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I glanced into the darkness, prepared to be let down.
“Can he drive?”
Yes, my expectations were that low. At least I didn’t start with,Does he have a pulse?
Henry’s laugh sent condensation swirling through the air. “Of course he can drive.”
“I mean, does he know the back roads? Can he drive the way we need our ground crew to?”
That meant one eye on the road, one eye on the sky, and both ears tuned to the radio that allowed the ground crew to communicate with the pilot.
“He’s a fast learner. Especially with you as his teacher.” Henry grinned.
“Henry…” I growled.
“I know it’s not what you hoped for,” he admitted.
I snorted. Being my mother’s daughter had taught me that life didn’t deliver what you hoped for. But this was different.
“It’s not what we agreed on,” I pointed out, then lowered my voice to plead. “I need this flight, Henry.”
“I know, I know. I promise we’ll find you that hour soon,” Henry swore.
I balled my hands into fists. I’d worked for Desert Skies Balloon Adventures for over a year, grabbing every rare opportunity to go aloft with Henry or his second pilot, Madden. But that depended on the balloon having a free spot — and having a competent ground crew chief to chase the balloons wherever the wind brought them on any given day.
Today, Desert Skies One had several free spots. But without Kenny to head the ground crew…
“I need this flight,” I repeated, clenching my teeth before I begged.
Ireallyneeded it, and not just to be able to pilot solo. My whole life, I’d felt a primal, inner itch to get off the ground and defy gravity, at least for a while. But lately, that itch had intensified to an all-out craving.
The faint morning breeze toyed with my hair, teasing me.
“You’ll get that hour. Soon,” Henry promised. Then he grinned and raised his voice. “There you are, son. Meet Erin, our ground crew chief. She’ll teach you the ropes.”
The new guy moved through the predawn darkness the way a panther prowled through a forest, more shadow than substance. He stuck out his hand, and murmured a gruff, “Hello.”
I reached out, then froze, spotting his jacket — a fleece-lined denim jacket with a tear in one sleeve.
When I raised my eyes higher, my hands formed fists. Him?
Strong jaw. Strong shoulders. Strong everything, all looming a few inches over me, just like the previous evening.
Our eyes collided like a couple of storm fronts.
You,I nearly hissed.
His expression hardened, echoing the sentiment.
“Erin, this is Nash, Kenny’s replacement.” Henry looked at me, then him. “Oh. Do you know each other?”
“No,” I grunted, dropping my hand.
I did not know him, and I did not want to know him. Not after what he’d done last night.
John, one of the ground crew, walked by just then, chuckling. “Hey, Erin. I heard your father’s back in town.”
I shot a pointed look at the new guy. “Yes, he is. Word travels fast.”
