I smile politely. Although it was probably the furthest thing from her mind, I can’t help but think how odd it is that she’s the girl and she’s seen me, the guy, break down crying.

“Okay, ready?” I ask, when the propellers completely stop.

She laughs nervously. “I’m not really sure.”

“Here, I’ll help you.” I rest my hand on the small of her back.

She nods gratefully, stepping forward.

I open the sleek back door of the helicopter and wave hello to Jeffery. I take Sara’s hand and help her step up, carefully, in those crazy heels. She moves slowly, and I am rewarded with quite a view for my help.

She slides into the cabin and I follow her, pulling the door closed.

“How’s your night, sir?” Jeffery asks.

“Going well so far,” I say. “This pretty girl agreed to have dinner with me. What more could I want?”

Jeffery laughs as he turns around to hand us two pairs of headphones. “Nice to meet you, ma’am,” he greets Sara.

“Hi!” she says, clearly nervous just being in the helicopter, although we haven’t gotten off the ground yet.

I hand her a pair of headphones as I talk to Jeffery. “It’s getting a little late for dinner already, so I—” I watch Sara as she tangles and untangles her harnesses. “Babe, like this.” I click mine into place, slowing down my motions so she can watch.

“Ooooh.” She clicks hers into place. The straps stretch across her chest in that low-cut dress. “Thanks.”

I bite my lip. Although I’d called her names like babe and sweetheart many times, I was being sarcastic and mocking. Just now, I’d done it sweetly and as if it were second nature, and she responded like it was totally normal.

“Ready?” Jeffery asks from the cockpit.

I look at Sara, whose eyes are wide in anticipation.

“Yeah,” I say.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Sara

The ocean below is dark and stormy, at once both beautiful and terrifying. I am leaning as much toward the window as I dare.

When we started out there were so many lights below, some twinkling and pretty, others the harsh beam of streetlights on the highway. But as we reached the ocean, there were fewer and fewer bright spots.

The coast is dotted with a few large houses with their lights on and a big resort every once in a while. But often there are sleepy towns with just a few twinkling lights. And now there are whole sections where there is just the shadowed outline of trees and the reflection of the moon on the water. From the air, it is sometimes easy to imagine that this part of the earth is untouched by man.

I turn back into the cabin, toward Braden. “This is amazing!” I yell over the sound of the propeller.

He laughs. “You’ve said that twelve times already.”