Page 34 of One Last Shot

Now as he sat on the deck of the chopper and tried not to look down, he met her brown eyes, trying to take in her instructions.

“The key is communication. I’m going to direct the pilot on how to position you, and you are simply going to remain calm and let him do his job.”

“Right. And then, what, I’m going to rescue Ronny down there?”

He pointed to the dummy sprawled on the deck, dressed in an orange jumpsuit.

“Ronny?”

“Rescue Ronny?”

“And you write songs?”

He looked at her. She offered a slight smile.Wait—was that a joke?

“Just put this harness around his shoulders and under his arms, and this one under his feet. Then we’ll hoist you both back up. I’ll talk you up the entire way.” She tapped her mic with her finger, and he heard it thump in the headphones in his helmet.

“Let’s roll!” She looked at the pilot, Moose, who sat in the front, simulating the controls. He flipped on an engine that created the wash of a rotor without the danger.

Someone else added wind.

“I thought this was going to be without the sound effects,” he said.

“Where’s the fun in that?” Moose said from the cockpit.

Boo shook her head. “I forgot to ask,” she said, lifting her voice, although he heard her via his helmet. “Are you afraid of heights?”

“What if I said yes?”

She smiled then, and it did something to her entire face. Sort of like stars against the night. “I’d say get used to fear.”

Then she pushed him out of the chopper. He found his footing on the skids.

“Step off and let thehoist lower you.”

He looked down.

With the noise and the wind and the height—okay, it felt a little real. His brain went back to the chopper, that moment with Mike?—

“Hey. Hey. Look at me.”

He met her eyes. “What?”

“You have the look.”

“I don’t have a look.”

“You do. Just breathe. I got you.”

Oh brother.But for the camera—he gave her a thumbs-up.

She pointed down. “Eyes on your target.”

He didn’t know if it was the wind, or maybe the winch, but he started to spin. Around and around.

Oh, this was great fun. His stomach started to lurch?—

“Keep your eyes on your target! Don’t watch the horizon.” Boo’s voice in his ear, and it was weirdly centering.