Page 35 of On Her Terms
“No worries, mate,” he says. “I’ll have you up and flying in no time.”
I glance toward the water and search out Luca. Unlike me, he’s athletic and brave. But I want to do this. I want to step out of my comfort zone here in the Alps and do something fun. I’m not sure why Luca brings that out in me, but it’s certainly not a bad thing.
For the next half hour or so, Beck talks about the clock position and the wind window, as well as neutral, intermediate and power zones. He goes over all the equipment, explaining the kind of kite I’m using, the steering bar, training harness and struts. I take it all in, a little fascinated by it. Once the land lessons are over, he takes me to the water and I slide my feet into my board, waves lapping at my face and body as I try to position myself.
“Okay, remember,” he says as he walks away, holding the kite, ready to get me in the air. “You give me the thumbs-up when you’re ready to try, and when you’re ready to come down, you tap your head. Got it?”
“I got it,” I say, little bubbles of excitement welling up inside me.
“Don’t forget the eject button if you get in trouble.” I nod and run my finger over the word eject on my handle.
“Hey, Brianna. I’m right here,” Luca calls out as he comes boarding my way.
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I give him a nervous wave.
“She’s got this, mate,” Beck calls out. “Quick learner.”
Luca stays close, and I appreciate it. If I go down hard—and I fully expect I will—he might be able to fish me out of the water before I drown.
I hold my handles, making sure the red bar is on the left like I was taught, and wind catches my kite, tightening the harness under my backside and dragging me deeper into the water. Before I know what’s happening, I’m lifted clear into the air. As I go higher and higher, fear grips me and I can’t seem to catch my breath. From the corner of my eye, I catch sight of Luca, and I let loose a loud cry. Panicking, I hit the eject button. I drop into the water, sink like a stone, and when I come up, Luca is right there.
“Brianna,” he says and swims to me. “You okay?”
I gulp air and put my arms around him. He holds me, and I instantly calm down. “I’m okay,” I say. “I panicked.”
“We all do the first time,” he says softly.
“How embarrassing.”
“Nah, nothing to be embarrassed about. You were far more graceful hitting the water than I was my first time.”
I cling to him, and he treads water to keep us both up. “I doubt that.”
He grins at me. “Would I lie to you?” he says, but then something comes over him, and he averts his gaze. “You okay to swim?”
“Yes,” I say and let go of him.
He keeps an eye on me for a second, to ensure I’m okay. “Just remember your wind window, and when you gain power, pull down on the bar, and it helps lessen it.”
As we tread water, he brushes my hair from my face. “Come on, let’s go back in and start again.” He angles his head. “That is if you want to.”
“I do want to. You make it look like so much fun.”
“It is fun once you get the hang of it. Next time you’re here with Tate, you can show him up.”
“I’m not sure when we’ll be back again. Tate has Summer now and we have Granddad’s health to think about.”
We begin to swim back in, and Luca says, “How do you want to handle things with James when this week is over?” His brow is furrowed, and oddly enough I get the sense he’s worried about a lot more than breaking off our fake engagement.
“I haven’t thought that far ahead. I don’t want to hurt him, but I’m not about to drag this thing on any longer than needed. I’m sure you’re anxious to end the ruse.”
He opens his mouth like he wants to say something, but then turns his attention to Beck as he waits for us on the embankment. “You okay, mate?” he asks me.
“Panicked,” I answer. “Nothing to do with you. You’re an excellent instructor.”
I climb out of the water, and Beck checks my lines and readjusts the harness on my backside. A low, strange noise, like a dog growling, catches my attention, and I angle my head to see Luca glaring at Beck. What the hell? He’s acting like a jealous boyfriend, but that can’t be right.