“Let’s go,” Archie called. “Some of us would like good luck kisses too.”
I grinned as Jake threaded his fingers with mine and we crossed the last few yards to join them. The plane was going to be crowded. In addition to the pilot, there were two professionals for each of us to jump with. They would be babysitting us. They said we would all fit, but it was still a tight squeeze.
We had to sit on the plane in the order that we were jumping. Jake was going first, so he would be the last on. I was going right after him—I won the rock, papers, scissors match with the boys—then Archie, followed by Ian, with Coop last.
I gave each a kiss before they climbed on. Jake the Elder was one of my pros, and his son, Benjamin, was the other. Benjamin was only a couple of years older than us. He offered a fist bump as we waited to climb on.
All too soon, we were all loaded into our seats. The butterflies in my stomach turned into full-fledged dragons as they waged war in my stomach. In addition to our group, there was one more guy jumping with us and he had a camera.
“Memories,” Archie declared when he hired him. “And you guys can use it for your next video if it comes out great.”
Business and pleasure. They were silly. My stomach dropped again, but I kept my smile in place cause our happy cameraman kept pointing it at me.
The guys wanted to track every minute. I got it. I might throttle them later, but I got it. I blew out a breath as the wheels left the ground and we were climbing. I actually liked flying now, but this was not first-class on some huge jet or on Archie’s luxurious private plane.
This was more like a prop plane and I swore I could feel every bump, dip, and lift we hit.
“How are you doing, Frankie?” Jake the Elder yelled, and he had to yell because it was so loud. If anyone else was talking, I couldn’t hear them over the engine.
“Nervous,” I muttered.
“What?”
“Excited,” I yelled back, and his grin promised me he’d heard the earlier comment.
“You’re gonna be fine,” Benjamin yelled from next to me. “We’ll be with you every step of the way. Just relax and enjoy it.”
Right. Relax.
I’d do that once we were on the ground and I had that bottle of champagne Archie promised—provided I didn’t puke. The higher we went, the more the anticipation coiled in my belly.
“Anyone you want to say hi to?” Jake the Elder asked, holding up his phone, and my Jake glanced back at me, laughter in his eyes. I made a face at him and he grinned wider.
Waving a hand, I said, “Hi, Dad, see you soon—hopefully.”
Jake cracked up and Archie tugged my braid. I glanced back at him and he stole a kiss. “I’ll be right behind you,” he yelled.
“You just want to stare at my ass,” I called back. The guys around us laughed. Fortunately, there were a couple of women among our jump instructors, so I wasn’t going to choke on testosterone overload.
“Hell yes, it’s a gorgeous ass.” Archie winked. Behind him, Ian lifted his chin. The sheer confidence in his eyes shored up some of my own. Behind him, Coop crossed his eyes and stuck out his tongue.
God, I loved them.
“Eyes front,” Jake the Elder said. “We’re almost to our jump point.”
Really?
I tried not to grimace. There were a pair of lights on the side. One said don’t jump and it was currently illuminated. The one below it said jump.
As if summoned by my thoughts alone, it lit up.
“Goggles on,” the instructors with Jake called back, and I tugged mine on and made sure they were secured tight. We weren’t wearing helmets. But we had to have the goggles on before they opened the doors because the wind would be too much.
All too soon, the door ahead of Jake slid open. I shuddered at the rush of wind that just got louder.
Thumbs raised ahead of me as they got ready. On impulse, I leaned forward and gripped Jake’s shoulder. “I love you,” I yelled toward his ear and he twisted to look at me and mouthed the words back.
One squeeze of his shoulder, and I let go. This was insane. We were all absolutely crazy. Jake and his partners were at the door and he blew me a kiss before he jumped, with both of them going right after him.
No hesitation.
“Here we go,” Jake the Elder said, even though the wind tore his words away. The cameraman had already jumped and I half-stood to make my way to the door.
Holy shit—gazing out at the land below—my heart fisted. Was I really going to do this? Had I lost my mind? This plane was perfectly safe. The land looked like something out of a cartoon, a fanciful patchwork quilt of green.
“Ready?” Benjamin yelled, and I glanced toward the guys. It had only been seconds, even if it felt like an eternity. They all wore grins of anticipation and Coop managed to look nervous. I wasn’t sure how much of that was real and how much of it was for me. I blew them a kiss and then jump-fell.
The wind seemed louder out here, but not. I was falling, but I spread out my arms and legs like they’d taught us. Below me, I could see Jake’s dark blue shirt.
I wanted to turn around and look at the guys, but I didn’t dare. A wild scream tore from my throat. This was amazing. Terrifying? Yes. Insane? Absolutely. But it was like flying too.
What did they call it in the movie? Not flying but falling with style.
I cracked up again. The wind pushed at my cheeks and I could feel my skin rippling even as my braid snapped out behind me.
A vibration on my wrist pulled my gaze to the watch that said thirty seconds.
Holy shit, I’d already been falling for thirty seconds. Fresh laughter exploded out of me. This was the absolute best thing ever. I moved my right hand to the cord as my wrist vibrated again.
“Now,” Jake the Elder called and I tugged. Even prepared for the way the chute would snap open and pull me upward, it was still a jerk. Little huffs of laughter escaped that sounded a lot like squeaking to me.
I glanced back up, but I couldn’t see the guys past my chute. The bright yellow-green of it seemed to almost glow. It matched Jake’s below.
Pulse racing, I kept glancing around us as we half-floated, half-glided back to the earth. I adjusted my pulls when Jake the Elder or Benjamin yelled. It allowed us to alter directions, though not like driving, but definitely like targeting.
For one minute, I’d been free-falling, and it took another three or four to travel the last mile as the wind filled my ears and a smile stretched my lips so hard, I was worried my cheeks would cramp.
The pure fountain of elation bubbling up within me was almost indescribable. All too soon, we were approaching the ground. Jake was already there, climbing to his feet.
“Relax,” Jake the Elder called. “Relax your legs, you’ve got momentum.”
The lessons replayed in my head, and even as I told myself to relax, I still found myself trying to jog as I touched the ground. But it was hard to run forward a little, when my muscles were almost pure noodles. I was falling, landing on my ass and laughing.
One of the other instructors was there to help, and I all but fell on my ass the second time I tried to stand.
“Don’t stand up yet,” Benjamin said as he pulled free of his own parachute. “Just breathe…relax. It’s the adrenaline rush…”
Oh, that was why I was shaking like a leaf and my muscles all seemed to have turned to rubber. He popped the catch on my harness to help me out of it. Jake the Elder gave me a hand up and I staggered a little. My braid was half-gone and I swore part of my hair looked blown up.