Chapter 9
Chapter
Nine
“We’re what?” Paisley asked. Then she began laughing. “I guess it won’t matter if Team USA is playing without me. I’ll be dead—so I won’t be worrying about basketball.”
“Whoa,” Sawyer said. “No one around here is going to be dying. We’ll be in the hands of experts, not trying this solo. If you’re game, we’ll be tandem jumping today.”
“It’s okay,” she said. “I was teasing. Well, mostly teasing. Honestly, the thought of skydiving does scare me a little bit, but I’m more intrigued than anything. And you said tandem?”
He nodded. “It’s safest for first time dives. Especially since this is something new to both of us and it does possess an element of danger, I thought we should put ourselves in the hands of professionals. We’ll be attached to a certified tandem instructor.”
“I like the sound of that.” She reached out and touched her fingers to his forearm. Once more that sizzle rippled through her at the contact. “I think it’s a brilliant idea. Certainly nothing I would’ve come up with on my own.”
“Let’s go talk with Andy. He’s the owner of this place and knows that our jump will depend upon what he tells us now.”
Reluctantly, she let her hand drop, but the energy still zipped through her from the brief contact.
They got out of his car and headed toward an airplane hangar. A man who looked to be in his late forties and sporting salt and pepper hair and a matching beard greeted them.
“Hey. You must be Sawyer Montgomery and Paisley Roberts. I’m Andy Taylor.”
Andy shook hands with both of them and added, “Come on inside. I hear this is the first time either of you have ever jumped, so I want to make sure I answer all your questions.”
Inside the hangar, she saw two airplanes, much smaller than the ones she had traveled on during her playing days. They entered a separate air-conditioned office, and the cool felt good to her.
Andy went to a small fridge in the corner and removed two bottled waters, handing one to each of them.
“Sip on these while we’re talking. You can never be too hydrated for a jump.
Let me tell you a little about me. I was with the hundred and first, an army airborne division known as the Screaming Eagles, a light infantry division.
They’re famous for their role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings in Normandy.
Nowadays, they’re an air assault division stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
Only about half those who go through training become a member of the Eagles.
So, I’m part of a proud heritage of men who fought for this country. ”
Paisley liked how Andy was giving them background about himself. She found herself relaxing.
“I earned my pilot’s license when I was seventeen.
Went straight into the army after graduating from high school.
Did my twenty and a bit of change before retiring from the military.
Bought some land, and now I give flying lessons, for the most part.
I also conduct jumps for people, both tandem and individual. ”
Andy grinned. “One jump—and you’ll be addicted. Let me walk you through the process, and if you have any questions along the way, feel free to jump in.”
She listened carefully as Andy explained how they would be attached to a licensed, certified specialist in tandem jumping. He said their back would be to the instructor’s chest.
That caused alarm within her. If she were the person in front, she would be seeing the ground first. Landing first.
“If that’s the case, I’d be hitting the ground first. I can’t do that, Andy.” Panic swelled within her. “I had a severe knee injury several months ago. I know you’re falling in the air and must hit the ground pretty hard. I can’t afford a broken foot or ankle, much less the impact to my knee.”
“Let me calm your fears, Paisley. In tandem jumping, the novice jumper will raise his or her feet up just before landing. It’s the TI—tandem instructor—who’s the one touching down.
And yes, there have been injuries when people hit the ground in solo jumps, but Jared and I are skilled at what we do.
We’ll touch down so lightly, you’ll barely realize you’re back on Mother Earth again. We absorb the landing. Not you.”
The fear which had spiked started to evaporate. “Okay. I can do that. Tell us more about the jump itself.”
“We’ll jump from the plane. Space ourselves out by several seconds so we don’t bump into one another.
Jared and I have been doing this long enough, though, that we usually line up pretty quickly and fall beside one another.
That way, you and Sawyer can experience the jump together.
You’ll be in each other’s line of view. We can even take a few pictures for you. ”
The TI looked her in the eye. “That’s one of my non-negotiable rules.
Your pockets have to be empty. No wallet or keys.
That kind of thing. And definitely no cell phones.
Part of it is a safety thing, so that you’ll be paying attention to your instructor and what is said and not clicking away on your phone.
“The other reason? I want you to simply enjoy the beauty of the jump itself. Jared and I will take some photos for you so you can have a remembrance of the experience.”
“How fast do we fall?” Sawyer asked.
“Good question. When you first jump from the plane, you’ll be hit by the wind and the noise,” Andy shared. “I’m glad you took my suggestion and dressed appropriately in snug-fitting clothing. That way, you don’t have a T-shirt flapping in the breeze, distracting you as you reach terminal velocity.”
“What’s that?” Paisley interjected, not liking the sound of the term.
“Terminal velocity is the maximum speed you’ll reach. Once we jump from the plane, it’ll take about twelve seconds to reach it. We’ll then be falling at about a hundred and twenty miles an hour by that point.”
She shivered. “That sounds really fast.”
“You’ll be surprised. Things have a tendency to slow down during a jump.
You’ll find yourself soaking up the landscape below you and not really notice your speed.
You will find your adrenaline spiking. It will flood you with endorphins.
Not that I’ve ever taken illegal drugs, but from what I gather, it’s a natural high similar to the rush of cocaine shot into your system the first time. ”
“Who opens the parachute—you or me?” Paisley asked.
“You’re simply there to enjoy the jump. Jared and I take care of all the technical stuff.
When to jump from the plane. Turning your body so that your belly remains face down.
We maintain that belly-to-earth placement so that a constant velocity is maintained.
Whoever you jump with will tap your shoulder to give you a heads up that the chute is about to be engaged.
I’ll admit there is a jerk when that occurs, and I don’t want you to be taken off-guard.
Once the chute is engaged, you simply float the rest of the way down to the earth and land gently. ”
“I’m getting excited about this,” she revealed, amazed that Sawyer had thought of something so out of the box. “Could I also get a tap when it’s time to pull my feet up? I don’t want to be caught up in the moment and forget to do that.”
“Sure,” Andy agreed good-naturedly. “You don’t want to do so too soon and have your legs cramp while you’re holding them up.” He stood. “If you’d like, I’ll give you a few minutes to talk it over and see if this is really something you’re interested in doing.”
She met Sawyer’s gaze and nodded imperceptibly. He looked to Andy and said, “We’re in. All in. Ready for the experience of a lifetime.”
Andy smiled. “Good for the two of you. Let me go grab Jared. I’ll also need to check in with the pilot.
The weather is terrific today. Very little wind.
You should be comfortable in jumping with what you’re wearing.
The rule of thumb is if you’re cold on the ground, you’ll be cold in the air.
Same with the heat. If you would feel more comfortable in a jumpsuit, though, I can fit you in one of those. ”
Sawyer looked to her, and Paisley said, “I’m fine with what I have on.”
“Same,” Sawyer responded.
“Then let me go arrange everything for your jump, and I’ll be back. There’ll be a little paperwork to sign before we take off.”
Andy went to a folder and pulled a few sheets from it. “You can look this over while I’m gone.”
After Andy left the office, she said, “If anyone would have told me that I would be jumping out of an airplane today of my own free will, I would’ve laughed in their face. We really are going to do this, aren’t we?
He grinned at her. “We really are. And we’re going to have fun doing so. I promised you wild and crazy, and I hope I’ve delivered.”
“Oh, you’ve more than delivered. I’m already hyped before we even board the plane. I can’t imagine what it’s going to feel like, falling through the air.”
“I read some accounts about the experience online after I booked it for us. It said even people who are afraid of heights don’t seem to mind jumping out of a plane because the ground is so far away.
That it doesn’t seem real. I also read that it’s not so much falling as it seems to be floating.
I guess we’ll see for ourselves. Let me look at the form now and see if it’s something I feel comfortable signing. ”
Paisley sat as he read, his brow slightly furrowed.
He was a very handsome guy with a little bit of a rough edge to him.
She thought perhaps it might be because of his nose.
It looked as if it had been broken at some point, probably during a game.
She glanced to his hands, which held the papers.
She liked the look of them. Big, strong hands.
Hands she wanted on her.