked as she looked at the map.
Jaime unfolded the map one more time. “Over here. We’ve probably got about two more days hiking before we get there. But it’s beautiful. The springs are about as big as a swimming pool. It would be a great area to spend two nights.”
Sandra poked her elbow against Jaime’s ribs. “Why don’t you mention that to the Sarge?”
“Well, she’s probably got an agenda. Might not be enough time to stop for two days.”
“Yeah, but ask anyway, would you?”
Jaime
“Terrified? She doesn’t want to be first lady?”
“She thinks he’d be an awful president. I have to agree.”
“But if he did get elected, wouldn’t you be required to participate?”
“Participate in what?”
“Hell, I don’t know. Like I said, I’m not really into politics. It just always seems the daughters get air time.”
“What I’d be required to participate in would be a Secret Service escort. Can you imagine having someone around every single hour of the day?”
“What about your clinic? Your sessions?”
“Yes. We’d have an agent here with us right now.”
“Well, maybe you’ll get lucky and they’ll assign a female agent,” Jaime teased.
CHAPTER TWELVE
It was a cloudy, cold morning and Sara looked up, wondering if the forecast of no snow was wrong. Everyone had donned sweatshirts and some had even slipped on gloves. But within an hour, the skies began clearing and the sun warmed them. At the first stop, Sara pulled off her sweatshirt and shoved it into her pack.
Most of the others did the same. She noticed that Jaime replaced her sweatshirt with a flannel shirt that she left open over her Tshirt.
Their eyes met and Sara smiled slightly before looking away.
She hadn’t intended to reveal quite so much to the other woman last night but it had felt good to just talk with someone.
She spent most of her time listening to others talk and she rarely took the time for casual dinners with friends where she could share some of her thoughts and feelings. There just wasn’t enough time.
In truth, there really weren’t that many friends. And that was her fault. She had a hard time trusting people. She’d been burned too many times when she’d found they were more interested in her father’s name than in her.
Maybe that’s why she was starting to take a liking to Jaime.
Jaime didn’t care who her father was.
“Wow. Look at that,” Sandra said, pointing overhead. “What is it?”
They all looked up, watching the large bird as it circled over them.
“It’s a golden eagle,” Jaime said. “Isn’t he beautiful?”
“He’s huge .”
“I guess so. Six-foot wing span.”
Sandra stared at her. “You know a lot, don’t you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Out here. You know what the trees are, what the mountains are, the birds. Like that little bird we saw this morning, the one with the black cap. What was it again?”
“Mountain chickadee,” Jaime supplied. “And I don’t know all that much. You just learn as you go. Next time you’re out here, you’ll know a bird and impress someone, huh?”
Sandra laughed. “It’s beautiful out here but I can’t imagine doing another hike like this one.”
“Why not?” Jaime asked as they fell into step again.
“Oh, you look right at home out here. So does Sara. But I’m an old city girl. Never been camping a day in my life.”
“So this is a crash course, huh?”
“But I’m having fun. Yesterday in the hot springs was wonderful. I hope we can do that again.”
“I’m sure we can.” She pulled out the trail map that was folded in her back pocket. “Look here,” she pointed. “I’d guess we’re about right here,” she said, moving her finger across the map. “See all these blue dots? They’re springs. See where the trail goes? Once we cross over the Mt. Harvard trail, we’ll be crossing all sorts of streams and most of them have hot springs.”
“Where did you camp before?” Celia asked as she looked at the map.
Jaime unfolded the map one more time. “Over here. We’ve probably got about two more days hiking before we get there. But it’s beautiful. The springs are about as big as a swimming pool. It would be a great area to spend two nights.”
Sandra poked her elbow against Jaime’s ribs. “Why don’t you mention that to the Sarge?”
“Well, she’s probably got an agenda. Might not be enough time to stop for two days.”
“Yeah, but ask anyway, would you?”
Jaime
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