Page 86 of One Last Chance

“My worst nightmare is being stranded on the mountain in a snowstorm, watching my fingers turn gray.” He opened the pizza box. “One piece left.”

“Knock yourself out.”

“You ever want to climb a mountain?” he asked.

“Not even a little. It’s too . . . unpredictable.”

“And yet you want to go skydiving.”

“Skydiving is vastly different than climbing a mountain. Besides, I onlytalkabout skydiving. Never going to happen.”

“Why not?” He took a bite.

“I just like to keep my feet on solid ground.”

“You might like scuba diving. It’s like flying.”

“Except for the no-air part.”

He laughed. “Seriously—you’re weightless and underwater with all the fish—it’s breathtaking.”

“Literally.”

“Right.”

“So.” She took a sip of her soda, put it down. “She’s right, you know. To the people you save, you’re not ordinary. Speaking from experience.”

He looked at her. “You heard that.”

“So you do the interview, and people think you’re awesome. What, you think you might get a big head?”

“Wow. I haven’t heard that phrase for years.”

“My mom is Lutheran. It’s a thing—no big heads.”

“Right. Well, no. I mean, most of the time I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop—if we’re speaking in idioms.”

She leaned forward. “Why?”

He frowned.

“Why are you holding your breath, waiting for disaster?”

He drew in a breath. Swallowed. “Maybe it’s just better to expect disappointment.”

He didn’t know where that’d come from, because yesterday he’d been telling her to have a little faith.

Except yesterday it hadn’t felt like this might be real. He’d hoped it, and now suddenly they were holding hands and sharing a pizza, and he’d purchased her jewelry and . . .

Oh.

His chest tightened.

“Axel? You okay?”

He nodded.No. “I’m fine.”Not in the least.

Because howdy, he had something to lose. Something big and painful and . . .

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