Page 41 of Catching the Mistletoe

“Usually on that track over there. Sometimes in the water.”

She was quiet for a moment and I swear, I could hear the gears turning in her head. “And how many people have died doing this?”

Rick cleared his throat. “A few.”

“I see.” Her face was a mask now, and I had no idea which way she was going to go.

“What are you thinking?”

“I can’t hear my own thoughts over the pounding of my heart.” Her knuckles were white as she gripped the bridge railing. “Are you gonna do it, too?”

“I sure am.”

“Have you done it before?”

“Yup.”

“How did it feel?”

“Fucking amazing.”

“While you’re making up your mind, I should tell you about an interesting phone call I got, about ten minutes before you arrived.”

Arabella turned back to Rick. “Yeah?”

“From my boss. She said our company will donate twenty thousand dollars if you go ahead with the jump.”

“Holy fuck.” She wrapped her arms protectively around herself, chewing her bottom lip and looking adorably anxious. “Twenty thousand dollars is a lot of money.” The words were spoken so quietly I almost didn’t hear them.

Then she raised her eyes to mine and our gazes locked. The air left my lungs, and I felt like we were the only people on that bridge. Time had stopped just for us, with her eyes searching mine. For something—reassurance, maybe, or a reason to take the plunge.

“Hey,” I said softly, “no pressure, okay? It’s your call.”

Whatever she was looking for in me, she found it. Taking a deep breath as if she were about to dive into an icy lake, she said, “Fuck it. Let’s do something wild.”

Before I could answer, Rick clapped his hands together. “Hell yeah! That’s the spirit!” Alright, folks, let’s get you set up!”

“I’ve got one condition.”

Rick paused. “Let’s hear it.”

“Mack takes me.”

“Woah.” Okay, I wasn’t expecting that.

She smiled, her eyes dancing mischievously. “If this goes south, you don’t wanna have to face my mom. Better we go out together.”

“Jesus, Arabella.”

“You got any experience with tandem jumps?” Rick asked.

“Yeah, I do.”

“Great. Well, since this is the only location in the US that doesn’t require a permit to jump, you’re good to go. I’ll take you through the basics, though, Arabella. Just so you know what you’re in for.”

“Sure thing.”

Rick cleared his throat and gave us a focused look. “Alright. First up. Base jumping isn’t skydiving, so the rules are a bit different.”

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