Winter Whirlwind by Amy Sparling Read Free Book Online

starting to hurt now.”
    “Yeah, she’s a badass,” Jace says, wrapping an arm around me. “Magazine isn’t here yet, babe.” He pulls me toward him, placing a kiss on top of my hair. “But I don’t have a client until ten this morning so I’ll hang out here and wait for it with you.”
    “Awesome,” I say, letting my head rest against his shoulder.
    A few minutes later, I remember the photo I emailed him last night. A trill of excitement hits me, and I look over at Jace, wondering if he’ll mention it while Park is here. But eventually Park leaves for his first client and Jace still hasn’t said anything. But the computer is off, so maybe he hasn’t checked his office computer, either. I decide to keep my lips closed and wait until he finds it and tells me about it himself.
    Jace is talking about his summer camp idea when the front door swings open and we both look over, finding Mark walking inside, his arms full of magazines. My pulse races. I was so freaking excited earlier today and now here I am, frozen in place behind the front counter. I’m almost too scared to read it now.
    “Good morning, guys,” Mark says, hefting the stack of magazines up and onto the counter. There’s probably fifty magazines and they’re all shrink-wrapped into a stack. “Fresh off the press,” he says, tapping the top of the stack. “It’s a good article,” he tells me, flashing me a smile. “I wouldn’t be surprised if ya’ll start getting a ton of new visitors because of it.”
    “Cool cool,” Jace says. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a pocketknife, then slices open the plastic covering. “Ladies first,” he says, handing me the magazine on top.
    I gasp. Right there on the cover, is me, standing next to Jace’s dirt bike. I’m flashing a look at the camera that’s so confident and knowing that I almost don’t even recognize myself.
    Wives of Motocross it says next to my head. Bayleigh Adams discusses raising a family, running a business and being married to motocross superstar Jace Adams.
    “You might be more famous than me,” Jace says with a grin. He pulls off the shrink wrap and tosses it in the trash. “These babies are going up for everyone to see.”
    “I have to get going,” Mark says, reaching out and shaking our hands. “Thanks so much for being in the article, Bayleigh.”
    “Thanks for having me,” I say, still holding the magazine in my hands. I’m so excited I can’t even open the thing yet. I just stare at myself on the cover. I’m on the cover of a magazine. I would have never imagined this would happen in a million years.
    Eventually I do read the article—well, I try to at least. I end up skimming over it, too excited and freaking out to bother reading each individual sentence. Luckily, Mark was right. The writer only put good things in there, and I’m grateful for it. Becca comes over when her college class is finished and she already has a copy of the magazine in her hand. “Sign it for me?” she says, throwing me a wink.
    “Did you read it all?” I ask while I play Legos with Jett. “I’ve been too scared to actually read it all.”
    “Yep,” she says. “It’s all good. No worries.”
    The front door opens and Jett lets out a squeal and runs toward it. Deja is here for her shift that starts at noon. “Hey little man,” she says, waving at Becca and me while she bends down to get on Jett’s level. “Are you ready to play some fun games?”
    He nods and shows her his Lego creation.
    “Nice magazine article, Mrs. Adams,” she says, standing back up with Jett in her arms. “All my friends think its cool as h—” she says, stopping to look at Jett. “Heck,” she finishes with a smile. “I mean, you made the cover and everything!”
    “I know, I’m excited,” I say. “But how did you see it already?”
    “Facebook,” she says, walking toward the counter to pick up one of the copies. “You’re a big deal online.”
    “What, are you serious?”