When Rennen and Ariana arrived in Austin the night before, they went straight to the Boyd’s home where they had a big birthday party for Gary. Ariana fit right in with the family, and Rennen could tell everyone loved her. They’d spent the night at the Boyd’s home and were now standing in the middle of an open field, about to do something Ariana would never forget.

Anticipation rose in Rennen’s chest as he glanced at Ariana. Her eyes had sparked like a dozen firecrackers when he announced the big surprise—that he was taking her paramotoring over Austin. Afterwards, they’d drive a little over an hour to spend the remainder of the weekend at a quaint inn in Schulenburg, a German settlement.

Paramotoring was one of Rennen’s favorite sports, but paramotoring with Ariana took the experience to a whole new level. He couldn’t wait to get her in the air, to share this with her.

Ariana’s face was a mask of concentration as she absorbed every word coming out of Warren’s mouth. Rennen smiled inwardly as he looked at his best friend who was more like a brother. Warren was giving them the very detailed, lengthy run-through about how to get the paramotor in the air and then land safely. Rennen knew it all like the back of his hand, so he wasn’t paying much attention to the instruction.

In high school, Warren had been as much of a jock as Rennen. He was still thin and fit, but his reddish-blonde hair was thinning on top, his skin freckled from a lifetime spent in the harsh Texas sun. Warren was an auto mechanic by trade, but ran a paramotoring school on the side. Warren had gotten into paramotoring when he was in his late teens. Flying had always fascinated Warren, so it was no surprise when he jumped whole-heartedly into the sport. And, of course, it didn’t take long for Rennen to get into it as well.

“Paramotoring is essentially paragliding with a motor. It’s the same principle as launching a kite. You need opposing air for the glider to lift, which is why you have to run against the wind. Make sure you keep running, even when the glider lifts you,” Warren cautioned. “You may run in the air for a couple of seconds, but that’s better than the person behind you tripping over you.”

Ariana nodded, a determined look on her beautiful face. Even though she was dressed casually in yoga pants and a black t-shirt, her hair was styled, make-up perfect, her diamond-stud earrings glittering in her ears.

“You know why I’m in the back, right?” Rennen asked, keeping a straight face.

Ariana looked thoughtful. “Because you’re the expert?”

A grin washed over Rennen’s face. “Because I’ll cushion your fall if we crash.”

She laughed, shoving him. Warren just shook his head, only partially amused. He took his instruction seriously and didn’t like Rennen cracking jokes. Rennen glanced at Ariana. “Any confessions you’d like to get off your chest … in case we don’t make it?”

A smile tugged at her lips as her hand went to her hip. “You wish.”

“Just saying. When we get up there … with a single motor … nothing but air under our feet … you might be singing a different tune.” He knew this would get under Warren’s skin, which was why he said it. The two of them got great pleasure out of needling one another.

Warren frowned. “Hey, now. Don’t be giving paramotoring a bum rap. It’s much safer than flying a small craft.”

Ariana made a face. “Really? I wouldn’t have thought that.”

“Absolutely,” Warren continued. “In fact, I feel as safe flying as I do riding a pedal bike in my neighborhood.”

“That might be pushing it,” Ariana chuckled.

“It’s true,” Warren argued, red tinging his face.

Rennen laughed. “Oh, no. Don’t get him started. Next he’ll be spouting off stats.”

Ariana cocked her head. “I’d like to hear them. It’s fascinating.”

Warren shot Rennen a vindicated look. “I’m glad someone appreciates my wisdom.”

Rennen only shook his head and smiled.

“Paramotoring is much safer than skydiving,” Warren said. “And it’s safer than scuba diving.”

“Safer than scuba diving?” Ariana wrinkled her nose. “No.”

“Four times safer,” Warren added. “Just be sure and stay clear of power lines.” His light eyes took on a teasing glint as he motioned at Rennen. “Slugger here came gliding down a valley and nearly ran head-on into a string of power lines.”

Ariana’s eyes widened as she turned to Rennen. “You sure you know what you’re doing?”

Rennen cut his eyes at Warren. “Yes, for sure. The incident Warren’s referring to happened when I was eighteen. I’ve gotten a lot more careful with age.”

“Let’s hope so,” Ariana quipped.

Rennen pumped his eyebrows. “You ready?”

A broad smile curved Ariana’s lips. “Vamanos.”

Warren handed them helmets. “You’ll be able to talk to each other through these. They’re equipped with radio communication.” He looked at Rennen. “How long are you planning on staying up? You have enough gas for about two hours.”

“We’ll probably stay up for a good hour … maybe a little more,” Rennen said. “The plan is to come back to this spot.”

“All right. Sounds good. I’ve got a few errands to run then I’ll come back here to wait for you.”

* * *

A breathless excitement came over Ariana, partly because they were about to lift into the air and partly because Rennen was so close. It was fun being here with him and seeing the playful banter between Rennen and the Boyds. It reminded Ariana a little of her own family. This was a side of Rennen she’d not seen and she liked it. He was more carefree and open here.

“You ready?” Rennen asked through the radio.

“Yep.”

He started the engine. “Let’s do it. Run like the wind.”

Ariana ran as hard as she could, keenly aware that her fastest pace was probably excruciatingly slow for Rennen. She hated feeling like the weak link in the operation. She felt the glider pull up behind them. And as Warren said, she kept running even when she felt them lift. Her stomach swooped as they rose in the air. Then came the rush of exhilaration.

“How ya doing?” Rennen asked.

“Great,” she breathed. Then realized she was yelling into the mic. As they lifted higher, the field below became a tiny square of green. The landscape unfolded before their eyes. Ariana took everything in, feeling like she could see forever. “This has to be one of the coolest things I’ve ever done,” she murmured.

“I’m glad you like it,” Rennen said, appreciation coating his voice.

Being up here with Rennen made her feel as free as a bird soaring in the air without a care in the world.

“Look to your left,” Rennen said.

“Wow.” Her gaze took in Austin’s cityscape with a large cluster of buildings that looked like rectangle boxes from their altitude. The trees were tiny green circles. The view was similar to what you’d see from an airplane, but there was a weightlessness with only the air around them. Ariana could see how paramotoring could get in your blood. Her eye caught on a ribbon of blue from the lake snaking around the perimeter of the city. Extending out from that were neat rows of homes reminding Ariana of houses in the board game Monopoly, except they were beige instead of green. Everything looked so orderly and pristine up here, the landscape cut into intricate sections of browns, greens, and blues.

Ariana lost track of time as they flew higher. The sky above was a bright, azure blue with tufts of wispy clouds. She felt like she was in the middle of a splendid dream. It was hard to believe she was here with Rennen … and that nothing was stopping them from being together.

“Uh, oh.”

It was astounding how quickly those two words struck fear in Ariana’s heart as she tightened her grip on the rope handles, level with her head. “What’s wrong?”

“The motor’s cutting out.”

It coughed and sputtered, jerking them in the process.

Ariana looked down at the ground, which seemed a world away. Whereas she’d felt free before, she now felt exposed and vulnerable—a tiny dot with nothing but menacing air around them. If they plummeted to the ground, there would be nothing left of them.

The motor died.

Rennen swore. “That’s not good.”

A suffocating silence pressed around them. And then they started to drop.

Ariana gasped, her life flashing before her eyes. A heavy fear thudded in her chest, stealing her breath. She didn’t want to die. Not when she’d just found Rennen. She thought of her family and how much she loved them. It stabbed through her heart to think she’d never see them again. Then it occurred to Ariana that she’d not yet told Rennen how she felt about him. She’d only just realized the full scope of her feelings the previous day when Ace pointed it out to her. All in or nothing. “I love you,” she blurted.

“What?”

She heard the surprise in his voice, but she had to get it all out while she still could. “I know we’ve only known each other for a short period of time. But the time we’ve spent together has been the greatest of my life.” Tears rolled down her cheeks as she gripped the handles so hard her hands hurt.

“Are you okay?”

She belted out an incredulous laugh. “Well, considering I’m staring death in the face, I guess I’m doing all right. I’m glad we got a chance to meet. I was beginning to think I’d never find you. You just don’t know how long I’ve searched for you.” A heavy sorrow settled in the pit of her stomach. “I’m only sorry it happened too late.” Rennen made a noise. At first, her mind didn’t comprehend what the sound was. Then she realized he was laughing. Hurt splintered through her and with it came an acrid anger. “You’re laughing at me?”

“I guess you really did have a lot to get off your chest.”

“We’re dying, and you’re laughing at me?” she yelled through the radio receiver. Of all the inconsiderate, lousy things to do. “Jerk!”

“We’re not dying. We’re coasting in for a landing.”

“W-what?” The relief that pelted through her made her dizzy. “But the engine …”

“Yeah, the stupid thing’s dead as a doornail, for sure. Warren should’ve spent as much time checking his equipment as he did giving us pointers. But we’re not gonna die. I was planning on circling back so we could land in the same field where we took off, but we’ll have to land somewhere else. It’ll be a bit of a drive for Warren, but he can pick us up.”

Heat burned Ariana’s cheeks and yet she couldn’t help but feel overjoyed. They weren’t going to die. A hesitant laugh bubbled out. “Oops. I guess I let the cat out of the bag, huh?”

Rennen let out a deep, throaty chuckle. “Yeah, but it’s okay. I won’t hold it against you.”

Won’t hold it against me? This is where he was supposed to tell her he loved her too. When he remained silent, her heart flopped like a dead fish on dry land. Humiliation burned through her veins. She did love Rennen, but it was too soon in their relationship to say it out loud—too soon to spill her guts. Great. Now he’d think she was crazy … and desperate.

Silence descended between them like a mile-high wall, impossible to climb. As they drifted down to earth, Rennen tugged on the handles, maneuvering them to an open field. The ground loomed large at their feet, until finally, they touched down. When they stepped out of the harnesses, Ariana was consumed with a hot embarrassment. She hardly dared look at Rennen. Then again, she was no coward. She steeled her shoulders. For better or worse, she’d opened up her heart and it was up to him to decide what to do with it.

Rennen pumped a fist in the air and let out a whoop. “That was awesome!”

“Yeah, it was great,” she said flatly.

Amusement lit his eyes, turning his gold flecks to streaks of sunlight over a fathomless pond as he stepped up to her. “So, you love me.”

She scowled. “Don’t let it go to your head, Goldie Locks.”

He chuckled. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to laugh up there. You just caught me off guard.”

“Well, I’m glad I could add to your amusement,” she responded tartly.

His gaze roved over her like he was photographing her features. She was about to say something about it when he slid a hand around her waist, pulling her roughly to him. “I’m glad you love me,” he said, a quirky grin slipping over his lips.

She rested the flats of her palms against his chest, trying not to notice the definition of his muscles. “Oh, yeah?” She gave him an icy glare. “Why’s that?”

“Because I love you too.”

She gulped. “You do?” She certainly wasn’t expecting that. She searched his rugged face, craving reassurance.

“Absolutely,” he drawled, eyes smoldering with desire. His lips crushed hers in a demanding kiss that licked fire through her blood, sending delicious quivers rippling through her. His hands moved up her back to her neck where he buried his fingers in her hair. A groan rumbled in her throat as she soared back up to the clouds in a mist of sheer bliss.

* * *

From what Rennen could tell, they were about thirty-five miles from their point of origin. The average flight speed was twenty-five miles an hour with no wind, and they’d been traveling for about an hour and fifteen minutes. He pulled out his phone and did a check on Google Maps. Yep, that was about right. He called Warren. “Hey, it’s me.”

“Are you on your way back?”

“No, the engine died on us.”

“Aw, man. Are you serious?”

“Yep.”

“Sorry about that. It must be the spark plugs. They’ve been giving me problems. Did it sputter before dying?”

“Sure did.” Rennen couldn’t help but smile. It had certainly worked in his favor. Ariana felt his gaze and smiled. Then she stretched her legs and leaned back, lifted her face to the sun. They were sitting in a field in the middle of nowhere, about ten yards from a country road.

“Where are you?”

“Driftwood. According to Google Maps, we’re near Elder Hill Road.”

“All right. I’ll check your location in my Friend Finder App. Hang tight. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

Rennen shoved his phone in his pocket and lay back. Ariana scooted next to him and rested her head on his chest. Rennen was on top of the world, still flying high. It was crazy how quickly things could change. Yesterday, he’d felt like Ariana was slipping away. Out of sheer desperation, he’d called Ace and asked him to meet at a coffee shop so they could talk things over. Ace had been cool and distant at first. Then Rennen grew frustrated and accused Ace of being a self-centered putz who was more concerned about his own image than his sister’s happiness. For a second, Rennen thought Ace might punch him, but then Ace started laughing. “You really care about my sister, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I care,” he shot back. “Enough to come here and plead with you to put her first. You had your moment to shine on the field, and I’m having mine. Eventually, someone else will have his. But this goes beyond that. This is about me and Ariana. A woman like her comes along once in a lifetime, and I’m not willing to give her up for anyone or anything.”

It was then that Ace looked at him through new eyes, and the conversation shifted. Rennen didn’t hold any grand illusions of him and Ace becoming bosom buds. But at least they’d reached an understanding, enough for Ace to give Ariana the green light to come with him to Austin.

“How long will it take for Warren to get here?” Ariana craned her neck to look at him.

“Probably about forty-five minutes.”

She grinned. “Good. Enough time to take a nap.”

“A nap sounds good.” A feeling of contentment settled over Rennen. It felt right to have Ariana here with him. The warmth of the sun felt good. Thankfully, it wasn’t as hot as it normally was in June—maybe in the mid-eighties as opposed to the nineties. Rennen was almost asleep when his phone buzzed. He didn’t want to answer it. He just wanted to lay here and relax.

“Maybe you should get that,” Ariana said, her voice lazy. “It might be Warren.”

He sighed. “You’re probably right.” He sat up, forcing Ariana to sit up in the process. He fished his phone out of his jeans. It was Lainey Summerfield from DaVinici PR Firm. She’d called a few times, but he hadn’t gotten around to returning her call. He thought about letting it go to voicemail, but decided to go ahead and answer it, so the woman wouldn’t keep pestering him.

“Hello.”

“Rennen,” she began briskly, “I’ve been trying to reach you.”

“Yeah, sorry. Things have been a little hectic. What’s up?”

“I wanted to go over the particulars of the upcoming rematch with Ariana Sanchez. As we’ve already discussed, the plan is for it to be held on the practice field of the Titan Sports Complex at 2:00 p.m. one week from this coming Tuesday.”

“Okay. Sounds good.”

“I still need to confirm that time with Miss Sanchez. And then we’ll notify the media.”

Rennen glanced at Ariana who was watching him. “I can ask Ariana right now.”

“She’s there with you?” Lainey blustered.

“Yep. Hold on.” He lowered the phone. “It’s Lainey Summerfield from DaVinici. She wants to know if it’s okay with you to hold the rematch a week from Tuesday at 2:00 p.m.?” It was cute the way color seeped into Ariana’s cheeks as her eyes widened. “Are we still going through with the rematch … now that we’re … together?”

He chuckled. “Of course. You still want the money, don’t you?”

“Well, yeah. I was gonna use it to renovate the gym. And I want the donation to go to the charity.”

“All right. It’s settled. Is that time okay with you?”

She shrugged, a sly grin tugging at her lips. “Yeah, if you’re still good with getting your butt whipped on national TV.”

He laughed. “That’s yet to be determined.” He put the phone to his mouth. “A week from Tuesday works for us. And 2:00 is fine.” No response. “Lainey, are you still there?”

“Yes, I’m here.”

“Oh, I thought I’d lost you for a minute. Did you hear what I said? We’re good on the date and time.”

“Are you and Ariana Sanchez a couple?”

His chest expanded with pride as he gave Ariana a tender smile. “Yep, we’re officially a couple.”

Ariana’s face turned even redder, but she smiled like she was glad he was calling it.

“Is that a good idea?” Lainey asked, her voice dripping with disapproval. “I thought we decided that should anything develop between you and Ariana, you were going to wait until after the rematch to make it official.”

When the article came out about Rennen and Ariana kissing at the climbing gym, it had left the DaVinici Firm scrambling to figure out how to respond to the accusation that James Knight was using the rematch to deflect negative publicity from Hailey Knight and Brady Giles. Not to mention the fact that Anthony Kincaid was particularly evasive about talking to the press about his injury last year.

A deep furrow creased his forehead. “I don’t see a problem with releasing the information now. It’s the truth, after all.” Ariana gave him a puzzled look, to which he forced a smile.

“I don’t think you realize all the problems it will cause if the press thinks you and Ariana are in cahoots. They might assume you staged the whole thing for the publicity and the money.”

The hair on Rennen’s neck bristled. “I don’t care what the press assumes.”

Ariana’s face tightened as she gave him a questioning look. He offered a reassuring smile as he put a hand on her arm.

“Mr. Bradley, you hired us to protect your image, and that’s what we’re trying to do. But you have to cooperate.”

He clenched his jaw, his blood pumping faster. Lainey only called him by his last name when she was ticked. Well, she’d just have to get over it. Rennen was ticked that everyone kept trying to dictate how he should live his life. “Ariana and I are a couple. And I don’t care who knows it. I’ll shout it from the rooftops. My job is to live my life how I see fit, and your job is to manage the fallout. You got that?” he growled.

“Loud and clear, sir.”

Lainey’s sarcasm wasn’t lost on him, but he decided to let it go. “Will there be anything else?”

Long pause.

“Are you there?” Rennen asked, gripping the phone.

“Yes, there is one other thing. I had hoped to have this conversation in person,” Lainey said stiffly. “But since you’re never available … we need to come up with a plan in the event one of the parental claims should happen to be legitimate.”

A hard laugh scratched out of Rennen’s throat. “I told you, Lainey. I’m not interested in any claim, legitimate or not.” Ariana was studying him with concern. He tried to smile to smooth out the situation, but it came out feeling more like a grimace.

Lainey sighed heavily. “Yes, I know that’s what you keep saying. But you just can’t turn your back on this and hope it’ll go away. Because it won’t,” she added, her voice ringing with conviction. “If someone comes forward with viable information about your past, it’s better to keep the channel open so they’ll come to us first. Then we can mitigate it.”

Blood was pounding in Rennen’s temples and he felt like he wanted to punch something. “No!” he almost shouted.

“If you’ll just give it some thought.”

“I don’t need to give it more thought,” he roared. “My answer is final.”

“But, Rennen—”

“Goodbye.” He ended the call.

Ariana studied him. “Are you okay?”

He let out a breath. “Yeah.”

“What kind of claim were you talking about? A parental claim?”

“Yes.” He rubbed a hand across his forehead. “My PR rep thinks it’s in my best interest to come up with a plan in case a legitimate claim comes forward.” The words cut leaving his mouth. He hated how his past was being dredged up and that he even had to think about this.

Ariana searched his face. “I hate to say this, but she may have a point.”

He let out a humorless laugh. “Not you too.”

She touched his arm. “Once you learn about your past, then you can put it behind you for good.”

“I’ve already put it behind me,” he barked. “I don’t give a crap who my parents were.”

Ariana arched an eyebrow, probing him with her perceptive eyes.

“What?”

“I think you do care.”

“That’s ridiculous,” he scoffed.

“In fact, I think you care a lot, which is why you’re so defensive.”

“No, you’re wrong. I don’t care. I’ve done everything on my own.” He balled his fist. “And no one’s gonna come around now, trying to get a piece of it.” He couldn’t let this mess with his head. He had to remain strong, just as he’d always done.

Sparks lit her eyes. “You’re assuming that people who come forward want your money and fame. But what if that’s not true? It’s possible that someone’s really trying to find you.”

A disbelieving laugh rose in his throat. “Yeah, and it’s possible that pigs fly.”

Her brows drew together, creasing her forehead. “Or maybe your parents are louses. But at least you’ll know the truth so you can get closure on it.”

The words broke loose like a dam giving way to a raging river. “I know you mean well. But you have no idea what it’s like to be abandoned—to be left alone to fend for yourself. No one caring if you have enough food to eat. No one caring if you live or die.” He pointed to his chest. “Well, I do. I learned a long time ago that the only person I could depend on was me.”

Ariana jerked back, a wounded look on her face.

“That didn’t come out right.” He let out a deflated breath. The last thing he wanted to do was argue with her. Today was supposed to be fun—a day to celebrate them being together. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that I can’t depend on you. I was speaking metaphorically, trying to make you understand how I feel.” He hated the emotion building inside him. Hated that a small part of him did care who his parents were … even after all this time.

He sucked in a ragged breath as they eyed one another. Finally, Ariana’s features softened and she gave him a tiny smile. “You’re right. I can’t begin to understand what you’ve been through.” Her eyes took on a pleading look. “I know you’re angry and you have a right to be.” Her voice caught. “But that anger’s not hurting your parents. It’s festering inside of you—you’re the one who’s getting ripped to shreds. That’s why you need to let it go.”

“I can’t,” he slung back. His anger had made him strong … had been the only thing he could hold onto. He shook his head. “I’m sorry.” He expected her to react in anger and was surprised … relieved when he saw understanding in her eyes.

She cupped his face. “It’ll be okay.”

He nodded. “I know it will be.” He placed a hand over hers. “Now that I have you.”

“Yes, you do.” A full smile broke over her face. “And I’m not going anywhere.”

Ariana had no idea how much it meant to hear those words.

“So,” she drawled. “I take it your PR rep’s not too happy about us being official, huh?”

He scowled. “Sorry you had to hear that. The whole thing’s ridiculous.”

“With all the pictures of us together, it’s not like it’s a big surprise. Why is she upset about it?”

“Because she’s afraid it’ll take thunder away from our rematch. If we’re together already, then the press won’t find it nearly as entertaining.” He didn’t dare mention the part about them looking like they were doing it solely for the money. Ariana wouldn’t react well to that.

Her eyes widened. “Seriously?”

“Seriously.”

“I don’t care if the whole dang world knows we’re a couple,” he said.

She laughed. “Me either. Now that Ace is okay with it.”

They jumped when they heard a horn. A black Lexus pulled along the side of the road. The passenger window rolled down. A man was driving with a woman in the passenger seat. From what Rennen could tell, they both looked to be in their mid-fifties or early sixties.

“Hello,” the woman said pleasantly. “It looks like you could use some help.”

Rennen offered a friendly smile and wave. “Thanks, but we’re doing okay.”

“That gear looks interesting. What were you doing?” the woman asked.

“Curious, aren’t they?” Ariana muttered under her breath.

Rennen was amused. “We’re out in the country. Everyone’s curious.” He looked at Ariana, a wicked grin tugging at his lips.

“What?” she whispered.

“My girlfriend and I were paramotoring,” he said loudly to the woman. “Until our engine died.”

“What’re you up to?” Ariana demanded, tugging on his arm.

“Proclaiming my love to the world.” He looked at the woman. “In case you were wondering, my name’s Rennen Bradley, and I’m in love with Ariana Sanchez,” he boomed.

The woman in the car chuckled. “Nice to know. Would you like a ride into town?”

“No, thank you,” Rennen said. “We’re waiting for a friend to pick us up.”

“Are you sure?” the woman asked.

“Yes, but thank you.”

The woman looked like she might say something else, but smiled instead. “Okay, if you’re sure.”

“Yep, very sure,” Rennen chimed.

“Have a great day,” the woman said. “Nice meeting you, Rennen Bradley, and your girlfriend.” There was a trace of mirth in her voice.

Rennen offered a parting wave. “Thanks.”

The woman nodded as she rolled up her window and they drove away.

Ariana shoved him. “You’re such a dork.”

“I can’t help it if I’m totally and completely in love with you,” he uttered.

Her eyes danced. “Ditto.” She cocked her head. “She seemed nice.”

“Who? The woman? Yes, she did,” Rennen agreed.

“Do you think she recognized you?”

He shrugged. “I really don’t care. I’m tired of living my life in fear of the press.”

“Me too.” She paused. “I’m glad there are still good people in the world who are willing to lend a helping hand to strangers.”

Rennen hadn’t thought about it that way, but it was a good point. “Yeah, me too.” He drew her close. “I’m glad I have you in my world.”

Her features softened into a smile. “And I’m glad I have you. It works nicely.”

“Yes, it does,” he murmured, leaning in for a kiss.