Fatal Descent Read Free Page A

her?”
    “She’s in back organizing gear. I’ll bring her out.” Mandy went into the back room.
    When Mandy entered, Kendra looked up expectantly from her checklist of food items. She was sitting cross-legged on the floor surrounded by boxes, bags, and cans of food. “What’s up?”
    “I had to shuffle tent assignments when I found out the Nortons really aren’t a family,” Mandy said. “The father and mother are divorced. So, I need to put you in a 4-man tent with the three solo female clients. Turns out they really aren’t solo and they all know each other—call each other gal-pals.”
    Kendra grimaced. “So I’ll be the odd gal out.”
    “They seem really nice and said they didn’t mind having you. They want to meet you.”
    “I was going to talk to you about tent assignments.” Kendra rose to her feet and flashed a sheepish smile at Mandy. “See, Gonzo and I have started seeing each other.”
    “Get out!” Mandy slapped Kendra on the back. “That’s great. How’d you keep it from all of us?”
    “We wanted to make sure it was going to work out before we spilled the beans. I didn’t say anything when you told me a couple weeks ago that you were planning to have me share a tent with a female client, because Gonzo and I weren’t, you know, doing the sleeping bag samba yet.” Kendra grinned happily.
    Mandy returned Kendra’s smile. “Glad to know you’ve found a compatible dance partner.” She studied the roster in her hand. “I don’t think I can swing putting you two together, though. I’ve got Gonzo in a tent with Tom O’Day, the climbing guide, and if I put you in that tent instead, there’s nowhere for Tom to sleep. Paul Norton’s in a tent by himself now, because he said he snores like the dickens. I’d hate to subject Tom to that. And I certainly can’t put him in with the women.”
    “Maybe Tom snores, too.” Kendra looked hopeful.
    “I’ll ask him when he shows up,” Mandy said, “but I still want to introduce you to these women. Sorry to say it, but you’ll most likely end up bunking with them.”
    Kendra sighed. “Okay. It’s only for a few nights anyway.”
    Mandy gave her an elbow nudge. “As they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Maybe Rob and I can swap places with you and Gonzo one night.”
    Mandy led Kendra out of the room and made the introductions. Before long the three pals were chatting with Kendra, asking her questions about the upcoming trip.
    “Will we see many birds?” Viv asked. “I’m a bird watcher, and I want to add some Utah species to my list.”
    “What about animals?” Betsy pulled a book for identifying animal tracks out of her backpack. “My hobby is identifying wildlife prints.”
    “And I’m hoping to see some fall-blooming wildflowers,” Mo said. “That’s my thing.” She held up a camera. “I’ve got a whole wall of my kitchen plastered with wildflower photos, and I want to add to my gallery.”
    By the time Kendra had fielded all of their questions, she was smiling. “This trip is perfect for you three.”
    “We always pick an outdoor-oriented trip for our getaway,” Mo replied. “The last one was a four-day horseback ride in Oregon.”
    Betsy rubbed her rump. “It took weeks for my butt to recover from that one.”
    All four women laughed.
    Viv waved her arm toward the door. “Time to pack our dry bags, gals.”
    Mandy walked them to the door. “Remember our meet-and-greet dinner at six.”
    The last one out, Betsy, turned and whispered to Mandy, “Thanks for putting Kendra in our tent. We’re going to love having an expert’s brain to pick.”
    Mandy smiled. Another problem solved. After the women left, she faced Kendra. “You okay with this?”
    Kendra nodded. “Yeah, they all seem pretty nice. Not sure how much sleep I’m going to get, though.”
    “More than you would get with Gonzo,” Mandy shot back with a wink.
    Laughing, Kendra retreated to the back room.
    Returning to her position behind