Waiting on the Rain by Claudia Connor

34

“Will you just tell me where we’re going?”

“Nope.”

She growled and he laughed. She huffed and he reached over and took her hand.

“How’s your dad?”

“Good. Itching to get up and around with Mom fighting him every step of the way. He took five steps this morning. I’d say if he doesn't start to move faster, my mom may kill him. They may kill each other.”

“What about Maddie? Anything up with her lately?”

She started to tell him that asking her questions wasn’t going to take her mind off where they were going, then remembered. “Oh! There is some gossip. My sister-in-law told me she was going to tell my brother she wanted to stop working and have a baby.”

“Wow.”

“Yeah. It’s weird. I mean I’d be excited for them to have a baby, but it’s weird. I never thought Connie would consider not working. Not being a lawyer.”

“Does that bother you?”

“No. It doesn’t bother me, it’s just… It’s surprising.”

“Well, like you said, things change. Our paths change.”

“I guess.” Thoughtful, she turned her face to the wind coming through the open window. Luke turned up the radio to a song she knew he liked.

“Well, look at that.”

“What?”

“Someone knows the words to a country song.”

“Do not.”

“Do too. Unless you talk to yourself in the exact same words as Luke Bryan.”

Ava put the window of Luke’s truck all the way down. Luke turned up the music. Still holding his hand, she smiled to herself, and listened to Luke sing the tune in his deep voice. On the next chorus, she gave up and sang along making Luke laugh.

Several songs later, his truck stopped. Even with her window down, there wasn’t much she could tell about where they were from the sounds because there weren’t any. She opened her door and when Luke led her out of the truck a strong wind buffeted against her back. Wide open space? “Just tell me where we are.”

“You’re about to find out.”

With her cane in one hand and the other on Luke’s arm, they walked across cement. Maybe thirty steps then a short pause and they went through a door into a building. No more wind. More voices.

“Hey, what’s up?” a male said in greeting.

“Not much,” Luke replied and Ava heard hands slapping together.

“Glad you called, man. And you must be the birthday girl.”

“Yes.” She held out a hand that was sandwiched between two thick, hard palms for a quick shake.

“You ready for this?”

Luke’s hand at her back gave the smallest tap, telling her the man was speaking to her. He did things like that. She couldn’t really say when or how he’d started. How he even knew to do or how she knew how to read him. But he did. And she did.

“I don’t know. Luke won’t tell me what it is.”

“Ahh, you son of a gun.” The man chuckled. “You know she has to sign a waiver.”

She swung her face to Luke’s. “A waiver for what?”

Luke slid the hand on her back down to take her hand, reached around and took her other. “We’re going skydiving. Happy birthday.”

“We’re going what?”

“You’re not scared are you? You said you wanted to try it.”

“Might,” she said but her stomach was all kinds of butterflies. “I said I might want to try it. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me.”

The man still standing close cleared his throat. “Sometimes it’s best not to think too much about it beforehand, you know?”

“See? And Harley here is an expert.”

She huffed. “And maybe you told him to say that.” The truth was, she did want to go skydiving. No way was she going to tell him that now. Not yet. “Fine. Where do I sign?”

An hour later they were in the air. The vibration of the plane was like nothing she’d ever felt and she’d flown plenty of times. It was enough to make her teeth rattle. And the way they were dipping and rising, this plane felt more like a toy than something that should actually be in the air. She figured it was good that she couldn’t see the ground beneath her.

“You okay?” Luke yelled over the noise and adjusted the goggles on her face.

“Yeah.”

“You’re going to love it. Trust me.”

Nerves mixed with excited anticipation as a line of sweat trickled down her back. Luke held her hand that she knew was sweaty. “I guess you’ve done this a few hundred times.”

“A few thousand.” Luke grazed the back of his hand over her cheek. “Turn around.” Not waiting for her to move, he turned her the way he wanted. He tugged on the straps on her back and the ones around her thighs. He spoke calmly next to her ear, telling in precise language each and every step he was taking. What he was checking then going over the steps of the jump with her again. His care and patience loosened another something inside her.

When he was satisfied, they sat again on the metal bench seat. “Talk to me. Tell me something.”

“You look hot in goggles. And this jumpsuit…”

She shook her head at him then was immediately distracted by the whine of the door as it lowered. She wanted to say, wait, time out, ask one more question but before she could make her mouth work, they were scooting on their bottoms toward open air. Another second and her legs were hanging over the plane edge into the unknown. The force of the wind ripping at the fabric covering her legs and her heart tripled.

“Meet you at the bottom,” Luke said, giving her hand a squeeze and then his hand was gone. Was he gone? She no longer felt him beside her. The thought sent a jolt of fear through her. Luke gone, falling through the sky. But there was no time for worry. The instructor’s voice was in her ear.

“Three, two, one. Bombs away.”

And then she was falling. If she’d tried to scream, and she wasn’t sure if she did, nothing came out. That initial plunge shoved her breath right back down her throat. Then she was weightless. Arms and legs out like a starfish. The man strapped to her back was forgotten and all she felt was air.

She’d heard of birds flying, always tried to imagine what it looked like. Was this how it felt? Was this what Luke felt every time he jumped? No wonder he missed it. But Luke would have been thinking about the danger below. Where was Luke?

Too soon she was jerked up and back. That time she did manage a squeak. Then a long easy glide.

“Three, two, one. Run,” her instructor said and she felt the earth beneath her feet then her butt did a gentle bump on the ground.

Her landing was textbook, at least she thought so after hearing how it was supposed to be. She heard the clicks of latches being undone then Luke’s whoop as he came up.

“Nice landing! You’re a pro! ”

The second she was released from her tandem, he pulled her to her feet and into his body.

“What did I tell you, man? Didn’t I tell you she would rock this?”

Then he had her face in his hands and was kissing her. Her heart was already racing, her entire body tingling and trembling. When he finally lifted his head, she grinned up at him. “Can we do it again?”

Luke’s laughter rumbled against her chest as he tightened his hold and lifted her off the ground.

Ava pepperedhim with questions all the way back to town.

“Where have you jumped? How many times? What’s it like at night? What was your longest fall? Did your chute ever not open?”

He answered all her excited questions, leaving out the less desirable details. Her cheeks were still pink from the wind, the excitement, and the sun. He’d have to take care when she was in the sun, her skin was so fair. Even with the band holding her hair at the base of her neck, plenty of pieces hung tangled around her face.

Her eyes were with lit with excitement and happiness. He should take her skydiving every day. Seriously. He should buy a plane and take her. There was plenty of room on Hannah’s farm for a small runway and… he was crazy. But maybe not. Maybe he’d take some of Hannah’s campers. Would that be allowed? The ideas ran around in his head.

They drove the rest of the way with the windows down. The sky above was cloudless and blue. The wind coming through the open windows blew the scent of spring and sun and Ava around the truck. He wondered if, like him, she’d begun to see this place as home and if she did, what that could mean for them.“Why don’t we stop for food?”

“Sure. I’m starved. Does adrenaline make you hungry?”

He laughed. “Burger place?”

“Definitely.”

He knew of a place they were coming up on and pulled into the lot. With Ava’s hand in his, they waited at the hostess stand, it was that kind of burger place.

“The fries and onion rings are great.”

“Mmm. Sounds good.”

When they were seated, they ordered drinks and he ordered a mixed basket for them to share.

Luke watched her dip her battered and fried onions in the special sauce and take a bite. She smiled around the bite, moaned her enjoyment and it hit him. He wasn’t ready for her to go. He wasn’t ready for whatever they had to end.

He’d pursued her, he could admit that. He’d seen her, gone after her, even if he hadn’t been entirely sure what he was doing in the beginning. But he’d figured it out. They spent nearly every free moment together, day and night. And all the while the clock was ticking toward the day she would move back to New York.

This thing with Ava was well beyond anything he’d planned on and they’d shot into much deeper territory much faster than he would have thought possible. He thought about what she’d said about her dad and his steps. He wanted to take some steps of his own. Would Ava be like her mother? Would he have a fight on his hands? He wasn’t afraid of a fight. Had no reservations about fighting for her. But he was still watching his step, not wanting to scare her off.

“I guess you’ll be going back to the city soon,” he said, trying for casual not to give away his feelings.

“Yeah.” She spun the fry in her fingers but didn’t put it in her mouth. “Pretty soon.”

She sighed and he kicked himself for throwing a shadow on their perfect day. “Hey, maybe you’ll stay for the burgers,” he said going for light. “No way do they have burgers like this in NYC. Well, tofu burgers maybe.”

She gave small laugh but the mood had definitely changed. “People do eat meat in the city. But, no. I’ve never had a burger like this.” Her eyes were on his face.

“Knew it.” A few minutes passed, both of them eating. Luke watched her every move intently.

Ava hadn’t mentioned that Hannah had asked her to stay on and help with her students. Hannah had told him, thinking Ava would have already done so. Wondering why she hadn’t. Or maybe he knew why she hadn’t. Because she’d already decided that’s not what she wanted.

She put her burger down, grabbed a napkin. She wiped her fingers. Then wiped them again. “I could visit,” she finally said. “You could visit.”

“Yeah. That could work. Or you could stay.” Damn it. He wasn’t going to ask, had told himself he wasn’t then the words were out.

Her head came up, her blue eyes nearly meeting his dead on. He watched her wipe her fingers a third time, effectively shredding her napkin. “Of course it wouldn’t be safe if you couldn’t breathe.”

“No, but maybe…” She slid her hand across the table and he covered it with his. “Maybe it’s getting easier to breathe.”