Wilder

“Five-Forty Double Tailwhip. That practice paid off,” Penna called up, cheering when he dismounted the ramp. “And if you think that’s great, wait until you see him on a motocross bike.”

I was too stunned to move.

Paxton looked up at me with a wide grin and bowed as if he’d performed only for my pleasure. My smile was impossible to contain as I clapped for him.

The rest of his crew then did the same, all bowing up to where Brooke and I watched, and my laughter was instant.

I’d known who he was since Miami, but it had never hit home until this moment. He wasn’t just any extreme athlete, he was one of the best in the world.

“We have to do another set, is that okay?” he asked.

“Of course,” I called down. “I’m having fun watching you.”

You sound like one of his groupies.

“Wanna try?” He wiggled his eyebrows under his helmet and GoPro camera.

“Not in a million years. Now go start the wild rumpus.”

“What?” he asked.

“Well, let’s face it, you’re pretty much king of all the wild things around here.” Even his name, Pax, was too close to Max to not draw the comparison to my favorite children’s book.

“I’ll go find my wolf suit,” he said, laughing as he walked off.

Knowing he’d gotten my little joke made me smile even wider.

The trees to the left of the staircase rustled, and three preteen boys popped their heads over the concrete barrier only high enough to see the pipe. “We have an audience,” I told Brooke.

“Always do,” she said. “They all want to be just like the Renegades. Well, until they realize what it costs.”

“What’s that?” King of all the wild things, indeed.

“Time, tears, broken bones, and broken hearts.”

The next set began, and while the others were good—Landon the best, even—none of them held my attention like Paxton. Only Pax made me hold my breath with his tricks and made my pulse pound.

Then one of the CTDs lost his board mid-trick. His arms and legs flailed as gravity pulled him back to the ground. The cracking sound sickened my stomach.

Paxton and Landon ran to the ramp while the staff huddled around the rider. “Who is that?” I asked.

“Not sure,” Brooke said. “But my guess would be that arm is broken.”

A few minutes later, the guy stood, supporting the injured arm, and Paxton walked him off to a nearby waiting ambulance as the others went back to the pipe. “They’re not going to stop?”

Brooke laughed. “None of them would ever have gotten this far if a broken arm stopped them. Hell, Penna had broken both her arms at least three times before our parents stopped trying to talk her out of this career choice.” Her smile faded. “Nothing stops them, even when it should.”

On his way back to the pipe, Paxton paused at the concrete barrier and leaned over. He’s seen the boys.

All three of the boys stood, but instead of kicking them out, Pax signed their skateboards and took selfies. Warmth bloomed in my chest, tight and freeing all in the same breath.

I ignored it and concentrated on the tricks in front of us until it was time to call it quits, but damn if it didn’t keep coming back every time I watched Paxton.

…

“You’re kidding me, right? This is some kind of bad joke?” I asked as he handed me a harness on the beach of Barcelona later that afternoon.

“It’s your choice,” he assured me, his eyes as blue as the water behind him and just as distracting. Maybe he could talk with his eyes closed.

“If I say no?”

“Then we take a nice boat ride along the coast.”

“If I say yes?”

“Then we parasail. That’s where the boat pulls the towline and we float up under the parachute.”

“I know what parasailing is,” I snapped. My shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry. I just didn’t think this was what you had in mind.”

“Don’t ever be sorry for telling me how you feel. I’d rather know than have you fake it. You asked me to help you get past the fear, right?”

“Sure, when I was drugged,” I mumbled, looking at the sand between my toes. It had been a stupid thought that I could even try to conquer the terror, but I couldn’t afford to pass out every time I was put in a risky situation. But seriously, how many times was I ever going to be put in that position?

Depends. Are you planning on hanging around Paxton much?

“Then let me help you.”

“Maybe we could start with something a little lower first,” I suggested.

“What did you have in mind?”

“Something where my feet stay on the ground?” I smiled.

“That’s not going to help you. I promise this is safe, and there’s already a parachute. And the minute you say you’re done, we come down.”

“We?” I blinked. “You’re not sending me up there alone?”

His forehead puckered. “No. I was going to take you up tandem. I mean, if you want to go solo, I won’t stand in your way.”

“No!” I shouted. “I mean, if we’re doing this, I’d rather have you with me. You seem like you’re pretty handy in these situations.”

“Then you’re in?”

“If you’re with me, then I’m in.”

The crew strapped us in side-by-side, and I thanked God I’d worn leggings today. They slid easily through the harness. “So this is safe, right?”