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“Nope, doesn’t work that way, cowboy. Floatplanes, dual props, gliders, helicopters all scream risk taker. Paramedic just says you also like taking charge and helping people.”
Cowboy? Hmm. And how would she know he liked to fly gliders? Had she been asking about him? He found himself smiling; he’d never have guessed Ally Mowak had this fun, easygoing side. Despite his first impression and having questioned some of her beliefs, he liked her. She seemed like a good person with the intentions to match. That’s why, when the time was right, he was going to give her some advice.
* * *
TAG JAMES LANDED a helicopter just as smoothly as he did a floatplane. Granted, a landing pad on top of a hospital probably wasn’t as challenging as a lake. But what did she know about piloting? They both seemed difficult, and frankly, she was relieved the trip had gone so well.
They seemed to have put the clay incident behind them. And she’d learned from the Weils that Tag was a friend of Ginger’s, so her unease over finding him in the hospital room was pretty much alleviated. For some reason, probably Flynn’s comment about Tag’s close relationship with Dr. Boyd, she’d assumed that he was checking up on her.
Hospital staff was waiting in Anchorage, and they handed off the patient to the medical team without incident before climbing back into the helicopter. Within minutes they’d taken off and then landed again.
“This is a private airfield,” Tag told her when they disembarked. “Iris is taking a car from the airport and meeting us here. We probably have enough time to grab a sandwich if you’re hungry? There’s a…” He’d been checking his phone as he spoke and she watched his brow knit with concern. “Uh-oh. Well. Maybe dessert, too, it looks like. Her flight was canceled.”
“Oh, no.”
“Mechanical problems. They put her on a different plane, but she’s going to be delayed a bit. I’m sorry.”
“You should be more than sorry if you did something to that plane just to hang out with a girl for a few hours,” she said drily.
She’d meant it as a joke, but for a half a second he looked alarmed by the thought. Then a slow smile spread across his face. Hazel eyes narrowed and swept slowly over her, leaving a trail of heat across her skin and a pleasant tightness in her midsection.
“That’s funny,” he said in a quiet voice, those eyes pinned on hers now.
Her throat went dry. “I just meant that you don’t need to apologize for your sister’s flight delay,” she said, because she couldn’t think of anything else. Why was the back of her neck tingling?
“But it’s Friday, and you probably have plans. Now we’re not going to get back until late.”
“No plans. Unless you consider eating pizza and watching the Mariners game plans?”
Was it her imagination or did he look pleased by that answer? Considerate of him to be worried about ruining her Friday night. She had to concede that Flynn was right; Tag did seem like a nice guy.
“In fact, I would consider those plans. Very fine plans indeed. You wanna grab a bite and watch the game while we wait?”
She grinned. “Uh, yeah.”
They walked to a nearby sports bar. Because it was early for dinner and late for lunchtime, the bar was quiet inside with only a few tables filled. Fellow Mariner fans were easy to spot in their blue-green and gray caps and shirts.
A sign indicated that they could seat themselves, so they grabbed a booth with a good view of one of the oversize television screens. A woman wearing a snug Mariners T-shirt and a tight denim miniskirt hustled over from the bar. She was attractive with thick, strategically applied makeup and blond hair up in a complicated twist. Her name tag said Rita.
“I’m sorry,” she said, giving Tag an apologetic smile before pinning a gentle scowl on Ally. “But this side of the restaurant is for customers twenty-one and older only.”
Tag blew out an exaggerated huff and reached for his wallet. “Will this madness never end? I’m getting so tired of it. I’m going to be twenty-three next month, or is it twenty-four? Hold on, let me check.”
Ally laughed and dug her wallet out of her bag. She handed her driver’s license over to the waitress. Rita was giggling and seemed far more interested in examining Tag than Ally’s ID.
