Chapter Eighty Eight
Aralyn strolled into the hanger at her father’s side. Behind were an assortment of her family members.
One last family hurrah before classes started up for everyone the following week, Aralyn had eagerly embraced her father’s suggestion for skydiving. It had been months since she had jumped and she missed the adrenaline rush.
Tiffany had decided it was time for her first solo jump. She and Aralyn had tandem jumped together multiple times, and with her father, but she decided it was time to do it alone.
They reached the front desk, where they were greeted by a young man in his early 20s, of stocky build and pleasant face. His name tag read ‘Chet’.
While Bo checked their party in, Aralyn noticed her mother’s eyes sweeping across the hangar, studying. Aralyn suddenly had the thought that her mother wasn’t just there to watch. It was her turn to stay on the ground, following an agreement she and Bo had made long ago. One parents always stayed on the ground, just in case of disaster with the one in the air.
But the way Trixie was glancing around…to the casual observer, Trixie was a concerned mother checking out the place. And if Aralyn didn’t know her mother so well, she’d have thought Trixie was just curious about the place.
“Excited?” Aralyn smiled at her cousin.
Tiffany gave a nervous smile. “Yeah. A little scared.”
“I was too, with my first solo.”
“Check out the eye candy,” Tiffany murmured.
Aralyn turned and made a noise of appreciation softly. The young man who had come out from the back was tall and lean, with thick, dark brown hair, around their age. Square jaw, broad shoulders, and wearing a jacket with the company’s logo, he hadn’t noticed the crowd.
“Yum,” Aralyn murmured. Tiffany nodded and nudged her cousin when another young man appeared. Not as tall as the other, his blond hair was longer, and he was a little stockier, but muscular.
“Hello,” Tiffany giggled to her cousin, admiring him.
“Want me to go say hi for you?” Leif popped up behind them with a mischievous grin. “Pass him a note? Do you like me, check yes or no?”
“Only if you want me to toss you out of the plane,” Aralyn answered calmly.
Leif laughed but didn’t follow through with his threat. The twins would be jumping solo today also.
Aralyn glanced at her mother, who was pretending to be browsing equipment for sale on the wall. Trixie had been skydiving for years, Aralyn knew. Was Trixie working a case right now? Aralyn wondered what the real motivation behind this excursion was. Trixie did freelance for her old friend Fenton Hardy; was she on a case?
“Your instructors are Frank and Joe,” Chet said to Bo. “They’ll get you guys set up with equipment and take you up.”
“Hi guys, I’m Frank, this is Joe,” the tall brunette spoke with a smile that lingered on Aralyn. “I know everyone here has jumped before, but we’ll go through a quick recap of safety, so follow me.”
“Happily,” Aralyn whispered to Tiffany as Natala chuckled. “Check out that ass.”
Natala giggled loudly, and caught the blond young man looking at them with a smile.
Aralyn noticed her mother stayed behind, still poking around the store. What was going on with Trixie? She wondered.
She only half listened to the safety lecture, having heard it many times. She studied Frank instead, admiring his lean form in the mandatory jumpsuit. He had a nice voice, not freakishly deep, and he was eloquent. Six foot four or so, she gauged, dark eyes, deep brown actually, and a very nice smile, she thought, much more interested in him than the lecture.
Aralyn realized while she was studying Frank, Joe was studying Tiffany. The blond young man had light blue eyes that sparkled with mischief, and a quick smile that he flashed whenever one of the girls looked at him.
Logan caught them staring and made soft kissing noises. Aralyn elbowed him and he snickered.
“All right, so let’s get everyone fitted with their canisters,” Frank smiled at Aralyn, who returned it. Everyone had already suited up.
“Is it me or is there something familiar about them?” Tiffany whispered to Aralyn.
“I…don’t think so.” Aralyn frowned slightly, sneaking another look at them.
“I’d swear we’ve met them before,” Tiffany murmured. “Long time ago.”
Frank, Joe and Chet quickly distributed the canisters everyone would wear, containing the parachute and canopies, making sure they were fitted properly over the jumpsuits.
“This looks about your size,” Joe brought one to Tiffany with a smile. “Need some help getting it on?”
Tiffany almost said no but gave him a pretty smile instead and said, “I’d appreciate it.”
“Happy to help,” his smile broadened.
Aralyn adjusted Logan’s security strap and he swatted her hand away. “I can do it.”
“It’s too loose,” Aralyn told him.
“It is not!”
“She’s right,” Frank said, stepping over to them. “You’re a little too loose there, buddy.”
Logan allowed him to tighten the straps and smirked when Frank turned to Aralyn.
“You’re next,” Frank smiled at her, shyly.
“I could use an assist,” she gave him a flirty smile. She definitely didn’t need the help but she didn’t mind getting close to Frank.
Her younger brother snorted and scurried over to his twin to whisper something.
“Sure. Here, let’s slide this on.”
Aralyn purposely stepped closer to him and startled him. But he kept his professional smile on and helped lift the container onto her back to be tightened.
Aralyn didn’t mind that he seemed to take his time.
“Come here often?” he asked, his voice sending a tingle down her spine. “I’m fairly new.”
“It’s been a while. Might have to start coming more often.”
“Be delighted to have you back,” his dark eyes lingered on hers.
“Should we mention her rash?” Leif asked in a loud stage whisper. The twins had moved closer.
Aralyn felt her face flush red at the prank as Frank chuckled. “Let me guess, younger brothers? I can see the resemblance.”
Aralyn nodded. “There will be retribution.”
“I’ve got one of them, myself. I find shrinking his boxers and jeans in hot water to be highly effective payback, especially when he’s in a hurry and falls over getting dressed.”
Aralyn laughed. “I’ll have to try that next. We’ve been pranking each other for years.”
“All done,” he murmured, pulling his hands back from the straps around her.
“Thanks,” she gave him a blinding smile and liked the way his eyes lit up.
Frank and Joe led them out the hangar towards the plane. Joe went up first while Frank stayed at the bottom of the stairs to ensure everyone onboarded. Aralyn put a little extra sway to her hips and noticed Joe offered Tiffany a hand onboard.
Natala and Trixie stayed behind on the ground. Natala didn’t like heights and had no desire to step foot on a plane but she wanted to watch.
Frank came onboard behind Aralyn and shut the door. He took the seat next to her, to her delight, and noticed Joe was sitting next to Tiffany.
Neither wore wedding rings, though she suspected they were young, around her age, maybe a little older. If they were single…
“Everyone all right over here? About ready?” Frank asked, right before the engines started up.
The sudden thought of making out with him up in a plane made Aralyn blush. Mile High Club indeed! Not with her father nearby she thought reluctantly. Bo would throw the man out the door—without a parachute.
Conversation was next to impossible with the noise, but Frank had gone over the various hand signals he’d be using as they approached the drop zone. He wore an earpiece that allowed him to communicate with the pilot.
When Frank rose as they neared the drop zone, Tiffany swallowed hard. Joe squeezed her hand and gave her a smile.
“I’ll be right behind you!” he shouted.
Tiffany managed a smile as Joe offered her a hand to stand up. She took it, aware of her father’s eyes watching. The twins would jump first, then Tiffany, Joe, followed by Aralyn, then Bo, and Frank.
Frank finally opened the door, and Leif stepped up to go first. With a grin, the young man “Allonsy!” and jumped out. His twin followed, hollering “Geronimo!”
Aralyn looked away from Frank and saw Tiffany’s ripcord was dangling limply as Tiffany moved to the edge of the plane.
“Tiff, no, wait!” she hollered, bolting forward. Joe turned to look at Aralyn, startled, as Tiffany flung herself out the door, not hearing her cousin.
“Her cord was out!” Aralyn shouted to Joe as she dove out the door.
Frank was shouting orders.
“No one else jumps! Marshal, land the plane!” he yelled to Bo.
Joe disappeared out the door after Aralyn, and Frank followed suit.
For several seconds Tiffany grinned as the adrenaline pumped through her as she freefell, arms out, enjoying the rush. Reaching for the ripcord, she frowned as she realized it was already out and dangling. Panic surged through her. Her ripcord wasn’t supposed to be out. She tugged it and nothing happened. The canopy didn’t open. She tugged again. And again. She grabbed the ripcord for the emergency chute but it was stuck.
Dear God, Tiffany thought, I’m going to die. I’m going to hit the ground like a bug on windshield.
*
Aralyn didn’t notice the usual adrenaline rush as she tried to direct herself towards her cousin. If she didn’t catch Tiffany quickly, she’d miss the window to pull her own cord for a safe landing. She was merely a few seconds behind Tiffany, but trying to ‘swim’ through the air was nothing like in the movies, and proving nearly impossible. Aralyn hoped the extra thirty pounds she had on Tiffany accererate her descent.
*
Tiffany was on the edge of a panic attack. Had anyone behind her seen this? Did they know she was in trouble? Below her she could see the twins’ canopies open as they drifted down towards the landing zone.
A scream rose in her throat, certain she was going to die. Something grabbed her ankle the scream burst forth. She looked behind her.
*
Aralyn grabbed her cousin’s foot, pulled her own ripcord, and held onto Tiffany’s leg for dear life as the canopy opened and they snapped back.
But they were descending too fast, and both girls knew it. The parachute wasn’t strong enough for their combined weight. Tiffany tried to reach up and Aralyn grabbed her hand, pulling her up so the cousins could hug. Aralyn deployed her emergency canopy but it wasn’t enough. These canopies just weren’t designed to hold the weight of two people. Aralyn’s face was grim as she turned her head up to watch the chute.
Then there were two more people there, one tugging at Tiffany’s hand. She recognized Joe’s flight suit and took his hand, still holding onto Aralyn. Frank grabbed Aralyn’s hand and then Joe’s, forming a circle with them. The three chutes between them would distribute the weight more evenly for a safer landing.
Aralyn held onto her cousin tightly, knowing she would get the ass chewing of a lifetime once on the ground, from both her father and Frank, if his set jaw was any indication. Aralyn suddenly laughed.
Tiffany looked at her laughing cousin as if she had lost her mind. Leave it to Aralyn to find a way to flirt with these boys while plummeting towards death!
The ground was coming up fast and Joe suddenly pulled Tiffany from Aralyn. “Roll with me!” he yelled in her ear, bringing her close against his body. Had she not been so terrified, Tiffany would have enjoyed being up against his muscular frame.
Frank and Aralyn were able to hit the ground running together, before stumbling and landing in a heap under the canopy that covered them.
Tiffany tried to move with Joe but fell against him, and they went down in a tangle of limbs as the canopy gently landed on them.
“Tiff!” Aralyn unsnapped her container and struggled to get out from under the canopy. She shoved Frank off of her; they had landed in a tangled heap. Crawling free, she sprinted to her cousin, fighting her way through the chute that covered them and pulling it to the side.
“Tiffany!” Aralyn frantically started pulling at the second canopy, trying to drag it to the side. “Tiffany, you all right?”
Frank joined her and together they pulled aside the heavy canopy to reveal Tiffany and Joe, entangled on the ground.
“Tiffany!”
Tiff nodded, unable to speak from having the wind knocked out of her as her cousin hugged her tightly. Tears leaked out her hazel eyes as Aralyn gripped her fiercely, kneeling next to her cousin.
“Holy crap, you had me scared!” Aralyn looked into her cousin’s eyes and grinned.
“D-Don’t even think about it, Aralyn Duke!” Tiffany managed. “I’m never doing that again!”
Aralyn laughed, sneaking a glance at Frank and his partner, who were watching them with a mixture of admiration and anger.
The plane had landed, and Trixie and Natala were racing towards them, livid, in the rescue vehicle. The vans had the lights flashing as they pulled up.
“I want an explanation, and I mean now!” Trixie Duke faced the boys. “What the hell happened up there with her canopy!”
“Ma’am, I don’t have an explanation. I checked every parachute myself before we left the runway,” Frank said quietly. He towered over the petite woman but took a step back at her approach.
“Mom, do we—”
“Logan, be quiet!”
“I’m not—”
One look from Trixie Duke in mama bear mode silenced both twins.
Joe helped Tiffany to her feet, keeping one around the trembling young woman. Frank pulled Aralyn to her feet.
“Look, of course we’re going to investigate this Mrs. Duke—”
“Mom, calm down. It’s not their fault,” Aralyn stepped in, taking her helmet off. Her golden curls sprang free, bouncing wildly. “As soon as Tiff jumped, I saw the ripcord was damaged. Someone tampered with it, but it wasn’t Frank. He was talking to me the entire time.”
“I tightened her straps; I checked that chute myself too,” Joe said. “It was fine, I promise you.”
Trixie ran her hands through her blonde curls. Natala noticed Joe gave Tiffany a hug with one arm as she wiped her eyes, having removed her helmet.
“Sweetheart, I know it wasn’t Frank, or Joe, but your cousin could have been killed! And you, young lady, your father texted me! Throwing yourself out like that—”
“Mom, not here,” she whispered pleadingly. She did not want to be dressed down in front of Frank.
“If she doesn’t, I will,” Frank said, anger suddenly rushing through him as he turned to the pretty blonde. “That hotheaded stunt of yours could have gotten you killed too! Did it occur to you that your chute could have been tampered with as well? Your hero attempt could have cost two lives!”
“Back off of her!” Tiffany pulled out of Joe’s embrace and stepped in front of Frank, her beautiful face red with anger. “You may not know jack about us, Buddy, but she’s my best friend and she tried to save my life so just take your lecture elsewhere and blow it out your ear!”
Frank blinked twice as Joe smothered his grin. Trixie even looked like she was struggling not to laugh. Leif and Logan weren’t as slick, busting into laughter as their mild-mannered cousin got up in Frank’s face.
“All right, all right,” Frank amended hastily. “Peace. I’m sorry I jumped you on like that. But you really could have been killed.”
“But we weren’t,” Aralyn gave him a dazzling smile. “We’re all fine, right Tiff?”
“Yep.” Tiffany stood next to her cousin; arms crossed over her chest defiantly.
“I think it’s time we get you girls home,” Trixie said firmly. “Tiffany, Honey is going to have a fit when she hears about this. Boys.” Trixie acknowledged them and herded her daughter and cousin away from the boys towards the emergency rescue vehicles. Only Aralyn caught the meaningful look exchanged between Frank and Trixie.
Joe stepped up to his brother with a grin. “So those are the Duke girls, huh. Damn, they grew up beautiful.”
Frank just nodded in agreement and laughed.
***
Aralyn slipped into the noisy hanger, glancing around curiously. The stocky young man from the other day was at the desk and he grinned broadly at the pretty blonde girl.
“Hi again,” he greeted her cheerfully, taking in the curvy figure, pretty face and long golden hair. Beautiful eyes, he thought wistfully, brought out by the clingy pink t-shirt. Jeans hugged her hips and her boots were well worn. He knew she wasn’t here for him.
“Hi there, Chet, right? Can you tell me if Frank is here today?”
Chet sighed. Always his friends. Frank could barely find his tongue to speak around a female, but the women loved him. Joe was forever complaining about his brother’s shyness attracting women. Not that Joe ever had reason to complain about getting women. “No, but Joe just stopped in. Want me to find him for you?”
“I’m right here, Chet,” Joe came up behind her, admiring the backside as much as the front. “Heard my name.”
Aralyn turned and flashed the Duke smile at the handsome young man, not noticing Chet disappear. “We didn’t get a proper introduction the other day when your brother was dressing me down,” she said sweetly.
Joe grinned, thinking of a different type of dressing down. “Frank was just worried. That flight and its occupants were our responsibility. You both could have been killed.”
“Any idea on what happened?” she asked.
Joe was suddenly uncomfortable. He couldn’t let her in on the case. They had promised Trixie.
“It’s being looked into,” he hedged.
The sapphire colored eyes narrowed, and he knew he was caught, but she smiled instead.
“Well, my cousin and I thought you two seemed like nice guys, and we didn’t get a chance to thank you the other day. So, I came by to do it in person.”
“Well, thanks. Where is Tiffany?” he asked casually.
Gotcha! Aralyn laughed to herself. Joe was definitely interested in her cousin. “She’s at work, but we have a couple extra tickets to the Harry Potter premiere this weekend, if you and your brother are free and would like to join us. And if he won’t yell at me,” she added with a laugh and a toss of her hair.
Joe couldn’t stop smiling. “I think we can clear our schedules.” An idea grabbed him. “How about you let us take you two out to dinner beforehand?”
The dazzling smile she gave him made him think she’d be an awful lot of fun, one-on-one. He wouldn’t mind playing with either girl. “Sure, we can do that.” Picking up the pen on the counter, she grabbed his hand and wrote her phone number on it.
“Make sure Frank gets that, will you?” she winked at him.
Joe laughed. Friday was going to be fun.
Meet the cast in full & see the family tree!
Author’s Notes
- a giant yee-haa! To Ronda, my lovely editor. All mistakes are mine!
- I'm glad to finally get the Hardy boy son the scene!
- Word Count, 3,218
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