Page 35 of The Pilot

He could practically feel the kid soaking in the compliments. Linc was well aware words alone wouldn’t make the bullying better. It would take thick skin and the ability to ignore the mean things others said about him. But hopefully with enough positive reinforcement—not only on his part, but also on his brothers’, his mom’s, and even his grandfather’s—Kash would come out the other side of adolescence without being broken by the kids who sought to raise themselves up by tearing others down.

“Just be honest, Kash,” Linc went on, wanting to say this one last thing. “You shouldn’t lie to your mom, or really to anyone. And be honest with yourself. If you’re having a bad day, don’t be afraid to say so. If your mom asks how school went, you’re allowed to say ‘Not great’ and tell her why. The one person in this world who wants the absolute best for you is your mom. She’d move mountains for you. Would do absolutely anything.”

“I know.”

“Do you? Do you really?” Linc pressed.

Kash looked over at him. And Linc could see the seriousness in his eyes. “We were staying in a shelter in the city. It was one of the better ones. It wasn’t scary like some of them, and the food was actually good. The mattresses on the beds were comfortable. They kept the heat on all night, so it was warm. It was also close to my school. But there was this one guy. He gave me the creeps. He’d stare at me, and sometimes he’d come into the bathroom when I was showering.

“I didn’t say anything to Mom because she was working really hard to find a good job so we could get another apartment. And because that shelter was primo, and I knew it. But one day, when I got back from school, Mom had already packed all our stuff into the minivan and said we were leaving.

“The creepy guy tried to get her to change her mind. Came over as we were walking out and told her she was making a mistake, and she’d regret leaving. Mom looked him straight in the eye and said she wouldn’t spend another second under that roof as long as he was there. That she saw the way he looked at me, and over her dead body would she stand by and let anyone hurt me.

“That’s when we started living in the car. She left that shelter, a place where we were comfortable, and warm, and our bellies were full, and put up with living in a minivan. And she did it for me. I knew what that guy wanted. But I didn’t say anything to Mom because we were more comfortable than we’d been in a long time. So yeah, I know she’d do whatever it takes to keep me safe. I feel the same about her.”

As Linc listened to Kash speak, a newfound respect for the boy rose within him. He might only be twelve, but he’d lived more than most grown men Linc knew. He understood the importance of loyalty and protecting those he loved. He’d never felt prouder of Kash than he did in that moment. Harper was a lucky woman. She might’ve been through hell since leaving Maine, but the one thing she’d absolutely done right was sitting right next to him.

“I’ve heard you in the middle of the night,” Kash said abruptly.

It was quite a change of subject, but Linc mentally shrugged and went with it. “Why are you awake to hear me up and moving around?” Linc asked.

“I have to pee sometimes. Why are you up?”

“No reason.”

“I thought you said I should be honest. Not to lie,” Kash countered, throwing Linc’s words back at him.

Linc sighed. “I don’t sleep well.”

“Because of what happened to you?”

“Because of what happened to me,” he agreed.

Silence lay between them for a long moment. There was no way Linc was going to tell Kash about the things he’d done, seen, experienced. Especially not in the week after he’d crashed his jet and been on the run.

After a long moment, Kash reached out and took Linc’s hand in his. “I’m sorry that happened to you, Linc. But for the record, I think you’re the strongest man I’ve ever met. I don’t care if you don’t sleep well and you have nightmares. I admire you so much. Thank you for telling me about being bullied. It helps some. Knowing the person you are today, it gives me hope that I can be just like you when I’m old.”

Linc wanted to laugh. Some days he felt ancient, but honestly he didn’t feel that old. He had a lot of years left in him . . . he hoped. And surprisingly, Kash’s words settled deep in his soul.

He would miss him desperately when he and his mom moved out. He’d gotten used to him being around, even though it had been little more than a week. His questions. His nonstop chatter. The quiet way he took care of others around him, even though he was the kid and Linc was the adult.

“Thanks, Kash.”

“You’re welcome. What kind of plane is that?”

He’d changed the subject again, but Linc was relieved. He was much more comfortable talking about planes than his insomnia or the reason behind it. And while he was glad he got to talk to Kash about bullying, he didn’t want to say too much and let it slip that his own mom had been one of the people who’d tormented him in his middle and high school years.

Before he knew it, hours had passed, and both he and Kash were chilled to the bone, despite the trick with the running motor. They’d stopped by the store on the way home and gotten ingredients to make tacos. It was an easy meal, and one that could mostly be made ahead of time by prepping the veggies and making the meat. They could throw the latter in the microwave when Harper got home from work.

She arrived home late . . . and crabby. Apparently the day after Black Friday was just as busy as actual Black Friday. People had not been on their best behavior, and it was clear Harper was struggling to keep a smile on her face for her son. Kash took it upon himself to get dinner ready, and when they all sat down to eat, Linc saw the first honest smile on Harper’s face that night.

“Did you two have a good day?” she asked.

“We did,” Kash said. “We were at the airfield for hours. Did you know Linc knows the name of every single plane ever made?”

“I’m not sure I’d say that, Bud,” he said with a chuckle.

“Well, he knew the names of every single one we saw today. And he knows how much fuel they carry, how many hours it takes to qualify to fly them, and he was really funny when he critiqued the takeoffs and landings.”