Page 28 of Nothing But Air

Eden swallowed. “Hey, Sierra. It’s been a while.”

“Since the funeral.”

“I’m sorry. I should have called, I should have?—”

“Enough with the sorries. What’s up?”

“I need a favor.”

“I’m in.”

“I haven’t even told?—”

“You’re like a sister to me, Eden.” Sierra’s voice softened. “The two years of silence have been hard. But I get it. Losing Landon was hard on all of us, but you—you lost everything. I knew this call would eventually come, and I was always ready to say yes.” A pause. “That’s what lifelong friends do.”

Eden’s throat tightened. “I don’t deserve you.”

“Eh, probably true.” The teasing edge was back. “But it’s a good thing we don’t all get what we deserve, right? Gotta love grace.”

The word hit Eden square in the chest.

Grace.

She hadn’t shut out only her friends two years ago. She’d shut out God. Slammed the door and pretended the ache in her soul was just grief, not something deeper. Something broken.

Opening her life back up to Sierra meant conversations about God were inevitable. Sierra had never been one to let things slide.

“So what are we doing?” Sierra’s playful tone broke through. “Dyeing your hair? Robbing a bank? Flying to Europe?”

“Climbing. In the Grand Canyon.”

A long beat of silence. Then Sierra’s deep breath filled the line. “You’re really doing this? Getting back on the rock?”

“I am. Any chance you know another couple climbers that might?—”

Sierra’s voice grew soft, as if she had stepped farther from her phone. “All right. I’m reaching out to Kyle—he’s been asking about you for months. And Trey.”

The knot in Eden’s chest twisted tighter.

Kyle. Landon’s best friend. The one who’d stood beside him at every competition, held Eden’s hand at the funeral when she couldn’t stop shaking.

And Trey—Landon’s younger brother. The one who’d chosen climbing because his big brother made it look like flying.

“Sierra, I don’t know if that’s?—”

“They’ll want to help. Especially if it means climbing with you again. Oh, and they both just responded. They’re in.”

That was quick. Eden’s chest ached. She’d avoided them both after the funeral. Couldn’t bear to see Landon’s smile reflected in Trey’s face. Couldn’t handle Kyle’s grief mixing with her own.

“Okay.” The word scraped against Eden’s throat. “But they need to know this is serious. Technical climbs, potentially dangerous. Not a reunion.”

“I’ll make it clear.” Sierra’s voice was steady. “When?”

“When can you get to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon?”

There was a pause. “Trey’s calling in. Let me talk to them and I’ll let you know.”

The line went dead.