Her eyes find mine, and her smile widens. “You know, I wasn’t sure at first, but . . . Damn, I’m into it. I actually kinda love it.”
“Me too.”
Kelly is wedged between Thor and me on the flight to Bozeman, her eyes glued to her tablet. She’s been sketching nonstop since we took our seats, even during takeoff, cramming in every bit of preparation she can before the event.
I tilt my chin down, whispering in her ear. “It’s okay to take a break, you know.”
“Mm-hmm,” she hums, her gaze still fixed on the screen.
The pilot’s voice crackles on the overhead speaker, announcing our descent into Bozeman. As we slice through the clouds, the peaks of the Bridger Range are made visible. Kelly’s stylus moves with quick, precise strokes, doing her best to fight against the occasional jerks of the plane. Her jaw is set—focused but not tense.
Closing my tray table, I smirk. “You’re gonna do great, Chaos.”
Apparently, that’s enough to pause her furious scribbling, and she tilts her head to face me. “What’s with that nickname, anyway? Why Chaos?” She stabs a finger into her chest. “By the w ay, I ’ll have you know that this is literally the least chaotic I’ve ever been in my life.”
I cock a brow, taking in her messy, disheveled hair tied up in a loose bun, and her sweatshirt, littered with cookie crumbs and a cranberry juice stain from when the flight attendants passed out drinks earlier.
“This is different,” she snaps. Kelly points to the stain on her shirt. “This is nerves.”
I raise my palms in surrender. When she relaxes back in her seat, I continue. “You earned the nickname Junior because?—”
“Because I’m Clyde’s kid,” she huffs.
I shake my head. “Maybe that’s how it began, but you’ve earned your place at Black Rabbit—the guys might still call you Junior, but it’s not by default because you’re living in his shadow, it’s because you’ve proven strong enough to shoulder the legacy.”
“And Chaos?”
“I wanted to call you something nobody else could.”Junior belonged to the shop. Chaos belonged to me.“When you returned from college, you sent my world into a tailspin. It seemed fitting. You’ll always be my Chaos.”
She narrows her eyes. Then slowly turns her focus back to the tablet. “Well, knowing how serious you can be, I’m taking it as a compliment.”
“I meant it as one.”
Even though she’s looking down again, her pink cheeks lift slightly, telling me that she’s wearing a smile—until it fades. “What if they lost our bags? Put them on a plane going to Cincinnati or something?”
I huff out a laugh. “They didn’t lose our bags. Everything is going to be fine.”
She nods. “You’re right. Sorry.”
“Our flight is early. Our gear is going to be riding around the carousel when we get to baggage claim. Thor double-checked the van rental reservation, and it’s waiting for us at the airport. Your hotel room is booked—” I assure her.
“Yeah, about that. I really think you should be staying at the hotel with the rest of us. What if we can’t get ahold of you or something?” she insists.
I’m staying at the condo I bought last year. I rented it out last winter for skiers and snowboarders since it’s not too far from Big Sky. It’s a small one-bedroom, so the rest of the guys are staying at the hotel where the Bozeman Tattoo Festival is taking place.
“I’m like fifteen minutes away. It’ll be fine.”
She shakes her head. “I dunno, I just have a weird feeling. Like something unexpected is going to happen.”
Another scratchy announcement blares through the speakers, reminding passengers to put away any electronics and prepare for landing. She tucks away her tablet into the backpack stowed under the seat in front of her. The plane makes a shallow bank as our elevation decreases and we close the gap between us and the tarmac below.
Interesting that she’s picked up on that. “Everything will be fine.”
After dropping Kelly, Casper, Thor, and all of our gear off at the hotel, I take the rental van down the street to a nearby coffeeshop, where I place an order for two iced drinks and a couple sandwiches to kill some time while I wait for her call.
I smile when my phone rings. She’s punctual.
“Miss me already?” I answer.
