"Just jump in! It'll be easier that way," Ryan called. She flashed him a look, then took her time, dangling her legs.
“One does not simply walk into Mordor!” Dave called out, and Amaya finally dropped into the lake. She squealed.
"Don't worry, the sun's getting higher!" Mariah called, tossing her the skis to put on. "It'll be toasty in here when you get out."
Amaya looped the rope over her arm and put the skis on.
"Remember to keep your knees bent and your arms straight," Aelin's dad called out as he towelled off. "Push into the waves, don't let them push you."
Amaya nodded, her ponytail bobbing. She wobbled in the waves as Leo switched back into the driver's seat. "Take your time, we're in no rush!" He called back. Amaya's teeth chattered.
"She'll be okay, right?" Ryan murmured. "She's never done something like this before."
Aelin had the urge to put her hand over his, and just as she was about to swipe the thought away, she paused. What would Fun Aelin do? She didn't think, just did it. Ryan's eyes flared.
"She'll do great. Kids pop up so easy." She smiled and stared off the end of the boat, watching as Amaya took instructions from Mariah and her dad. Everything inside her seemed to power up as Ryan's finger lifted, lacing between hers. It was like the speakers had been on half volume and were suddenlycranked to full blast. It had only been an hour and already Fun Aelin was so much better than Sad, Practical Aelin.
This was a game. An experiment. It was only for this week at this place, which meant she didn't need to worry about who they were in the real world. Not until Sunday, at least.
Amaya yelled, "Ready!" and the boat revved. Her eyes widened as the rope grew taut. Amaya's body tensed, her skis slicing through the water. Aelin held her breath, willing her to pop up, but it wasn’t that simple. Her skis wobbled, and within seconds, she was stretching forward and splashing into the lake.
Aelin winced, but any disappointment was quickly drowned out by encouragement. “You almost had it!” Mariah yelled as the boat circled. Her dad shouted, "Just like that, but keep your tips up!"
Amaya nodded, a little shell-shocked. Ryan leaned over the side, making a point to keep his hand linked with Aelin’s. "You okay?"
Amaya smiled up at him. She tried again. And again. Then, on her fifth try, she shot up like a cork from a bottle of champagne. The whole boat erupted with cheers. Amaya stared at them, wide-eyed, as if she'd just wandered into a foreign country.
"You're doing great! Relax!" her dad gave her two thumbs-up.
Amaya grinned as she got used to the sensation of flying over the water.
"She did it!" Bailey swivelled to face them, ecstatic.
Amaya lasted thirty more seconds, then mimicked what she'd seen Dave do. She second-guessed herself twice, then finally released the rope and dropped into the lake. They laughed and cheered as the boat puttered up next to her.
"That was amazing!" Ryan stood and walked to the back of the boat. Aelin immediately felt the loss of him.
Aelin's dad turned to face Bailey. "You're up kiddo!"
Bailey got up on the third try. She took one long run, then opted to get back in the boat and save her energy for knee boarding. "It's so easy Amaya, and we have two. We can both do it at the same time."
Aelin checked her watch. They'd only been out for forty-five minutes.
"Who's next?" Leo scanned the boat. His girls avoided his eyes, and Tucker, who was thirteen and definitely too cool for school, said he wanted to go last.
Aelin nodded at Ryan. "I think he's up."
"Yes, Dad!" Amaya cheered.
Ryan's jaw tensed, and Aelin raised an eyebrow, sending him a silent challenge. He read it loud and clear.
He took a deep breath, his eyes scanning the water, then stood. He caught her eye, then pulled his shirt over his head and dropped it to the bench. Oh, she liked Fun Ryan. She liked him a lot. His skin was light from an Alberta winter, but his arms were already starting to tan. He looked like he did push-ups regularly but wasn't so well-defined that a woman would have to worry about competing with a gym membership. Her eyes dropped to the trail of hair on his stomach, and she forced them back to his face.
He smirked as if he knew exactly where she'd been looking. "I'm only doing this if you're going next."
Aelin nodded once. "Sure. I'll ski." Ryan didn't sound like he had much experience. It was her preferred expertise ratio. She could stay in her comfort zone and still look slightly impressive. Ryan looked skeptical, so she took off her shorts and shirt, pulling on her life jacket.
Ryan nodded approvingly, then slipped his feet into the adult skis and adjusted them, then took them off and looked straight at Amaya before flipping off the back of the boat. Aelin grinned.Show off.
