Too Sweet (Hayes Brothers #3)(41)

My grandad sits on one of the plastic chairs lining the hangar wall, and my grandma takes advantage of the portable coffee machine nearby while Noah’s asleep.

“Why aren’t you jumping?” Mia asks, following slowly in their steps. She’s in sneakers, her white, fitted tee tucked into a pair of high-waist jeans.

I love that she’s so tiny. I could fucking hide her in my arms without an issue. “I’ll jump if you’ll jump.”

“I wish I could.” She smiles small when we reach the table. “I really do, but you’ve not seen me on a plane. I’ll break down halfway up.”

“You only live once,” Grandad says. “Look at me! I’m eighty-two. I’m too old to do a lot of things I was afraid to do when I was your age, and I regret them all.”

“He’s right,” Grandma adds. “I think you should at least try. For us, the old farts who can’t.”

“One day...” she muses, watching my family as they strap up.

Grandad doesn’t push further, and neither do I, even though I want to strap her in the harness and take her eighteen thousand feet above the ground to help her overcome the fear.

The skydiving party leaves the warehouse thirty minutes later. The jumpers split into three groups, board the planes, and soon enough, they’re in the air, one after the other.

“Where will they land?” Mia asks, glancing around as if expecting a big X spray-painted on the tarmac.

“Wherever they can. They should aim for the field.” I point ahead. “But I’m sure we’ll see at least one person land in the trees. My money’s on Cody.”

“I’d expect Conor to do something like that just for laughs.”

The planes rise steadily, circling above us for ten minutes before they reach the correct altitude, and everyone starts jumping out. Mia scrambles to her feet, shielding her eyes from the sun with her hand.

There’s awe on her face as she watches my family join in one big circle, freefalling from eighteen thousand feet. I take my shades off, covering her eyes.

“Why aren’t they opening their parachutes?” she asks after thirty more seconds, her voice higher than usual.

“It takes one minute twenty to get to five thousand feet, baby.” I glance at my watch, catching a surprised, tight-lipped smile on my grandmother, who looks between Mia and me. Shit. I forgot they’re here. I also forgot Mia’s not mine, and I can’t call her baby, no matter how good it feels. “Thirty more seconds before they can open the parachutes,” I add, doing my best to act casual.

No biggie.

Mia mouths numbers, counting down, neck craned to watch the sky. “They’re still falling!” she cries, ripping my shades off and gunning me down with those big eyes as if she wants me to get off my ass and... I don’t know... catch them?

“Look up,” I tell her, seeing the first parachute unfold and more follow in quick succession.

Mia lifts her hand, counting white dots in the sky. “That’s amazing!” She beams, bouncing on her feet.

I can’t suppress my smile when I watch how excited she is, stepping from one foot to another. She spins around, pumping her little fists, her excitement palpable.

“You want to jump, don’t you?”

“Um... I’m not sure. It seems like so much fun, but—”

I grab her hand, pulling her toward the hangar where two instructors stand at the door, watching the sky. “Don’t think. One step at a time. Harness first. That’s not scary, right?”

She shakes her head, tightening her grip around my fingers. “Don’t let me back down.”

“You need a safe word, Mia.” I turn to the instructors. “Get us ready.” I show them my skydiving license. “She’s tandem jumping with me.”

“As in, I’ll be strapped to you?”

“Yes,” the instructor supplies. “You’re certified, but company policy is that we always send at least one instructor out with you.”

“As long as she’s with me, I don’t care how many of you want to jump.”

He bobs his head, and we get a condensed safety briefing while I’m gearing Mia up, triple-checking every strap before I get my gear on.

I’m buzzing, and it has nothing to do with skydiving. I’ve completed my fair share of jumps, but now that I have Mia with me, it’ll be something else.

“I’m scared,” she says when the first plane lands. “My heart is going so fast.”

I take her chin between my thumb and forefinger, tipping her head back. “Don’t think ahead. All you have to do is trust me that I’ll get you back down safely. I’ve done this plenty of times. I’ve got you.”

The instructor runs to the cockpit, waving us over.

“Red,” I say, clutching Mia’s hand. “That’s your safe word. Unless you say red, we’re taking the fast way down. I don’t care if you hit me, puke, or cry. I don’t care if you scream or beg. I’ll slap your pretty butt if you bite, but I won’t listen until you say red, understood?”

“Keep talking, okay? Anything, just talk.”

I halt, catch her jaw, and turn her head my way. “What did I just tell you?”

“That you’ll spank me,” she utters, cheeks rosy.