Chapter Eleven
Piper
A flutter of excitement rolls through me as I get ready for my date with Magnus. He’s kept the date a top secret, only telling me to wear comfortable clothes I can move in. What does that mean? I’m not sure, but he said comfortable, so I dress in what I can easily breathe in, a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and a cozy sweater. It kills me not knowing what he has planned, but it’s all about the adventure, which I’m always game for.
It’s eleven in the morning and he shows up right on time, his beautiful smile warming me all over as I open the door to him. It takes all I have not to drag him inside, rip off his clothes, and show him how much I miss his body against mine. For a woman who said I was one, okay two, and done, I’m failing miserably. What girl can resist when a man has been as charming as Magnus, though? I don’t know anyone with that much willpower.
“Ready for an adventure?” Magnus asks, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
“I’m dying of curiosity, but more than ready,” I reply, my body flushing all over.
“Let’s go, then,” he says, taking my hand and pulling me from the apartment. I love the tingle running through me as his fingers hold mine. I wonder if this feeling continues if you’re with a person for years. I have no idea. I can see why passion fades though, if the feeling stops. I’m already used to the tingles, and it’s only been about a month since I’ve been seeing him again after our brief affair a year ago.
He loads me into his vehicle and we drive from my small town, the scenery changing the more miles we go. I’m trying to guess our destination, but I really have no clue. I try to get him to speak, but Magnus is keeping tight lipped, only offering me teasing hints. When we arrive at a small, private airfield, my mouth drops open. He pulls up near a sleek helicopter.
“We aren’t going on that, are we?” I ask with a bit of apprehension.
He grins at me. “Have you ever been on a helicopter?”
I shake my head, feeling a mixture of nerves and exhilaration. “No, they sort of scare me. I don’t understand how a few little blades keep them in the air.”
“They fly every day and there are very few accidents. I don’t get on anything that hasn’t had vigorous safety checks so I assure you it will be amazing,” he says as he helps me from the vehicle. He doesn’t rush me as we stand still while the pilot waits for us.
“Well, I like adventure and challenging myself,” I tell him. “I decided years ago to never let fear keeping me sitting when I can be running.”
“I love your attitude,” he tells me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and squeezing. “It makes me want to see what else I can do to surprise you.”
“I don’t know how many thrills my heart can take,” I tell him with a laugh. “Let’s try one thing at a time.”
He throws his head back and laughs which thrills me. Maybe I’m rubbing off on this man as much as he’s rubbing off on me. I like to think so. Maybe, just maybe, we’re good for each other. Can it last? I don’t know, but I’ve decided I’m going to enjoy the ride for as long as I can.
We load up on the helicopter and Magnus takes a bit of extra time buckling me in, his hands touching places I quite like. It’s enough to make my fear drop away into the background as my hormones go crazy. He places the headphones over my ears and then sits beside me, reaching over and taking my hand as the rotors start up.
My stomach drops a little as we lift into the air, but I have Magnus right at my side, his soothing voice calming while his fingers whisper through mine. “Focus on the view. You won’t get to see anything quite like this,” he tells me.
I look out the window as we begin moving faster, flying over the Washington coastline, the ocean sparkling beneath us and the landscape unfolding in the most breathtaking beauty. Magnus points out landmarks I’ve only seen from the ground before. It’s amazing how beautiful it is to see them from the sky at only a couple of thousand feet. I can’t believe I’ve never done something this wonderful before.
He gives me the history of the islands, how the land was settled, developed, and has evolved over time. If you live in or near Seattle you might not realize all of the beauty that surrounds it. I’ve never been a big fan of any city, but once you get out of the rat race, there really is abundant beauty on the outside edges, and I don’t know if any other large city has so much sparse beauty so nearby.
The more we fly, the more relaxed I get, Magnus’s hand never leaving mine, his voice a constant in my ear. This date is only beginning, and so far, it’s the greatest I’ve ever had. I don’t think anything can possibly top this. We don’t land in the same place we took off. I’m sure with his money and contacts, he’s had his vehicle moved anywhere it needs to be. I can’t imagine never having to worry about the cost of things. What a blessing that would be. If he hadn’t grown up so poor I might be slightly resentful of this, but he’s had hard times in life, and he’s made it through and come out stronger and better than anyone could ever imagine.
Once on solid ground again, I throw my arms around him. “Thank you, Magnus. That was indescribable.”
He leans in and gives me a brief kiss, then pulls back, his eyes sparkling. “I want to show you the world,” he whispers, making my heart thump. “I adore how much delight you take in every aspect of life.”
“I decided long ago to enjoy each moment. It doesn’t mean I don’t have grumpy days, but I force myself out of them. When I’m having a hard time, I tell myself I won’t feel that way in twenty-four hours. Nothing is so bad that it will last indefinitely. This helps me so much when I do get down in the dumps.”
“I can’t imagine you ever being in a bad mood,” he tells me.
“Oh, it happens. You want to run fast and far when it does because it isn’t often, but it’s certainly explosive,” I say with a laugh.
“Well, let’s see if we can wear you out today so you don’t have the energy to strike,” he tells me.
“What can you possibly do to top that ride?” I eagerly ask.
“Come along, madam, and you will see.” He holds out his hand which I gladly take. I’m getting used to walking with my hand in his. He leads to me to his vehicle, that of course, has been brought here, and then we drive to an adventure park. We walk through it holding hands, laughing, talking, and snacking in between a thrilling zip-line adventure through the trees, and a challenging rope course that nearly knocks us both off. It’s a good thing for safety harnesses or we’d definitely be on the ground too far below us.
I laugh more in a few hours than I have in my entire life, feeling young and free, and loving that I’m doing all of this with Magnus. He’s ruining me to any other date I might possibly have, even with him. There’s no way of topping this wonderful day.
We stay at the park until the sun lowers in the sky, and then he drives us to a charming seaside restaurant with an incredible view of the water, candles on the tables, and a breeze blowing in filled with the fresh scent of the Pacific Ocean. The sounds, smells, and sights are a perfect ending to the best day ever.
“Have I thanked you for an extraordinary date?” I say in awe as I look over the balcony at the gently rolling waves. “This is absolutely beautiful.”
“It’s not nearly as beautiful as you,” he says, pulling my attention back to him, getting captured by his gaze.
My cheeks heat as I shake my head. I know I’m not ugly, but he really does make me feel like the most beautiful woman in the room. “You make me feel great,” I admit.
“I want to always make you feel this way, and wanted today to be special,” he says.
“You’ve done that and so much more.”
We continue to talk, only breaking to order food. Sometimes on dates there are awkward silences, but not with Magnus. The conversation flows as we speak about our families, our dreams, our fears, what we like, what we don’t like, and what motivates us. I get to hear more about his childhood and his journey that’s led him to where he is today. It’s so impressive. I find myself sharing things with him I’ve never shared with anyone other than Livie. He somehow gets me to let all walls down and show him the real me.
“I want to hear more about your sister. She sounds wonderful,” I tell him as we’re served some dessert and coffee. Magnus’s eyes light up with fondness. It’s very clear how much he loves his sister, which is only one more reason for me to be so impressed with this man.
“One summer when I was twelve, I think, my sister and I decided to build a treehouse in the woods near our home. We didn’t have money to buy anything, and had zero clue on what we were doing, but we had determination. We spent weeks scavenging through the woods for materials and borrowed tools from our dad’s box, and yet, somehow, we managed to put something together that vaguely resembled a treehouse. It was incredible in my humble opinion.”
I laugh. “Do you even know how be humble?” I ask. He shakes his head. It does amuse me when people use the saying, in my humble opinion . Right then and there you know it’s not a humble opinion at all, but fact in their mind.
I laugh again, trying to picture Magnus as a young boy running around with a little sister. I bet he was a charmer even back then, maybe even more so. If this continues, we’ll definitely have to look through childhood pictures. Those eyes of his must’ve broken hearts even as a thirteen year old.
“Did it stay up?” I ask.
“Barely,” he says. “It certainly wasn’t up to code, and was the wobbliest structure you’ve ever seen, but what mattered was how proud of it we were and how much fun we had there. We’d spend hours at it, playing games and making up stories. It was our own little piece of paradise and is still one of my fondest childhood memories.”
“It sounds wonderful. It also seems like you and your sister started out close and still are.”
“We were and are,” he says, his expression soft. “We did so much together. We used those woods as our own personal playground. We had safari’s dressing up with what we could find, making binoculars our of toilet paper rolls, and exploring the wild. I’ve forgotten about this stuff until talking about it. We even built our own traps that caught nothing in reality, but in our imagination were containing lions, tigers, and bears.”
“Even without money you had an incredible childhood,” I tell him. Even if all of this is drawing me in closer and closer to him, I love every minute of it.
“I think it was wonderful because we didn’t have money. We were forced to use our imaginations, forced to play with what we could make ourselves. It’s easy to be isolated in today’s world with electronics at our disposal. Back then, we either played and talked, or we were bored to pieces. I wouldn’t change it.”
“I had an older brother that wasn’t there most of my childhood, and had a really hard time making friends when I was young because I was so shy, but then I met Livie my freshman year of college and learned the importance of having a best friend. Everyone needs a person they can tell everything to without being judged. I can’t imagine my life without her now. It would’ve been even better to have had her when I was young.”
“You don’t like to talk too much about your childhood,” he points out.
I feel myself close up a little. “There’s not a lot to tell. That was the past, and now I’m here today, and I’m happy. I want to make new memories. I wish I would’ve had half as perfect a childhood as you did, but we aren’t all that lucky.” I don’t allow this to bum me out. It’s simply reality. I’ve accepted it.
“I’m sorry you didn’t have a great childhood, but I’m here now, and I’d love to help you make some wonderful memories.”
The sincerity in his voice nearly brings me to tears. How has this man stepped into my life? It seems so unreal I don’t know what to think about it. I’m waiting for the bubble to pop while praying it doesn’t. I want to live in the moment now, though, and not look for what might happen. The past is done, and the future is yet to come, but I have full power in the moment, and I choose to make each moment wonderful.
“I wouldn’t mind a few more memories,” I admit. He reaches over and takes my hand again, squeezing my fingers.
We leave the restaurant and take a walk along the water, the night air cool and inviting, making me feel even more relaxed. We continue talking, the topics running from light-hearted to more personal, all of it thrilling. Magnus has a way of making me feel seen and my words valuable to him. I love walking at his side. The moonlit path is serene, the gentle sounds of the waves soothing, and his hand in mine a perfect ending to an even more perfect day. I’m not going anywhere.
He stops and pulls me into his arms. “I wasn’t sure how you were going to top the helicopter ride, but each moment of today has been amazing.”
“I’m happy you’ve enjoyed yourself. It’s the best date I’ve ever had, and it’s all about the company. I’d be just as pleased sitting alone with you on the couch. As long as you’re in my arms, I’m right where I want to be.”
“You’re dang smooth, Mr. Carter,” I tell him.
“I’m not trying to be,” he says, and I believe him. This man speaks from the heart. He’s much softer than I realized the first time we met. His hard shell is nothing but a show.
He leans down, and captures my lips in a tender, lingering kiss that has me melting in his arms. “Come home with me,” he demands.
“Oh yes,” I reply.
All of this is romantic, but as soon as we decide to head home, we’re in a hurry. He pulls from me, takes my hand, then we practically run back to his vehicle and the speaking stops as he breaks every speed limit on the way to his home.
I reach over and lay my hand on his thigh, squeezing, which makes him press down even harder on the accelerator, making me smile. If this is a fling, I’m okay with it, because I can’t imagine anything being better than it is right now. I’ll take all I can get, and I’ll enjoy the entire journey.