AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Her grin returned like a golden sunrise. “Yes, it is. How do I climb in?”
“Hold on,” he said. “I have to get the rest of your gear, and do an inspection, and remove the wheel blocks, and—”
Her laugher interrupted him. “Okay already, tell me what I can do to help.”
She made herself useful, following each of his instructions to the T. When they had little more to do except put on their gear and climb in, he held up the extra jacket he’d retrieved. She shrugged it on and he zipped it up. Then he covered her golden-red hair with the leather hat while she arranged the scarf still tied around her neck above the coat’s collar.
“It’s going to be loud,” he said, pushing up her chin to fasten the hat’s strap. “When I first start the plane inside the building, and the entire time we’re flying, so keep the flaps over your ears at all times. Don’t unhook the chin strap or you may lose the hat completely.”
“Roger wilco,” she said saucily.
He shook his head, but smiled, all the while captivated by her gaze. He hadn’t forgotten her beauty, but was amazed by how intense it truly was. She was even more beautiful than he remembered, and seeing her up close was like examining the petals of a flower and the spectacular perfection that put it all together. His lips quivered slightly. He’d never kissed Twyla, except for last night, but he wanted to, and not in a brotherly way.
“Don’t take these off, either,” he said, grabbing the goggles and sliding them over her head. After adjusting the strap and making sure they were snug, he made her turn around, inspecting her from top to bottom. “I wish I had a different pair of shoes for you to wear.”
“These will be fine,” she assured him.
“At least pull the backs up so they won’t fall off,” he said.
“That’s all right,” she answered, spinning to the plane. “They won’t fall off. Now, how do I get up there?”
After he put on his own gear, he grasped her waist. “You climb.” Hoisting her upward, he instructed, “Grab that bar, now put this foot here...” He guided her the entire way into the front hollowed-out area that contained little more than a seat. Forrest climbed up and then strapped her in firmly before he climbed into the area behind her.
“Shouldn’t I be in the backseat?” she asked over one shoulder.
“No,” he said. “This is the cockpit, and it’s for the pilot.”
“But how will you see around me?”
“I’ll see around you just fine,” he assured her. “Normally, bags of mail are piled in that area.”
Twisting about as much as the straps allowed, she frowned. “Mail?”
“Yep, up to five hundred pounds,” he said, settling into his seat and strapping himself in. Taking the opportunity to tease her, he said, “You don’t weigh more than five hundred pounds, do you?”
“Very funny,” she replied sarcastically, turning forward. A moment later, she spun back around. “Wait. Shouldn’t we have pulled it out of the garage first or something?”
“Nope, we’ll drive out and head straight down the runway,” he said, checking his instrument panel, which was little more than a horizon indicator and oil pressure gauge. If he were to fly a regular mail route, he’d need an updated plane, especially for night flying. Ignoring that thought, he asked, “Ready?”
She nodded, but before turning around, asked, “Don’t we need parachutes, in case we go down?”
“We aren’t going to go down,” he said. “I’ve never crashed yet.”
“Well, just in case...” Her voice faded as she cringed slightly.
He shook his head. “Sorry, I don’t have an extra parachute.”
“Oh.” Her frown increased. “But you do have one?”
“I do have one.” Taking account of her nervousness, he said, “And I’ll share it with you if needed.”
“But I won’t know—”
“Twyla,” he interrupted.
The blue of her eyes shimmered even through the thick goggles. “What?”
“Shut up.”
She stuck her tongue out at him.
He laughed and hit the ignition switch.
* * *
Twyla grabbed the edges of the curved wood around her. The rumble of the plane reverberated through her, making her shake, and the noise made her ears ring. The wooden propeller in front of her started turning slowly, then faster and faster. So did her excitement. Twisting, she glanced back at Forrest. Son of a gun, but he was handsome in his flyboy getup. Especially up close. His lips moved, and she assumed he was asking if she was ready. She knew for sure when he held up a thumb.
