“When it was just the three of them, these mini daredevils weren’t out for notoriety. It didn’t matter who won or who did a stunt better,” Eddie said. “Because at the end of the day, they always knew that the right person had taken first place, and that wasn’t true only of stunts and activities. They helped each other study for spelling bees and make projects for science fairs. They were the best of friends and had each other’s backs through thick and thin.”
She heard the change in Dare’s breathing and knew he was smiling as pictures of them cheering each other on, hugging, and high-fiving at finish lines of races popped up, giving way to a picture of Billie flanked by Eddie and Dare, the three of them arm in arm, all dirty knees and pointy elbows, beaming at the camera with goofy eight-year-old grins. That picture morphed into one of them as teenagers sitting on a blanket by the lake where they used to swim. Billie wore a yellow bikini, sitting between Eddie and Dare in their swim trunks, their youthful bodies just beginning to broaden, bronzed from the sun, lazy smiles on their beautiful faces.
“As the years passed,” Eddie said, “their innocent grins were replaced with rascally smirks and their stunts got bigger and riskier. But nothing could steal the fire from the two unforgettable daredevils’ eyes, and one great cinematographer caught it all on camera.”
Billie’s heart squeezed, and she looked at Dare, catching him watching her. “What?”
“I was just making sure you were okay, and I got a little lost in you.”
“Don’t get all mushy and weird on me, Whiskey.” She kissed him. “I’m really glad we’re watching this. Now stop looking at me and watch the movie.”
They turned back to the movie, and Eddie’s face was right in front of the camera in the dark. He was obviously lying down, and he was whispering, “We’re camping in the woods for Billie’s thirteenth birthday. Check out what Dare gave our girl.” He tilted the camera to show a piece of paper that had Happy birthday, Billie. One day I’m going to build you a great motocross track. Daredevils for Life! Dare Whiskey scrawled above a drawing of a very detailed motocross track.
She still had that card hidden away. “It’s a good thing you included your last name,” she teased, to try to stave off her tears, and Dare hugged her against his side.
Eddie whispered, “Check this out.” The camera panned left to Billie lying on her side facing Eddie, her hand in his. Dare lay behind her, his hand resting on her hip. Eddie’s smiling face appeared again. “Daredevils forever, baby!”
Longing sliced through her.
The darkness transitioned to a video of Dare jumping out of the tree house in Eddie’s backyard. He rolled when he landed and shot up to his feet as Billie scrambled up the ladder, yelling, “Get me in the video, Eddie!” Eddie turned the camera on himself and said, “As if I ever miss a thing.” He turned the camera back to Billie, catching her jumping out of the tree house, shouting, “Daredevils rule!” After she landed, she and Dare argued about who had jumped higher.
Dare whispered, “Remember that day?”
“Mm-hm.” She leaned into him. “I jumped higher.”
They both chuckled. Eddie had taken that video camera everywhere, and he used to say it was a good thing he did, because she and Dare bickered all the time about who did this or that better and the videos showed them the truth. He was the peacemaker. Right up to the very end, she thought with a pang of missing him.
“Sometimes we broke the rules,” Eddie said from off camera as a video played of Dare trying to walk across a homemade tightrope tied between two trees. He held a big stick with both hands for balance. He fell the first two times, cursing and climbing right back up. The third time he stayed on the rope for a few feet.
Billie remembered how excited she was for Dare and how much she wanted to try it, too.
He was about halfway across when the camera panned to the right and caught Tiny storming toward them, hollering, “Boy, what did I tell you about that?” From off camera Dare yelled, “Oh shit!” and then there was a thud. The camera whipped around, catching Dare and Billie sprinting away. Eddie chased after them, the camera bouncing as they laughed hysterically. He cut to a video of the three of them mucking stalls, sweaty and dirty, cracking up as they taunted each other, pretending they were readying to throw rakes of manure at each other. Threats flew, and more laughter ensued.
“You had to muck stalls for weeks because of that tightrope, remember?” she asked quietly. She and Eddie had helped him the entire time.
“It didn’t stop me.” He smirked.
“Nothing could stop you. You were a maniac about that tightrope. You thought you were going to be the greatest tightrope walker on earth and walk between skyscrapers in New York City.” He was going to be the best at every stunt he’d ever tried.
“I would have if I didn’t get sidetracked with BASE jumping.”
She laughed, and they watched videos of her and Eddie horseback riding while Dare did tricks on the back of his horse. There were videos of Dare and Billie bungee jumping, cliff diving, hanging out at birthday parties, barbecues, and Friendsgivings at the ranch and a montage of the three of them watching firework displays, their ages progressing in each one. They’d never missed watching them together until they lost Eddie, and she’d stopped going. It was one of the things she missed most. She realized she had a lot of those missed most things.
They cracked up at a video of Billie lying on the hood of Dare’s Chevelle wearing cutoffs and a bikini top, while he washed it. Eddie must have set up a tripod, because he’d caught himself dumping a bucket of sudsy water on Billie, who shrieked and sprinted after him, jumping on his back and taking them both to the ground, while Dare sprayed them with the hose. When a video came on of her and Dare skydiving, their colorful parachutes bright against the clear blue sky and Eddie on the ground filming them, she remembered the picture in Dare’s workshop and realized Eddie must have set up a tripod that day, too. Eddie turned toward the other camera and said, “Look at them up there, having the time of their lives. I envy their fearlessness.” He turned his attention back to them as they neared the ground and hollered, “I love you guys! You’re awesome!”
Billie’s chest constricted, and tears stung her eyes.
Dare and Billie appeared on the screen wearing jeans, leather jackets, and boots and carrying motorcycle helmets. They climbed onto their Harleys, and Eddie turned the camera on himself and said, “Hold on to your hats, folks. It’s just past dawn, and the amazing Dare Whiskey is going to blow you away as he takes Hope Valley by storm with his death-defying motorcycle stunts.”
Billie knew exactly what stunts were about to play out, and her pulse sped up.
Dare must have felt her tension, because he leaned closer and said, “You know nothing bad happens.”
She nodded, but it didn’t stop the goose bumps from prickling her arms as Eddie zoomed in on Dare’s determined face. “Dare, how are you feeling right now?” Dare hiked a thumb at Billie and said, “Like I want you to get your ass on the back of her bike so we can go have some fun!” Billie yelled, “Come on, Eddie, let’s roll!” Eddie turned the camera on himself again. “You heard it here first, folks. Dare’s excited and ready to go.”