Margot was enthusiastic. "Oh, thereon hangs a tale!" I didn’t interrupt, and I didn’t contribute. I let Margot tell Drew the whole story. Well, I didn’t interrupt until she wildly overstated my part in her rescue.
"Margot exaggerates," I said.
"Oh, no," she insisted. "Conroy was the one with the rope, and he knew about tying knots in it to help me grip, but both of you pulled me up. And then," and here she looked intently at Drew, "Nathan volunteered to climb down to that ledge and retrieve my pack."
"Did he." Not a question.
"And when I realized I’d be a total drain on the group if I tried to go on from there—I mean, I was in a state—Nathan said he’d go back with me."
Drew glanced at me. "So you didn’t finish the trail."
I felt my back stiffen.
Drew chuckled. "No criticism. In fact
