Page 59 of Call It Home

The idea of being suspended in mid-air, hundreds of feet off the ground, made my stomach churn. Then again, the excitement in his eyes wasn’t something I wanted to take away. So what if I ended up hurling my breakfast?

* * *

We took the ski lift partway up the mountain and followed a path to the platform where we’d send our bodies needlessly hurling through the air.

The instructor helped us into our harnesses and helmets and went over the instructions one more time. I couldn’t help but feel like I was being strapped into a straitjacket, which seemed appropriate, given I must be crazy to be doing this.

“You know, this view is pretty enough. I don’t think I’ll enjoy it any better hurling through the air, especially since I’ll have my eyes shut the whole time,” I muttered, making the instructor laugh.

“You’ve got this, Cam. I’ll be right here with you the whole time. Trust me.”

I looked into Mac’s eyes. I’d trusted him with this entire project. I could trust him on this, too. “Okay. Let’s do this.”

We stepped to the two lines that were side by side, and the guide strapped us both in. When we were ready, I took a deep breath and slowly blew it out, looking one more time at Mac. Calm and steady eyes met mine along with a reassuring smile.

With a little push, I stepped off the platform and felt air begin to rush past me. I opened my mouth to scream, but instead of hurtling at breakneck speeds like I expected, the harness glided at a relaxing pace, and before I knew it, I was laughing and enjoying looking over the slopes and tree lines. Even when the speed picked up, I was more thrilled than scared. It was definitely the release we needed after having our noses to the grindstone for so many weeks at a relentless pace.

I glanced over at Mac, but rather than watching the passing scenery, he was watching me, a giant smile on his face. When we alighted on the first platform seconds later, I had to admit he’d been right.

“That was so much fun!” My heart was still pounding from the excitement.

Mac grinned back. “Told you.”

Without thinking, I reached up to touch his hair, running my fingers through the dark blond locks that fell over his forehead. It had grown during our time here, and I liked the way it gave him a less rigid appearance.

“You know what else is amazing?” I whispered, my heart beating faster with every passing second.

“What?” Mac asked, his voice low and husky.

“You,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “You’re amazing, Mac.”

“Yeah?” he asked, his eyes searching mine for the truth. A crooked grin spread across his face, giving him a shy look that melted my heart. I suspected he wasn’t used to hearing such words of affection, but I meant every word.

“Yeah. You think you might be ready for that nap now?” I teased, trying to lighten the mood.

“Hell, yeah.”

As we walked hand in hand back to the trailer, I felt a sense of bittersweet longing wash over me. We both knew that our time together was coming to an end, and every moment felt all the more precious because of it.

Once we were alone, we held each other close, our eyes locked in a passionate gaze. And then, with a tenderness that took my breath away, we made love. It was different this time, more meaningful and intense, as if we were savoring every moment before we had to say goodbye.

And unlike the contest, I didn’t want it to end.

Chapter22

Mac

Once again,Cam’s family was at the airport to welcome us back from Colorado.

This time, there was no shying away from them. The girls hugged and kissed me like a long-lost brother, and the guys gave me sturdy back-slapping hugs. Then the girls surrounded Cam and pulled her into their midst, chatting excitedly and demanding to know everything. I had no idea how they understood each other over the cacophony of their words as they each tried to get their voices heard.

Cam looked over her shoulder with a little smile of apology, but laughingly took it all in stride. The guys were a little more reserved, but they were also eager to hear about our trip and hounded me with questions, although their interests were more about the house and the lodge.

As we drove back to town, Cam was hustled into Reid’s SUV along with her sister and brother, while Zach and Emalee drove me. Already, I felt the absence of Cam’s presence. It was ridiculous. She was only one car length ahead of me. I could even see her blonde braid swing back and forth as she talked, using her hands in giant, excited gestures.

“I hope you don’t mind,” Emalee said from the back seat where she sat with Olivia. “I made you a bunch of meals and froze them so you’d have something to eat this week. I guessed you might be too tired to go shopping right away.”

Zach laughed. “And by a few, she means we have an entire ice chest full in the trunk.”

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