No Escape Read Free Page A

their age should. His gaze trailed theirs to a woman racing a male climber to the top of the rock wall toward a bell.
    Squealing young voices chanted, ‘Go Jo. Go Jo. Go Jo.’
    Jo.
    Brody stood behind the students, rested his hands on his hips and shifted his gaze from the male climber to the woman. Her chalked fingers clung to slivers of manufactured rock while her feet perched on similar pieces. Tight black pants and a white, fitted spandex top molded a trim athletic body. Long, red hair bound into a ponytail swept across her muscled back as she scrambled haphazardly from rock to rock. Jo? He looked closer.
    Damn, if it wasn’t her.
    When Jo reached the top and rang a bell, the kids cheered. She looked over her shoulder, suspending from a single handhold and foothold and smiled at them. ‘Now which one of you girls bet that I couldn’t win?’
    The girls laughed, shaking heads and pointing to each other. None fessed up to having any doubts about her.
    Jo surveyed the crowd of girls. ‘And seeing as I won, ladies, that means you all are going to study real hard for the rest of this semester, correct?’
    A rumble of laughter and whispers rolled through the teens. ‘Yes!’ they shouted.
    The male climber rang the bell. He regarded Jo, his good-natured appreciation clear as he nodded his concession.
    Brody assessed the man, wondering if Jo had really beaten him or if he had held back to win points with Jo. If he had to wager, he’d put his chips on the latter.
    ‘Doug buys ice cream for everyone!’ Jo said.
    The kids cheered.
    Doug grinned. ‘Rematch!’
    Jo’s laughter rang clear and bright as she turned her face from the wall and gazed at the girls with tenderness. However, as quickly as she looked down, she looked back up as if the height flustered her. ‘Gonna have to be a lot of A’s and B’s to get me up here again.’
    Brody crossed his arms over his chest, taking inventory of her high cheekbones, pale complexion and full lips. She was more relaxed, and a hell of a lot hotter than the grim woman he’d seen on television last year.
    As if she’d read his mind, her gaze shifted from the kids to him. For a moment she stared at him, as if she couldn’t believe her eyes. He made a point not to blink or show the faintest sign of curiosity for this new version of Dr. Granger.
    Shaking off her surprise, she moved to climb down the wall but missed her handhold and, in a blink, fell. The girls squealed. Brody tensed, moving toward the crowd, ready to shove his way toward the wall’s base. But the rope tightened, halted her fall and the belayer held tight.
    Jo immediately grabbed for another rock and swung herself back into position on the wall. For an instant, she didn’t move.
    ‘You okay, Jo?’ Doug asked.
    ‘Fine.’ She grabbed for a larger rock. Within seconds she’d scrambled to the bottom of the wall. She stared at the kids, and she wiped a bead of sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand. ‘That’s why I harp on preparedness. Never go into any situation without thinking about what could go wrong. You’ll live a longer, happier life if you are careful.’
    The kids chuckled nervously as Doug descended the wall. He moved to Jo, putting his hand on her shoulder. ‘You’re really okay?’
    She briefly studied Brody before dropping her gaze. ‘Yeah, I’m fine. Would you excuse me?’
    She moved through the crowd of girls. Several stopped her and asked again if she was okay. She assured them all she was fine. Her back was straight and her gaze direct as she finally cut through the crowd and closed the distance between them.
    Wisps of hair framed her face, which had grown more angular over the years. Though she’d always been slim, her body now was trim and nicely muscular. No hint of apology softened green eyes now as sharp as emeralds. The years had been good to her. And he was real glad. The last time he’d seen her she’d been … broken.
    Jo stopped a few feet shy of him. Her