“Easy.I’drecruit it.Turnit into an asset.Howabout you?”
“I’dfeed it false info.Makeup a good story.”
Igrin. “Ibet we could come up with a good one.”Iglance at the oak, maple, and pine trees that are lining the shore, thinking. “Okay,I’vegot one.What’sthe first extreme sport you tried?”
Zoelooks upward for a moment, thinking, before her eyes come back to me. “Ithink it was motocross.Atone placeIlived, there was an empty field nearby that some kids had turned into a dirt bike course.Onetime, they made a big jump because they wanted to recreate the jumping over cars thing.Butsince we were young, we all lined up our bikes instead.Italked one of the kids into letting me try making the jump with his dirt bike, even thoughIwas young enough thatIprobably shouldn’t have been trusted with a motorized vehicle.
“Isummoned all the courageIneeded, andI’mpretty sure all the speedIneeded, too.Butit was getting late and a storm was rolling in.JustasIwas going up the ramp, lightning struck and startled me enough thatIjerked the handlebars to the side and instead of soaring over the line of bikes,Isoared up and over to the right, managing to land in the lone tree in the field.Somehow, neither the motorbike norIwas injured, although it took seven of the older boys to get it out of the tree.
“Theynever let me get on the dirt bike again, but it did earn me the nickname ‘LightningBolt.’”
“AndIwill definitely be teasing you about that later.”
“Goahead.It’sa nicknameI’dstill wear with pride.Okay, yours.”
“Windskateboarding,”Isay asIstart paddling us toward the south end of the lake.
“Isthat even a thing?”
“Landwindsurfing is, but we didn’t know about that yet— it’s a much better idea than what a friend andIhad come up with as ten-year-olds.Wehad seen a couple of videos one summer— one with windsurfing and one with hang gliders— and thought they looked like so much fun.Weknew we couldn’t do either.Wechecked.Bothneeded waivers to be signed by someone over eighteen, and we knew our parents wouldn’t.
“Sowe decided to make our own version— a big hang gliding-shaped frame covered in fabric to strap to our backs and a skateboard at our feet.Thenwetook it to the top of a street at one end of town that, at the time, had felt really steep.”
Ican tell thatZoecan already see where this is going, because her hand is over her mouth and her eyes are wide.
“Weenvisioned the wind catching us, blowing us really fast, and being able to skate all the way to the other side of town just with our momentum.Whatwe hadn’t thought through was that when you’re skateboarding downhill, the wind blowsagainstyou, not at your back.
“Iwent first.Igot the frame strapped to my back like a giant backpack, got on my skateboard, and gave myself the biggest push-off to start down the hill.Youknow, to give the wind a really good chance to catch my wings.Irealized our conceptual error not too far into my trip down the hill, but likeIsaid— biggest push-off, so it was too late to just stop.
“Afew seconds after that, the wind caught my wings enough that it sent me sailing backward while gravity took my skateboard forward.”
“Didyou get injured?”
“Notenough to keep us from trying again but that time with the skateboard strapped to our feet.Spoileralert: neither that, nor starting at the bottom of the hill to have the wind push us up worked.”
Zoelaughs. “IwishIcould’ve seen that.”
Thislake has so many twists and bends along the shoreline, andIlead us through a part that opens up into a wider area that feels almost like a hidden lagoon.It’sone of the most peaceful places on the lake.Lilypads aregrowing at the edge of the shore, trees are lining the lake all around, the water is still, and the sky is clear.
Imove from sitting on the bench to the floor of the canoe, andZoecomes to sit in front of me, leaning back against my chest.Heroutstretched legs are against mine, and her forehead is against my cheek, soIturn slightly and give it a kiss.Iwrap my arms around her, and we both look up at the stars, taking in the perfect surroundings.
Ican’t imagine a night more perfect than this— being withZoein one of my favorite places, talking, laughing, kissing, holding her in my arms, and just relaxing together after a few challenging weeks.IwishIcould stay in this moment forever.
CHAPTER 30
PERMANENT
ZOE
IloveLedger.Andit scares me more than anything has in my life.Morethan jumping out of an airplane.Morethan going up against a terrorist.Morethan failure.
Theproblem is thatIalso love him more than anything.Morethan my new apartment.Morethan my job.Evenmore thanIloved my first foster family.Andthat one was the one that taught me just how much it can hurt to have it taken away.
Logictells me to back away.
IthoughtIwas a logical person.Apparently, though,Irun on emotion, becauseIdon’t ever want to give up nights like last night withLedger.He’sthe best personI’veever known, andIwant it all with him.
Afterwork,Istep-clomp out to my car.I’vegotten pretty used to the boot, but it’s still annoying.Undernormal circumstances,Iwould probably be walkingwithout the boot right now— my leg is feeling that much better.Iwant to be back in the field as quickly as possible, though, andIknow that it’s healing much more quickly by keeping it on.
