Either Gavin Fortunado had missed his calling as an actor or he was actually interested in her. Christine touched her fingertips to her lips when she was back in her office after lunch, imagining she could still feel the warmth of his mouth on hers.
Although she’d been a bundle of nerves running into him at the diner with Schuyler and Everett, he’d seemed relaxed and happy to see her. The way he’d taken her hand and then kissed her had made her feel like she was really his fiancée. But the rush of excitement brought on by that thought was followed almost immediately by a clenching in her heart.
If she let herself believe that, it could only end in heartache. When this started, she’d expected to put on a show when they were around his family. She would never have guessed she’d be going on actual dates with Gavin. And while she knew she should keep her walls up because of the risk to her heart, there was no way to deny how much she wanted to be with him.
She pulled her phone from her purse and dialed the familiar number.
“Christine?” Her mother picked up on the first ring. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, Mom.” Christine swallowed against the tension that accompanied every conversation with her mother. “I’m calling to say hi and see how you’re doing.”
“It’s the middle of the day,” Stephanie Briscoe pointed out as if she might not realize it. “Did you get fired?”
“No,” Christine answered through clenched teeth.
“You said you were running the real estate agency those Fortunados own in Austin.”
“I still am. It was a promotion.”
“It sounds like a lot of work,” her mother said drily. “I wasn’t sure you’d be able to handle it.”
“Mom.” Christine sighed. How many times did she have to have some version of the “you can’t handle your own life” conversation with her mother? “I’ve been working for Kenneth for ten years. I’m good at my job. They trust me. They rely on me.”
“I worry,” her mother whispered, indignation lacing her tone. “I’m your mother. That’s my job.”
“Okay,” Christine agreed although her mother’s concern had always felt more like judgment. “But I’m doing fine.” She didn’t mention the recent fall-off in business since the beginning of the year. In a meeting with Kenneth yesterday, they’d chalked it up to a normal post-holiday lull, but he hadn’t seemed convinced and neither was she. Things had gotten off to a great start when Maddie and Zach had first taken over. She hated the fact that they’d be returning to trouble, even though it had nothing to do with Christine’s role at the agency.
She wished she could mention the issues to her mother. It would be nice to have the kind of relationship where she went to her mom—or her dad, for that matter—for support and advice. But that wasn’t the way of things and she didn’t expect their family dynamic to change anytime soon.
“I’m glad,” her mother answered. “I just want you to be okay.”
“I know, Mom.” She didn’t bother to mention that it was the other Briscoe daughter who needed her mother’s concern. Her sister, Aimee, had recently been fired from her job, and while she’d quickly been picked up by another salon, her spotty employment record was becoming a problem.
Christine had successfully graduated college and had a career she loved, but Aimee had floundered since high school, despite being a talented hairstylist. Their parents couldn’t admit that the favorite daughter was the failure of the family, and Christine, whom no one had ever expected to amount to much, was thriving. She certainly wasn’t going to point it out.
She decided instead to get to the real reason she’d phoned. “I’m calling about Sunday. I might not be able to make dinner.”
“Christine, no. You promised when you moved back to Austin that you’d make an effort.”
“I have,” Christine insisted, hating being put on the defensive. “I’ve come for dinner every week.”
“It’s important to your father and me that the four of us spend more time together. Your sister is going through a rough time, and she needs our support.”
Christine didn’t want to hear about Aimee’s rough time, which most likely stemmed from too many nights of partying with her friends and the monumental hangovers that seemed to prevent her from showing up to work on time.
“I understand, Mom. It’s just one Sunday. I promise.”
“Why can’t you come?” her mother demanded. “Are you behind at work and need to catch up?”
“I have a date,” Christine blurted.
Silence from the other end of the line.
“Since when?” Stephanie asked. “Who is this guy who wants to keep you from seeing your family? I don’t like the sound of it.”
Christine had to work not to growl into the phone. She loved her mother, but for some reason the love she received in return always manifested in criticism. It had been that way since she could remember. Her mother had constantly commented on Christine’s weight or lack of friends, comparing her to Aimee with Christine always falling short.
“He’s not trying to keep me from seeing you. I didn’t mention it to him.”
“Bring him to dinner,” her mother answered simply.
“What?”
“You heard me. Unless it’s some casual fling or you’re worried we won’t approve. I want to know more about your life, Christine. Let us meet your boyfriend. I want us to be closer. After the incident with my heart last year, you know I’ve been reevaluating things and focusing on what’s important. You’re important to me, sweetie.”
Christine sighed. Just like that, all the fight went out of her. In addition to the position in Austin being a promotion, she’d taken the job to be closer to her family, and particularly her mother. Stephanie had a heart attack in March of last year, spending four days in the hospital then successfully completing months of cardiac rehab. Christine appreciated everything her mom was doing to make better choices in her life. She might not feel like she belonged in her adventurous, outgoing family, but she loved them.
In the hospital, her mother had told her she regretted that they hadn’t been closer. She’d said she wanted another chance to repair her relationship with Christine. Wasn’t that what every nonfavorite child wanted to hear from a parent, even as an adult?
“I’m not sure what time we’re going out,” she admitted. “But if it works, I’ll bring Gavin to dinner.”
“Gavin,” her mother repeated, her tone gentler now. “I like that name. Does he make you happy?”
“Yes,” Christine answered without hesitation. “So happy.”
“Then I can’t wait to meet him.”
Christine said goodbye and disconnected the call. She’d purposely not mentioned Gavin’s last name or that he was supposedly her fiancé. It was bad enough her mom would share with her dad and sister that Christine had a boyfriend. Christine still wasn’t certain she’d have the nerve to take Gavin to Sunday dinner with her family, although the truth was he’d fit in better with them than she ever had.
She turned her attention back to her computer. Kenneth had tasked her with reviewing the agency’s historical contract data to find a pattern to help determine why many of their deals were suddenly going south. It was worrisome but the task was something she could manage, unlike her feelings for Gavin.
Right now she needed to feel like she had control over something and it certainly wasn’t going to be her wayward heart.
“We’re doing what?” Christine felt her mouth go dry as she stared at Gavin.
“Ziplining,” he repeated softly. “If you’re up for it.”
She concentrated on pulling air in and out of her lungs without hyperventilating. “Did you miss the part where I said I’m afraid of heights?”
He smiled.
“Deathly afraid,” she added.
He took her hand and drew her closer. They stood in the area between her kitchen and family room on Sunday morning, light spilling in from the window above the sink. Gavin had arrived minutes earlier and looked even more handsome in a casual cotton button-down shirt and jeans than he did in his normal workweek uniform of a suit and tie. His hair was slightly rumpled and a thick shadow of stubble covered his jaw, like he hadn’t bothered to shave for the entire weekend.
She was a big fan of this outdoorsy side of him.
Although not a fan of his plan for the day.
As if sensing her unease, Diana rose from her dog bed in the corner and trotted over for a gentle head butt.
“She can sense your fear,” Gavin said, bending to scratch Di behind the ears just the way she liked. The animal promptly forgot about comforting Christine and melted into a puddle on the hardwood floor, exposing her belly for Gavin’s attention.
“Traitor,” Christine muttered.
“If you don’t want to try it, we can do something else.” Gavin glanced up as he rubbed the blissed-out dog’s belly. “But you mentioned that you’d like to become more adventurous. The guy who runs the outfitter is a friend of mine from high school. I trust him implicitly so I figured this would be a safe way for you to face one of your fears.”
“Safe,” she repeated, testing the word on her tongue. How could she possibly be safe while harnessed to a cable and soaring through the air?
“I’ll keep you safe,” he said, straightening and looking into her eyes with so much sincerity that it took her breath away for an entirely different reason. A reason that made her knees go weak. “Do you trust me?”
She nodded, not convinced she could manage actual words at the moment.
One side of his mouth curved as if her answer made him happy.
“Are you ready for an adventure?” he asked.
She nodded again.
His smile widened. “I promise you’ll be okay.”
She said goodbye to Princess Di and followed Gavin out of the house, locking the door behind them.
When they’d gotten into his vehicle and turned onto the ramp for the interstate, he smiled at her. “How was your week?”
“Long,” she admitted. “And busy.”
“Maddie and Zach return later tonight, right?”
She nodded. “I’m glad they got away but it’s too bad it was such a short honeymoon and they’re coming back to—” She broke off, not sure how much to reveal about the drop in business at the agency.
“What’s going on at the office? Is everything okay with Dad?”
“He’s amazing as usual,” she answered immediately. “Why do you ask?”
“You had a strange reaction when Everett asked about him in the diner the other day.”
She shook her head. “It’s not your dad. I’m not sure whether it’s supposed to be a secret or not, but there have been some strange things happening with some of our deals lately.”
“What kind of strange?”
“We’re losing clients and having trouble with existing contracts. It doesn’t make sense based on how strong business was right out of the gate. I’m not sure what’s going on, but your dad’s upset about it.”
“Does Maddie know?”
“Not yet. It came to light this week, but there’s definitely a pattern. Your dad didn’t want to bother them while they were on their honeymoon. We’re scheduled to meet to go over reports and trends tomorrow morning.”
“She and Zach will figure it out,” Gavin said, smoothing his thumb across the back of her hand. “There has to be an explanation.”
“I hope so. We all had such high hopes for the Austin office.” She stared out the window as the scenery changed from urban to more rural. It was one of the things she loved about Texas—the wide-open spaces. Even in the middle of the city, there was a sense of the cowboy spirit that made the state so special. Austin had a different vibe than Houston had, a more eclectic atmosphere with most folks taking the local slogan Keep Austin Weird quite seriously.
“Do you miss Denver?” she asked, glancing toward Gavin.
His fingers tightened slightly on the steering wheel. “I miss heading up to the mountains to ski on the weekends,” he admitted. “Denver still has a bit of the cowboy feel to it, so it’s not that different from Austin. A lot sunnier and less humid, I guess.”
“My hair would love it.” She tugged on the ends of her long locks. “Some days I’m a massive frizz ball no matter how much product I use.”
“Your hair is amazing,” he said. “The color is so bright.”
She groaned softly. “They used to call me carrot top in school. I hated having red hair.”
“It makes you special,” he told her.
You make me special, she wanted to say but managed to keep her mouth shut. She’d told herself she would stay in the moment today and not worry about what might happen with Gavin or how much being with him made her heart happy.
Nope. She was keeping her heart out of the mix.
He exited the highway onto a two-lane road that led into the rolling hills north of the city.
“You doing okay?” Gavin squeezed her hand, and she hoped he didn’t notice her sweaty palm.
“I can’t believe I agreed to this.” She leaned forward when the first zipline tower came into view, the seat belt stretching across her chest. “It’s so high.”
“You’ve got this,” he assured her.
If only she had his confidence.
He parked in front of a cabin that seemed to be the outdoor company’s office. Austin Zips read the sign above the covered porch.
Gavin got out of the Audi and walked around to her side. Her body felt weighted with lead, but she forced herself to climb out and pasted a smile on her face. “Looks like fun,” she said, shading her eyes as she gazed up at the ropes course that had been built behind the office.
“Liar,” Gavin whispered.
She laughed. “It’s the stuff of my worst nightmares,” she admitted. “But I’m going to face my fears.”
Gavin leaned in to kiss her. “That’s my girl.”
“Fortunado!” A man’s deep voice rang out from the door to the office.
“Hey, Marc,” Gavin called. “Thanks for letting us come out on such short notice.”
“It’s our slow season,” the man said as he walked forward. “But I’d always make time for you, buddy. I hear you’re now one of the big-wig Fortunes.”
Gavin’s expression didn’t change, but Christine felt a wave of tension roll through him. “You know how things go,” he said casually. “It just means an even larger family.”
“Sure,” the man agreed affably. As he came down the steps, Christine couldn’t help but smile. Gavin’s friend could have been the Keep Austin Weird poster child. His sandy-blond hair was long enough to be held back in a man bun. Despite the temperatures hovering in the low fifties, he wore a pair of board shorts and a floral-print silk shirt like he should be hanging on a tropical beach instead of in the middle of nowhere outside Austin.
He shook Gavin’s hand and did a couple of friendly back slaps then turned to Christine. “Gavin mentioned you have a bit of a fear of heights?”
She licked her lips and nodded.
“I want to reassure you,” Marc said, leaning closer, “that you’re in good hands with me. I’ve only had—” he tapped a tanned finger on his chin “—I guess that would be a half dozen equipment failures this year, but only one of them was fatal.”
Christine took a step back. “Um...”
Marc threw back his head and laughed. “Joking with you, darlin’. We have a perfect safety record at Austin Zips.”
“Right.” Christine tried to laugh, but it sounded more like a croak. “Of course you do.”
Gavin shook his head. “Not funny, Marc.”
“Sorry.” The man held up his hands, palms out. “We’re going to make this easy and fun. By the time you’re finished, you’ll be shouting, ‘More, Marc. Give me more.’”
Christine felt her eyes go wide.
“You seriously need to grow up,” Gavin said, and his tone held a vague warning.
Marc seemed to get the message because he launched into an in-depth overview of the zip lines, the safety procedures and inspections that occurred each day and the standards his company followed to ensure a safe and fun experience for its customers.
Christine appreciated the information, and it gave her more confidence in Marc’s level of professionalism.
“We’re going to take the Mule out to the first platform. I have helmets and water already packed.” He pointed to a four-seater utility terrain vehicle parked at the far side of the building. “You two load up while I grab my sunglasses and I’ll be right out.”
He jogged up the steps and into the building.
“You’re going to be fine,” Gavin said, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.
“Famous last words,” she whispered, earning a chuckle from him.
“It’s not too late to turn around. We can bag this whole idea and go see a movie or take Di for a walk. I’m just happy to have a day off and to spend it with you.”
Christine appreciated the out, but she wasn’t going to take it. “This is my chance to have an adventure.” She flashed what she hoped was a confident smile as they got into the Mule with Gavin following. “Even if it’s a miniadventure.”
“The first of many,” he told her.
The sun had warmed things enough to turn it into a perfect January day in Texas. She kept her focus on the blue sky and how nice it felt to be sitting so close to Gavin as Marc joined them and they headed across the rolling hills.
The zip line course was situated about a quarter mile from the building, traversing along the perimeter of the woods that bordered the property. As they got closer she realized the cables not only ran next to the woods but also through the trees, so that she’d actually have the sensation of soaring through the forest, if she could manage to keep her eyes open.
Marc parked then led them to the first platform. He gave another safety talk and explained how the two points of contact system with the safety lines worked. She and Gavin put on helmets and then the harnesses while Marc used his walkie-talkie to radio someone. A minute later an ATV sped toward them through the forest.
“This is Chip.” Marc introduced an older man, who was well over six feet tall and skinny as a rail. “He’s going to be leading the two of you today and I’ll follow.”
Chip winked at Christine. “I’m going to go first down each run so you’ll know it’s safe.”
She nodded then felt Gavin massage her shoulder. “You look a little pale,” he said gently.
“Has anyone ever thrown up mid-zip line?” she asked Marc.
He laughed. “You’d be the first, darlin’. But don’t worry about that. Do whatever’s gonna make you feel better in the end.”
“You’ve got this, Adventure Girl,” Gavin told her as she clipped into the safety line then climbed onto the platform. Marc snapped Chip into the harness and with a playful wave, he took off across the huge open space between where they stood and the next platform.
“Wow,” Christine whispered when Chip landed on the other side.
“Easy enough, right?” Marc asked.
Despite her racing heart and sweaty palms, she nodded.
He crooked a finger at her. “Do you want to go next?”
She shook her head. “Gavin will go.”
“Are you sure?” Gavin asked.
“You need to be on the other end to catch me,” she told him.
“I’ll definitely catch you.” He allowed Marc to connect his harness to the cable then took off, giving an enthusiastic whoop of delight as he sped from one platform to the next.
“I’d like to go home now,” Christine whispered, earning a belly laugh from Marc. “Gavin made it look so easy. He’s going to think I’m the biggest wuss in the world when I puke or pee myself on this harness. Could you imagine a worse way to end a date? I’m going to ruin everything.”
“Darlin’, I’ve known Gavin since we were stealing hootch from his daddy’s liquor cabinet. I’ve seen lots of ladies on his arm over the years but never has he looked at one the way he looks at you. Don’t worry about ruining anything. If you climbed down this platform and said all you want to do is go shopping at the nearest mall, that man would gladly hold your bags.”
Christine smiled despite her fear. “I doubt that, but I appreciate you saying it.”
“It’s the truth.”
“No shopping malls,” she said, stepping forward. “I’m going to conquer my fear today.”
“That’s what we like to hear.” Marc snapped her harness to the cable, explaining once again how to use the active brake if she felt she needed it.
Her knees trembled as she inched to the edge of the platform, and sweat beaded between her shoulder blades.
Gavin shouted words of encouragement, but she could barely make them out over the pounding in her head. She drew in a breath and took off, screaming first from terror and then with excitement as she sailed across the air toward the trees. She hit the brake lever the way Marc had shown her as she approached the next platform and a moment later Gavin’s arms were around her. Good thing, too, because she wasn’t sure she could stand on her own at the moment.
Chip unfastened her harness and she wrapped her shaking arms around Gavin’s neck. “I did it,” she whispered. “And I didn’t pee myself.”
Both men laughed and Chip patted her helmet. “Way to hold it together.”
“You were amazing,” Gavin said, kissing her cheek. “Are you ready to go again?”
She drew in a deep breath, most of her nervous butterflies replaced by exhilaration. “I am. Thank you for this day. It’s the best ever.”
He grinned and kissed her.
Marc joined them on the platform. “Okay, lovebirds. Let’s hold off on the spit swapping until we’re back to solid ground.” He pointed at Christine. “Nice work. Next, we’re going to show you how to curl into a ball to go faster.”
The nerves returned, but Christine quickly tamped them down. She was going to try whatever Marc threw at her. The idea that she wasn’t a total wimp made her feel braver than she ever could have imagined.
“I’m ready,” she said, tightening the strap on her helmet. “For anything.”
Gavin stood below the final platform, smiling as Christine rappelled down toward him, marveling at the change in her. As beautiful as she’d been at the start of their zip line adventure, there was something even more appealing about her now, a sense of abandonment that made her breathtaking. She was windblown with flushed cheeks and a smudge of dirt down the front of her shirt.
She hopped down the last few feet, grinning widely and doing a funny little dance with her upper body as Chip unstrapped the rock-climbing gear from her waist.
“She’s a helluva sport,” Marc said, handing Gavin a bottle of cold water. “I can’t imagine bringing a woman who’s deathly afraid of heights out here and having her handle it like a champ.”
“She did great,” Gavin agreed.
“You like her.”
“She’s extremely likable.”
“Nah.” Marc nudged his arm. “I mean, you really like her.”
Gavin paused in the act of opening his water bottle. He hadn’t mentioned the engagement to Marc. It was one thing with his family, but he figured it would be better to keep his story simple where he could. The pretend engagement definitely complicated things.
But he did really like Christine. Way more than he ever would have guessed at the beginning of their arrangement. Was that only a week ago?
How had his feelings changed so quickly?
“Where did the two of you meet?” Marc asked.
“She worked for my dad for years and now runs the Austin branch of the agency.”
“So you thinking of moving back?”
Gavin felt himself frown. “My life’s in Denver,” he said quietly, suddenly understanding the point his siblings had been trying to make when they said a job was not the same thing as a life.
Marc slapped him gently on the back. “Not that I’m trying to skim your milk, but if the long-distance thing doesn’t work out, I may have to swoop in to comfort her.”
Gavin thought about the expiration date on their arrangement and his gut tightened. “No one’s swooping in with Christine,” he told his old friend.
Marc only laughed. “You’ve got it bad,” he said, then walked forward to help Chip put away the equipment.
Christine grinned as she approached, pumping her fists in the air. “Did you see me?”
He smiled, pushing aside his discontent over the boundaries and timeline that defined their relationship.
“You were amazing.” He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her off the ground. She smelled like a tantalizing mix of shampoo and the outdoors, fresh and clean. “Skydiving next?”
She laughed and kissed him. “Let’s not get crazy.”
When he lowered her to the ground, she cupped his cheeks in her palms. “Thank you, Gavin. I would never have done something like this on my own.”
“I had no doubt you could.”
Marc and Chip joined them and they rode back to the office. Christine laced her fingers with his like it was the most natural thing in the world, and damn, he wanted it to be.
“How about the ropes course?” Marc asked Christine with a wink. “It should be a piece of cake now that you’re a master of heights.”
Gavin expected her to decline, but she nodded and grinned at him. “Sounds great to me. What do you think?”
“Let’s go,” he told her and for the next hour they traversed the suspended ropes course, crossing bridges and climbing through obstacles. He could tell she was scared but never let that fear slow her down.
The sky was beginning to turn shades of pink and orange by the time they headed back toward Austin. Christine pulled out a pen and a small notebook from her purse and ticked off a list of other activities she wanted to try now that she knew she could overcome her fear of heights. Gavin’s chest constricted as he listened to her plans.
He could see himself with her on every adventure, from bungee jumping to riding the roller coasters at the state fair. At the same time, he’d never imagined himself in a long-term relationship. Part of what allowed him to be so open with Christine was, ironically, knowing their time together had a built-in expiration date.
He could give himself fully because it was safe. But wanting more felt dangerous, both to him and to her. He didn’t want to hurt her but his past had shown him that he wasn’t the type of man who had more to give a woman like her.
“When did your fear of heights start?” he asked, needing to get out of his own head and the doubts swirling there. “You managed today like a pro.”
Her grip tightened on the notebook. “My family went on a vacation when I was younger to a waterpark near Galveston. We were all supposed to go on this super-high slide, but I didn’t want to.”
“Because of your fear?”
She tugged her bottom lip between her teeth. “Not exactly,” she admitted after a moment. “I was overweight as a girl. It was a pretty big issue for my dad. He’d been a marine, and physical fitness was important to him. My younger sister was always into sports, and I never felt like I fit in. We’re a year apart and as we got older, my dad started taking us on extreme vacations. I could never keep up so I think maybe I developed all my fears—heights, water and speed—as a way to have an excuse not to participate.”
“So if you didn’t participate, what happened?”
Her smile was sad. “The first couple of trips were difficult because he’d try to force me to do things. Eventually, I just stayed behind with my grandma.”
“While your family went on vacation without you?”
“It wasn’t a big deal,” she insisted. “In fact, I had a much better time with my grammy than I would have if I’d tried to keep up with the rest of them.”
“Christine—”
“Anyway, that’s how it started.” She gave him a smile that was as bright and brittle as a piece of cut glass. “But today changed everything. Thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me. I’m glad I could be there with you. Now, what are you thinking for dinner?”
She sucked in a breath and glanced at the clock on the Audi’s dashboard. “Oh, no. Is it really after five?”
He nodded. “Time flies and all that.”
“I’m supposed to be at my parents’ for dinner by six. It felt like we zip-lined for thirty minutes.”
“More like three hours plus time for the ropes course. Where do your parents live?”
“On the west side of Austin, near West Lake Hills.”
“I could—”
“They want you to come, too,” she blurted then covered her face with her hands. “I’m sorry. I should have said something earlier. I tried to get out of the dinner, but I told you my mom thinks that Sunday dinners with the four of us will somehow bring us closer.”
“I don’t—”
“I’m sure it sounds horrible,” she continued, shifting her hands to glance at him from the corner of her eye. “I don’t blame you for not wanting to go. But it’s out of the way to go all the way back to my place. If you just drop me off at my parents’ now, after dinner I can call an Ub—”
“I don’t mind going,” he interrupted, reaching out to tug her hands away from her face. “I’d like to meet your family.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Why?”
“Because I want to know you better,” he said with a laugh. “You know my family, and they all love you.”
“My family is different from yours, and not in a good way.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“There’s nothing to learn about me from meeting them.”
“If your mom wants me there, I don’t want to rebuff the invitation.”
“Are you sure?” She sounded even more nervous than she’d been before the zip line tour. “I can make an excuse. This definitely wasn’t part of our arrangement.”
“I’d like to join you for dinner with your parents and sister,” he said gently. “But only if you’re okay with it. If not, I’ll drop you off around the corner then come back and pick you up when you’re ready to leave.”
“Seriously?” she couldn’t help but ask. “You’d do that for me?”
Gavin was quickly coming to realize he’d do just about anything for this woman, but he wasn’t about to admit it out loud.
“That’s what friends are for,” he answered instead.