by M. Malone
Penny was still asleep facedown, the covers twisted around her legs.
“Wake up, beautiful.” He placed the tray gently on the nightstand and then climbed back in bed.
As soon as his head hit the pillow, Penny rolled over and plastered herself against him. He pulled her onto his chest. Then he slapped her on the ass playfully.
“Oh my god, it’s so early.”
“I know, but I brought you a peace offering. Coffee, two sugars, and scrambled eggs.”
Her head popped up. “Did you say coffee?”
They set the tray in bed between them and Penny let out a sigh of delight at the first sip of coffee.
“Are you always going to be this nice? I could get used to this.”
“You like that, huh? You’ll have to take care of dinner most nights, but I can do breakfast.”
“Fair enough. So is there a reason you’re so chipper this morning? Because if you’re going to wake me at the butt crack of dawn every day then I might have to reconsider this arrangement.”
Matt leaned over to steal a kiss. “I wouldn’t disturb your precious sleep without a good reason. I have a surprise for you.” He glanced at the clock on the nightstand. “We need to get going, actually. Like right now.”
“Going? I need to take a shower and put on makeup.”
He kissed her on the tip of her nose. “You are gorgeous without makeup. Those freckles get me every time.”
She rolled her eyes and put her cup down on the nightstand. “Flattery will not sway me. The last time I went out without makeup, I ended up talking to your friends for an hour with hair that looked like it had been put through a wood chipper. I need to shower.”
After rushing through the quickest shower possible, they were dressed and walking out to his truck.
“Okay, turn around.”
She eyed the blindfold with trepidation but finally allowed him to wind it gently around her head. There was a good chance she wouldn’t figure out what he was up to even if she saw where they were going. However, he thought it added a little mystery to things.
He headed for the highway and then they were on their way. Air rushed through the open windows, bathing them with the moist, cool air of spring. Penny laughed and turned her face into the wind. It was a sound that came from deep in her belly and went straight to Matt’s heart. It was a sound of pure joy.
Northern Virginia was not only a center of military activity, it also boasted several private airfields. His buddy Shep had called in a few favors so he could pull this off. He only hoped Penny didn’t think he’d gone too far.
He parked and tugged gently on the scarf at the back of Penny’s head. Once it was off, she blinked in the light. He could tell when she finally figured out where they were.
“Where are we?” She turned around and stared at the row of small planes behind them.
“We’re in Warrenton, Virginia.”
“Are we going somewhere?” Penny looked puzzled.
“That’s up to you. I have a buddy who flies here. He’s taken people up for tandem jumps before.”
Her eyes widened. “Tandem jumps? You aren’t serious.”
It was now or never. Matt figured he’d better talk fast before she ran away screaming. “I want to give you something more personal than flowers or chocolates. I don’t have a lot of money, and I’m not sophisticated like that other guy.” He scowled at the thought.
Penny grabbed his hand and squeezed. “I like you exactly the way you are.”
“I know. This is part of who I am. I wanted to share that with you. You told me that you’d always wanted to try skydiving, to know what it felt like to lose control. Well, that’s something I understand. After I went through jump school, I loved it so much I took civilian classes so I could skydive whenever I wanted. I wish I could be the one to take you down, but I’m only licensed to skydive alone. I’m not qualified as a skydiving instructor. So I did the next best thing and found you a great divemaster. But it’s up to you. We can go home right now or we can take the leap together.”
Penny stared at him, fear and longing clear in her wide-eyed expression. She turned in her seat and looked at the planes behind them again. Then she gave a little nod of her head.
“I want to take the leap.”
Matt grinned. “Come on. This is going to be fun.”
* * * * *
THEY WERE MET on the tarmac by a guy named Carter. He was a friendly, thirty-ish blond guy who looked more suited to surfing than flying a plane. Penny swallowed her nerves. Matt had said this guy was one of the best tandem instructors in the area, and he wouldn’t compromise when it came to her safety. That much she knew for sure.
After signing a never-ending stream of paperwork, they joined a class of four other students. For the next hour they learned about parachutes and the safety procedures necessary for a safe skydiving experience. Penny was happy to learn that in addition to a reserve parachute in case the first didn’t open, there was also an automated activation device called an AAD that would open the chute below a certain altitude even if the instructor didn’t. She let out an audible sigh of relief and felt Matt’s chest shaking with silent laughter behind her. She elbowed him and gave him an evil look. In response, he held her closer and kissed her ear.
“I’m only teasing you, love. It’s very safe.”
“I know.” Penny really did know that it was an extremely safe sport when you followed the safety rules, but it still went against human nature to jump out of an airplane. She was happy to have all the automatic safety features available just in case.
After the instructor demonstrated the safety harness they would wear, it was time to get ready for their jumps. “Have you changed your mind yet?” Matt whispered.
“Not yet. Ask me again when we’re actually on the plane.”
They changed clothes into bright red jumpsuits and adjusted their safety gear. As the instructor checked her harness, she started to feel the first stirrings of real fear. It was fascinating and scary to think she’d be jumping out of an airplane that day!
The ride up in the small prop plane was an event in itself. Penny was used to large aircraft where she could barely tell they were in the air. The floor of the plane vibrated with the drone of the engine and every air pocket they flew through made the plane rock and bump. Once they were above twelve thousand feet in altitude, the first students took their jumps. All the other students in their class had jumped before and one even had his individual license like Matt.
“For safety reasons, I can’t jump right after you and Carter, but it won’t be much of a delay. Are you ready for this?” Matt had been holding her hand since the plane took off. Penny gave him a bright smile, hoping to reassure him.
“Okay, let’s go.” Carter led them to the door. They were the only ones left besides Matt and another dive instructor. All the things they’d learned in the safety portion of class ran through Penny’s mind on a loop. Once they exited the plane they’d fall at about 125 miles per hour.
“Are you ready?” Matt shouted.
Penny was too terrified to do anything other than nod. She was strapped to her tandem instructor so tightly that she had just enough leeway to look over her shoulder. She couldn’t see Carter’s eyes through his dark glasses, but when he nodded at her, she experienced a rush of excitement. The adrenaline in her system was so strong she was shaking.
She had a sudden, insane urge to ask Matt to call the whole thing off. To have them turn the plane around and put them back on the ground. Where it was safe.
Then she straightened her spine. She could do this. No more playing it safe. This was the chance to do something she’d always wanted to do, and she wasn’t going to run away from it.
She was ready to fly.
“I’m ready. Let’s do it,” Penny shouted back.
The instructor nudged her toward the door, and they balanced there for a moment. The sky stretched out below them forever, an endless expanse of blue and white. Penn
y let out a small squeak. It was incredibly windy and cold. So much colder than the weather on the ground. The air slapped at them mercilessly until the instructor pushed off.
Penny opened her mouth to scream, but any sound she made was swallowed in the rush of air. She instinctively closed her eyes but then a second later she forced them open. It was disorienting to feel herself in motion without being able to see where she was going. Plus, she didn’t want to miss a thing.
It was a curious feeling, to fall and fall and fall. It was curious and wonderful and terrifying all at the same time. She’d expected it to be frightening, but it wasn’t. Not really. It felt like she was gliding.
I’ve never seen anything so beautiful, she thought as they flew over the wide green landscape. Everything looked so small from this high and the only things that mattered were the wind in her face and the incredible sense of weightlessness.
There was a slight jerk when the parachute deployed.
She glanced up at Carter. They’d learned beforehand that the force of air in free fall was so great that they wouldn’t be able to communicate by talking. He gave her a hand motion that meant “legs up.” It would be less than a minute before they hit the ground, and she had to be prepared to land properly. She gave him a thumbs-up so he’d know she was okay.
Understatement of the year. She was more than okay. She was in love with a man who made her feel everything she’d thought didn’t exist. Tears welled in her eyes, blurring her vision. There were no words to describe how it felt that Matt had arranged this for her. He was always there for her, always looking for ways to help her and make her life better.
“I love you.”
She whispered the words as they glided toward the ground. It was cowardly to admit it to the wind when there was no way Matt could hear her, but she needed to let it out somehow. He’d come into her life again by chance and was quickly becoming one of the best parts of it.
She smiled the whole way down to the ground.
* * * * *
WHEN MATT PICKED up the phone to call his sister, it was with a sense of anticipation he hadn’t felt in a long time.
“Say congratulations.”
“Congratulations?” His sister was obviously not paying close attention. Normally she would have caught on by now that something was up. He’d told Mara to expect him home today. He hadn’t wanted to let her know that he might not be coming back in case Penny hadn’t given him a chance. He’d be depressed enough on his own. The last thing he needed was all his friends finding out that he’d been rejected.
“Aren’t you going to ask what for?”
“What for? Are you okay? You’re acting really weird.” Mara must have finally sensed something was up because she suddenly said, “Hey, aren’t you supposed to be coming home today?”
“My home is no longer in New Haven. I’ve decided to move up to Northern Virginia so I can be close to Penny.”
“Are you serious?”
Matt pulled the phone back from his ear at Mara’s high-pitched squeal. But he was laughing when he said, “I take it you approve, then? You don’t think I’m moving too fast?”
He’d meant to call her yesterday after he and Penny had come home from skydiving. But they’d been so hopped up on adrenaline they’d ended up making wild, sweaty love all afternoon. They’d passed out, exhausted, after a few hours.
Mara sobered. “No, I don’t think you’re moving too fast at all. Life is short and you should do what you want. Matt…” She stopped and he could have sworn he heard her sniffling. “I am truly thrilled for you. You’ve been living a half-life since you got back and it’s not fair. I was worried that I was never going to see my brother again. The real you hasn’t been around in a long time, but I saw him when you were here.”
Matt coughed, the lump in his chest feeling suspiciously like the precursor to tears. He wouldn’t have been able to articulate it as well, but he’d been worried about himself, too. For the first time since his injury, he was hopeful and excited about the future. There were so many things he wanted to do and they all started with Penny.
Everything started with Penny.
“I’m going to be okay now, sis.” It was something he felt strongly. No matter what happened, it would be okay if he had Penny at his side. He could get through anything, endure anything, knowing that she was waiting for him at the end of each day.
“I know. I knew that when I saw you with Penny. You were laughing, Matt. I haven’t heard you laugh like that in a really long time.”
Maybe it was because he was feeling hopeful for the first time in so long that he felt compelled to ask, “Are you happy, sis? I mean about getting married? Because I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to wait a little bit. Take your time. Travel.”
“Yeah. That’s what it is. I guess I just thought I’d have done more before I settled down.”
“Don’t let Mom make you feel like you have to rush into this. It’s your wedding. You should deliberately pick a wedding venue that’s booked for years to buy some time. Then you and Trent can take some wild vacations to a nudist colony or go blow all your money in Vegas.”
“You know what? I think I’ll do that.”
She sounded lighter than she had at the start of their conversation, so Matt decided to ignore the niggling twin-sense that something still wasn’t right.
“Now I just have to figure out what to do with my house. I’m not sure I want to sell it yet.” He’d bought it so he could feel like he was building a life, but he’d barely done anything to the place. There was no great sentimental attachment to that particular location. He knew now that building a life was about more than just the things you bought. It was about who you shared things with. Eli’s place was more of a home to him than his own house was. When he closed his eyes in this house, he could smell Penny’s scent and imagine her laughter bouncing off the walls. They’d already made some pretty great memories here.
“Rent it out. I’m sure we can find someone who’d rent from you until you decide to sell. Plus, since I’m here I could keep an eye on it for you. Make sure they take care of the place.”
“That’s a great idea.”
“I’m full of great ideas. Such as you and Penny. That was my idea, you know. I’m totally taking the credit for matchmaking.” She let out a happy sigh. “You’re so lucky you have an awesome sister who bugs you and makes sure you go to your appointments.”
Matt couldn’t agree more.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
“TEN MINUTES, KAY.”
She looked up when Matt stuck his head into the dressing room. Anxiety had become a constant companion for Kaylee the past few weeks. Now that Jackson had announced the group would go their separate ways after the summer, there had been an undeniable thread of tension present at each of their gigs.
In the past, that would have made Kay anxious, but it barely fazed her now. No, what had her on the edge of her seat was the tension between her and Elliott.
Thank God for Matt, she thought.
He’d been shadowing her the past week, and it had given her a break from Eli’s terse company. Matt had seemed gruff when she first met him, but she’d soon learned he had a quick wit and a ready smile. He didn’t mind when she took a little longer getting ready than the other girls. Eli always tried to rush her along, which annoyed her to no end. She couldn’t skip steps in the makeup department like her friend Sasha or the other girls. They were all thin and beautiful. She was, well, she was just herself.
Now Matt stood staring at her outfit with a shocked expression. “New costume?”
“Too much? I knew these things were too tight!” Kay turned back to the mirror, tugging at the clingy spandex.
“No. No, you look great,” Matt assured her. “I was just surprised since you usually don’t wear bright colors.”
Kay appreciated his tact. She usually didn’t wear clothes that were this sexy. A tickle in her belly made her wonder what Eli would think when he saw it. Then she sh
ook it off. Ever since they’d spent the night in the hotel together, nothing had been the same. She wasn’t sure if it had been Ridley’s intention to force them into the same room, but when they’d arrived at the hotel the desk clerk had only shown one room under their reservation.
Kay rubbed her stomach. She still wanted to barf sometimes when she thought of the horrified look on Eli’s face. You’d think sharing a room with her was a fate worse than death.
He’d been a gentleman and offered her the bed, but she hadn’t been able to sleep a wink all night. How could she when he was sleeping on a cot a few feet away? The next morning, they’d gotten on the road early, neither of them anxious to extend their stay any longer than necessary. Ever since then, Eli had been a bear.
“Have you seen Eli?” She tried to sound like she didn’t really care, but she could tell by the gentle look on Matt’s face that she hadn’t succeeded.
“He’s screening everyone coming into the backstage area. I know you guys have a big interview tonight, so he’s been keeping security tight.”
“He’s being unreasonable.”
Matt just smiled. “He takes your safety seriously and so do I.” The walkie-talkie on his belt crackled. He stiffened and pulled it off. “I have to go. I’ll see you after the show. Good luck.”
“Thanks.” Kay turned back to the mirror and tried to suck in another inch. Jackson seemed really confident that taking each of them solo was the right way to go, but Kaylee wasn’t so sure. Singing solos in front of the choir was a whole different thing. No one could make fun of you when you were singing for Jesus. That would just be wrong, and as her mother liked to say, “you’d go straight to hell.” Although her mother thought pretty much everything would send you straight to hell.
Either way, she knew she had the voice. She was confident in her talent, but pop stars needed a certain look.
She didn’t have that.
This was the final show that she’d have the other girls on stage with her. It was a really scary thought. The only one she was close to was Sasha. She knew the other girls, Mandy and Christina, didn’t really like her much. But at least when they were on stage there was someone to cover for her if she forgot a lyric. The crowd wasn’t just looking at her.
