by Karey White
“What’s wrong?”
“I have no idea what to wear for dancing lessons.”
“Uhh...”
“Also, Valentine’s Day is tomorrow. Am I the last person to know this?”
“You’ve been pretty distracted. I didn’t think you were a big fan of Valentine’s.”
Distracted was an understatement. “Not the biggest fan, no, but this is about Gramps and Dot. They chose this week, and now... I feel pretty inadequate.”
“Well, all Dot wants is for you to be part of their week. You don’t need to show up with a tux and a dozen roses.”
Wren considered that a moment. “Hmm...”
Chapter Eight
Wren slept hard and late. After an early lunch, she found herself forty-five miles away in the picturesque town of Issaquah, Washington, in a small shuttle bus, squashed between Seth and Dot, bouncing up a dirt road on the side of a mountain, wringing her hands.
Seth leaned toward her. “I told you we’d be traveling.”
She looked at him. “I thought you meant by car. Or a real bus. Or foot. On the ground. Not paragliding.”
“Yeah, well, remember the karaoke.”
“Karaoke is on the ground.”
“So is skinny-dipping.” He hid a smile.
She ignored his charming display. “And how do they all know you?” She nodded toward the guides at the front of the vehicle.
He looked their way and then back at her; she couldn’t help but like having him so near.
He leaned even closer. “I’m certified.”
“Yeah, I’m starting to get that.”
He nudged into her. “Not certifiable. Certified.”
“Oooh. My mistake. And what is it you’re certified in?”
“Jumping off cliffs and such while dangling from a kite.”
“Mm-hmm.” She turned to Dot as he chuckled. “And you’ve done this before?”
“You bet. With Seth. I mentioned it to Billy, and he added it to the list.”
Wren faced forward, still wringing her hands.
Dot patted her knee. “You’ll be okay. You just run and then poof, you’re floating.”
Run off the face of a mountain. Poof. Easy.
“You get an incredible view. Mount Rainier, Mount Baker, Lake Sammamish...”
“All of those things are on the ground. I like things on the ground. I like to be on the ground with them.”
Dot smiled. “You flew here.”
“Yes. And I had a very good reason.”
Dot nodded. “Agreed. But you have a very good reason to do this, too. Every time you do something on this list, you get to know your grandpa in a whole new way.”
Wren peeked at the mountainside as they continued to climb. “I guess.”
Dot patted her knee once more. “Don’t worry. Seth will be right there with you.”
“He will?”
“Yup. He’s your tandem guide. You two’ll be peas in a pod.”
Wren looked at Seth. He watched her for a second then broke into a laugh. He lifted his arm and placed it around her shoulders, giving her a squeeze.
“Your unwavering confidence in me is evident on your face. Except maybe...” He reached over with his other hand and gently lifted her jaw so her mouth closed. “Hm.” He studied her, then gently pushed one side of her mouth upward in a fake smile. “There. You trust me completely.”
Wren swallowed, unable to move.
“Are you okay?” His joking demeanor faded, and he pulled his arm from around her. “You’re flushed.”
“Um.” She struggled to find her voice. She nodded. “Nervous.”
The shuttle rolled to a stop, and the side door slid open. Seth watched her a moment longer. His grin returned. “‘Get your motor runnin’...’”
She couldn’t fight it. Her smile returned. “‘Head out on the highway...’”
“Peas in a pod,” Dot murmured.
Wren suppressed any pleasure at hearing Dot’s words. Seth was great. That was all.
Minutes later they were harnessed, their wing caught the breeze, and she and Seth ran to the edge, Wren in front and the horizon of the Pacific Northwest coming at them fast and broad.
“Keep going,” he called. “Run. Lean into the takeoff. Now bring your feet out in front of you. Lean!”
Her heart pounded with every step, her breathing harder and faster than it should have been, and as she reached the edge, she lifted her feet as he’d told her to do. Although her heartbeat still echoed loudly in her helmet and the wind swept past them, the world became very quiet.
She could see Dot’s wing, as the sails were called, not far below them, and then she looked down. Way down. She let out a cry and gripped her harness straps. Her legs dangled 3,000 feet above the ground.
“This is wrong!” she shouted.
“What’s wrong?” Seth shouted back. “Sit back!”
“My feet should be on the ground!”
He laughed. “Wren?”
“Yeah?”
“You’re flying.”
She let that sink in. She looked over the landscape to the horizon in front of them. Green hills, rising snow-covered mountains skirted by clouds. A large blue lake came into view. The weather was clear enough to see Seattle vaguely in the distance.
She unwound and sat back in her harness. “We’re flying.” She breathed in the cold, clean air.
“You’re flying with Gramps. Enjoy the ride, Wren-bird.”
She looked at Seth. He opened his arms out like wings. She smiled. When she turned back around, she did the same. They’d leveled out with Dot, who gave her two thumbs up.
They soared. Wren kissed her finger and raised it to the sky.
Chapter Nine
Watching her skirt, Wren turned a bit as she waited on the front porch. The black dress she’d found had a deep u-shaped neckline with a white faux blouse attached, a thin red belt at the waist, and a short swingy skirt. She’d been told her stacked patent heels would be great for dancing. She wasn’t sure.
She’d put her hair up in a messy bun, because that’s the fanciest way she knew how to do it, and put on the silver necklace she’d picked out. A small heart within a larger heart hung at her open collar, which was unbuttoned one more button than usual. She felt daring.
Wren rang the doorbell. She’d only just stepped outside the house, but Dot was still back in her room.
After a second ring— she’d told Seth not to answer— she heard Dot coming to the door. She smiled to herself in anticipation, bouncing a little in the cold.
The door opened.
Dot’s eyes grew wide. “Well, what are you—?”
From behind her back, Wren produced a bouquet of a dozen red roses and a canister of Almond Roca, which Seth had said was Dot’s favorite. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Dorothy June Gallagher.”
Dot had worked the short waves of her red hair to frame her face and sparkling eyes. She wore a coral blouse and her own pair of pointy heels peeking out from the hem of her gray slacks. Her hand covered her mouth.
“Billy isn’t here,” Wren went on. “I know he wanted to be. But I’m here, and I’d like you to be my Valentine.”
Dot finally took the flowers and candy then put her arm around Wren in an embrace. “Bless you, Wren. Bless you,” was all she said.
She pulled away and motioned for her to come inside, blinking rapidly. After dabbing at her eyes a little, she said something about water and hurried off to the kitchen with the flowers and candy.
Seth stood at the bottom of the stairs in slacks, shiny shoes, and a black dress shirt, leaning against the wall, his hands shoved into his pockets.
She looked at the ground. “That went okay, I think.”
“Mm-hmm.” He pushed off the wall and approached her, picking her jacket up off the sofa as he passed it.
“So, good idea,” she said.
He held her jacket open. “Good idea.”
She slid her arms into her sleeves, and
he settled the jacket around her. She turned to face him, glancing up. He watched her intently, a question in his eyes.
“What?” she asked.
He gave his head a small shake. “What were you like as a kid?”
“Why do you ask?”
“I don’t know, I’m just...” He reached for his own coat on the hook and put it on. “I’m trying to get a picture here, and...” He stepped closer and brushed a wisp of her hair from her collar, sending chills down that side of her neck. He dropped his hand and shrugged. “One more day for the list. Just one.”
“I know. It’s been incredible so far.”
He nodded and continued to search her eyes. She turned and pulled Dot’s coat off a hook.
“Wren.”
“Yes?” She smoothed the wool coat over her arm and pretended to check the time again.
“Look at me, please.”
She did, feeling heat rise in her cheeks.
He swallowed. “You look prettier than a Boeing 787 VIP.”
She lifted her brow. “Is... is that a plane?”
He looked away, rolling his eyes at himself. “Yup. I just compared you to a plane. Good, Seth. Good one.” He turned toward the door.
Dot came in carrying a vase of her roses. “They’re beautiful,” she said. “I can’t remember the last time someone gave me red roses. Thank you, Wren.” She set them on the coffee table.
“You’re welcome.” Wren was still recovering from Seth’s compliment. “I had some help picking out the candy.”
Dot smiled at Seth and patted his face. “Thank you, Seth. You’re much better at picking out candy than you are at giving compliments.”
Wren suppressed a laugh. Dot slipped her arms into the coat Wren held out for her and continued outside. Seth held the door open for both of them, silent. He hurried past and got the car door for his grandma, and after she was in, he stepped to get the door for Wren. But he paused as she stepped forward.
“I meant it.”
She looked up, surprised to see him worried. She blinked. “Brave.”
His brow furrowed. “What?”
“You asked what I was like when I was a kid. My dad left us when I was three. So I was brave.”
His expression softened and turned into a small smile. “I can see that. And I’m sorry.”
She opened her mouth to tell him he didn’t need to be, but Dot banged on the window. “Unless you’re kissin’ her, let’s go. It’s been a long day, and I wanna shake my bootie.”
He closed his eyes and groaned, and Wren slipped into the back seat as quickly as she could.
Dot turned around before Seth got in the car. She whispered hastily. “Was he kissing you?”
“No,” Wren whispered vehemently back. “Of course not.”
“Well...” Dot turned back around. “Dammit.”
Chapter Ten
Oh, Gramps, how could you? Of all the—
“One-swivel-hips, and two-swivel-hips. That’s right. Dig the balls of your feet into the floor. Latin dancing is all about pressing your center of gravity toward the earth. One-swivel-hips. You’ve done this before.”
Wren let the instructor’s observation go as she stared straight ahead.
What on Earth were you thinking? Salsa dancing? Graaaamps.
“Slight bend to the knees. That’s it. I’m just going to work with you, Dot. These two don’t need me.”
It was true. The class was small, but there were enough beginners to tell who’d done this before. In the wall-length mirror, Wren could tell that Seth also seemed to know what he was doing.
And so did Gramps. He’d known she could salsa. That she loved it. That she secretly danced around her apartment to Oscar D’Leon and Celia Cruz. Tito Puente woke her up every morning in the shower. She worried about the neighbors finding out, so she kept the music down, but now it blasted in the dance studio, and she couldn’t not dance. She couldn’t not dance well. She couldn’t not love it and not be mortified at the same time.
This was her secret joy. And Gramps was making her do it.
In front of people.
She bit her lip and caught Seth watching her. She threw her hand up over her face, and he laughed. She slowed.
“No need to be shy, linda. C’mon, let’s see what you can do.” Rosa, their Dominican instructor, pulled her to the front and stood opposite her as a partner. She took Wren’s hands and led her through some basic steps, a few turns, some walks, and then some spins. Wren couldn’t help smiling, though she wanted to hide. The teacher let her go as the song finished and the class applauded and whooped.
“From where did you learn this?”
Oh, not that question. “Watching. Practice.” Watching YouTube videos, Zumba DVDs, and practicing by herself with the blinds closed.
And she had to admit, it was wonderful dancing with somebody real.
I am so pathetic.
“Not bad at all. No need to blush like that.” Rosa beamed at her. “You and your partner are going to kick it tonight.” She motioned to Seth.
“Partner? Tonight?” Wren looked at Dot, who nodded, grinning.
“At my salsa club, after class. Free admission with the first lesson. All of you, come. What better way to spend Valentine’s Day than speaking to your partner through dance?” She clapped her hands and picked up with the class as the next song began.
Wren made her way to her place near the back of the room, a flutter of anticipation in her stomach.
After class, Dot found her. “I’m so excited to watch you kids.”
Seth shook his head. “You pulled us into this, Grandma. You’ll do more than watch.”
“Well.” A mischievous smile lit her face. “I think I just might.”
Wren pressed her hand to her stomach. “I feel queasy.”
“What?” Dot asked. “No. It’s just nerves.”
Wren sat on a bench and closed her eyes. “Gramps is laughing his fluffy white wings off, I’m sure.”
Dot sat next to her. “You may be right. You know, this one was all his idea. He chose it because of you.”
Wren opened her eyes and looked at Dot.
Dot nodded. “He said he’d seen you a few times, caught you with your headphones in or whatever they are now. Head buds. He said you looked like you were having the time of your life with nobody watching, and he wanted to give that a shot. He wanted to learn it.”
“He knew how to do that.”
She shrugged. “Maybe he did. Maybe he didn’t. But he liked the way you did it.”
Wren took a deep breath. She reached over and took Dot’s hand. “And he wanted to do it with you.”
Dot lifted her chin. “You bet he did.”
Wren laughed.
They found a table in the crowded club and ordered drinks.
Seth stood. “Grandma, let’s go out there and shake our booties. Wren, if you’ll excuse us.”
“Shake away,” Wren said.
Seth guided Dot to the dance floor. They took it easy. Dot laughed and kept up pretty well. Wren allowed herself to imagine Gramps out there on the floor. She’d seen him dance a little. A spontaneous swing with Mom every once in a while. And Wren had danced on his toes around the kitchen. Always with a smile. Man, she’d love to see him smiling out there right now.
She sighed and refocused, and at that moment caught Seth’s eye. His smile widened, and he turned Dot into a small dip. Dot beamed.
Wren clapped, got up from the table and met them on the dance floor. “I’m cutting in,” she said.
Dot fanned herself. “Oh good.” She turned for the table.
“Oh no you don’t. I’m dancing with my Valentine on Valentine’s Day.”
Seth turned Dot around and excused himself.
Together, she and Dot danced and turned and swiveled their hips, laughing until they were nearly out of breath. As the song ended, Dot held her side.
“Whew. I’m sitting down. That was a hoot, Wren.” She took her seat and a sip of her
drink. “I’m all set to watch you two for the rest of the evening.”
Wren stilled.
“Well.” Seth became quiet. “You can sit, too, if you’re tired.”
Wren took a half-step toward her chair.
“Of course she’s not tired,” Dot said. “What are you guys, Twenty-four? Twenty-five?” She rolled her eyes and made a shooing motion. “Get on out there, pups, and show ’em how it’s done.”
Seth held out a hand. Slowly, Wren took it.
“Promise you won’t leave me in the dust out there?” he asked with that lopsided smile.
She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye as they turned. “I’ll do my best to keep you dust free.”
“I appreciate it.” He led her toward the crowd.
“Tell me something,” she said. “How did you learn to salsa?”
He chuckled. “College. I was in engineering school, going into aeronautics. My roommate was Puerto Rican. I needed to find something to make me less nerdy. He agreed.”
She smiled. “Did it work?”
“If you have to ask, then no.”
They reached the dance floor but stayed in the outer ring, which she appreciated. The dancers in the center took salsa to a whole new level.
They stood looking at each other a moment, and then he took both her hands. “Here we go.” He swung their hands and they walked a bit; him pushing, then her pulling. Their smiles grew as the rhythm took over, and then, he surprised her.
He totally knew what he was doing. And she’d rarely danced with someone else.
He spun her close.
“Puerto Rican, huh?” she asked as he caught her.
“Si,” he said, and spun her out again, grinning like he had a really good secret.
They danced two songs. Then three. Then five.
He frowned at his watch, not letting her hand go. And she didn’t want him to.
She saw the time, though. “We need to get Dot home.” She was breathing hard, but it felt good. She felt alive and wonderful.
He nodded. Dot sipped her drink, seemingly content to watch the dancers, leaning her head drowsily on her wrist.
The next song began. Seth met Wren’s gaze. “One more?”
She nodded, and he stepped closer. This was a much slower kind of dance. The couples swayed and spun and held each other close. Seth pulled her in.