you’ll watch a short instructional video. Then the boss will give you a little training, answer any questions. That’ll take about thirty minutes, so you’ll be familiar with the equipment, feel comfortable and learn how to land.”
“Landing would be key. I don’t want to traumatize my grandchildren.” She said it with a sparkle in her eye.
Married. Lucas’s brain caught up with the rest of him. With kids. With grandkids. Knowing she was married eased the shyness. Now he could just admire how pretty she was, seeing as she was off-limits.
“No worries about that.” He was able to grin back at her. “They’ll remember today as the day they watched their grandmother fly. If you’re done with the paperwork, we’ll get you your flight suit.”
He changed into his own while Marcie got the client outfitted. He generally enjoyed doing tandems with first-timers, soothing their nerves if they had them, answering questions, giving them the best experience possible, and a memory they’d carry for the rest of their lives. He expected this run would be no exception.
The client looked fit, which helped. He glanced at his copy of the form and noted he’d been on the mark on her statistics. Five-five, 123 pounds. No physical problems.
He stepped outside to wait for her.
“I feel official.” She laughed and did a little turn in her flight suit and jump boots.
“Looking good. I know Marcie went over the procedure with you, but I can go over it again, answer any questions you’ve got.”
“Marcie was thorough, and the video was great. The harness attaches me to you, start to finish, which is very important from my point of view.”
“It’s a good way to make a first jump. Low stress.”
She bubbled out a laugh. “Easy for you to say. I guess you’re used to screamers.”
“Don’t worry about that. I’m betting you’re going to be too happy and too dazzled by the view to scream.” He led her to a small training field. “We’ll go up to about fourteen thousand feet. When you’re ready, I’ll take you on a trip into that big sky. The free fall’s a rush, exhilarating. It’ll last about a minute before the chute deploys. Once it does, you’ll float, and listen to the kind of quiet only jumpers know.”
“You love it.”
“Absolutely.”
“I’m doing this for a couple of reasons. First for my son. I just couldn’t disappoint him. And second, I realized on the way here, to remind myself I used to be fearless. Tell me, Mr. Tripp—”
“Lucas.”
“Lucas, how many people chicken out once they’re up there?”
“Oh, there’s some, sure. I can usually peg them before we get off the ground.” He gave her an easy smile. “You won’t be one of them.”
“Because?”
“You were fearless once. You don’t forget what you are. Sometimes you just put it aside awhile.”
The dimples fluttered in her cheeks. “You’re right. I’ve learned that lesson the last few years.”
He showed her how to land, how to use him, her own body for a soft touchdown. He strapped the harness so she could get accustomed to the feel of it, and having his body against hers.
The little jump in the belly he felt had him relieved to remind himself she was married.
“Any questions? Concerns?”
“I think I’ve got it. I’m supposed to relax and enjoy—and hope I don’t scream the whole way down so the DVD shows me with my mouth wide open and my eyes squeezed shut.”
“Hey, Mom!”
They looked over at the group hovering at the edge of the field.
“The family. Do you have time to meet them before we do this?”
“Sure.”
He walked over with her, made some small talk with her son—he looked pale and nervous now that it was zero hour—her daughter, the three children, including the one watching him like an owl from his daddy’s hip.
“You’re sure about this? Because if—”
“Tyler.” Ella rose to the toes of her jump boots, kissed her son’s cheek. “I’m revved and ready. Best Christmas present ever.”
“Nana’s gonna do this.” A boy of about five shot the toy parachutist from their gift shop into the air. It floated down on a bright red chute.
“You bet I am. Watch me.”
After hugs and kisses, she walked off with Lucas toward the waiting Twin Otter. “I’m not nervous. I’m not going to be nervous. I’m not going to scream. I’m not going to throw up.”
“Look at that sky. It doesn’t get prettier. Until you’re floating in it. Here’s Chuck. He’ll be videographing your entire experience.”
“Chuck.” She shook hands. “You’ll get my best side, right?”
“Guaranteed. Nobody gives a tandem like Iron Man, ma’am. Smooth as silk.”
“Okay.” She blew out a breath. “Let’s do it, Iron Man.”
She turned, waved to her family, then got onboard.
She shook hands with the pilot, and to Lucas’s eye stayed steady and attentive through the flight. He expected more questions—about the plane, the equipment, his experience—but she played it up for the camera, obviously determined to give her family a fun memento.
She mugged, pretended to faint and surprised Lucas by crawling into his lap and telling her kids she was flying off to Fiji with her jump master.
“We need to go back for a bigger plane,” he told her, and made her laugh.
When they reached jump altitude he winked at her. “Ready to harness up?”
Those lips bowed up with nerves around the edges. “Let’s rock and roll.”
He went over the procedure again, his voice soothing, easy, as he hooked them together.
“You’re going to feel a rush of air, hear more engine noise when we open the door. We’re miked, so Chuck will pick up what we say for your DVD.”
As he spoke he felt her breathing pick up. When the door opened, he felt her jerk, felt her tremble.
“We don’t go until you say go.”
“I swam naked in the Gulf of Mexico. I can do this. Let’s go.”
“We’re go.” He nodded to Chuck, who jumped first. “Watch the sky, Ella,” he murmured, and leaped with her.
She didn’t scream, but after a strangled gasp, he heard her clearly shout, “Holy fucking shit!” and wondered if they’d want that edited out for the grandchildren.
Then she laughed, shot her arms out like wings.
“Oh, my God, oh, my God, oh, my
She vibrated against him, and in tune with her he recognized exhilaration rather than fear.
The chute deployed, a rush of wings, and the whippy dive became a graceful float.
“It was too fast, over too fast. But, oh,
“Put your hands on the toggles. You can drive awhile.”
“Okay, wow. Look at Nana, Owen! I’m a skydiver. Thank you, Tyler! Hi, Melly, hi, Addy, hi, Sam!” She tipped her head back. “I’m in the sky, and it’s blue silk.”
She fell silent, then sighed. “You were right about the quiet. You were right about everything. I’ll never forget this. Oh, there they are! They’re waving. You’d better take over so I can wave back.”
“You have a beautiful family.”
“I really do. Oh, gosh, oh, wow, here comes the ground.”
“Trust me. Trust yourself. Stay relaxed.”
He brought her down soft.
With excited screams, wild cheers, her family jumped and waved. When Lucas detached the harness, she dropped into an exaggerated curtsy, blew kisses.
Then she spun around, her face glowing, and stunned him by throwing her arms around him and kissing him firmly on the mouth.
