Page 107 of Hitting the Gap

“Whoa.” Max stared wide-eyed at the open parachute attached to the back wall of the hangar. The colorful fabric looked like a mural with a beautiful butterfly in the middle.

Bailey glanced at Kia. “You don’t have to stick around for all this. He’s gonna get pretty bored.”

“Nah, it’s cool. He’s got his heart set on seeing you fly through the sky. We have books in the car to read while we wait, so we’re good.”

“Can we go look at that?” Max pointed to the parachute.

“Absolutely,” Sloane replied.

And like a shot, Max ran toward the opposite wall, with his mom trailing behind him.

“So what made you wake up this morning and want to jump out of a plane?” Sloane asked.

“How do you know I haven’t always wanted to do this?”

“Besides what you said that night in the bar?” Sloane held out the clipboard with a waiver form on the top. “I’ve been doing this a long time. I can tell the difference between a bucket list and someone who’s battling some demons.”

“That obvious?”

“Kinda. You want to talk about it?”

Did she want to tell a virtual stranger that she was scared she’d lose herself if she followed Gonzo? That despite everything he said, she was terrified she didn’t have what it took to hold on to him long term? Hell no, that was not a conversation she wanted to have. “I’m good, thanks.”

“You’re gonna be jumping out of a plane strapped to my chest. Emotions often come up for people. Sometimes it’s easier to work through a few things down here.”

Bailey’s mouth dropped open. How was that gonna work? “Hang on, I’m gonna be strapped to your chest? But you’re tiny. I’ll crush you.”

Sloane chuckled. “I’m a lot stronger than I look.”

She’d have to be. From what she could tell, there wasn’t an ounce of fat on the other woman. Bailey had her by a good 3-4 inches and at least 50lbs. “Umm, no offense but…” Bailey waved her hand, gesturing to her own body. The other woman had to see how this would be a problem.

“I got you. There’s nothing to worry about. I’ve jumped with some pretty big dudes and stuck the landing.”

“Okay,” Bailey mumbled. Grabbing a pen, she started filling out the paperwork. “Hang on. Why do you need to know my weight?”

“Oh, you’re there already? Hang on, let’s get you on the scale.”

“You need me to get on a scale? Why?” Geez, writing it down was bad enough. Having Sloane see her standing on a scale was mortifying.

“We’ve just found people don’t always accurately know their weight, so the scale ensures we have the best number.”

“Umm…” Bailey eyed the torture device in front of her. How many diets had her mom put her on as a kid? The scale had become something she dreaded and avoided at all costs. Her heart pounded in her chest. The drumbeat was so loud it was like she’d already jumped out of the plane.

“Bailey you okay?” Sloane asked.

“Uh, yeah sure.” Bailey eyed the scale again. She couldn’t do this. “I think I changed my mind.”

Sloane’s hand snaked out and grabbed her wrist. “Come sit down for a second.” Sloane pulled Bailey into an office and closed the door. Bailey paced around the small office.

“Bailey talk to me. What’s going on?”

“I just—” How the hell was she supposed to explain this?

“You know we’re not so different, you and I,” Sloane said.

Bailey raised her eyebrow as she looked at the other woman. “How do you figure?”

“The first time I came skydiving it was because I was terrified of heights.”

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