Page 100 of A Hard Fit

“Rory! Finn!”

Finn turned to see Steffie and Mikala approaching, with Leo and Troy in tow.

Bryson forgot about the roller coaster and studied the two older boys, eyes wide.

They exchanged greetings and Finn introduced his niece and nephew. “We were about to go check out the Thrillcoaster,” he said. “Do you want to come with us?”

“Can we, Moms?” Leo asked.

“You bet!” Steffie said. “Looks so fun.”

“I am not getting on that,” Mikala said firmly.

“Come on, Mom, you can do it!” Troy took her hand and the group made their way across the park, accompanied by happy screams and shouts from the rides they passed.

“What do you think, Cali?” Finn asked when they arrived at the Thrillcoaster.

She tilted her head back and stood staring at the peak of the first drop, lip between her teeth. “I don’t know…”

“What if you sit with me and hold my hand? You can squeeze it as hard as you like.”

Cali took a breath and nodded. “Okay.”

Leo and Troy had similarly talked Mikala into braving the coaster, although she looked much less certain than Cali as they got in line.

The ride was even better than Finn remembered as he listened to the delighted shrieks of his family around him. Cali clutched his hand and howled the whole way, but when they got off, she laughed and exclaimed along with the rest of them, chattering over each other with their gravity-defying tales.

“I screamed so hard that first drop!”

“Oh my God, when it went upside down!”

“Bryson screamed, too!”

“No, I didn’t!”

Mikala was white-faced, insisting she was both proud of herself but would never do that again.

Back out in the park, Finn consulted his app. “It looks like now might be a good time to check out The Heist Experience.” The VR ride had ended up being ready to go only days before. Rory had said all the tests ran smoothly and Finn hoped it would be a hit.

On their way to the entrance, they passed the exit to the ride. A familiar frame stood with his back to them. Then the voice reached Finn’s ears.

Jackson.

“—garbage,” he was saying to Amy. Minnie held tight to Amy’s hand, brown curls up in adorable pigtails.

“You didn’t like it?” Amy asked him. “I thought it was fun!”

“It’s the worst ride I’ve ever been on. Jolting around in a seat while things whizz at my head? I had to close my eyes. Why would anyone line up for that?”

“Are you sure it wasn’t just your motion sickness? These types of rides are really popular these days—”

“I think I would know, Amy—”

Minnie saw them approaching and pulled away to jump into Rory’s arms. “Ro-ro!”

Jackson’s face flashed with annoyance, then a fake smile took over. “Look who it is!”

They exchanged another round of greetings and introductions while Finn’s heart thudded. He hated the power Jackson had over him—how he was anxious and angry, one big ball of fightandflight.

---