Page 39 of Impossible Thrills

“I don’t think so.” Her voice quavered, but she looked to Nick. “I’ll just wait for my hero to catch me.”

His chest swelled.

“I didn’t know I was your hero, Darcy,” Jagger teased.

They all had to laugh at that, and the tension eased a bit.

Jagger pointed down the slope. “Have you done this before, Nick?”

Nick shook his head.

“You sit or lie on the sled.” Jagger pointed down the outside slope they’d climbed up. “The lower you get your body, the faster you’ll go. If you want to slow down, just put your feet down—but not too hard, or you’ll flip yourself, and this volcanic rock can leave a mark.” He pointed to a scar on his chin.

Nick focused. Jagger had just revealed that he’d done this before. Nick was confident in his fighting skills and thought he could take Jagger tomorrow, but it sounded like Aiden had barely beaten the man and Jagger had something to prove beating Nick. He had to win today. Then tomorrow he could make a clean sweep. He smiled to himself.

Hays strapped on his goggles and secured the bandana around his nose and mouth. They all followed suit.

Nick handed over Darcy’s sled. “Good luck.”

She smiled in response, but her bottom lip trembled. He glanced down over two thousand feet. It was a long sled ride; he could see why she was nervous.

Hays and Darcy placed their long wooden sleds side by side. Nick’s stomach filled with anticipation, similar to right before a dangerous op or a fight. This volcano sledding should be no big deal. Why was he more nervous today? Darcy glanced back at him. He couldn’t even see her eyes clearly with the goggles on and her mouth covered with the bandana, but he liked her searching for him.

He was in deep, and he suddenly knew … he had to protect, strengthen, and love her. It was as important to him as any op he’d ever gone on, his military career, his adoptive family, Aiden, and his job. Somehow he had to make it work to see her after tomorrow and put the mess with Trattori far behind them. He still had no idea how, but he’d pray and God would help him.

He gave her a thumbs up. “See you soon.”

“Yes, you will.”

Darcy nodded to him, then she and Hays pushed off. She stayed sitting up, so Hays followed suit. Even sitting, their sleds gained momentum quickly.

Jagger loudly and slowly counted down from twenty as he maneuvered his sled into place. Nick followed suit. He was on the side Darcy had been on. That was good. His skin tingled and sweat trickled down his back.

“Two … One!” Jagger hollered, and they both pushed off.

Nick lay back and enjoyed the thrill of speed as they all but flew down the black volcanic mountainside. He kept an eye on Darcy and angled toward her, but it wasn’t easy lying on his back. He should’ve opted for his stomach, but the dust quickly covered his goggles and visibility would’ve been worse that way.

They were approaching Hays and Darcy, and he could see he needed to angle a little more right to intercept her. He leaned to the right and course-corrected. At the same moment, Jagger’s sled slammed into him from the left. The impact shoved him even farther to the right. His sled tilted on its side and almost flipped.

Nick corrected and soared back down the volcano, but Jagger had pulled away and was only about twenty feet from Darcy now.

She kept glancing back at Jagger as he approached, trying to lean to the right to get away and somehow get closer to Nick.

“No,” Nick muttered. It was impossible for him to reach her in time.

Jagger bumped into the side of her sled, a lot more gently than he had Nick’s. He grasped her sled and hopped over behind her. The sled bobbled, but settled. Jagger thrust his hands in the air in celebration, even as Nick could see Darcy’s shoulders round in defeat.

The unthinkable had happened. Jagger had won. Nick rode down the rest of the mountain, his sled slowing and stopping next to the others. He hated losing, but he hated losing for Darcy even more.

Yet Jagger had been a decent loser the past two days, and Nick didn’t want to act pouty.

Jagger stood and helped Darcy up. Nick and Hays stood as well.

“Good job,” Nick said to Jagger, extending his fist.

“Thanks, man.” Jagger bumped it. He pulled off his goggles and untied his bandana. His nose and part of his cheeks were black. “I didn’t mean to slam into you so hard.”

“Yeah right, you didn’t.” Nick laughed as he removed his own goggles and bandana.

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