Page 84 of Crash into me
“I don’t know about this.” I gesture to him. “You aren’t familiar with the roads here.”
He nods in agreement. “That’s why I’m taking all safety precautions.”
“Can I go?”
His head shakes. “Storms too rough.”
“So let me get this straight. It’s too rough for me to stand outside, but not to dangerous for you to race?” My body shivers at the thought of something happening to him. “I don’t think I’m comfortable with this.”
He chucks my chin. “Freckles, we had this convo when we started dating. You can’t stop me from racing.” He walks onto the front porch; heavy rain begins to beat down, but we’re protected by the awning.
“And you can’t stop me from going.” I plant my feet into the ground, but they don’t stay there for long as a gust of wind makes me stumble. “Woah.”
“Yeah.” He laughs, righting my stance. “Hurricane winds are brutal.”
I look back to the house. “Is the condo safe?”
He pats the stucco. “Reinforced steel beams, hurricane proof windows. I found the safest rental on the sand.”
Of course he did. “But you’ll be racing in these winds.”
His inked hands clamp over my shoulders, the wind whipping our hair around. “I’ve trained for every circumstance, Sky. I’ll be back before you know it.”
“How will I know if you’re okay?”
“Eye of the race,” he breathes. “It’s a group, and they hold livestreams.” Ryder honks the horn; the bikes are still on the trailer. “I’ve gotta go. You and Kate have fun.”
He plants a kiss on my lips, and I pull him in to make it last longer. When they drive off, I attempt to take a nice deep breath but I’m only able to get a sorry excuse for a puff of oxygen into my lungs.
“Okay, let’s start this.” I click on the livestream; the guys obviously aren’t there yet, but everything is already being filmed. There isn’t much going on, and with this storm there won’t be any sideline watchers. This stream is for anyone who’s betting so they can see if their winnings will happen live.
We pop a bag of popcorn and line the coffee table with chips and sodas, both of us not wanting to need to leave the couch until this is all over. A crack of thunder shakes the house, and I nearly jump in Kate’s lap.
“That was …” she says, looking around, “very loud and very scary.”
A knock sounds on the door, and cautiously, I open it to find a smiling brunette on the other side. “I have an order for one Miss Skyler Johnson and one Miss Kate Kensley.” She hands me a clipboard, and a look of terror flushes my face white.
What if this is a trick, a lure? Why did I answer the door?
I scan the paperwork and initial the bottom, trying to keep my calm. “I’ll be right back.” She grins, taking the board and heading back to her van.
As she walks to the back, I close the door and lean against it to breathe. I’m growing paranoid.
When she knocks again, I look out of the glass and melt. “Oh my gosh.” I open it with a smile. “Flowers?” I nearly cry.
“Yes! You two ladies have a good night.” She steps away.
The wind whips outside. “They really have you working out in this?” I nearly ask her to come hang out with us, but I don’t want to be weird.
She tosses her hand up, “Psh, this is nothing. My family is a group of storm trackers. I kinda live for this stuff.”
I wish I could be as calm about storms as she is. I wave her goodbye and inhale the bouquet that I know was meant for me. A crystal-clear vase is overflowing with cascading, ocean blue peonies with sprawling eucalypts. This is the most beautiful floral arrangement I’ve ever seen.
“Oh, Kate!” I sing, prancing to the living room holding both of our vases.
“Huh?” she wonders, shoving a fistful of deliciously buttered popcorn in her mouth. “Oh my gosh!” She throws her hands out in a ‘gimme’ motion once she sees her stunning bouquet.
Ryder did a good job of picking hers too. It’s an elegant mix of ruby-red roses that match her hair with wisps of classic babies’ breath.