Beyond the meet Read Free

Beyond the meet
     
            Risa was excited to go on a trip with her two sisters. She had a highly stressful job as a doctor, and often she worked late hours between visiting hospitals and running her own private practice. After her recent divorce, her two sisters, one older, and one younger, had surprised her with a hiking trip through one of the tallest nearby mountains. When she arrived, with her backpack slung over her shoulder and her light blonde curls tied back into a tight ponytail she forgot that she was thirty-seven and felt as if she was seventeen again setting off on a camping trip.
    “Hi Risa!” Her younger sister called cheerfully. Aria was thirty-five with a boisterous attitude and an athletic frame that had always been a source of jealousy for Risa, whose body took after their mother's petite frame. She was standing with a young man, who Risa assumed would be their guide for the day. He was bent over a map spread across the hood of a jeep. The sleeveless shirt he wore revealed his muscular build, and the deep tan of his skin. His hair curled with sweat at the base of his neck, darkening its brown shade. Beside him Risa's older sister Mia was evaluating the map as well. She was always the cautious one, and always in charge. She glanced up with a warm smile when she heard Aria call Risa's name.
    “Hey sis!” She said brightly, eager to enjoy their trip. When the guide lifted his head and canted it to the side to take in the sight of the new arrival, Risa had to look quickly away. He was astoundingly handsome, and extremely young. She guessed he could not be much older than twenty-three.
    “Hello,” He said with a grin as he observed a subtle blush igniting in her cheeks. “My name is Tom, and I will be your guide.”
    Aria leaned close to her sister and murmured in her ear. “He could guide me anywhere, huh?” She giggled as Tom flushed with embarrassment and turned back to the map. Risa swatted her sister lightly, but she could not blame her. Were she a few years younger, Aria would have some major competition for the guide's attention.
    “Are we ready to go?” Risa asked. Tom glanced at his watch and then to the road that Risa had driven up.
    “We have one more.” He said with a frown as he wondered why he had not arrived yet.
    “Tom takes groups of four.” Mia explained when she noticed Risa's surprised expression. “So we will have company.”
    Risa shrugged, she needed a chance to get out and meeting someone new could be refreshing. After her marriage had ended she had thrown herself mostly into her work, rather than embracing being single. She was a beautiful woman, with wide gray eyes and despite her diminutive size she had curves in all the right places. She did not doubt that she could easily attract a companion, but she had not been ready to. After all, she had thought she would be married to Steve for the rest of her life.
    “Steve!” Mia cried out abruptly. Risa felt guilty as she thought she had been caught thinking of her ex-husband, until she caught sight of him stepping out of a car he had parked right beside Risa's.
    Steve was forty-two with the patience of a toddler. His temper had finally caused Risa to crack and ask for a divorce. She had expected that he would mature over time, especially with a job as serious as a banker.
    “What are you doing here?” Risa asked breathlessly.
    Steve smiled, that wide charming grin that had always made Risa melt with desire. Despite her animosity at his intrusion, it still had the same affect.
    “Oh, you two know each other?” Tom asked after greeting Steve.
    “You could say that.” Steve replied with a smirk as he lowered his sunglasses long enough to take in the sight of Risa in little jean shorts and a loose t-shirt. He missed the way she fit in his arms, and the adventures they had shared together. Aria had mentioned the trip to a mutual friend and when Steve found out about it, he made it his mission to be part of it. He