Page 88 of Accidentally Amy

“This is my favorite thing at the zoo,” Izzy said excitedly, beaming up at me and kind of bouncing a little. “My grandparents used to get mad at me when we came here because all I wanted to do was ride it, over and over again. They’d be allonly one timeand I’d cry inconsolably and then we’d end up riding it for hours.”

“What a little shit,” I said, in love with the way her eyes danced when she told that story.

“Right?” She wrapped her arms around my arm, and her eyes were all squinty when she grinned up at me and said, “I think it’ll be the perfect way to end a perfect weekend, don’t you? Just the two of us, watching the sun set from our quiet spot on top of the world?”

I opened my mouth to politely decline, to explain how you couldn’t pay me enough to ride the Skyfari, but then she kissed my arm. Just an offhanded little peck that she probably hadn’t even realized she’d done, but something about the subconscious gesture wrecked me. I looked down at her and stupidly said, “I do. Let’s go.”

This is no big deal, I told myself as she bought tickets and handed them to the kid at the gate. Just a quick little ride around the zoo; easy peasy. Hell, there were little kids up there; what the fuck wasIfeeling nauseated about?

I was a grown-ass man.

Izzy was talking a mile a minute as we waited in line, and even though I was listening and responding, nothing was sticking. My eyes were too focused on the lift cars that just kept coming and coming.

When we reached the front, Izzy grinned. “Here we go.”

“Yeah,” I said, forcing my lips to smile as we walked over and stood on the white loading line. The car came around and scooped us up, and then a blond kid who looked no older than fourteen—Ryker—latched the bar for us.

Yeah, this is a terrible idea, putting our lives in the hands of a Ryker.

I wrapped both hands around the bar and looked straight ahead, needing to see anything but the ground below.

“Hey, Blakey,” Izzy said as the kid stepped back and our car started climbing that cable, “scooch closer.”

And then she wiggled a little closer to me, dearGod, making the car rock.

“Stop that,” I hissed, glancing over at her out of the corner of my eye.

“What?” She was looking at me in confusion, which tracked. I’d sounded like a total lunatic.

“There was a sign that said you shouldn’t rock the cars,” I said calmly, forcing myself to sound normal. “So we should probably follow the rules.”

“I think they mean don’t shake them back and forth on purpose,” she teased, sounding (rightfully so) like she was amused by how seriously I was considering the Skyfari regulations. “I’m pretty sure you’re allowed to move.”

“Yeah, but it’s best if you don’t, though,” I said, injecting boredom into my voice. “Sitting still is probably the way to go.”

“Blake.” Her voice was less confused and more concerned now. “Are you okay?”

“Sure,” I said, forcing myself to move my head just enough to smile at her. “You?”

“I’m good,” she said, her eyes narrowed as she watched me. “Having fun?”

“Yes,” I said, swallowing as I saw the other cars, the ones heading back toward the starting gate, moving off to her right.

Something about seeing how hightheywere made my stomach drop.

Why the hell am I being such a pussy?

“Ooh, look at the rhino,” she said, looking down at the ground beneath us. “That thing is massive.”

“Yeah,” I said, turning my head back to the forward-facing position, gripping the bar, and closing my eyes behind my sunglasses. “Enormous.”

“Is that an ostrich?” she asked, and I felt the weight shift when she leaned a little to look down. “I wouldn’t have thought they’d be friends.”

“Yeah, same,” I managed, freezing every muscle in my body to offset her movement, definitely not looking down at the animals.

“Blake.”

“Hmm?”

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