Blind Landing (Flipped #1) by Carrie Aarons Read Free Book Online

of brothers and sisters to horse around with. Maybe it’s why I spent most of my time at the gym growing up.
    “You look tired, baby.” Mom cups my cheek and looks into my eyes, her own surveying every part of my face.
    If I had to admit it, I was. “I’ve been working a lot of long hours, trying to get everyone perfectly ready for Rio.” I saw the frown mark her face, and decided to change the subject. “How is Dad?”
    Her grin brightened her entire face, her nearly flawless tanned skin stretching at the thought of him. I’d never seen two people more in love than Hannah and Lance Russell. And that was after nearly thirty years of marriage. It made my heart ache a little bit in my chest, thinking about my lack of a person like that.
    And then confusion suffused me. I’d never thought about finding a love like my parents. Ever. Not until this minute.
    “He’s great. You know your father. Work hard, play harder. He just brought on some new clients; he’s fixing up that old Grand National in the garage at night. And he wants to go to the shore house next week, so maybe we will stop in at camp before we make it to Ocean City.”
    She flicked her violet hair over her shoulder and I couldn’t help the infectious grin that took over my mouth. My mom was a child at heart, which had made her a terrific schoolteacher. After nearly twenty years of educating first graders, she’d retired a year ago and had taken up several hobbies. Hannah Russell was the best volunteer at the local library, helped out with meals at the homeless shelter in the county, ran the firehouse bake sale, drove a commuter van for children whose parents couldn’t get them from school to daycare, and so much more. If anyone deserved sainthood, it was my mother.
    “Maybe I’ll take a day and come down to Ocean City. It’s only a half-hour drive or so. I miss it down there.” I meant that. I missed my childhood summer home more than I realized.
    My parents had bought a small shore cottage about twelve years ago, and spent every free moment they could bringing our family down there each summer. But for the past couple of years, I’d been trying to give them their space. Give them their relaxation time together.
    “You should, we miss you. A mother needs time with her baby, you know. We’ll spoil you; buy you Brown’s donuts, take you to Oves for dinner. We can play mini golf and you can buy your Mother a Christmas ornament from Mia’s.” Mom’s face and voice are wistful while remembering all of our favorite places.
    The waitress finally comes over, refilling Mom’s coffee and asking for our orders. A vegetable omelet for Mom, and basically the entire menu for me. French toast, scrambled eggs, a side of bacon and some hash browns.
    Mom sips her coffee as the waitress walks away. “Glad to see your appetite is still the same as always. They feeding you at that prison camp?”
    She’s never liked Filipek’s, or anything that dictator stood for. She put up with his methods when it meant I was going to reach the Olympics. But now … she hardly put up with it. She downright despised him and the things he stood for, the things he allowed those coaches to do to the gymnasts, and she didn’t hide it. It was the only point of contention between us.
    Well that, and my lack of a girlfriend.
    I sighed as I brought my orange juice glass to my mouth. “Yes, they feed me. They even let me out of my cage every once in a while.”
    She rolls her eyes and clucks her tongue. “I just don’t understand why you’re still there. You are so smart and capable, my beautiful son. You could do anything in this world. And I know you love gymnastics, I know it makes your heart beat. But my boy, you don’t have to stay there. I know what your bank account looks like, you know that if you ever asked, your father and I would help you in any way.”
    Mom and Dad had hinted in the past that they’d help me bankroll my own business if I ever wanted to do it. That