I stopped halfway back in my home and turned around, meeting Riley’s gaze. “Promise me you will never tell my brother.”
He laughed and shook his head. “It’ll be our secret.”
I turned back toward the home, and my steps grew lighter. I trusted Riley. The only problem was that we both knew that there were no secrets in Pelican Bay.
Twenty-seven and a half minutes later, Riley’s truck kicked up dirt as he parked in the small makeshift lot at what people call the Pelican Bay airport. It was really more of a landing strip in a cornfield, but I didn’t plan to argue the point since I was getting to ride in a helicopter.
Riley helped me onto the chopper, and they gave us directions on how to buckle the seatbelt and put on the headphones so we’d hear one another talk. As we waited a few minutes later, another car pulled into the lot and two men exited. One was tall and had muscles magically bulging out of his shirt. I tried not to stare at them and compare the size to Riley’s—Riley’s were bigger—as he jumped into the helicopter and took the pilot’s seat. Next to him, a Kensington, who I never met but could pick out in a crowded room with their similar features, took the passenger seat.
“Cassandra, this is Cyrus Kensington. Cyrus, Cassandra,” Riley made quick introductions, but it was hard to hear them with the big headphones covering my ears.
They seemed like a completely unnecessary addition. At least until the helicopter pilot flipped his last switch, and the blades started. The helicopter jerked, and I grabbed onto Riley’s hand, squeezing tightly as the noise intensified.
The helicopter floated inches above the ground and then moved higher into the air. I leaned over to the side, looking down for the best view from my large window. Conversations took place over our headsets, and I paid attention while also staring out at the ocean and trying to pinpoint which buildings I recognized the higher we rose.
“Thanks again for letting us use your condo and the helicopter,” Riley said, making conversation with Cyrus.
I jerked my attention back in their direction since the only thing below at the moment was a line of trees in any direction. Cyrus turned back from the passenger seat and rolled his eyes heavily.
“Don’t worry about it. We have the condo for the next two months, and apparently, we won’t be visiting. I guess surviving a life-threatening situation makes you fall in love.” The only way he might have sounded more like an annoying little brother was if he stuck his finger in his open mouth and pretended to gag.
I laughed. “Life-threatening situation?”
Riley nodded. “The case Ridge solved. They haven’t captured the culprit yet, but they have him on the run.”
“Yes, my twin Corbin decided now the safest place for him is in bed with his new friend.”
I cringed and hoped he didn’t take offense at my facial expression. That was way more TMI than I needed to hear.
“Are you coming to Miami with us?” I asked. Riley didn’t tell me how many people would be at the condo, and I clenched my teeth hoping we’d be the only two.
Cyrus shook his head. “I’m flying to New York for the day to get work done, and we’ll use Pelican Bay as our primary location for the next few weeks. Later I want to take a trip to Portland for shopping. No offense to you, Riley, but I can’t stay in that small town for too long.”
“You could always leave Corbin in Pelican Bay.”
Cyrus scoffed at my comment. “I can never leave my twin. We’re a unit. I just need more adventure.”
I didn’t know what kind of adventure he was looking for in New York, but it was nothing I needed in my life. I’d keep the nice boring job and a stable place to call home any day of the week.
Riley agreed as he laughed and shook his head. “Be careful what you wish for, Cyrus. You might just get more adventure than you can handle.”
Cyrus smiled one last time before turning back around to stare out the main windshield. “Bring it.”
7
RILEY
A“please buckle your seatbelt” sign flashed along with a small ding, and Cass lifted her tray table before securing it into place.
When she looked at me, her eyes held concern. For a moment, I panicked. She didn’t regret coming with me. Did she?
“We can never tell Henry I ditched his cat for two days to come to Florida,” she said, raising the shade of her window as she spoke.
My ears popped as the plane descended and I did my best not to laugh. Cassandra always concerned herself with doing the right thing. She never wanted to let anyone down or have someone see her as anything but perfect. “Your secret is safe with me. I promise.”
She released a breath, and her body relaxed. Now was not the time to tell her that Katy probably updated the Facebook group on our mini vacation. More than likely, her brother wasn’t included in the phone tree, and our secret would remain a secret, so it wasn’t worth mentioning.
“Best movie you’ve ever seen?” she asked, returning to the game we spent the quick plane ride playing. It’s an easy way to catch up on the things we missed since we last saw each other.
