Aiden didn’t know what it would take to get his mind off Sophie. He’d had a busy day with two jumps, an interview with a potential raft guide, and loads of paperwork. And still, thoughts of Sophie lingered like the remnants of a potent fragrance.

He forced himself to return to the emails he’d been wading through. He opened one sent days ago, his foggy mind clearing as the words registered.

Dear Mr. Maddox,

I’m the CEO of Parajump Systems, Inc., and we’d like to offer congratulations on your recent ESTA honor. We commend your ingenuity and your desire to make parachuting safe for all. Our team is always on the lookout for ways in which we can improve our products and deliver the best safety measures for our customers. To that end we are very interested in talking with you about purchasing the patent for the SpringChute. If you are interested in selling, we feel we could put your innovation to very good use. Please call me at the number below if you’d like to talk further. We hope we can work together to bring safer methods to the market.

Martin Sweeney

Aiden exhaled a breath he hadn’t known he was holding. Parajump was the nation’s leader in parachute manufacturing. And they wanted to buy his invention.

He’d heard of patents for inventions such as his going for seven figures. His heartbeat pounded in his temples. He’d known when he won the ESTA that this was a possibility, but it didn’t feel real until now.

If he decided to sell, what would he do with the money? He was happy enough at Extreme Adventures, but that kind of windfall certainly presented new possibilities. He could open up his own business. He liked partnering with Ross, but he also wouldn’t mind being the sole owner.

It was too late to call Parajump tonight, but he’d call Monday, at least hear them out. He wouldn’t agree to anything, of course. He’d have to hire an attorney to represent his interests.

His mind whirled with the possibilities as he stared at the email. He wasn’t getting any more work done tonight. He pushed away from his desk and left his office, heading down the hall.

Aiden stopped at Ross’s office on his way out the door. His partner was bent over his keyboard, hunting and pecking with impressive speed. With his black hair and high forehead, he’d always reminded Aiden of Tom Hanks.

“Hey,” Aiden said. “I’m taking off for the day.”

Ross looked up, shoving his glasses into place. “All right. Good jumps today?”

“Yeah, the clients were safe and happy.”

“That’s all we can ask.”

Aiden shifted in the doorway. “I was just going through my backlog of emails and found one from Parajump. They’re interested in buying the patent to SpringChute.”