Oslo Overtures (3 page)

Deserves what?

Anjelica took her place in front of Erick, Luke, and him.

Is she lost? She must be lost.

She set her backpack and helmet down before turning around. Looking Kyle straight in the eye, she smiled. “Surprise, boys.”

~*~

Really, Lord? This isn’t me on one side of the formation, Kyle Sheppard on the other.
Hadn’t He listened to her prayers last night? It was a simple request—one side or the other. What was God doing?

“Yes.” Luke punched the air. “Wish granted—angel at the top of the tree. Oh, yeah.” He winked at Anjelica before turning to Kyle. “I know you wanted a star, Bro—sorry, to be
the
star—but heck,” he slapped Kyle with a backhand in the stomach and grinned, “isn’t this far better?”

Anjelica looked at Erick.

He just smiled and shrugged.

Kyle stepped forward. “You have to excuse my friend. And I—” He seemed at a loss for words. “I—” he began again and cleared his throat. “It’s a beautiful day for flying, isn’t it? Clear blue skies…”

Anjelica would not be intimidated by him. She looked Kyle in the eye. “The sky is a changeable entity, Mr. Sheppard, wearing many different shades. Soon enough the sun will set, the color will change. Hopefully you won’t miss it tonight.”

~*~

What was he thinking? He should steer clear of conversations involving colors or the sky. So much for apologizing. “I’ll be sure to wait up.” Kyle’s gaze locked on Anjelica as he stepped back in line. A gentle breeze played with her long blond hair, and a smile still teased her face. Even nature was having fun. He wasn’t. He needed to change that. “Please, call me Kyle.”

The event organizer’s voice blasted through a megaphone. “Testing. One. Two. Can you all hear me?” He turned a button on the instrument. “Sorry,” he said. “That was too loud for those in the front. Can you guys at the back still hear me OK?”

A rumble of yeses rose from the far end of the lawn.

“Great. Well, morning everyone. Good job on finding your positions in the formation so fast. I can see we’re going to make a great team. Take a few seconds to introduce yourselves to those you don’t know yet in your immediate surrounds. Then we’ll get started.”

Luke leaned on Kyle’s shoulder and whispered, “Time for our ritual. It’s now or never. Once this show’s on the road, we won’t have another opportunity.”

They’d made a pact to do the Ka Mate Haka at every event the team flew.

Normally he’d have no problem performing this traditional Maori dance, but Anjelica Joergensen stood right in front of him. “Do you really think we—”

“Sheppard, you’re not getting cold feet now, are you?”

He shook his head.

“C’mon, Bro, this is part of who we are…what we do. It’s tradition.” Luke grinned. “Everyone is dying for us to perform.” He put his arm around Kyle’s shoulder and spoke even softer into his ear. “No need to be shy just because of the lady.”

“I’m not.” Kyle shrugged Luke’s arm away and turned around to face the rest of his black-suited men. There was no escaping this. “All right, then. Let’s do this.” He closed his eyes for a moment before letting out a blood-curdling cry, stressing every syllable. “
Ringa pakia
!”

Everyone turned to look at the Kiwi team as they moved away from the formation.

Spreading their legs apart, they bent their knees and lowered their hips. The seven men raised their arms in front of their chests, elbows bent, fists clenched. Looking ominous, a force to be reckoned with, they puffed out their cheeks as Kyle walked between them. Some opened their mouths wide and stuck out their tongues, wiggling them from side to side.

A distasteful look crossed Anjelica’s face.

“
Uma tiraha
!” Kyle’s voice boomed again. “
Turi whatia
!”

Stomping their feet, the team slapped their hands on their thighs several times, then on their chests as they joined in with Kyle. “
Hope whai ake
!
Waewae takahia kia kino
!”

Kyle’s cries of “
Ka mate, ka mate
” were followed by the team’s echo, “
Ka ora’ Ka ora’.
” Once. Twice.

Throughout the minute-long ritual, Kyle held Anjelica’s gaze whenever he could. His father had taught him as a child to face his fears. He’d have to deal with this one in the same manner. If he flinched now, he’d never be able to look her in the eye again.

With each he-man movement, her beautiful blues grew wider. At least she’d lost that look of disgust.

Their tribal dance continued as they bent their left arms upward at the elbows and slapped their raised forearms with their right hands, repeating the sequence with the other arm while chanting, “
Tēnei te tangata pūhuruhuru. Nāna i tiki mai whakawhiti te rā. A Upane
!
Ka Upane
!
Upane Kaupane
.”

With their hands firmly placed on their forward-thrust hips, they gave a last cry. “
Whiti te rā
!
Hī
!”

Applause broke out across the lawn as Jeremy White’s voice blasted from the megaphone again. “Let’s hear it for our Kiwi team all the way from New Zealand, the Fly Blacks.”

Whistles and cheers rose to the sky.

As they straightened and made their way back into formation, Kyle broke his gaze with Anjelica.

“There now, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” Luke lowered his voice. “Hope you didn’t offend the Angel. You looked pretty intense.”

Kyle slowed his step and spoke under his breath. “Me? I wasn’t alone in this. And, I already succeeded in offending her last night. What if she sees me now as a total fool and this as just another display of male dominance?”

“You’re concerned about what she thinks? That’s good.” Luke bear-hugged Kyle. “Don’t worry, Bro, women love this stuff. She’ll probably be falling all over you after that.” He waggled his brows.

“I hope you’re right…about her loving it, I mean.”
I’ve already taken a nosedive twice.
Kyle needed to make that apology, but it wouldn’t happen any time soon.

Jeremy had already started giving instructions. “Familiarize yourselves with the following, gents.” He paused briefly. “And ladies...”

Chuckles rippled through the group.

“One: your position in the formation. Two: the pilots surrounding you. Three: the color and type of their wingsuits. You need to know your neighbors as if you were conjoined twins. In a half-hour, we’ll head out in designated groups to make the first of five jumps today.”

Kyle knew his two neighboring teammates. That left only two fliers to get familiar with, but he got stuck at Anjelica Joergensen…

3

Nothing relaxed Anjelica more than soaking in a bubble bath after a day in the air. And how she needed it. She’d tried to stay out of Kyle Sheppard’s way, but they were thrown into each other’s company.

Five helicopter rides, and the only seat available each time was the one right beside him. On the bus rides to and from the drop zone, he landed in a seat in the same row as her with only a narrow aisle separating them. And at the team leaders’ debriefing session, where was he seated? On the chair right beside her.

She didn’t trust his friend Luke.

She swirled the water with her hands, making a path through the foam. He was everywhere. She needed a distraction, something else besides Kyle Sheppard to occupy her thoughts. Bubbles were not going to do it.

A smile crossed her face. The leather chairs downstairs in the bar lounge were the perfect place to curl up with a good book. Staying in her room would only make her look anti-social, and that wouldn’t do. She needed to be close enough to the fun to be seen, chat to whoever crossed her path, but seated far enough away not to be drawn into their shenanigans.

Although she loved the camaraderie of the wingsuit community, she didn’t care for the party-hard side. By reading the book she’d brought, the novel’s characters should replace all thoughts of Kyle Sheppard.

Water splashed over the bath rim as Anjelica slid down to rinse her shampooed hair. Perhaps she could wash Mr. Sheppard out of her head, too.

But Kyle Sheppard was still there—laughing in the helicopter with his friends, floating beside her in the skies, letting out a whoop as they landed in the drop zone, and doing crazy testosterone-laden tribal dances.

Much as she hated to admit it, he was actually a likeable guy. Too likeable. And she’d felt so safe with him standing behind her at the exit point as she waited to lead the team into the skies. Was this a flame of annoyance burning inside, or a spark of attraction she’d been trying to douse?

Anjelica grabbed a fluffy white towel. As she stepped onto the tiled floor, her dampened foot slipped. She grabbed the basin to right herself. The last thing she needed was a twisted ankle or broken arm. That would put her out of the event—a bird with clipped wings.

Brandy looked up from her bed. “I thought you’d never get out of that water, roomie.”

“Can’t get enough of those bubbles.”

Smacking her hands on her legs, Brandy stood. “Speaking of bubbles, I’m heading downstairs to join the guys for drinks—and some food.” She stopped as she opened the door. “Join us later?”

“I’m not really hungry.”

“You could just drink, then.”

Anjelica smiled and grabbed the hairdryer. Not likely. She tied her hair with an elastic band before stepping into her favorite jeans, softening the look with a sleeveless white chiffon shirt. It spilled over the top of her jeans, flowing around her body. A pair of white pumps completed the ensemble. The final touch was a spray of her favorite perfume.

She was about to step into the passageway when she remembered the novel. The characters on the cover looked so like her and…Kyle Sheppard. Lookalikes or not, it was her and
The Lucky One
for the next few hours. If she bumped into anyone, hopefully they wouldn’t notice the similarity.

Anjelica headed downstairs.

The sun still shone high in the sky. Judging by those gathered outside for drinks, it was fairly warm. The rest of the team were probably still having dinner, or christening the hot tub already.

A handful of guys sat around the bar. She sank into the leather chair furthest from them. She opened her book, eager to enjoy the relative quiet while it lasted. The party outside was already growing rowdy. Thank heaven for double glazing on the windows that muffled their bantering. She should have an hour or so before they spilled inside.

Halfway through the third chapter, Anjelica kicked off her shoes and curled her legs up on the seat. Some of the wingsuiters had made their way inside. The bar area buzzed. It wouldn’t be long before the rest followed. She sank lower in the chair, too engrossed in the story to want company, not quite ready to be alone upstairs.

“Mind if I sit here?”

Anjelica started at the familiar voice. She hadn’t heard Kyle approach. His hand rested on the back of her chair.

“The seat’s free…”

~*~

For a while, Kyle had nursed water at the bar, watching Anjelica as he tried to pluck up the courage to approach her. When she didn’t object to him occupying the seat angled beside hers, separated by a small table, he sat down. He tucked his e-reader into the side of the chair. The gentle smell of her spring flowers perfume wafted past.

She raised her book. It would be difficult to start a conversation with her, let alone apologize. He retrieved the e-reader, unzipped its leather cover, and turned it on. He tried to read, but it was impossible to concentrate with her so close. His gaze kept straying from the typed words toward her.

She lowered her book, resting it in her lap. “Good thing your rain dance this morning didn’t turn the skies gray, Mr. Sheppard. That’s a color I’m certain neither of us favor.”

He set his e-reader down. “Mr. Sheppard is my father.” A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “I told you before to please call me Kyle—it rolls off the tongue far easier.” He couldn’t prevent his smile from widening. “And you’re right, I don’t favor gray, especially not above me.”

Laughter spilled from her.

“Did I say something funny?” Kyle let out a chuckle, too.

She set her novel down on the small table. “It’s nothing you said. I just remembered how worried I was this morning when your team started doing that strange dance. ‘There goes our wingsuiting for the day,’ I thought. And all day long I kept waiting for those clouds to roll in.”

“The Haka’s a far cry from a rain dance, which, by the way, is performed by American Indians and the natives of Africa, not us Kiwis. So, you had nothing to fear.”

“That puts my mind at rest regarding this week’s weather. But tell me…Kyle…what other mischief could your Haka have evoked?” She glanced at her novel.

Kyle followed her gaze and stared at the figures on the front cover—one blonde, one dark-haired. It was hard not to notice the strange anomaly. Had she seen it too? He smiled. “None. I promise.”

Silence descended like a Nordic winter’s sunset—too fast, too soon—with nothing spectacular or welcome about the change. Just a deathly quiet.

Anjelica grabbed her book, leaned back in her chair, and opened the pages.

Had he lost another chance to redeem himself and make amends?

~*~

Anjelica peered over the top of the pages. Kyle held his e-reader again. Pity their conversation had been short-lived. She had to get his attention. She set her book on the table, slid back into her pumps, then rose. “I’m going to get a drink. Would you like something?”

Kyle looked up. “A bottled water would be great.” He dumped his e-reader down beside her novel and sprang to his feet. “Wait. Sit down. I’ll get our drinks.”

A hint of his aftershave tickled her nose. Woody. Manly. She breathed in deep.

His hand touched her arm. Warm. “What would you like?”

You.
She felt her face flush. She should sit down, create some space between them. If only she could move. It was thrilling to be so close, to feel him touching her skin. She shouldn’t…but it had been so long since she’d felt this way.