Page 57 of Surprised By Her

“What a gorgeous couple,” Mama said, and I whirled around to find my parents standing much closer than I thought they were.

“Can I get a picture?” Mama said, clasping her hands together. “Please?”

“Mama, I’m not going off to prom,” I said, rolling my eyes.

“It’s fine,” Ryan said, putting her arm around me and pulling me close. Mama grinned and pulled her phone out of her pocket to take a few shots.

“Okay, that’s enough,” I said after she’d taken at least five shots with two different poses.

“Have a good time, you two,” Mama said.

“We’ll bring you back some dessert,” Ryan said, and Mama squealed.

“Drive safe,” Mom said, giving Ryan a sharp look.

“This is ridiculous, bye,” I said, tugging Ryan toward the door.

She laughed as we walked to the car.

“They really love you,” she said as she opened the door.

“I’m fine with them loving me, it’s the closeness and interfering that is a little much. Although, I have Mama to thank for this dress, so I guess I don’t really have any reason to grumble,” I said. I also needed to remember Ryan’s rocky relationship with her parents. Not everyone was as lucky to have two loving parents like I was.

“I’ll have to thank her,” Ryan said, looking over at me. “It’s a great dress.”

“Thanks,” I said, looking out the window. “So, where are we going?”

Ryan’s lips formed a smirk. “You’ll see.”

“This doesn’t look like a restaurant,” I said, feeling a little uneasy.

“I know,” she said. “We’re not at the restaurant yet.”

It took a little bit to realize we were at a small airfield and across the pavement was an actual helicopter.

“Is that a helicopter?” I asked, which was a rhetorical question.

“Yes,” Ryan said, looking over at me. “It’s faster than driving.”

“Hold up,” I said, putting my hand up. “We’re going to dinner in a helicopter?”

“Yes,” she said. “Is that okay with you?”

I couldn’t really process what was happening right now. She might as well have said we were hopping on a horse and riding to the restaurant.

“A helicopter,” I said, one more time, just to be sure.

Ryan nodded. “A helicopter.”

I stared at said helicopter and the people who were running around and prepping it, I assumed.

“I’ve never been on a helicopter before,” I said.

“Scared?” she asked.

I glanced over at her. “No,” I lied.

The helicopter ride was cramped and scary, but short. Ryan tried to point things out along the way, but every time I looked out the window, I was nauseated, so I stopped.

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