Chapter 2

 

 

“Your invite said nothing about fear,” Reed said.

“I talked about falling,” she said. “The fear was implied.”

The blindfold had shifted and he could see his feet as two unseen women strapped him into a harness. The sheer volume of buckles and safety straps was alarming enough, but then they were walked out onto a stretch of stone and he heard metal clicking into place where the harness bound them together.

“You did say you’re not afraid of heights,” she said.

“Flyers ready!” someone shouted.

The cable on their back began to shift, and he released a nervous laugh. “It’s entirely different when you’re blindfolded—”

He sucked in his breath as the cord on his back went taut, lifting them off the platform. Already holding her hand, he tightened his grip like Kate was a lifeline. She laughed at his tension, but it betrayed her own rising fear.

“We’re obviously going up,” he said, raising his voice over the wind. “But how high?”

“You’ll know when you take off the blindfold,” she said. “But I want you to wait until we get to the top.”

“This is absolutely terrifying,” he exclaimed. “So forgive me if I scream like a little girl.”

She gasped. “In a moment I think we’ll both be screaming.”

“Don’t say that!” he shouted. “I don’t even know what’s beneath us!”

“I know!” she laughed. “That’s what makes this fun!”

“For you or me?”

“Me!”

He laughed, terrified and excited all at once. They continued to rise, the air buffeting them in the ascent. The blindfold had shifted again and he caught glimpses of metal girders and a crowd of people.

As their movement came to an abrupt halt, he emitted a very unmanly squeak. They swung for a moment and he clenched her hand, her grip as tight as his. He swallowed repeatedly and fought to breathe.

“You can remove the blindfold, now,” she called.

“I’m not sure I want to!”

She laughed and reached up with her free hand, pulling the blindfold from his head. He squinted at the sudden brilliance. Then his eyes adjusted and his stomach sought to eject from his body.

They were a hundred feet off the ground, with only thin cables holding them aloft. Two sets of cables extended from the anchor points on their back. One held them in place, while the other extended up and away, connecting to a great arch that overlooked a plunging canyon.

He’d thought it was going to be a giant swing, but not one this big. They hung suspended high above the earth, but the swing would take them over a plunging canyon. Never in his life had he felt such fear, and he clung to Kate.

“Flyers ready!” a voice boomed over a loudspeaker.

“Reed,” she said.

“I’m okay,” he blurted, and again, “I’m okay—wow we’re high.”

“Reed,” she said, more urgently than before.

He tore his eyes from the endless vista to meet her gaze. Her eyes were arresting in their intensity. Her lips were pulled into a tight smile, a touch of mischief mingled with fear and excitement.

“Will you fall for me?”

He laughed lightly. “I don’t think I have much choice now!”

She grinned. “Exactly.”

“Three!” the voice boomed.

Surrounded by open air and terror, he still had her at his side, the solitude making their proximity all the more intimate. Her eyes were filled with courage and excitement, an invitation to join her in what was to come.

“Two!”

She smiled and squeezed his hand, reminding him of the first time he’d held hers. He’d never felt such a bond as when their fingers intertwined. He smiled in turn.

“One!”

He swallowed and clung tighter. “I’m afraid it’s too late,” he said. “I already fell for you.”

Her expression brightened and she grasped the handle at the side of her waist. Their hands turned white as they held on and she glanced his way for a final approval. Then she yanked and the cord at their back released.

For an instant they hovered in space, as if gravity was unprepared for their sudden freedom. The harness drifted away from Reed’s chest and he held it with his free hand, desperate to feel connected. Then gravity reached up and yanked them toward the earth.

The shout ripped from his lips as they accelerated. The second cable snapped taut and they bounced into the curve, the force pushing them into the harness. He watched the earth approach at frightening speed, the people in the crowd blurring as they reached the base of the swing. Then abruptly the ground dropped away and they swung out over the canyon.

The gorge plunged into the earth, a distant view of water crashing in its depths. If the cord snapped, he would have several horror-filled moments before death, and he braced for the sound of snapping cables that did not come.

They slowed as the arc reached its pinnacle, their sheer height inspiring renewed fear. Kate’s hair floated upward and framed her face, and they shared a look, their grins wild and terrified and excited.

They began to fall again, only this time it seemed they were plummeting into the canyon. Their matching yells rose in pitch as they hurtled toward the base of the swing, the gigantic curve carrying them back over the edge of the canyon before arcing high once more.

Reed began to laugh, the caged fear and delight gushing in amusement. Kate laughed at his side, the sound tinged with fear and awe. As they passed over the canyon again he managed to extend his arms outward, flying up the arc.

“This is incredible!” he shouted over the rushing wind.

“I can’t believe you trusted me!” she shouted back.

Her voice carried a touch of surprise. “Did you really think I’d refuse?” he asked.

“Maybe.” She smiled and put her arms out as they swung upward again. “Maybe I wanted to see what kind of boyfriend you would be.”

“Did I pass the test?”

“With flying colors,” she said brightly.

“So no more tests?” he asked.

“No promises,” she said mischievously.

She shifted in the harness and leaned closer but couldn’t close the gap on her own. He tilted his head, kissing her as they flew out over the canyon. The exhilaration of the swing added to the kiss, making it all the more intense.

She pulled back, her smile positively wicked. “Let’s see how far I can push you.”

“Just remember my turn is next,” he warned.

“I know,” she replied, and her expression turned challenging. “Feel free to push any boundaries you’d like.”

She’d called his bluff and he laughed. “And I thought swings were safe.”

She grinned and spread her arms wide as they swung a slow circle. “Don’t worry,” she said. “I know exactly what do with you on the playground.”

“Will it require a blindfold?” he asked. “Because tag is not very fun when one person is blindfolded.”

“We played tag for six months,” she said, “and as you said, I already caught you.”

“So finder’s keepers?”

She burst into a laugh, the sound echoing into the gorge as they flew over it again. The swing had slowed, each arc lower than before. The initial terror had been replaced by a flurry of apprehension each time they soared over the ravine, and Reed marveled at the river far below.

White water crashed over boulders and stones, the stony crags deepening as the stream carved its way east. The canyon was not overly large, but viewed from above with nothing but a slim harness holding them aloft, it seemed much more impressive.

He squeezed Kate’s hand, marveling at how she could look so stunning with her hair billowing about her face. She fought the gust until she’d tamed her hair and then noticed Reed’s expression.

“What?” she asked.

“I hated the blindfold,” he said.

“Really?” she asked, her expression disappointed. “I’m sorry—”

“I prefer to see what I’m falling for.”

“Very smooth.”

“What?” he asked. “I thought was nice.”

“It was,” she admitted, and leaned over to kiss him. “And I like seeing you too.”

“So no more blindfolds?”

“Deal,” she said, and then grinned. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t push you.”