Gherring was halfway up the wall when Emily came out of the dressing room. Charlie almost knocked her over with a hug.
“Em! You’re going to climb!”
“Just this once, to see if I like it.”
Charlie looked back toward the guys. “Man-oh-man! He’s got a nice muscles.”
“Which one?” asked Anne. “Spencer or Mark?”
“Are you blind? I’m talking about Mr. Gherring.” Charlie jerked her chin toward the climbing wall where he was making his ascent.
“Charlie, that’s creepy. He’s old enough to be our father.” Emily tugged on the hem of her shirt.
“Have you looked at him?” Charlie grabbed her sister’s face and turned it toward Gherring who was making his way under a ledge.
Anne didn’t have to look to know what Charlie was talking about. She’d seen Gherring’s muscles up close.
Emily’s eyes bulged. “You’re right! No wonder he makes that most-eligible-bachelor list every year.”
“Does he work out all the time, Mom?” asked Charlie.
“He does Iron Man competitions.” Anne glanced at Gherring, but quickly forced her gaze away. She couldn’t let the girls catch her staring.
“Iron Man competitions. And he said we were alike. Riii-ight!” Emily rolled her eyes.
Charl
ie grabbed Emily’s hand. “Come climb, sister.”
Soon Emily was making her way up the wall. Her brows were furrowed with concentration.
“That’s it,” called Gherring, having joined the group after his successful climb. “Use your legs.”
She climbed slowly and steadily, asking for guidance when she was stuck.
Charlie called up, “Put your right foot on that yellow jug and move over to the right. That’s it. Now can you reach that blue crimp with your left foot? You’ve got it.”
The moment she reached out to touch the top, the clan below began to cheer.”
“You did it! She did it! Yay, sister!”
Emily rappelled down and stood on the floor with a huge grin on her face.
Gherring asked her, “So, was I right?”
“I have to admit, it was pretty easy.”
“And you’ll do it again?” Gherring asked.
“Sure, why not?”
“This spring you can come to Colorado, and I’ll take you climbing for real, on cliffs. It’s so much cooler,” said Charlie.
“We’ve got Charlie, who’s practically a professional climber,” said Spencer. “And Emily, who flies up the wall on her first climb ever. I have to say, you’re making us look bad.”
Though he used a complaining tone, his expression held nothing but admiration. Charlie walked toward Spencer and gave him the once over.
“No, you don’t look too bad.” She grinned and winked at him.