Wait For It E-Book

Mary E. Thompson

• Herausgeber: BluEyed Press
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Beschreibung

Undeniable passion and a spark that lights up the pages draws twenty seven year old virgin, Cat Thomas, and hot single dad, Ryder Hawkins, together in this sweet and sexy novel.
Cat Thomas is the only virgin left in River Pointe, New York. Or at least she feels that way. A moment of self doubt as a teenager made her commit to waiting until marriage before she had sex, but now she wonders if it was the worst decision she’s ever made. All these years later, being a virgin is a much bigger deal, and finding ‘The One’ is even harder.
Ryder Hawkins is ready to escape his former life and looking for a quiet place to raise his seven year old daughter. He moves to River Pointe hoping to give his daughter the life he always wanted for her, stability, and a loving parent.
He only hopes he is enough for her.
When Cat meets Ryder, she thinks he’s just like every other man out there and doesn’t give him the time of day. But Ryder can see Cat is different, and maybe she’s the missing piece of his life that could make him feel whole again. But can he capture her attention? And will Cat give up her commitment, or will she make Ryder wait for it?

Leseprobe

Wait For It

Better In Bed

Mary E Thompson

Wait For It

Better In Bed, book one

Copyright © 2013 Mary E Thompson

Cover Copyright © 2020 Mary E Thompson

Cover photo from depositphotos, copyright © olexiysyrotkin

Published by BluEyed Press

All Rights Reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

This is a work of fiction. All characters, businesses, locations, and events are either products of the author’s creative imagination or are used in a fictitious sense. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

ISBN: 978-0-9899954-4-3

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

About the Author

1

Cat Thomas pulled up in front of her best friend, Lizzy Greenwood’s house. Ordinarily she would be excited to be there, but she wasn’t looking forward to the party. She knew the other parents would ask when she was going to settle down and have her own family. Cat felt like people who procreate are only ever interested in when everyone else is going to. She wondered if it was because their sex lives sucked and they wanted to live through someone else, or if it was that kids are incredibly tough and they want others to buy into the dream so they don’t feel so stupid. Whatever the reason, Cat wasn’t giving them any help.

Cat was about as far from procreating as one could get. Aside from the appropriate plumbing, Cat was no closer to having kids than Lizzy’s seven year old daughter, a sad but true thought.

She climbed from her Subaru Forester and grabbed the large gift in the backseat. Buying a present for a seven year old when you haven’t been one in almost twenty years can be a daunting task. Then again Cat spent almost as much time at Lizzy’s house as she did at her own so she was pretty confident she knew what Sam would like.

Cat walked up the driveway toward the backyard. She knew everyone would be out back and all the kids would be in Lizzy’s pool. When Lizzy and her husband, Aaron, were looking for houses they fell in love with this one mostly because of the pool. It’s proven to be a valuable investment over the last three years, even in River Pointe, New York.

As Cat pushed through the gate she saw an endless stream of girls screeching and playing in the pool. There were three in the shallow end practicing their handstands, two on the diving board, and five more holding hands on the side of the pool ready to jump in. Cat had to smile at the girls. What she would give to be so young and carefree again.

Lizzy spotted Cat right away and headed over to her. She wrapped her in a hug and said, “Thanks so much for coming. Sam is going to be thrilled you’re here. That is if we can pull her from the pool!”

“You know I wouldn’t miss this. As for the pool, she can be excited when the party is over. Right now she should be having fun.”

“You’re right, you only live once,” Lizzy answered. It had become her mantra in high school when she went through a wild phase. Cat always wondered if her wild phase ever stopped, but she figured Lizzy’d just transferred it to Sam instead.

“Come on, are you hungry?”

Cat followed Lizzy to the food inside. The kitchen, complete with a stainless steel package better than at the restaurant Cat owned with her parents, was spotless. Lizzy was the only person Cat knew who could throw a party and still have everything look perfect. Cat was jealous.

Cat ran her hand over the perfect granite countertops and stopped at the large island in the center of the spacious room. It was covered in just about every finger food a kid would want, and Cat still ate like a kid so she was thrilled. With her plate piled high with pigs in blankets, chicken fingers, raw veggies and ranch dressing, Cat headed back outside.

Lizzy skittered around the yard, checking on the her parents and whispering in Sam’s ear. Cat watched her work and wondered how she did it. Sam had been a stay at home mom since Sam was born, but Cat still didn’t know how she handled it all, especially now that she was six months pregnant with their second child. Going into the hottest part of summer wasn’t going to be any fun for Lizzy, but if anyone could handle it, she could.

Cat found a table to sit at and waited for the attack to begin. She didn’t have to wait long before she was joined by Valerie Wolfe. Valerie was two years ahead of Cat and Lizzy in high school. They were all on the varsity soccer team, something Valerie was never happy about because Cat took her starting position.

Cat watched Valerie approach and wondered why the woman wore a silk blouse and linen pants to a kid’s birthday party. Her hair was in an elaborate up-do like she was headed to the prom and she was dripping with jewels. She screamed rich like Elizabeth Taylor did, but Valerie was out of place at a pool party. She would have looked better at a gala.

“Hi, Cat,” Valerie said sweetly. “How are you? What have you been up to? I’m sure you’re living it up without any kids holding you back.”

“Hi Valerie. How are you?”

“Oh, I’m great, Cat. Life is wonderful. You know Jim and I just came back from a trip to Tahiti. It was amazing. He bought me over $15,000 worth of black pearls.”

“That’s nice, Valerie. Where was Georgia while you two were on the other side of the world?”

“She stayed with Jim’s parents. She loves going over there. I don’t get it, but she spends most of her free time with them. But it works for me because I am just so busy.”

“Are you working again Valerie?” Cat asked, not really interested, but it was better than fielding questions about her own life.

“God, no. Jim takes care of me so I don’t have to, but I keep busy. I have a spa day every Monday, I have lunch with my friends on Tuesdays, oh, you remember Melanie and Courtney. Wednesday I take off and spend the day working on me. Then Thursday and Friday are my gym days. Over the weekend Jim takes Georgia to his parents so I can recover from the week. We made the exception today though because Georgia loves Sam.”

“Of course, Sam is great.”

“Yeah,” Valerie continued, “Georgia comes over here all the time. She invites Sam over to our house too, but Sam never comes. I don’t get it, I mean our pool is twice the size of this one and we have a much bigger house.”

“Maybe it’s the company,” Cat muttered.

“What?” Valerie asked loudly.

“I said, uh, maybe it’s more comfy. Have you ever sat on Lizzy’s couch? It’s to die for.”

Valerie said, “Oh. Excuse me, will you?”

Cat stifled a laugh as she watched Valerie make a beeline for Lizzy. Lizzy glanced her way suspiciously and Cat turned away before she broke out laughing. It was only then that she noticed him.

He was sitting on the other side of the pool but looked like he was watching Cat. She felt her breath catch in her throat as she took in his wide shoulders and narrow waist. He had his hands rested on his abdomen and his t-shirt stretched tight across his bulky arms. His hair was as dark as night and looked silky and soft. Cat found herself dying to run her hands through his hair and press her lips to his soft pink ones. She even liked the five o’clock shadow he had going on. It gave him a rugged, sexy look.

Lizzy dropped down next to Cat and asked, “Why was Tiffany going on about my couch?”

Regretfully Cat tore her gaze from the hot guy and faced Lizzy. “She was complaining about how horrible her life is and how busy she is doing absolutely nothing and I was annoyed. She told me she couldn’t understand why Georgia always wanted to come here instead of Sam going there when she has a bigger house and pool. I covered up that I said it was the company by telling her maybe it was because your couch is so comfy.”

Lizzy laughed so hard she nearly snorted. She tried to compose herself but she just kept picturing Valerie going to pick out the exact same couch in hopes of getting the girls to stay at her house. Cat laughed alongside her knowing it wasn’t very nice of her to trick Valerie, but she felt justified after the woman was so conceited.

“She’ll never figure out that money isn’t going to bring happiness. I almost feel bad for her. But then she opens her mouth and I remember she’s horrible.”

Lizzy started laughing all over again, doubling over and clenching her stomach. Aaron walked over and sat down next to Lizzy. “Are you okay, hun?” he asked. She nodded but kept laughing. “Don’t make her sick, Cat. We need that baby to cook for a few more months.”

“I’ll be good, Aaron. I promise,” Cat answered. Aaron stood up and headed back inside. Cat watched him go, thinking how lucky Lizzy was.

“Why didn’t I just hook up with someone in high school? I could have this life. I could be living next door to you with my husband and 1.5 kids. Instead I’m out here all alone and imaging my life with a bunch of cats one day.”

“Well at least you have the right name for being the Cat Lady!” Cat shot Lizzy a dirty look, but Lizzy just laughed again.

“So, who’s the new guy?” Cat asked with a nod toward the hot guy on the other side of the pool. She didn’t turn around to look at him, but she could feel his gaze on her back.

Lizzy turned and waved. “That’s Ryder Hawkins. He’s Kylie’s dad. You know, Kylie that Sam’s been hanging around with lately. They just moved here from Florida and the girls hit it off. They’re practically inseparable. I’ve met Ryder a few times. He seems like a good guy and Kylie is as sweet as they come.”

“Where is Mrs. Hawkins?”

“Ooh, I see. You think he’s hot.”

“Have you seen the man? How could I not?”

“Oh, yeah, but I’m not allowed to look. And there is no Mrs. Hawkins. He’s single. Would you like me to introduce you?”

Cat smiled at Lizzy but shook her head. “You and I both know there’s no point.”

“Why the heck not?” Lizzy asked incredulously.

“Oh, please Lizzy, look at the guy. Not only is he gorgeous, but he’s obviously experienced. I mean it’s impossible to find someone without more experience than me, but he has a kid. He’s probably been married which means he’ll expect sex all the time. And he has that look about him. He’s confident and sexy, but he’ll be just like all the others, probably even worse since he hasn’t known me forever.”

Lizzy shook her head and said, “Cat, you need some confidence. You are an amazing person. Any man would be lucky to have you.”

“That may be true Lizzy, but as soon as they learn my secret they run. Far and fast. And Ryder won’t be any different. It’s not worth getting involved with someone so close to Sam to have the same inevitable end result. I can’t do that to her.”

“Sam, are you kidding me? You’re going to use my kid as your excuse to not date?”

“It’s not an excuse, Lizzy. If I date Ryder and get close to Kylie then she will tell Sam. Sam will see us together and start to think of us as a couple. When it ends, like it always does, it could get weird around Sam and Kylie, especially if Kylie comes over here when I’m around. She might stop hanging around with Sam if she wants to avoid me and it’ll ruin their friendship. It’s not fair to Sam.”

“Wow, you’re even more messed up than I thought you were,” Lizzy said. “Cat, not every guy is a jerk. You need to give someone a chance. You’re not happy.”

“Yeah, Lizzy, I know. But I don’t need a man to be happy.”

“No, you don’t. But you want one in your life. You want someone to share your life with, to have a family, and there’s nothing wrong with that.”

“Yeah, well, I need to push that dream aside. It’s not going to happen.”

“You never know, Cat. Crap, Aaron is bringing out the cake. I need to get the girls out of the pool so they can sing and eat cake. Then people will start to leave I’m sure. Are you going to hang around after to go through all Sam’s loot?”

“Yeah, I’m hanging around. I don’t have anything to do tonight, of course, so I’ll be here. Maybe I can drink your wine and sleep on your super comfortable couch.”

Lizzy stood up laughing and headed over to where Aaron was setting the cake. Cat watched as they talked for a minute then Aaron went back inside and Lizzy called the girls to get out of the pool. Groans erupted from the ten girls in the pool. Lizzy promised they could get back in the pool after they ate cake and the girls started climbing out.

Aaron returned a moment later with a lighter and quickly illuminated the seven candles on Sam’s purple princess cake. Everyone sang ‘Happy Birthday’ and Lizzy cut the cake with the efficiency of an experienced slicer. All those years volunteering with the PTO bake sales had paid off.

Cat accepted her purple cake and ate in silence, avoiding the moms by ducking into the house to hit the bathroom. She was just not in the mood for anymore of their crap. Valerie was enough.

Cat walked back into the yard with her eyes on her phone. She was waiting for a message from her weekend manager about how the lunch shift had gone. The restaurant should have been in a lull waiting for dinner so she was wondering why Kathy hadn’t called. Cat ran straight into something solid. She felt strong hands steady her before she toppled over in her heels. She knew without looking that she ran straight into the hot guy.

2

Ryder, Cat reminded herself. “Excuse me,” he said, his voice a velvety cushion around her ears. “I didn’t see you.”

Of course he didn’t see her. Cat was as ordinary as they come and always overlooked. Between her mousy brown hair and matching eyes, her average height and build, Cat was nothing special to look at. Ryder was likely checking out one of the other moms who were dressed to impress, like Valerie.

But Ryder, he was something to look at. Cat tried to speak, but nothing came out. She was mesmerized by his sapphire blue eyes. His sunglasses were pushed into his hair, keeping it away from his face. Cat itched to knock his sunglasses aside and run her hands through his thick, dark hair.

“I’m Ryder,” he said, extending his hand. “I’m Kylie’s dad.”

Cat slid her hand into his and enjoyed the feel of his rough skin against hers. His grip was firm but meeting his eyes was what kept Cat in place. “I’m Cat. Lizzy is my best friend.”

“Nice,” Ryder said. “Is one of these kids yours?”

“Uh, no. I don’t have any kids.”

Ryder nodded as if he understood. Cat realized he still had a hold of her hand and gently pulled it back. She pressed her palm to her side and saw Lizzy watching them. Cat told Ryder, “I’m sorry, but I think Lizzy needs my help. Excuse me.”

Ryder watched Cat walk away and felt lost without her by his side. He knew bumping into her on purpose was risky, but she wasn’t looking at him so he did it before he had the chance to convince himself how stupid it was. He noticed her as soon as she got to the party, but she didn’t pay him any attention.

Ryder watched as Cat joined Lizzy handing out cake to the kids and parents. Cat was scowling. Ryder wanted to clear that look from her face with a toe-curling kiss, but he couldn’t do that with a bunch of kids around.

Kylie bounded over to Ryder and captured his attention. “Hi Dad. Do you want some cake?”

Ryder looked down at the piece of purple cake on Kylie’s plate. The cake itself was a light purple color and it was covered with varying shades of purple icing. It looked like Kylie was eating Barney. Ryder remembered when that was her favorite show. God was he glad that phase was over. Of course now she was seven going on seventeen so maybe Barney wasn’t so bad.

Ryder didn’t usually indulge in cake, especially purple princess cake, but with Cat handing out plates, he couldn’t seem to resist. “Yeah, I think I will get some cake,” he told Kylie. She beamed at him, thrilled her dad was enjoying himself.

Since they moved to River Pointe from Florida Kylie had assimilated into their new life seamlessly. Ryder knew getting her away from Blair, Kylie’s mom, would be the best thing for her. But Kylie could tell Ryder wasn’t as thrilled to be there as she was. She hoped her dad would make a friend at the party, maybe even Sam’s dad since Kylie spent so much time there anyway.

Kylie headed back to one of the lounge chairs by the pool and sat with her friends. Ryder watched as they got lost in the life of a seven year old, talking about their favorite music (Katy Perry), favorite TV show (Austin & Ally), and favorite movie (Teen Beach Movie). He couldn’t help but think all those things were too old for his little girl, but he knew better than to argue with her.

Ryder walked over to the cake table once the crowd had cleared. Lizzy was cleaning up the discarded plates and wiping down the purple frosting from the table. Ryder wondered if he would ever be able to handle a party like this. Then again he doubted he’d get the chance to ever throw a party like this. He and Kylie were in a two bedroom condo and he didn’t see that changing any time soon.

He stepped in front of Cat and asked, “Can I have some?”

Cat flushed at his words, thinking maybe he meant her. When he glanced at the cake on the table she forced a smile and nodded. Lizzy asked if he wanted ice cream with it and he declined. Cake was enough of a stretch. Ryder smiled at Cat and stepped away, wondering where his confidence went.

Lizzy leaned into Cat when Ryder was across the yard, “I think he likes you.”

Cat knitted her eyebrows together and told Lizzy, “You’re crazy. I think pregnancy brain has gotten to you again.”

“Well, I think you like him.”

“Like I told you before, he’s just like all the others. It doesn’t make sense to put myself or Sam through it all over again. And it doesn’t matter because he isn’t interested.”

“Yeah, okay,” Lizzy answered in a disbelieving voice.

Lizzy took in the scene in her backyard. She was happy so many girls had shown up for Sam’s party. She knew once the baby came that Sam would end up taking the back seat for a while. She would no longer be an only child and Lizzy worried it would be difficult for her. Having this many kids here for her last party as an only child was a testament to what a great kid Sam was. And Lizzy was proud.

Cat too looked around the yard. She had always thought this place was like home. Cat grew up in a house similar to Lizzy’s. She loved houses like this with large backyards, a pool, a fire pit, and a nice patio with plenty of seating. Cat wanted a house like this one day, but she knew buying something so big without kids to fill it up would just depress her. She was happy in her cottage, but it felt empty most days without a family to fill her four bedrooms or play in the yard.

Ryder tried to catch Cat’s eye but she wasn’t looking at him. It drove him crazy to have her ignore him, but he knew it wasn’t just that that had him watching her. At first glance she looked completely average, but the more Ryder looked at her, the more he saw the amazing things that made her special.

Without Cat watching him Ryder knew he could check her out and not worry about getting caught. He started at her feet and the high heels she’d worn. They were silver encrusted with crystals across each of the seven straps that twisted over her foot. Her toenails were painted sapphire blue, just like Ryder’s eyes. If she wore heels like that to a kid’s party, he could only imagine what she would wear on a date. His gaze travelled up her tight khaki capris, over her bulging calf muscles to her strong thighs that told him she was likely a runner. He loved a woman with thick legs. The twigs he usually encountered could barely stand up, but thick, strong legs reminded Ryder of a woman who can take care of herself.

Her legs gave way to hips and an apple bottom Ryder wanted to run his hands down. He saw something rectangular in her pocket and figured it was her phone. Her white blouse with large print blue and pink flowers was loose enough that Ryder couldn’t get an idea of what kind of shape she was hiding on top. Her breasts teased him from the top of her shirt, begging him to kiss the ivory globes peeking out of her shirt.

Cat had her long chocolate colored hair pulled up into a flirty ponytail, the kind that always looked messy but was intentional and totally sexy. Ryder loved that look, especially when it was paired with Fuck Me Heels like Cat had on. He was dying to see her in only those heels and her hair piled on top of her head. Cat’s eyes were the same deep brown color as her hair with flecks of gold in them. When she smiled the gold swam in the brown and nearly made Ryder dizzy wanting her.

He had to have her as his own.

How she managed to be single this long was amazing to him. Ryder knew the other guys were missing what was so obvious in front of him. This woman was one that would make him crazy and drive him mad. She was someone he would spend days and nights learning just so he could be with her. In one glance, Ryder was falling in love with Cat.

Ryder sat back while the party started to slow down. He’d been there for three hours and knew the girls were getting tired in the pool. He’d be exhausted too if he hadn’t had Cat to watch most of the afternoon. Instead he found himself not wanting to leave.

Kylie and Sam were the last ones in the pool. The other girls had left and it was clear the party was over. Kylie whined, “Dad, can I please stay a little longer?”

Ryder looked at her blue lips and knew she had to be freezing. Lizzy said the pool was heated, but the air was cold. After all, it was only May, and in upstate New York, May was chilly.

“I’ll tell you what? I’ll help Mrs. Greenwood clean up while you girls swim a little more. Then maybe we can ask Sam to stay the night with us tonight. If her mom and dad are okay with it.”

The girls shrieked and said, “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

Ryder smiled at the girls and headed over to Lizzy. “What can I do to help?”

Lizzy looked around the yard then back at Ryder. “Honestly, would you mind helping with the chairs? Aaron usually does it, but I know he’d love the help. We usually only keep out four chairs around the table over there under the umbrella and six lounge chairs by the pool. The rest can go into the shed.”

“Sure, no problem.”

“Are you sure you don’t mind?”

“No, not at all. Kylie wants to stay a little longer, but there’s no reason for me to sit around and let you do all the work. By the way, I told the girls we would ask if Sam can spend the night with us tonight. I figured it would give you and Aaron a break. After being on your feet all day I imagine you could use a break.”

“Seriously? Yeah, that sounds amazing. Are you sure they won’t be too much trouble?”

“No, not at all. Besides, all this swimming will probably have them asleep early.”

“True,” Lizzy laughed. “Thanks Ryder. That’s really nice of you.”

“My pleasure,” Ryder answered. He turned toward the chairs on the pool deck first. He wanted to get as much done as he could quickly to help Lizzy. Plus, when Aaron finished saying goodbye to his parents and came back out, Ryder wanted to make sure he had most of the work done. He knew Aaron had to be worn out too.

Cat watched from behind Lizzy as Ryder carried chairs to the shed. She let herself dream about his tight muscles and bulky frame covering her body and making her feel. She wanted to feel something. It had been too long since Cat had any interaction with a man, but she knew Ryder was the last one she needed to be messing with.

Cat turned away from Ryder and started wiping down the tables. She wiped down the tables and chairs quickly, trying to do whatever she could to help out. Once all the tables were clean, Cat flipped the first one onto its side and slid the locks up to fold the legs into the bottom of the tabletop. She lifted the table but knew it would be a struggle to get it to the shed.

She tried shifting the weight of the table and was surprised when it suddenly seemed lighter. She looked behind her and saw Ryder lifting the back end of the six foot table. “I had it,” she said.

“I was just trying to help. It actually saves me time to have them folded up so if you don’t mind folding the legs underneath, I can come and get it.”

Cat again found her mind drifting to something else she wanted Ryder to come and get. She dropped the table without a word and walked back to the patio. She flipped the next table over and folded the legs up, then moved onto the next one.

Once she’d collapsed the four tables on the patio, Cat started folding up the extra chairs. Ryder carried the tables to the shed and returned to get the chairs leaning against the side of the house. Once Cat folded the last of the chairs she picked up two chairs under each arm and carried them to the shed. She passed Ryder on his way back and let herself get lost in his sapphire eyes again. But only for a moment.

Cat’s arms were starting to ache by the time she carried the last set of four chairs to the shed. Ryder was inside, assessing the space when Cat walked in. “Thanks,” he said. She mumbled, “You’re welcome,” and turned to leave.

“Cat, wait,” Ryder said, following her out of the shed.

She stopped and faced him. She was tired and starting to sweat even though the air was cooling off in the late afternoon. She really wasn’t in the mood for whatever he was going to say. Not when she’d been fantasizing about him all day and knew nothing could ever happen.

“Listen, I was wondering if I could take you out sometime?” Ryder asked. He knew it was a weak proposition but being so close to her made him anxious. Passing by her carrying chairs for the last ten minutes turned him on more than it should have. But watching her breathing heavily and seeing her hair beginning to stick to her sweaty neck made him want to make her feel that way in his bed, not in a backyard that didn’t belong to either of them.

“Why?” Cat asked. She had learned most guys who asked her out right after they met just thought she was attractive. She wasn’t interested in being someone’s Ms. Right Now. She knew that’s what Ryder was thinking and she wasn’t going to put herself through that.

“Why?” he asked, confused. He’d rarely been turned down before and he certainly hadn’t ever been asked why he wanted to take someone out. “Well, because I think you’re beautiful and you intrigue me. I want to get to know you better.”

Cat blew a breath of laughter through her nose. She shook her head, disappointed that he was exactly who she thought he’d be. “I don’t think so Ryder. I’m flattered, but it’s not a good idea.”

Cat turned on her heel and walked into the house. Ryder stood watching her go, wondering what he said wrong. And how in the world he was going to fix it.

3

“I need to shake things up, Lizzy,” Cat said into the phone. “I’m going to be twenty-seven on Sunday and I haven’t done anything dangerous or fun in my life. I need to go wild, even if it’s just once.”

“I think there are plenty of options out there for you to go wild with, but you won’t take any of them up on it.”

“Not wild sex, Lizzy. Just wild.”

“I know Cat. I guess I still just don’t get it. I probably never will.”

Cat silently shook her head. No one got it, that was her problem. But she knew she couldn’t tell Lizzy everything. After all, she was part of it.

“What about skydiving?” Lizzy asked suddenly, sounding inspired.

“Skydiving?” Cat asked.

“It’s definitely dangerous. I’ve heard it’s a lot of fun. And no one will ever tell you it isn’t wild.”

Cat took a deep breath and tried to imagine jumping out of a perfectly good plane just for the rush. “I don’t know, Lizzy. Maybe that’s a little too wild.”

“Oh, come on, Cat. You only live once.”

Cat knew if Lizzy was turning her mantra on her, she was done for. “I don’t even know where I would go skydiving.”

Lizzy brightened up, knowing she won. “I heard about this place called Diving Niagara. You should call them. If you go this Saturday maybe I’ll come out and watch you jump.”

“Yeah, I guess someone should be there to call my parents when I turn into a pancake.”

“You’re such a drama queen. Hey, can I have your shoes if you die?”

“Thanks, you’re helping.”

Lizzy laughed in Cat’s ear. “Just call them. See what they say and if you live through it I’ll even take you to dinner afterward. Anywhere you want to go.”

“Anywhere?”

“Yes, anywhere,” Lizzy promised. She knew Cat would want to go to Todoro Trattoria. It was in Niagara Falls, but it was always worth the thirty minute drive.

Cat thought about Lizzy’s proposal for a minute before saying, “Okay, I’ll call. I’ll see what they say and I’ll let you know.”

“Go ahead, wild thing.”

Cat hung up the phone laughing.