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Silent Bob
Silent Bob
Silent Bob
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Silent Bob

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Roberta Valentine used to be a party girl. But that is all over as she searches for a real relationship. She feels her chances slipping away as she moves into her thirties. She has all but given up.

Then she meets her main competitor in the outdoor gear business, Blake. That woman slowly weaves her way into Roberta's heart. The biggest obstacle? Blake is straight.

This is set in the same world as Music of the Soul but is a standalone book.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherErik Schubach
Release dateAug 15, 2013
ISBN9780988999855
Silent Bob
Author

Erik Schubach

I got my start writing romance novels by accident. I have always been drawn to strong female characters in books, like Honor Harrington. And I also believe that there is a lack of LGBT characters in media. So one day I came up with a story idea that combines the two... two days later I completed the manuscript for Music of the Soul.My writing style may not be the most professional nor grammatically correct, but I never profess to be an English major, just a person that wants to share a story. I maintain that my primary language is sarcasm.Each of my books features strong likeable female characters that are flawed. I think that flaws and emotional or physical scars make us human and give us more character than simply conforming to some "social norm".I have also started a SciFi series, The Valkyrie Chronicles which features a Valkyrie, Kara, who was left behind on Earth five thousand years ago to help the Asgard race escape the onslaught of the Ragnarok horde. With the aid of a human, Kate, she holds the line in battle to herald the return of the Asgard!If you like magic, paranormal romance and witches, then my new series Fracture might tickle your fancy. In the first book Fracture: Divergence, Alex King must stop magic from destroying reality. The problem is that Alex must solve the case in parallel universes where in one Alex is male and female in the other.There is even a modern shapeshifter paranormal series, Drakon. Featuring a fiery Irish woman with a sharp wit and sharper temper who finds out she is a dragon of legend.

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
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    Wow I wasn’t expecting this book to be this amazing. I was looking for a light quick read. This book took me on an adventure. I highly recommend it. This was my first book by this author I will definitely be reading more.

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Silent Bob - Erik Schubach

Silent Bob

By Erik Schubach

Copyright © 2013 by Erik Schubach

Published by Erik Schubach at Smashwords

P.O. Box 523

Nine Mile Falls, WA 99026

Cover photo © 2013 By Jacob Gregory / ShutterStock.com license

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author / publisher, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review written for inclusion in a magazine, newspaper, blog, or broadcast.

This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Manufactured in the United States of America

FIRST EDITION

ISBN 978-0-9889998-5-5

Chapter 1 – Digging In

I had just finished my rappel as dusk settled in... God what a rush! ...and was crouched over my pack, stowing my gear when the first flakes of the oncoming snow storm hit hours ahead of the forecast. I know I could have just taken the snowmobile around and up the ridge a half mile to the south to replenish supplies at the emergency shelter for the forestry service. But where's the fun in that when there is a perfectly good cliff face to climb to it right here?

When the company I own, Silent Bob's, was awarded the resupply for the east slope Interstate 90 corridor of the new Hiker Protection Program, nobody was really surprised. This is our backyard! Based at the foot of the mountains here in Issaquah Washington. We now maintain and supply the three new shelters that were built, for a generous stipend from the forestry service on Tiger Mountain.

It was a no-brainer to throw our hat into the ring since we pass the locations almost on a daily basis, setting up dream mountain experiences for our customers. That's well over half our business after all, simply being an outdoor outfitter isn't a sound business structure as my uncle Stu discovered before I inherited the company from him.

My father and I had moved from Melbourne, Australia when I was eight, after my mother had died. I had been working with uncle Stu since I was twelve. When I realized at fifteen that I was gay or bi or whatever current label they felt they needed to apply to me was, I came out to my father. My dad didn't want to have anything to do with me after therapy couldn't fix me. What the hell? I'm not broken! So Stu took me in. This has been my life ever since.

I had to bail uncle Stuart out a few years back when Stu's Outfitters almost went bankrupt simply supplying outdoor gear. I had been doing pretty well with my investments and business consulting services after college and had a chunk of cash saved away that I could apply to his business.

So I became his silent partner and helped him restructure the company to give mountain tours, outdoor experiences and of course gear outfitting. It gave the company multiple legs to stand on.

Me being his silent partner was about the worst kept secret in the Cascades back then, everyone from our gear vendors to all of our regulars knew what I had done and took to calling me Silent Bob, a not so inside joke since my name is Roberta.

When uncle Stu lost his battle with prostate cancer, everyone implored me to keep the business going since there was nobody who provided all of the services we did. I reluctantly acquiesced and renamed the company to Silent Bob's Cascade Experience. The rest is history.

I stood and shook the memory out of my head and inhaled the crisp winter air. It was invigorating. I just love the Cascades in the winter. There's no place I'd rather be in the world. I pulled out my radio from my pack and switched it on as I shouldered my pack and made my way to my snowmobile and its cargo sled. Silent Bob to Home-plate, I said with the tiny trace of my Australian accent that I haven't been able to get rid of after twenty two years.

A couple seconds later the radio crackled to life and Remmy's familiar gravely voice came across, Yeah Bobbi, we read ya. I had to grin at the old man's voice, at like three hundred and ninety years old, he was still sharp as a tack and knew these mountains better than anyone. There isn't anything he doesn't know about the outdoors. Ok fine... he's only in his mid eighties.

He had worked for my uncle for close to twenty five years and will work for me until one or the other of us are gone. I wouldn't take any bets on who will outlast the other, the man is resilient. I kind of see him as my surrogate grandfather. He is the grumpiest and most cantankerous person to everyone, except me. I smiled as I spoke, Looks like that blizzard is hitting a wee bit early, I think I'll just pitch a tent and bivvy here for the night. It's a gorgeous night!

I swear I could hear his growling before he actually replied. Ya got yer goddamn snowmobile girl, just come home now before it gets too bad up there. My smile got a little bigger, he's always so protective, but I'm going to enjoy a night out here. It's only snow. I threw the needed gear from the cargo sled as we spoke and threw tarps over the snowmobile and sled, securing anchors into the packed snow.

Remmy, I live for this out here. I'll see you in the morning. I squinted an eye in humor and braced myself as his response as it crackled across the radio. You bullheaded kid! Fine, but you check in on schedule. What are your grids?

I chuckled. Thirty is a kid? Then I replied, I'm at the cliff base below Emergency Shelter E2. Then I squinted again in preparation as his voice boomed back to me. Goddammit, Bobbi! If you're at a shelter, use the goddamn shelter! Oh, whatever, fine! I'll see you in the morning. You're so impetuous!

I grinned. I love you too, Remmy. See you in the morning. Silent Bob out. Then I switched off the radio and walked a few yards to where I had a great view of the valley and started tamping down the snow to pitch my Granite Ridge V25 tent. The snow was coming down fairly heavy as I set down my ground barrier then pitched the tent over the top and secured it with my snow anchors.

I rolled out my two person Sub Zero Penguin sleeping bag and set up the rest of my gear inside. I remembered something I wanted to test out at the last minute. We started stocking vented tent heaters and I personally test everything we sell. I think it is ridiculous to heat a tent, that's what your sleeping bag is for, but we've been getting requests for them.

I made my way back to the snowmobile and the cargo sled. The tarps were already covered with snow, and I pulled up a stake at the corner, letting the half inch accumulation slide off and reached in and grabbed the stupid tent heater, a fuel canister, and battery for the circulation fan, then replaced the stake.

It was getting quite dark now and I could see the glow of Issaquah and Seattle to the northwest radiating over the ridge. But visibility was getting pretty low. Soon even that wouldn't be visible. I turned on a lantern and started singing Flower Blossom by Satin Thunder to myself as I set up the outdoor portion of the heater and ran a vent tube inside the tent. I'll wait till the morning to fire it up.

I grinned at the song as I sang. One of my employees, Kimi, a couple years back had won a competition to get a recording contract, and this is one of her songs. She is more like a little sister to me than an employee. I took her in after her mother disowned her when she came out. It was so similar to what had happened to me that I just had to extend a hand to her like uncle Stu did for me.

She has the most amazing voice and I couldn’t have been more proud of her when her and her future wife started Satin Thunder. Now they are an international sensation stationed out of London. It was hard to watch her go for more than the obvious personal reasons. She was also the hardest worker I had ever had and had to hire two people to pick up the slack once she was gone.

Kimi and her new family visit here three months out of every year and most holidays. When she's here she always pitches in against my protestations that she is on vacation. She insists, saying I'm family. It embarrasses me every time, because she calls me her hero and she has this really weird obsession with heroes. Their daughter Samantha is about the most adorable little girl you will ever meet, she has what has to be the true definition of an infectious smile.

I finished up and looked around to see that almost an additional inch of snow had fallen already. The wind was building and whipping it around, limiting visibility. I was about to head into the tent when I heard a creak clack, creak clack approaching the campsite from the south.

I stopped singing and looked out into the dark where I saw the light of a lantern swinging from side to side, heading my way through the snow. I was starting to make out a figure when a strong musical female voice chimed out, Hello in the tent!

I couldn't stop from grinning, I'll have to let Remmy know I'm not the only impetuous one on the mountain tonight. I raised my lantern as I replied, Not in the tent yet, how are you doing on such a splendid night?

The creak clack approached and I could make out a much taller, smiling woman decked out in cold weather gear. She appeared to be about my age, maybe a year or two older. She spoke with a chuckle, Just taking a lovely little stroll on the mountain. The storm just snuck in on me a little early. I was being lazy and didn't want to pitch my tent so I was looking for the emergency shelter that is supposed to be around here to bivvy for the night. Just can't seem to find it... then I heard your wonderful singing.

I couldn't stifle a laugh at her great attitude as she stepped up to me with a creak clack and a comical look on her strong face, her eyes sparkling. I replied with humor in my voice, Well you're just about two hundred feet from it, most of those straight up on the ridge above us. I pointed up to punctuate. You can get there a half mile to the south and curl up the ridge since I wouldn't recommend climbing the cliff face in the dark, nor during a blizzard.

I was caught off guard by the amazing smile and roll of the eyes she shot back at me as she looked at the GPS in her gloved hand. Drat. So I guess pitching a tent it is. That's what I get for being such a lazy procrastinator. Mind if I share your clearing? She unshouldered her impressive pack as I shook my head. The wind was really picking up now.

I noticed the leg brace on her left leg. Impressive. She's obviously a woman who doesn't back down easy. I grinned at her, everything was all sharp angles and shadows with our lantern lights barely cutting through the falling snow. Nonsense, I have plenty of room. Make yourself at home. I was about to start dinner.

I pulled up the weather station hanging off my belt on a carabiner and hit the backlight as I spoke, A much better option than pitching camp in fifteen degree temps.

She looked at my tent then at me and spoke with a huge smile that just about knocked me on my ass. You're alone? Here I thought I was the only crazy lady wandering about out here tonight. Then she pocketed her GPS and extended her hand. Blake. I don't mind if I do. As I stated... I am pretty lazy.

I shook her hand saying, Roberta Valentine. Welcome to my humble abode. I'd hazard a guess that the word 'lazy' is not in your vocabulary. Then I unzipped the door flap and made a grand gesture. She bent and popped her head inside chuckling and flopped her pack inside, off to one side and entered. I ducked and moved in behind her and zipped the door flap back in place.

She turned around and sat cross legged with her back to the outer wall and grinned. Brrr.

I chuckled and replied, Yes, brrr.

I took a second to appraise her. It was hard to tell with the appropriate bulky winter gear she was wearing; she knew what she was doing out here; but she appeared to be in great physical shape beneath it. Her face had sharp angles that looked somewhat exotic to me, like those pretty Romanian gypsy princesses in the old black and white movies.

It was her sparkling green eyes that seemed to glow in the lantern's light that captivated me the most. She lowered her hood and her curly brown mane spilled down across her cheeks and shoulders. She had a strong, self assured look on her face.

If I wasn't in a new relationship, I'd probably be drooling about now. Oh who am I kidding? I'm drooling. I noticed I was staring so I looked away and started some smalltalk as I rummaged through my supplies. So what brings you around these parts tonight? Most people ran for the city when they heard of the approaching storm. Like rats abandoning a sinking ship.

She snorted and covered her mouth in embarrassment with a smile as she replied, Pussies! Yeah I'm just out scouting some locations for possible camping excursions for my company. That Silent Bob seems to have a stranglehold on the whole I90 corridor. God he's infuriating. I'm looking to expand from the Leavenworth Highway 2 corridor. But getting a toe hold in his territory these past couple years has been next to impossible.

I stiffened

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