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She choked back her words, pursing her lips and swallowing hard. He cupped her cheek, but she looked up at him and smiled.
"Thank you, Mason. This vacation has been everything I've always dreamed of."
His chest felt tight as she hopped up and swayed to the back of the boat for their turn. He followed her, unable to deny her and happy that he had made her so happy.
He wasn't sure that he'd ever made Amanda this happy. She had been a very career minded business woman. Strong and no-nonsense. They'd butted heads repeatedly.
Lucy was different, but still strong and resilient. She brought out all his protective qualities, but somehow they could talk through their issues in a way that he and Amanda never had.
He half-paid attention as they received last minute instructions and were hooked into the parasail side by side. Lucy grabbed his hand as the instructor moved to the hydraulic winch and hit a button. Then the boat engines roared.
His jaw dropped open as they were launched into the air, but no sound came out. Lucy, on the other hand, screamed and squeezed his hand so hard he thought she'd break a bone.
"Oh my God, Mason. Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God," she panted.
He looked over at her and frowned. "Lucy, breathe deeper."
She shook her head, grinning and looking around. "It's amazing, isn't it?"
The rope jerked and the parasail swooped to one side. Lucy screamed and squeezed his hand, but Mason was distracted by trying to right them. He tugged on the strap to redirect them like the instructor had said.
They evened out, and he looked back over at Lucy. He frowned, letting go of the strap and reaching across his body to pat at her cheek. Her head lolled to one side, her fingers no longer gripping his hand but hanging loose in his.
"Damn it, Lucy. Come on. Wake up, sunshine. Come on. You can't land like this or you'll break a leg. Why did you insist on doing this crazy stunt?"
He made a signal to the instructor and felt the rope pulling them closer to the boat. His heart raced with each second she was out. They were halfway back to the boat when she lifted her head and said, "What?"
She looked around and gasped, twisting and jerking the parasail.
"Sh, it's ok. I've got you. Look at me, Lucy."
She turned her head, and he squeezed her hand still in his. "Mason?"
"That's right. I won't let you go, sunshine. Stay with me."
She groaned. "Shit, shit, shit. Did I pass out?"
He nodded. "Yeah, are you alright? Are you afraid of heights? Why—"
She shook her head and took his hand again as she looked around. "Why now? I wasn't panicking, I was excited. And now I've ruined it."
She sniffed and rubbed her eyes. His heart ached, and he had to do something to fix this.
He rubbed his thumb on the back of her hand and shook his head. "No, you didn't. Look around? You're doing it, right now. Nothing's ruined. You're fine, right?"
He ignored the desperate note on the last word, hoped that she wouldn't hear it. It was his job to keep her safe and reassure her that all was well. And it would be once they were safely back on the boat.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I just pass out sometimes when I panic. I can't catch my breath and pass out."
He frowned, not letting her hand go. "How long have you been doing that? Maybe you can see a doctor."
She shook her head. "No, there's nothing they can do. It started when I was in middle school. Oh my God, look, Mason! Are those whales?"
They glanced to the left, far from the boat that tugged them slowly back in. Neither of them said a word as they watched the majesty of it all. Mason let go of her hand and wrapped his arm around her back, grabbing onto a strap on her life vest. He took her left hand in his left hand as they approached the boat.
They landed with a jarring thud, and he clenched his teeth as he tried to hold her upright. Her knees wobbled, then they both fell. He grunted, trying to roll so she was on top of him. The instructor worked quickly to unlatch them from the parasail.
"What happened? Are you alright, miss?" the instructor asked.
