Lost and Found (Twist of Fate #1)(48)

And I knew in that moment I could do it. I could let the past go and focus on the future.

A future with him. But as quickly as the thought entered my brain, reality crashed down, because Bennett said, “They’re my life, you know?”

“I do,” I managed to say. And that was the crux of it. Even wanting Bennett wasn’t enough. He had a whole life waiting for him back in New York, and mine was here. I didn’t even begin to know how to make something like that work. It wasn’t like we could date while living 2000 miles apart. Not to mention that nothing about our lives would mesh. He’d told me he was being groomed to take over the investment firm his father had founded. He’d have everything at that point— wealth, status, power. And I’d still be me. Xander Reed, caretaker’s-son-turned-wilderness-guide. I was the hired help. Even if Bennett could see past that, his friends and family never would.

I forced myself to release Bennett’s hand when he relaxed his fingers. I listened as the boys chatted with each other, and pride swelled in my chest when Lucky offered to let Frankie walk ahead of us so it would look like he’d finished the hike on his own. For whatever reason, Frankie declined, which surprised me because I was certain he’d jump at the chance to save face. But the young man took it a step further, because as soon as we reached camp, he went straight to where everyone was setting up camp and began telling them exactly what Lucky had done. Lucky was treated to a variety of accolades, but his eyes lit up when Calvin got the group to start chanting Lucky’s name and then led the boys in a raucous round of applause. As the excitement died down and the boys began sharing enthusiastic stories about their solo hikes, I wondered if this trip had sparked a desire in any of them to spend more time researching or trying to get back into the wilderness. It made me wonder if there was a way I could help other kids have similar experiences.

They hadn’t been the first group of city kids I’d led on an expedition, but for some reason they’d been the ones who’d seemed to benefit the most from it. Maybe it was because I knew none of them had ever been out of the city— never slept under the canopy of aspen leaves and listened to their soft whirring sounds as an evening breeze passed through. Each of the boys in Bennett and Aiden’s group had needed this. Needed open space and fresh air and the time to use their imaginations without electronics, chores, or parents.

I looked around at eight smiling faces and had a moment of such gratitude for where my life had taken me, I wished I could have called Aunt Lolly and told her about it. When she’d finally settled us down in Colorado, I’d found my true home and purpose. And as much as it had killed me to lose both my dad and Bennett, I couldn’t imagine how different my life would have been had I stayed in the northeast.

Before I had a chance to get too emotional, I heard an unexpected squawk from my backpack. I rustled through the deep pockets until I found the wilderness radio I carried for emergencies. It was Gary. Probably trying to raise me on the radio to confirm our pickup at the trailhead the following day.

“Yeah,” I said into the radio. “I’m here. Hey, Gary.”

“Xander, good. I’m glad I got you. I think you were out of range earlier today. Everything okay out there?”

“Yeah. Just arrived at Caldera after the solo. All good. We should be to the pickup on time tomorrow.”

“That’s what I’m calling about, actually. We have a problem.”

“What’s up?” I asked as I noticed Bear following Bennett into the woods. I stifled a smile, thinking about Bennett’s reaction to whipping out his dick for a piss and finding a very large dog staring at him.

“It’s Jake. He’s injured,” Gary said through the radio. The sound was muffled through radio static, so I asked him to repeat it as nerves caused my heart rate to increase.

“Is he okay? What happened? How bad?” My words came tumbling out as I thought about my friend, as well as the group of younger children in his care.

“Just a sprained ankle, he thinks. The problem is, it happened after one of the kids went missing. He found the boy, but now he can’t get back by himself.”

“I’ll go,” I said without thinking. “I’ll go get him. Where is he?”

“On the northern slope of Lower Bower. He found a rocky overhang and set up a tent. Says he has plenty of food and the river is close enough for water. It’s just a matter of someone getting there and helping him get the kid back.”

I saw Bennett emerge from the woods, talking to Bear and shaking a finger at him. After waving to get his attention, I gestured for him and Aiden to join me while I told Gary to hang on. I told Aiden and Bennett what was happening and then clicked the radio back on.

“Gary, I can get there. There’s a shortcut between Caldera and Lower Bower. Aiden and Bennett can get this group to the trailhead tomorrow without me. It’s a straight shot.” I eyed the falling darkness around us. As badly as I wanted to get to Jake and the boy, I needed to be smart about it. “Gary, you said Jake is set for provisions and the kid’s not hurt?”

“Yep, they’re both okay. He said he and the boy decided to have an extra adventure.”

I understood what he was telling me. The boy would have been within earshot when Jake radioed in. He’d probably called the whole thing an adventure so the kid wouldn’t get scared.