Page 47 of The Amazing Date

The snicker from my lips gives her pause.

“What?” she asks, gathering the flowers and counting them to confirm we have all of them.

“That’s twice you’ve chosen the race over us enjoying ourselves,” I state in jest. “Just saying.”

She jogs toward the checkpoint. “Well, that’s because this race is only a few days; you and I have plenty of time to figure this out.”

I stroll next to her and nod. She’s right, of course, and it’s nice to hear she is considering an us after this. We live in two different worlds, three thousand miles apart. How will we make this work?

Chapter 29

Rylee

The next race clue is at the edge of another cliff, and I spot the guides before I spot the clue box. Roberto beats me to the box by two steps and rips open the envelope. While he scans the clue, I glance over the edge and spot two race-colored hang gliders flying through the air. They are about halfway down the mountain, headed toward the green fields at the base of Mount Rainier.

I step toward Roberto. “I just spotted Ronnie and Thelma on hang gliders. They aren’t that far ahead.”

“Yes, like the rappel stations, there are only four hang glider stations here. Let’s grab the other two before anyone else arrives. According to the clue, it takes a half hour for them to reset, but contestants do have the option of racing down the steep trail.” Roberto points to a thin dirt trail on the edge of the mountain. It quickly drops off the cliff out of sight. I immediately think of Gabby and her running a similar trail and injuring herself.

“I bet the blondes race down rather than wait. You’re the expert—how long would it take to race down the trail?”

He steps to the edge of the cliff, leaning forward and peeking at the trail. “It must be at least four miles of trail. It is downhill, which makes it easier and harder at the same time. It will take them probably about twenty to twenty-five minutes to run it. According to the race clue, the hang glider takes about ten.”

We step to the guides. “That’s cutting it close, as it will take a few minutes to put on the equipment and then a few more to unhook when we land. Let’s move.”

My feet tap a staccato beat hoping the guides sense my need for speed. I glance over at Roberto, who is smirking at me.

“Relax,” he whispers. “There’s not another team anywhere near us.”

He should know by now that telling a type A person to relax does nothing but piss them off. I want to shout, Don’t tell me what to do, but this is the kinder, gentler Rylee. I take a deep breath and attempt to spot Ronnie and Thelma. They still haven’t reached the field yet; in fact, it looks like they are taking extra-wide circles almost as if they are on a sightseeing tour. I tap my guide on the shoulder.

“Can you take us straight down, no circles? We’re trying to beat that last team.”

He clicks the final loop and points for me to climb into the harness, lying flat on the ground. “Most people want the slow descent. But yes, I can do a quick one if your stomach can take it.”

“Bring it on. And tell the other guide to do the same.” I spread my hands onto the metal bar and feel the movement of him clipping himself in.

He tells the other guide, who doesn’t question his motives. Before I can count to three, we are pushing off the side of the mountain, and my stomach drops along with the glider. Shit, we’re going to die.

We’re free-falling straight down, and I close my eyes. A strange shriek rips across my ears, and I open my eyes to realize it originated with me. It only takes a few seconds, but it feels like an eternity before the wind picks up and levels the glider. We settle in on a gentle wave, and I take a loud exhale. This isn’t so bad.

“Hold on.” The attendant’s warning arrives at the same time as he points the nose of the glider down. We fall in a semi-controlled tight spiral, the ground coming up faster than I ever imagined. I hold my breath, afraid to speak, afraid to breathe. Afraid. I have no line of sight on Roberto, who I imagine is above me performing an equally insane move. Why did I open my big mouth?

I close my eyes and squeeze the bar as tight as I can, praying this ends soon. This is worse than the free-fall roller coaster that drops you from the equivalent of a ten-story building. I have no clue how high up we were when we started.

“You’ll need to extend your legs and run on the landing.” The guide’s voice snaps me out of my nightmare. I open my eyes to see the ground rushing up to meet us. The guide twists the glider to catch a bit of wind to slow us down, and I raise my knees and prepare to run.

Our feet hit the ground, and we both run to slow down the glider. We skid to the ground, and a fit of laughter escapes my throat. I can’t believe we just did that.

“Nicely done,” the guide says and begins to unhook me. The moment I’m free, I step from the glider and look up in search of Roberto. No need—his glider has landed a dozen yards to the left of mine. He quickly climbs out and races to me.

“That was insane.” His wide-eyed smile makes him appear ten years younger, proving to me that he was just as hot as a teenager. I slap palms with him and turn. “Holy crap, is that…”

“Oh my god, we still have a shot,” I shout. Ronnie and Thelma’s gliders are just landing in the distance. They are about thirty yards closer to the finish mat than us but haven’t unhooked from their harness.

I begin racing off in a full sprint, giving Roberto no choice but to keep up. My feet eat up the grass, the taste of victory on my lips. Finally.

Twenty yards and Ronnie is standing over Thelma, helping her unhook from the harness.

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