Chapter 30
Ethan
The plane hums with anticipation, the interior vibrating softly as it ascends, muffled conversations and nervous laughter filling the space. Blake sits beside me, looking calm and collected, but she’s holding her hands tightly in her lap.
Sunlight streaming through the small windows catches the highlights in her hair, and she looks at me, so pretty I can hardly stand it, while Liam is across from us, chatting animatedly with a tourist who grips the edges of his seat, knuckles white, smiling through his anxiety. A couple of solo jumpers, seasoned pros with years of experience, are checking their gear.
I glance out the window, taking in the breathtaking view below. Today is a rare day off now that the pristine beaches around the lighthouse are finally free of oil. There are still a few spots south of Harbor’s Edge that need some work, and a few oil patches near the wetlands held back by the booms we placed a couple of weeks ago, but me and the rest of the Valiant Hearts are going to take care of it. The end is in sight—we’ve almost done it.
Looking over at Blake, a deep sense of gratitude for having her in my life washes over me. I’m in love with a beautiful woman, and life has never felt so good. And even though she hasn’t told me yet, I can tell she loves me too. It’s in the lean of her body into mine, the brush of her lips on my cheek when she thinks I’m sleeping, the way she’s opened up to me, relied on me.
Leaning over, letting my hand rest on top of hers. “You doing okay?”
Her green eyes lock onto mine. A wry smile. “You know, I’m never nervous with you. I trust you completely. Even when we’re doing something stupid, like throwing ourselves out of a plane.”
I grin back, warmth spreading through me. “You’re gonna love this.”
As we approach the drop zone, I double-check her harness. “You sure you’re ready for this?”
Blake smirks, throwing her shoulders back, a defiant expression on that perfect face. “I was born ready. Just don’t mess up my hair.”
Planting a smacking kiss on her lips before checking on the others. Everything looks good and I flash Liam a thumbs up, who lets the pilot know. The excitement in the plane is palpable. I strap myself to Blake, remind everyone to arch, and head to the door. We inch closer to the edge, the world outside a dizzying blur of blue sky and green earth, cold air blasting past us.
“On three,” I shout over the wind. “One, two, three!”
We leap into the void, and the freefall is incredible. The sensation of falling, our bodies strapped together like one entity, buffered by the whims of the wind, is pure euphoria. The air rushes past, the ground hurtling up to meet us. For those few moments, it’s just us and the endless sky, a perfect moment suspended in time.
As we plummet through the air, strands of Blake’s hair whip against my face—she’s completely reliant on me, trusting me to keep her safe, and it’s impossible not to think about how far we’ve come. I secretly wanted her for so long, always watching from a distance, never crossing that line between friendship and what we have now.
But she’s gradually learned to let me in, to rely on me, her walls slowly coming down bit by bit. It hasn’t been easy for her, and she’s challenged me too. I’ve always been the guy who plans every detail, who makes sure nothing goes wrong. But sometimes we just have to let go, to trust in the moment and in each other.
Falling together now, it’s the high point of what’s been an amazing ride, and I can’t imagine how things could get any better. The world below us, the woman I love in my arms, and the feeling of absolute freedom—it’s all more than I could ever ask for.
The parachute deploys and one second we’re falling, the next we’re gliding, drifting gently toward the earth, and I hold her a little tighter. The vibrant autumn leaves create a breathtaking tapestry below, the cliffs and beaches of Harbor’s Edge looking more beautiful than ever from this height.
I’m soaring with the sheer joy of the moment and the love I feel for the perfect woman in my arms. She looks back at me, her whole face lit up.
“How was that?” I shout.
“Amazing!” she shouts back. “I can’t believe we just jumped out of a plane!”
The ground approaches, and I guide us toward the usual landing zone on a field just outside of town, our descent smooth and controlled. Blake lifts her legs when I tell her too, and I take the impact of our touchdown, then unclip her and pull her into a tight embrace, before she pulls back, fist pumping in the air, red hair in wild strands around her beautiful face.
“That was incredible. I’ve never felt so alive!” She high fives the other jumpers and hugs Liam, before coming back to me, kissing me deeply. Suddenly anything and everything feels possible.
We say goodbye to the other jumpers, and Liam claps me on the back. “You two looked like pros up there! Maybe you should start a couples’ skydiving team.”
Blake laughs, combing out her hair with her fingers. “Yeah, and we can call ourselves The Love Birds .”
“Sounds about right,” he replies, aiming a wink in my direction.
We finish packing up our gear, stowing the parachutes and harnesses in the back of my truck, which was left in the field before we boarded the plane.
Liam pauses to take a drink, his gaze fixed on me: “So, are you going to serenade Blake at the party tonight?”
The mayor is hosting a party to thank all the volunteers for their help with the oil-spill cleanup. She’s always been a woman who cares about the community, celebrating both the big and small things.
Blake looks at me, her rosebud mouth pursed. “Yeah, have you got any secret musical talents I should know about?”
Shaking my head. “I think I’ll stick to what I know. No one wants to hear me sing.”
“Or dance,” adds Liam.
“Actually, Ethan’s learned a couple of new moves.” Blake grins at me. “He can show you tonight.”
Liam gives her a disbelieving look. “Trust me. Ethan does not dance.”
“You’ll see,” she replies.
We climb into my truck and I drop Liam at the airfield to get his car, then drive to Blake’s place. Once we arrive, I lean over and kiss her, loving how just the feel of her lips on mine gets my heart racing. “Do you want me to pick you up? I’m just going to shower and get Bandit.”
“That’s fine, I’ll see you there.”
I head home, still riding high after our jump together. After a quick shower, Bandit and I head to the lighthouse. The place is buzzing, with thirty or so people already here and more arriving. I wave to friends and neighbors, making my way through the space.
Tables and chairs have been set up around the grassy area beside the parking lot, strings of fairy lights creating a warm, inviting glow, while the scent of grilling food wafts through the air. Bandit immediately heads for the grills, where Sheriff Donovan obliges him with a piece of sausage.
Blake turns up in a green dress and a knitted cardigan, and it’s like there’s a spotlight shining on her. She’s knock-out beautiful, and I can’t take my eyes off her as she moves through the crowd, greeting everyone with that radiant smile of hers.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” the mayor calls out, her voice carrying over the chatter. Everyone quiets down, turning to face the mayor, who stands beside Patrick, the lighthouse rising up behind them, tall and white against the bright blue sky.
“I just want to take a moment to thank you all for your incredible hard work. There’s only a small portion of the cleanup left, which the Valiant Hearts boys are going to take care of, and that should be done soon. We did what we do best this last couple of months: we came together and fought back. Because that's how we do things: Harbor’s Edge strong!”
“Harbor’s Edge strong!” Everyone chants in return.
When the voices die down, the mayor gives us all a beaming smile. “Please, enjoy yourselves! You’ve earned it.”
The crowd erupts in applause and cheers. Someone cranks up the music, and lively beats fill the air. Blake walks toward me, weaving through the crowd, her dress swaying with each step. She’s a vision, and she stops in front of me, her arms going around my neck. A few people I know are openly gawking—they obviously aren’t in Dot McLellan’s gossip circles.
“You look amazing.” I pull her close, my hand resting just above the delicious curve of her ass. “Did you wear that just to make the rest of us look bad?”
She laughs, a sound that always makes my heart stutter. “I thought I’d give you something to show off, Mr. Boss Man. Seeing as half the town is going to be here and gossiping about us being together.”
“Well, mission accomplished,” I reply, twirling her around. “Ready to hit the dance floor?”
“Oh, I can’t wait to see this,” she teases, raising an eyebrow. “Don’t forget those arm movements Jaz taught you.”
Leading her onto the makeshift dance floor, Blake calls out to Alex, Tom’s husband, who’s in charge of the music, and it changes to a catchy hip hop tune. I do my best to remember the steps and a crowd starts to gather around, clapping to the beat.
Blake moves effortlessly, her body flowing with the rhythm. I try to keep up, throwing in Jaz’s exaggerated arm movements, knowing I look a little ridiculous but not even caring. Blake’s laughter is infectious, and soon I’m laughing too, even as I stumble over my feet.
“You’re doing great,” she says. “Just remember, confidence is key.”
“I think you mean overconfidence,” I shoot back.
The music speeds up, and I catch Blake by surprise with a quick spin. She yelps in delight, and the crowd around us cheers. The mayor and the sheriff, who are standing nearby, join in the applause.
“You two are quite the pair,” the mayor calls out, laughing.
“Yeah, Ethan’s got some moves!” someone else shouts.
Blake and I continue to dance, the world narrowing down to just the two of us even as others join us on the dance floor. As the song ends, I pull her close, our foreheads touching. “Thanks for pushing me out of my comfort zone,” I whisper.
“Anytime,” she replies, her breath warm against my cheek.
“You want something to drink?”
“Yeah, I could use a drink.”
I whistle for Bandit, who is still lying beside the grill waiting for scraps, and head toward the bar, weaving through the crowd, before grabbing two glasses of wine.
“Here you go, princess,” I say, handing her a glass. “A toast to our dancing skills.”
She clinks my glass. “To our dancing skills. And to Jaz, who is probably shaking her head in disappointment somewhere.”
“Ha! Probably.” We take a seat on the grassy dunes a little away from the party, facing the water, Bandit lying beside Blake with his head on her lap. “So, I’ve been thinking.”
She raises an eyebrow. “Uh-oh. That’s never a good sign.”
“No, really. I’ve been thinking about us. About how great everything’s been going. And I was wondering if you’d like to get away for a bit. You know, a vacation. Just the two of us.”
She blinks, clearly surprised.
“Maybe around Christmas time. We could try to go somewhere warm and sunny. I know it’s a few months away, but we should book now or everything will fill up.”
The idea seems to catch her off guard, but then her face lights up. “That sounds amazing. I say yes. Let’s do it.”
I lift my glass again, a rush of happiness hitting me. “To our vacation. Wherever it may be.”
“To our vacation,” she echoes, and we sip our drinks, making plans for the future with her feeling like the most natural thing in the world.
We discuss potential destinations, tossing around ideas from tropical beaches to cozy mountain retreats, and I’m more certain than ever that this is where I want to be—planning a future with Blake, ready to see where this journey together takes us.