He sensed the faint hesitation in her tone and smiled. “Nope. I called in a favor.”
And if he were honest, it wasn’t an easy phone call to make. Rational or not, he viewed Hunter as a rival, of sorts. And he didn’t relish having to rely on him to make Penny’s special day a reality. But in the end, it was well worth a blow to his pride. And once again, Hunter had proved to be a stand-up guy. Possibly even a friend, if Colt planned to stick around.
When they deviated off the main road down a dirt path, away from the lodge and stables, Penny swiftly rolled down the window, craning her neck to ascertain their exact whereabouts.
Colt parked at the end of the narrow lane, and Penny’s eyes widened at the sight of Hunter standing near an enormous metal hangar. “Hunter?” She cast an uncertain glance at Colt. “What’s going on?”
“You’ll have to—”
“Wait and see?” she finished with a playful smirk.
“Exactly.” He grinned, climbing out of the car.
“Nice ride,” Hunter said by way of greeting. “Nineteen sixty-four?”
“Sixty-five, actually,” Penny corrected. “My dad and I restored it together.”
For a moment, he looked surprised. Then he tipped his cowboy hat in a show of respect. “You did a mighty fine job.”
“Thank you.” Penny returned his smile.
Heartened by the absence of his typical jealousy, Colt extended his hand. “Thanks again for letting us borrow her.”
“Anytime.” Hunter shook his hand warmly. “I don’t get to take her up as much as I’d like.”
“Take her up?” Penny repeated in confusion, glancing between them.
“My gal, Molly. She’s a beauty, isn’t she?” Stepping to the side, Hunter gestured toward a cobalt-blue Piper Super Cub. With its large, durable tires and sturdy frame, it had earned a reputation in the aviation community for being one of the premier bush planes. And Colt wouldn’t mind owning one himself one day. If he ever settled in one place long enough.
“Wait. You mean, we’reflying… inthat?” Penny balked, backing up a few steps.
Hunter’s forehead creased as he glanced at Colt in concern.
Prepared for her hesitation, Colt smiled calmly. “Did you know flying in a small aircraft is eighteen-point-five percent safer than driving a car?”
Her eyebrows raised a smidge. “Really?”
“Really,” Colt echoed with confidence. “And when you compare the stringent level of training necessary to acquire my pilot’s license versus my driver’s license, you were actually in more danger with me behind the wheel of the car than in the cockpit.”
This elicited a small smile. “In that case, I’m definitely driving on the way home.”
“Fair enough,” he chuckled. “Will that be taking place right now? Or afterward?”
She drew her bottom lip between her teeth, mulling it over. “Well, I guess I can’t argue with statistics. You said flying is eighteen-point-five percent safer?”
“Yep. And that’s only counting small, private aircraft. If you include commercial flights, you’re one hundred and ninety times more likely to be in a car accident than a plane crash.”
She tilted her head, clearly warming up to the idea.
“So…” he drawled, offering his hand. “Are you ready to be my copilot?”
With a meaningful glance that made his pulse race, she slipped her hand in his. “Where are we going?”
“You’ll have to—”
“Don’t tell me.” Her lips quirked. “I’ll have to wait and see?”
If Hunter wasn’t standing two feet away, he would have pulled her into his arms and kissed her tempting lips right then and there. Did she have any idea how deeply he’d fallen for her?
