Page 22 of Rules Of Our Own

The wicker-like woven plastic creaks as River, Alex, and I cram into the small space. The basket feels tight with our five bodies packed in like sardines. I run my hand along the edge. There are four thick ropes attaching the fabric overhead to metal O-rings connected to the basket. Each one has a red knot at its end for security.

I should pull away, say some kind of smart-ass comment and break free. But I don’t want to. Especially when River steps to our side, his arm grazing mine.

I ignore the tingles dancing along my arm and look around. There’s a small older lady who must be in her seventies who looks between me and the guys and winks at me.

Screw it. I rest my head on Alex’s shoulder, letting myself relax for the first time in months.

“Everyone ready?” David calls out. “Hold on tight.” He pulls on a lever hanging from the center of the balloon, and fire shoots up with a deafening roar. The basket shakes as we lift into the air, and I freeze suddenly, not at all sure about this.

Alex drops his mouth against the curve of my neck, drawing all my attention. “We’ve got you.”

We.

The world below us gets smaller and smaller as we ascend until cars look like toys and the fields all blur into one.

“Look up,” Alex murmurs against my skin.

I lift my gaze and gasp. Mountains flank both sides of us. They’re dotted with patches of green trees and open areas planted with row upon row of grapevines. The sky turns pink, then red, and my eyes widen as the sun crests over the ridge, bathing everything in a soft amber glow. “It’s beautiful.”

“Yes, it is,” River says, but he’s facing me.

CHAPTER12

RIVER

It’sclear the second Mia stiffens that something’s changed. She’d been relaxed, leaning against Alex, eyes wide on our surroundings. My gaze flicks to Alex, and he gives me a short nod before burying his chin into Mia’s throat. She freezes before melting against him.

I watch as his hands burrow into the pouch of her hoodie, and his arms tighten around her. He’s always touched her like she was already his, and it used to drive me crazy. It took no time after she disappeared to realize what a fucking idiot I was. I swore if she ever came back into our lives, I’d make her see that things could be different.

I can’t keep my attention off the two of them. It doesn’t matter that we’re a thousand feet in the air, and I’m sure the view around me is immaculate. The only thing I want to see is how they are together. I watch the muscle in Alex’s jaw work, and the tendons in his neck pull taut when she looks back at him with a smile, green eyes round with wonder.

They flash to mine, and I step in closer until she has to tilt her head all the way back to keep her gaze on mine. A shiver runs through her, and I smile. Between me catching her with her vibe and her listening in last night, it’s clear our girl is getting desperate for a release.

“Cold?” I press into their side, giving a quick glance to Alex, making sure it’s okay, but all his attention is on her. She shifts so she’s sandwiched between us.

“A little.” Her voice is strained, and if we weren’t so close, I wouldn’t have heard it. She swallows hard and fixes her gaze on the horizon while Alex’s and mine never leave her.

“So, Kitten. What have you been up to the last three years?”

“Study, work, sleep, repeat.” She sounds tired just talking about it, and I have an overwhelming need to take some of the load off her shoulders.

“How about the two of you? Big-time NHL players. Is it all you thought it would be?” she asks, a bit stiff, but it’s a start.

“Could be better,” I say, and her gaze snaps to mine before looking over the horizon.

“What, not exciting enough for you?” Her tone has a slight edge to it, and I tilt my head.

“A bit lonely, to be honest.”

She huffs out a laugh. “Yeah, right. I’ve seen your Instagram. The two of you are always out.”

Alex squeezes her harder. “Just because we were out doesn’t mean it wasn’t hollow. You never know when someone is genuinely interested in you or just your proximity to fame.”

She stiffens, biting her cheek. She didn’t like something he said. Then she shakes it off and asks me, “How are your parents? Farm still doing okay?”

I shrug. I don’t talk to them much. Leaving home at fifteen to live with a billet family put a rift between us. “Fine. With the land prices going up, they’re thinking about selling it and settling down.”

“I always liked picturing you on the farm. Throwing hay bales and riding horses like you’re a cast member ofYellowstone.”

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