Free Chance Encounter by Jill Shalvis

“I’m okay.”
    His heart had all but stopped. “You might have mentioned you’re afraid of heights.”
    “I’m not afraid.”
    “And I suppose you weren’t lost the other day either.”
    She looked straight ahead. “I’ve got it under control now.”
    So she did. Never mind that he’d gone weak at the knees, his heart still kicking in triple time.
    She leaned back, still looking pale as a ghost, but calm as he pleased. “I’m completely fine.”
    “Well maybe we ought to start with your rescue, what do you think?”
    “Oh no, not on my account.” Her white knuckles were visible on the edge.
    Next to him, Jo’s radio crackled, and through the airwaves, Michelle, their receptionist, spoke up. “I’ve got an important call for Ally.”
    Jo lifted the radio to her mouth. “Ally’s on the lift at the moment.”
    “It’s her sister Maggie.”
    Jo tipped back her head and glanced upward at their white-knuckled rider. “Ally? It’s your sister.”
    “Can’t she leave a message?”
    Jo asked Michelle, who came back with, “It’s an emergency.”
    “My parents?” Ally’s voice went rough with concern, her fear apparently forgotten. She even managed to look down, though she still had no color in her cheeks. “Or my other sisters, Tami and Dani?”
    There was a tense few seconds while Jo radioed to Michelle, who then turned to the phone.
    The drizzle turned to rain.
    Chance watched Ally, but she didn’t look at him. She just sat up there, very still. Her boots seemed so small and defenseless, hanging above his head, a vivid reminder of how petite she was.
    Tina had been petite, too, and the wilds had killed her.
    He inhaled sharply and tried to think of something else, like how he’d never met anyone more irritating, or more likely to get herself killed.
    Finally Michelle radioed back. “The emergency involves her checkbook. Apparently she’s needing more money.”
    Jo let out a relieved breath.
    Tim let out a relieved breath.
    Brian shook his head, disgusted.
    From up above, Ally groaned. “I’ll call her later. Much later.”
    Jo passed on the message to Michelle, who responded with, “Ally? Maggie says she knows you just sent money to Dani and Tami, but she had to buy a new summer wardrobe because she couldn’t be expected to go to summer school without new clothes, and now all she has left until your next paycheck is enough to eat macaroni and cheese out of a box. She hates macaroni and cheese out of a box.”
    Ally closed her eyes. “Tell her ravioli out of a can is cheaper.”
    Everyone laughed. Even Ally managed a smile,though Chance noticed she was careful not to look down. “Sorry,” she said. “Obviously my sister doesn’t have a clue as to a what a real emergency is.”
    Chance would have said he hadn’t thought Ally did either, but clearly there was a whole hell of a lot more to Ally Wheeler than he’d first thought.
    The truth was, he knew little about her, except apparently she supported her sisters, which meant on top of the biggest, most expressive eyes he’d ever seen, and on top of her misguided sense of adventure that was going to be the death of him yet, she also had a deep loyalty streak.
    Damn if that wasn’t one of his favorite qualities.
    He realized Jo was looking at him look at Ally. She lifted a curious brow.
    He turned away.
    Jo came up behind him. “I can’t believe what you’re thinking,” she whispered.
    “I’m thinking about lunch.”
    She laughed. “Yeah, right. Lunch. ”
     
    T WO HOURS LATER , they were on their fifth and final “rescue.”
    Ally’s teeth were chattering, though her feet were thankfully and firmly planted on the ground as she watched yet another mock evacuation. Again and again her gaze was drawn to Chance as he directed the crew. Everyone, including her, looked like drowned rats.
    Not Chance.
    Darn him, but he looked good. He wore rain gearlike the rest of them, but his hat didn’t make him look silly. It only emphasized his