Thrill Me (Fool's Gold #18)(75)

Maya was surprised by her friend’s harsh tone. She’d hoped Elaine would simply agree.

“It’s not just that,” she said quietly. “Things with Del have gotten complicated. He’s...” Maya wasn’t sure how to explain, then realized the truth was generally the right answer. “I’ve fallen in love with him and I can’t tell him while I’m keeping your secret from him.”

Elaine had been hinting how much she wanted Maya and Del to get together, and Maya was expecting a happy reaction. Smiles. Maybe laughter. She didn’t think her friend would cover her face with her hands and start to cry.

“What?” Maya asked, moving next to her and hugging her. “Are you angry? I’m sorry if I upset you.”

“You didn’t. It’s not that. I just don’t have anything more in me. I’m so tired and I never meant to hurt anyone.”

“You didn’t. We’re all fine.”

Elaine straightened and sniffed. She wiped her face with her fingers. “You’ve been keeping this from him because of me. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Maya studied her. “Are you sure you’re all right? You haven’t heard anything bad from the doctor, have you?”

“It’s not that. Just everything seems like so much. Ceallach’s birthday party, having all the boys back in town. It was wonderful to see them. I wish the twins would move back, but they seem to like where they are.”

Maya eased back a little. “Kids leave home. Most parents want that to happen.”

Elaine gave her a shaky smile. “I don’t want them underfoot every day, but it would be nice to have them around more.” She drew in a breath. “You’re right. I need to tell them and I will. Ceallach’s finishing a piece this week. He’ll be done Friday. I’ll call a family meeting on Saturday morning and tell them then. I promise.”

Maya felt herself relaxing. “Thank you. I appreciate it. Once you’ve explained what you’ve been through and Del has had a chance to deal with it, I can talk to him about us.” Assuming there was an us.

She knew he liked her, liked being with her. But how much of that was because she was convenient and how much of it was real? There was only one way to find out, she reminded herself. And that was to talk about her feelings and ask about his.

“You’re really in love with him?” Elaine asked.

“I am. I don’t know what’s going to happen. He might not care at all.”

“He cares. He’s with you constantly.”

“Some of that is because we’re working together.”

“Is it? I don’t think so.” Her smile faded. “They’re going to be angry.”

“They’re going to be concerned. This is a big deal. Even knowing you’re okay now, they’ll be worried about you. They’re your family and they love you. What if Ceallach kept secrets from you?”

Elaine reached over and patted Sophie. “That would be difficult,” she said.

Maya studied her. There was something in her voice, she thought. Something she couldn’t quite explain. Then Elaine looked up, her eyes bright with humor.

“Give me until Saturday,” she said with a laugh. “If I haven’t told my family by then, you have my permission to rat me out.”

Maya winced. “Could we call it something else?”

“We can call it anything you like.” Elaine drew in a breath. “Seriously, I’ll tell them Saturday morning. You’ll see.”

* * *

“THE SIZE OF the boat determines how many people at a time,” Del said as he and Aidan strapped on their harnesses. “The bigger the boat, the more can go together.”

“I’d need an experienced captain,” Aidan said, his gaze on the vivid blue of Lake Tahoe.

They’d driven to the famous lake together for an afternoon of parasailing. Aidan was considering adding it to the activities his company offered. Lake Ciara was big enough for him to offer the sport and he’d invited Del along to help him with the research.

“Are there state regulations?” Del asked.

“I’ll have to check. We’re not on the ocean, so we don’t deal with the coast guard. But I’m sure there are things for us to keep in mind.” Aidan watched the crew guy hook up the cables that would keep them connected to the boat.

Del liked any sport that had him in the air. Parasailing offered an easy trip for those without any kind of training. Once you were in the harness, the boat, the wind and the parachute did all the work. All the rider had to do was sit back and enjoy the ride.

He and Aidan sat facing the front of the boat. The parachute billowed out behind them. It was big—nearly forty feet—to support their weight. Del didn’t know the specifics about requirements, but he knew that the bigger the chute, the more it could handle, be it number of riders or strength of the wind.

“Weather wouldn’t be a big issue,” he said as the boat picked up speed. Seconds later they were slowly rising up in the air.

The boat seemed to get smaller and smaller. Sound faded as they were able to see more of the lake and mountains that surrounded it. Wind buffeted them and still they rose higher.

“This guy charges by how high we go, along with the length of the ride,” Aidan said.