Read Online The Best Mistake of Her Life by Aimee Carson - Free Book Online

us of being smart.”
    Brian’s laughter joined his and, for a few seconds, Memphis enjoyed the moment that was full of every stunt they’d pulled, starting out amateur and becoming more sophisticated over time. Some had been lame, some had been brilliant, but all of them had been born out of passion and forged in a kindred spirit that Memphis hadn’t quite matched since.
    Once the laughter died there was an awkward pause, and Memphis searched for a way to fill the blank. “How’s work?” It was a stupid question, because Memphis had followed Brian’s growing reputation as stunt coordinator on a local TV show that was garnering national acclaim. It was a double-edged sword. Memphis was enormously pleased with his friend’s success, yet disturbed by the thought of what Brian could have accomplished without the injury bestowed upon him, courtesy of Memphis. With effort, he pushed the guilt aside as Brian went on.
    “Work is good,” Brian said. “Speaking of, I have a jump I’d like to discuss with you tonight.” He shaded his eyes from the sun with his hand.
    “And the beer is on me, as a thanks for helping Kate.”
    Instead of a painful groan, Memphis let out a noncommittal “Hunh” and paused to gaze out over the aquamarine waters of the Atlantic. The bright sun rippled on the water as he reined in the conflicting emotions.
    “The divorce has been rough on her,” Brian said. “I know in the past you two were always arguing, but try to be nice, okay?”
    Clamping back the bark of an ironic scoff, Memphis was inordinately grateful when the crew signaled they were almost ready to start.
    Memphis shot his friend a look. “Nice isn’t my specialty,” he said. “But I’ll do my best.”
    The flash of fire was larger than Kate had expected, and the cable snatched Memphis up and back with a heart-stopping force. Her chest froze, refusing to cooperate with the act of breathing as Memphis arced through the air, his body assuming a ragdoll position that mimicked death. At least she hoped it was an act. If it wasn’t, she was going to kill him herself for shaving five more years from her life.
    Right after she’d set him straight about their kiss, of course.
    Memphis hit the sun-dappled water, but Kate didn’t breathe until his head popped above the surface. She gripped the barricade, steadying her annoyingly wobbly knees while she inhaled swiftly as the crew whooped and holleredtheir approval. The cheering continued until he climbed the ladder out of the water and appeared on the dock. Several of the staff surrounded Memphis to help unhook the cable and remove the harness strapped to his chest, and Memphis pulled off his wet shirt to wipe his dripping face.
    Now free, a bare-chested Memphis made his way to the monitor where a few of the staff were gathered, as well as her brother. At the sight of the two men together again, her heart twisted nostalgically, but Memphis’s attention was fully focused on the screen as the group watched the explosion and his flight from every camera angle. Kate studied his profile, fascinated by the concentration on his face as he reviewed the stunt he’d just performed. After a short discussion, the group disbanded and, with a nod at Memphis, her brother took off. Memphis headed for a portable canopy set up to provide escape from the sun, shading several card tables dotted with equipment. He was alone, so it was now or never.
    And never was sounding pretty good.
    Heart still thumping, she pushed aside the nervousness and rounded the barricade, targeting Memphis. When one of the crew noticed her, she braced, certain he’d tell her to get back behind the barrier. Instead, he nodded as she passed and greeted her with a “Mornin’ Ms. Anderson.”
    Apparently Memphis had prepared the crew for the possibility of her appearance. As if he
knew
she’d come to discuss her participation inthat kiss. Suddenly flustered, Kate checked her forward progress, her footsteps faltering as a