“No, and I’m intrigued,” Scott replied. “Small planes, yes, but not one that can land and take off on water.”
“It comes in handy around here. Hold on, here we go!” Justin said as they taxied down the lake, then sped up and lifted off. Scott watched in wonder as the lake fell away beneath them, and a magnificent view took its place.
“Pretty spectacular, isn’t it?” Justin said, likely noticing Scott’s response. “Gets me every time. Never gets old.”
“Wow. Seriously, wow.” Scott gripped the handhold by the door and tried not to grab the left armrest.
“Are you a nervous flier?” Justin asked without looking.
“Not usually,” Scott said. “I’m just more aware of everything in a small plane.”
“Give it a minute, and you’ll be so busy looking at the scenery you won’t have time to think about anything else,”Justin promised. “Get your camera ready. Everywhere you look is picture-perfect.”
Scott pulled out his phone and stared awestruck at the view of an autumn forest that seemed to stretch on forever, broken only by the clear blue of lakes and ponds.
“See what I mean?” Justin’s pride was clear in his voice.
“It’s gorgeous,” Scott agreed. The photos he took with his phone weren’t intended for publication, but he wanted to be able to provide his photographer with ideas.
They flew in silence for a little while as Scott focused on the land beneath them and Justin kept up a running dialogue, letting him know which sites on the list they were seeing.
“I bet you’re a great tour guide.” Scott felt increasingly more comfortable with Justin as their time together stretched on.
Don’t let him get away,his coyote urged.
“Plenty of practice.” Justin laughed. “Even when I’m taking someone to a camp they’ve been to before, there’s usually somewhere I can point out that they don’t already know about.”
“There’s definitely an awesome view.” Scott mentally included Justin in that statement.
“Always something new to see.” Justin’s tone sounded flirty, but Scott acknowledged that could be wishful thinking.
“How did you get into flying and the guide business?” Scott asked as he continued to photograph the ground beneath them.
“Family tradition,” Justin replied. “My dad grew up going camping around here in the summers. He was a pilot in the Air Force, and then for airlines and private charter flights. When he wanted a slower pace, he bought out the guy who started the seaplane tours here and took over the company. There have been several new planes over the years. When Dad decided to retire, I took over.”
“Then it’s in your blood?”
Justin chuckled. “I guess you could say so. I used to love going to the airport to see Dad come and go. There were plenty of times he let me look in the cockpit and sit in the jump seat. I never wanted the formality of the airlines or the military, and with this, I make my own schedule.”
“You’ve been flying all your life?” Scott wanted to know more about Justin and what interested him.
“Yes and no. Dad insisted that I go to college and get a degree, so I’d have options. Mine is in business with a minor in environmental studies,” Justin replied. “When I graduated from SUNY Plattsburgh, I worked in Plattsburgh for a while and tried corporate life. I didn’t like it.” He laughed again.
“Understandable.”
“I admire the risk Dad took, letting me stretch my wings, no pun intended,” Justin said. “When I came back to Fox Hollow, I could help in the office as well as flying. It’s worked out pretty well.”
“Other than the flying part, that’s a lot like my work,” Scott said. “I’ve worked for companies and colleges, but I prefer picking my assignments and writing on topics that I’m actually interested in.”
“If you can tell me more about the slant to your articles, I might be able to suggest the best locations,” Justin volunteered.
“Warning, if you get me talking about what I write, you’ll get maximum geekiness,” Scott replied. “I get into my topics.”
“I love a man who’s passionate about his work.” Justin gave another veiled double entendre, making Scott even more sure they might share more than common interests.
“Just remember, I warned you!” Scott laughed. “Okay, I’ve got a weak spot for abandoned places. I’m not brave enough to be one of those people on YouTube who go poking around old sites, but I love to write about how things were and what made them go away, and what came after.”
“I enjoy watching those videos, but I always think the people who go into those old factories and abandoned buildings are nuts,” Justin agreed. “Although the stories behind them are fascinating.”
