Page 3 of Forever Flustered

“My plane had a delay,” he began as Thumper interrupted, shaking his hand in greeting before Reaper did the same.

“We need to hurry because they are getting married this morning.”

“Which is why we are in our dress blues – let’s go.”

Yep, these two men were efficient and on a mission… a mission he was grateful for because without their forward thinking, putting family first, and looking out for another fellow pilot - Elijah might have missed his own brother’s wedding. Walking quickly, the trio hurried out of the small airport and climbed into a nearby car.

Elijah listened as the duo gave him a quick rundown of what the last two days had entailed… and, surprisingly enough, a staggeringly quick recap of how Flyboys came to be. Years ago, after watching a pilot’s plane get shot down in Afghanistan under Thumper’s watch, an unexpected idea had taken shape.

Elijah could see that it still bothered Thumper to have lost someone under his watch, hearing it in his voice as he spoke, but there was something more there. Pride - that they were slowly building something greater while still trying to hang onto that bond that Thumper’s old team had once had. Reaper had been a part of that team and stepped forward after Thumper left the Air Force, holding it all together once again until he was able to come home late last year. Then Piranha took over the team - until last week, when Elijah stepped into the role.

It was strange to see how time could unfurl, how things overlapped and took place even while the world continued around you – and he felt this in his soul. Duty never ended. Obligations never faded. Even while stationed elsewhere, it felt like no matter how hard he tried to get away from his past, it was still there festering, waiting to crop up again and again… and he swallowed back the bitterness in his throat at the wash of memories.

Sometimes Elijah wondered if Bode felt the same way – like nothing was ever good enough, or that family was a burden that you had to handle. His father felt that way. His mother had ridden right along on the man’s coattails, egging him on. They thought alike, pushed each other to be meaner, stronger, or more aggressive… and their only two children had plenty of trauma to show for it. Not everyone had scars that were visible. Sometimes they were deeper, having shaped their own thoughts and opinions into a protective coping mechanism… of sorts.

It was sad.

‘Sad’ however was now in charge… and hated by everyone.

Crap…

Clearing his throat as the car slowed down to a crawl before pulling into what looked like a gravel road surrounded by fields, Elijah saw the hangar in the distance and smiled. Kids grew up and got bigger toys, he thought silently, remembering his love for those ten-cent balsa wooden airplanes they used to sell at the grocery store. Anytime he found a penny on the ground, he’d save them up and get a new plane… usually because the other one had crashed or had been smashed for failing to do something around the house. Just as that thought hit him, staring out the window as the car came to a stop… something else popped up on his internal radar.

Her…?

Who was that woman?

NO! His brain screamed aloud in his head – so violent and vibrant that he was pretty sure the other men around him could hear it. Reaper turned to look at him and lifted an eyebrow… and immediately Elijah wished the seat would eject him through the sunroof of the car.

“Let’s go, fellas,” Thumper said, breaking the silence. “I think they are getting ready to start. Paradox is practically preening, and you know how his ego gets when he thinks he’s the center of attention…”

“Heaven help us all,” Reaper muttered, chuckling.

“No help – but the big dork probably thinks they’re listening as he presides over Sidewinder’s vows.”

This was really happening.

My brother is getting married… and I’m actually in Texas to see it, Elijah thought in disbelief as a wave of recognition washed over him. He’d never been a religious man because, in his mind, growing up like they did would never have been condoned by a higher power - but sitting here like this sure made you think differently. He was independent, assigned to a base on the other side of the world, and yet that hadn’t changed things. He was being given the chance to reunite with his brother, a second chance to repair all those broken fences between them. If all of that didn’t scream ‘fate’, ‘divinity’, ‘blessings’, or whatever you wanted to call it…

His thoughts faded away as his eyes turned of their own accord to look toward the lovely woman who’d caught his attention a moment ago. She was gone.

Good, he thought, getting out of the car. I need to stay focused and really don’t need to make the same mistakes as my parents did. Nobody deserved to deal with someone who isn’t fully committed, and I don’t have time for that.

Standing, Elijah straightened his uniform and followed Thumper and Reaper to take his place, mentally preparing to surprise his brother – Bode ‘Sidewinder’ Hall.

CHAPTER 2

MAUREEN

The foolish things you do to get ahead…

Maureen had been passing out flyers to drum up some local business after moving her office from Tyler, where the rent kept going up, and converting her garage into an office space where she could work. It had taken so much hard work, so many mistakes, but now it was time to start building a clientele here in Yonder – so why not learn from the best?

She immediately scheduled a meeting with Harley Sloan, owner of Flyboys, because if this woman could make a functioning flight school actually work and thrive out here in the middle of nowhere… this was the person’s brain she wanted to pick for at least twenty minutes. Turns out that request was conditional – which is why Maureen was now attending a wedding today, standing alone in a group of strangers.

Walking around the group of people mingling and chatting together, Maureen looked around for Harley, hoping to get a chance to talk to her as much as possible. Everyone here knew each other, and it didn’t take a rocket scientist to know that. They were all smiling, chatting, and several sets of curious eyes were on her. If it weren’t so glaringly obvious, she would have thought that maybe she was paranoid, but no – they were actually staring at her. Then someone would look away and they would begin whispering amongst themselves.

I feel like the newest leper of the colony, Maureen thought grimly, feeling another set of eyes on her once more. Drawing in a deep breath, she lay a nervous hand on her abdomen as if that simple motion would steady her nerves, before raising her chin slightly. What did that deodorant commercial say – ‘Never let them see you sweat?’