Chapter 18

Parker brushed past Ruby and headed toward the car.

“What about thermals?” Ruby asked, hurrying after him.

“I’ll risk it,” Parker said. He’d never felt this conflicted and confused before. He didn’t want to be with anyone, he just wanted to fly. Alone.

“Don’t you need Andy and Rafael?” she asked.

“They’re on their way down.” Parker threw his backpack into the back seat. “Don’t wait up for me,” he said before jumping into the car and tearing out of the parking lot. He couldn’t believe it. How could he have been so blind? Parker was just grateful that Ruby hadn’t been in the hotel room when his brother had called with the news. Their parents were divorcing. After Parker had based his whole marriage philosophy on them. After he’d told everyone what a perfect marriage they had and how he was waiting to find the girl who would be as perfect a fit for him as his parents were for each other.

It was all a sham. They didn’t have a perfect marriage. They were just good at hiding it.

Parker leaned into the accelerator and sped along the twists and turns of the mountain. Ruby was right. He shouldn’t go out flying. He would be the only one out there. It was too hot and wouldn’t cool down for at least another couple of hours. But he didn’t care. Parker arrived at the valley much faster than he should have and was surprised to see Andy pull up just a couple of minutes later.

“What, do you have a death wish?” Andy yelled, jumping out of the truck. “You need to be done for the weekend. Take Ruby sightseeing or something, but you’re done.”

“I’m going up there,” Parker said, though he was shocked by Andy’s anger. He was the most levelheaded person Parker knew. But Andy didn’t understand the need to fly, to focus on something bigger than himself, to be alone. Parker needed this more than anything else in the world right now.

“How are you going to do that?” Andy asked as Rafael and Ruby stepped out of the truck. “You need us to get up there, and we’re not going to help you.”

“Yes, we are,” Ruby said, her voice quiet.

Everyone whipped toward her, as if she had used a megaphone.

“Why would we do that?” Andy asked.

Ruby focused her attention on Parker and his breathing calmed, his anger simmering down to a dull ache. He hadn’t expected her to be there, but he was glad she was.

“Because he needs this right now,” she said. “And we are his friends. And even though I think it’s a stupid thing he’s doing, our job is to be there for him. And to trust him.”

“But people shouldn’t be trusted when they are angry,” Andy retorted.

Ruby walked over to Parker and took his hands in hers. She stared into his eyes and his pulse quickened. He wanted nothing but to kiss Ruby in that moment—kiss away all the anger and heartache that either of them had ever experienced and start over again.

“Can we trust you to not get yourself killed?” Ruby asked.

Parker hesitated. He knew he shouldn’t be flying right now. His instincts told him to stay on the ground. But…he nodded. “I’m a skilled flier. I’ll be fine.”

Ruby searched his face, as if looking for any doubt he might be hiding, but then she turned and walked back to Andy and Rafael.

Parker couldn’t hear what she said to them, but his two crew members looked over Ruby’s shoulder at him before nodding. They didn’t look happy about the decision they had reached, but the resignation Parker saw in their features told him they would help.

Rafael walked up to Parker and laid a hand on his shoulder. “If there is any indication that there could be trouble, land immediately. We’ll find you.”

Parker felt a second of hesitation and self-doubt. But flying was the only way he knew how to deal with the emotions swirling around inside. He wasn’t the type of guy who could go shoot a few hoops and be fine. He needed the adrenaline of flying—besides, it was the only place he could truly be alone. “Thanks. I appreciate it.”

“But just to let you know, if you ever pull something like this again, Andy has threatened to quit the team.”

Shame settled in Parker’s gut, but he shoved it back down. There would be plenty of time for that later.

“You’re sure about this?” Ruby asked, handing Parker his backpack. He stood in the basket, all ready to go.

“Yes,” he lied.

Ruby turned away but Parker called her back. She half-turned toward him, and he could see the uneasiness in her eyes.

“Thank you,” he said.

She gave a small wave then walked back to the truck, where Andy and Rafael waited. They watched the basket as it rose and Parker gave one last wave before turning away and facing the freedom that awaited him.

Parker checked the thermometer. It was warmer up here than he had anticipated, but nothing he couldn’t handle. He would just have to make sure he didn’t stay out too long, since it would take more fuel to stay up. Parker opened the burner and the balloon rose higher. He closed his eyes and breathed in the clean air. Everything was perfect when he was up here. His parents were still together, his siblings weren’t having to deal with this, without him, and he and Ruby were—well, he wouldn’t think about that right then. That wasn’t why Parker was up here.

He tried to empty his thoughts of everything negative and focused on the wispy clouds that punctuated the vast blue sky. The mountains rolled into the distance and Parker wished he could stay up here forever. It was just as he was clearing the mountain range that the balloon dipped.

“Stupid thermals,” Parker said, holding onto the basket. It was then that he realized he hadn’t checked the forecast before leaving, not to mention the wind speed. That was ballooning 101, and he had been in such a rush to get out of the hotel, he hadn’t bothered. He cursed himself under his breath. After another large dip, he opened the burner to get more altitude. He seemed to be moving much faster than earlier. Parker unclipped the radio from the back of his pants.

“Hey, Rafael, what is the wind speed supposed to be for the next little bit?”

The radio crackled for a moment before Rafael said, “You need to land. It’s currently twelve miles per hour. If it picks up at all, who knows where you’ll end up.”

Parker was still too high and it would take a few more minutes just to clear the mountain range. “I’ll do what I can,” he said into the radio, grabbing onto the side of the basket as it dipped again. “And guys? I’m sorry.”

He clipped the radio onto his back pocket. He should have listened, and now they were having to drive all over the mountains, trying to make sure he came home in one piece. It was a bumpy ride, but Parker made it past the peaks and headed toward the farmland. He spotted the perfect landing spot in the distance and opened a valve, letting some of the hot air out as he began his descent. Unfortunately, that put him right in the path of a crosswind that was traveling in a different direction than he wanted to go. Parker wasn’t focused. He knew better than this. The wind took him back toward the mountains and he watched as his target faded into the distance behind him.