He cracks one eye open, staring directly at her. “Is this a trick? I can’t feel if we landed or not.”

Joy squeezes his hand. “We landed. You can see the vineyards from here.”

Fox opens his other eye, but it takes several heartbeats before he’s willing to look past Joy’s face. Outside, a worried Summer is standing anxiously next to Malcolm, bouncing on the balls of her feet as she stares at their helicopter. Fox waves at her before carefully taking off his safety belt, hands still slightly shaking.

Golf carts are waiting to take them on a tour of the flat vineyards, then down to the winery itself. There’s a museum and a separate restaurant where they have a lunch reservation, which would be followed by another tour of the elevated vineyards.

“Was it okay?” Summer stands in front of Fox, concern written all over her face. “Do you need anything?”

The changes in Fox post-flight are subtle. His skin has a slight greenish-gray tint, his forehead is damp, and there’s a slight tremor when he inhales.

He touches the top of Summer’s head affectionately. “I’m fine.”

“I’m so sorry. He didn’t know—”

“It’s okay.”

“—but if he had told me what we were doing like I asked—”

“Summer.”

“—this never would have happened.”

Joy feels like she shouldn’t be watching them like this. Summer looks like she’s caught in that delicate middle between crying and rage. And Fox is doing his best to comfort her, but he’s the one who just went through the traumatic event, so the reverse should be happening.

Quietly, Joy wanders away to where Malcolm is standing near one of the golf carts.

“Is he okay?”

“I think so.”

“I didn’t know it would be that bad for him.”

“Well, it’s not like you talk to him. Directly. About anything.”

Malcolm scoffs. “Whose side are you on?”

“Love and justice, at all times.” Joy laughs. “You need to apologize.”

“I know.”

“And you need to give him a chance.”

“Next.”

“No, no next, Malcolm. What is your problem with him? Did he do something to you?”

“Why didn’t you come horseback riding with us?”

Joy sighs. Of course he changed the subject. “Because I didn’t. I thought it’d be better if you two were alone.”

“Well, it wasn’t,” Malcolm snapped. “Summer wanted you there, both of you. I told you to just stick to my agenda. What is so difficult for you to understand about that?”

The second he finishes talking, Joy enters a state of perfect fury. Her eyebrows go up, her eyes go wide, her entire body goes still—she doesn’t even blink—and the iciest fire known to man begins to brew in the back of her throat.