“Guess who?”Hawk asked, as he put his hands across her eyes, coming up behind her.
“A stalker?”
“Close.”He pressed a kiss to her neck and let her go, allowing her to turn into his arms.“What do you think?”he asked.
“I am impressed.I don’t know how you did it.”
“Just brought everyone together, I guess.”
“You’re not doing too much, are you?”she asked.There was no sign that Hawk looked exhausted.
“No, I feel good.None of this was stress, and to be honest, the mayor did most of it.I just ...you know, helped.”
She had a feeling he did more than he was letting on, but if he wanted to be modest, she was not going to pry.
“How about you and I go on that Ferris wheel?”he asked.
“Sure.”She was not about to tell him she was afraid of heights.They stood in line for ten minutes, and there were plenty of carousels available.Sliding into one, Hawk joined her, and they were secured in their position.She felt a little sick.She took a deep breath, and then they were on their ride.
Her heart started to race.For as long as she could remember, she had been afraid of heights.
“I absolutely love the Ferris wheel,” he said.
“You do.”She tried not to think about how high they were in the sky.Seeing across the trees was totally normal.
“Yeah, it helps me think.You get higher and higher, and it lifts all your troubles right out of you.”
As for herself, it just reminded her that rides were made by humans, and humans could make a mistake, and there might be a bolt or a screw that wasn’t quite tight enough.Like now, wasn’t that a shake?Did she feel a shake?Was that creaking natural, or were there too many people on the ride?
“You can take a deep breath, and there is no one to take it from you, no one to hurt you.”
Just plunging to your death, Katie thought but didn’t say anything.
Hell, no.She had also started to perspire.This was not good.She was going to stink.She felt sick.
It’s fine.
The view was breathtaking, only her fear was stopping her from enjoying it.That sick feeling was not evaporating.
It’s fine.
They were fine.She didn’t know how many times she could keep telling herself she was fine.
“Shit, Katie, are you okay?”he asked.
She turned her head, and she was pretty sure their cage moved.“I’m fine.”
“You look terrified.”
“I’m fine.”
He frowned.“You’re afraid of heights, aren’t you?”
She was holding onto the single bar that kept them locked in tight, with a death grip.
“A little bit.By a little, I mean a lot,” she said.
“You didn’t have to come on this ride.We could have gone on any other ride.”
