Welcome to the second sneak peek of Where the Wings Rise! In this scene, Addisyn receives an unexpected invitation…one that collides with her new life. 

Washing dishes, Addisyn was lost in her thoughts when she heard Avery’s voice from the other room. She turned off the faucet and glanced toward the doorway. “I couldn’t hear you.”

“Your phone was ringing. Just now.” Her sister hurried through the kitchen doorway, twirling the broom in her hands.

“Well, I don’t know who would be calling, but I better check.” Was it Skyla? Maybe rethinking the job offer? Addisyn rinsed the soapy water from her hands, tossed her dishrag onto the countertop, and found her phone on the coffee table in the living room. She tapped the screen.

Missed call, 6:54 p.m. Darius Payne.

Her heart rate doubled. She spun away from the phone and hurried back to the kitchen.

“Who was it?” Avery was flipping the broom around in the corners.

“It was, um, Darius.” Addisyn turned the water on full blast and busied herself scrubbing an invisible stain on the glass pan.

“Really?” Avery’s eyes were suddenly veiled. She leaned on the broom and studied Addisyn.

“Yeah.” Addisyn hated the heat in her face, hated knowing that Avery was doubtless reading her emotions, the way she always had. She cleared her throat. “I’ll—I’ll call him back. When I finish these dishes.”

“Ah, tell you what.” Avery plucked the dishrag from her fingers. “You deserve a break. I’ll finish these. You go call him.”

Addisyn blinked. Avery was telling her to call Darius? “Are you sure? I don’t mind if—”

“I am the older sister. I make the rules.” Avery held up a finger with a mock stern expression. “If your conscience won’t let you sleep, you can finish the sweeping for me. After you get off the phone, of course.”

“Well—okay.” Addisyn hesitated. “Hey—thanks.”

But Avery was already splashing the dishes around and gave no sign she’d heard. Addisyn bit her lip. It was a start, anyway. Maybe in time, Avery would soften where Darius was concerned.

She’d consider it more later. For now…Addisyn raced back to the living room and punched the number. One ring…two rings. Maybe he’d lost cell service. Maybe he’d gotten another call. Three rings. Just as the fourth ring was beginning, Darius’s voice cut over the line. “Well, there she is, all the way from Colorado. Hey, Addisyn.”

Warmth glowed within her at the music of his voice. “Darius.” Just saying his name released invisible knots in her spirit. “Sorry I missed your call. I was washing dishes. Avery took over for me so I could call you back.”

“What a pal.” Darius’s West Coast accent was even more adorable over the phone. “She must be an incredible sister, Ads. I’m so glad you two have made your peace.”

“So am I.” Guilt needled at her. For so many years, she’d let her selfish choices tear them in two. “I can’t imagine how I ever got along without her.”

“So how are you liking life as a mountain girl?”

This was one of the best things about Darius, the way he always prioritized her concerns. Avery was still clattering dishes in the kitchen, so Addisyn wandered upstairs to her bedroom and flopped across the buffalo plaid quilt on her bed as the conversation meandered. Darius congratulated her on her new job, and she asked about the climbing center. Things were quiet there now, apparently. “But of course that will all change in a few weeks when the ski bums show up.” He laughed.

“I bet it’s beautiful there this time of year.” She didn’t have to close her eyes to picture the quaint mountain town.

“Yeah, it’s nice. Kind of a slow season. I’m just working and hitting the gym and—” His voice dwindled.

She blinked. “Darius?”

His laugh halted with hesitation. “It’s nothing. I—well, I was just gonna say that I still go by the coffee shop every morning, but Chelsea doesn’t make my Cubans like you did.”

The compliment tugged strangely at her heart. “That’s—that’s really sweet.”

“It’s true.”

Again, an awkward pause wedged between them. Addisyn narrowed her eyes. “Darius, is everything okay?”

“Well—” His voice was suddenly strained. Was he anxious? Nervous? “Well, I—I had something to tell you. Some news.”

News? What did he mean, unless—

He’s dating someone. Fear slammed Addisyn in the stomach. He’s met someone there, and he doesn’t want to tell me. I bet she’s beautiful and sweet and—

“Addisyn? Are you there?”

“Yes.” Her heart was pounding in a painfully irregular rhythm. She dug her fingers into the quilt. What was the matter with her? They were only friends, after all. If he’d met someone, she’d be happy for him. She would.

“Well, um, I’m—I’ve got the chance to skate again.”

She’d been underwater, but now she had oxygen once more. “Darius—that’s amazing!” She squeezed her eyes shut, relief replacing tension. Only then did she consider the full impact of what he’d said. “Wait. What about your injuries?”

“That’s the awesome thing.” Darius’s voice was upbeat again. “Guess what? All those injuries years ago—they don’t hold me back anymore. Seems like my spine did some healing on its own. At least that’s what the doctors say. I’d say the Lord just touched my back. Same way He touched my heart.” His words radiated a holy kind of joy. “And I have to have some physical therapy, so I’m working with the most incredible guy at the Olympic Centre, name’s Lenny. I knew him from back in the day. He was a great pal of my dad’s.”

“Oh, Darius! That’s terrific.” The news was beyond amazing. Addisyn glanced out the north-facing window. If only he weren’t fifteen hundred miles away. “So—you said you had an opportunity. What is it?”

“It’s a benefit.” Darius’s voice was uneasy again. “Just—an exhibition skate. The first part of January.” He cleared his throat. “They hold the event every year, raise money for the British Columbia Children’s Fund. Afterschool programs, mentoring, stuff like that. Every year they invite retired or current skaters to perform. And, well, this year they asked me.”

“Wow. That’s great.” It was the sort of event she would have loved to perform at, back when— Envy tried to peer above the surface of her heart, but she squashed it down.

“And—and—I want you to do it with me.”

What? She blinked and gripped the phone tighter. “Darius—what did you say?”

“I want you to come skate with me.” The shyness in his voice was new. “It’s a pairs event. And—and—well, of course, I thought of you.”

“Darius—” Addisyn had been through too many emotions in the last few minutes. She stood and began pacing the room, ignoring the familiar creak of the floorboards. “I’m not a skater anymore.”

“But—I bet you get lonely for it every now and then.”

Darius had always seemed to have a window to her heart. Addisyn sighed. “Of course. I miss it fiercely sometimes. It was my everything, and it’s hard to—to detach from that part of me.” She squinted against the sudden sting of tears. “But it’s behind me now. This is my new life.” She looked around the room, shame surging at her discontent. “And it’s wonderful. I mean, I can’t complain. Avery is awesome and the cabin is great and the mountains are really—”

“But it’s not the ice.”

Her exhale was a whoosh of defeat. “Yeah.”

“So come skate with me.”

It was far from that simple. “Pairs skating? I’ve only done that a couple of times.”

“I did it a bit myself, way back. But most of the moves are the same as figure skating.” The strange shyness was back in his tone. “It’d be fun performing together. Don’t you think?”

Together. Addisyn took a breath. “Yes.”

By the time Darius had explained the details again, her objections were dwindling. “I—I would love to, Darius. Truly. But—I need to think it over—I would have to talk to Avery, you know—”

“Of course.” Darius’s tone was still calm. “I don’t need an answer tonight, girl. I want you to think it over. Talk to Avery, check on everything, then let me know. Okay?”

“Okay.”

After they finished the conversation, Addisyn still sat on the bed, her thoughts whirling faster than a combination spin. Go to Canada and skate with Darius? The possibility was larger than life. Far too big to fully examine right now. Warring emotions seized her. One part of her wanted to call him back, squeal her excitement, and be on the next plane to Whistler. The other part wished he’d never called at all.

And there was the matter of Avery.

How would Avery react? Would she see this as yet another reason to distrust Darius? Or would she think that Addisyn was ungrateful, that she didn’t appreciate all Avery had done to welcome her to Estes Park? The last thing Addisyn wanted to do was hurt her sister again. After all the rocky roads of their relationship, she couldn’t jeopardize the fragile common ground they’d finally found.

What if—what if she didn’t tell Avery right away? It couldn’t hurt to wait a day or two, could it? Just long enough for her to settle her own heart, think through the options? It wasn’t as if she were keeping anything from her sister. Obviously, she’d have to tell Avery if she decided to accept the invitation. But until she was sure—

“Addisyn?” Avery’s voice floated up the stairs, and Addisyn jumped.

“Coming!” She hopped off the bed. A wave of guilt splashed over her. For a moment she felt uneasily like a rebellious teenager again.

Avery was waiting by the foot of the stairs. “There you are. You’ve got to see this!” She grabbed Addisyn’s arm and towed her toward the window, pointing into the dusk. “Right on the deck, see?”

“Whoa!” Addisyn gasped at the shadow on the railing. “Is that an owl?”

“Yeah. Great Horned.”

The owl was a ghostly smudge in the twilight. He swiveled his head and peered at them with a dignified gaze, then unfurled silent wings and floated gently toward the pines.

“Can you believe that? So close!” Avery was whispering, caught up in the awe of the moment.

“That was incredible.” Her sister looked so happy, so at peace. How could Addisyn tell her that—

“I’m glad you got to see it.” Avery glanced toward the pine trees again, then turned to face Addisyn. “So what did Darius have to say?”

When Avery knew, would it ruin all the moments like this? Addisyn cleared her throat and watched the deepening dusk out the window.

“Nothing much.”