Page 43 of Falling for the Playboy Pilot

“Oh.” I smiled. “That’s very sweet.”

“We are so thankful for what you do, sweetheart. You and your team are the reason I can sleep at night when fire season rolls around.”

“Thank you,” I said, a little thrown by her sincerity. “I’m just learning the ropes right now.”

“She’s picking it up fast,” Cheryl added. “Really fast.”

“Well, if you ever need a hot meal and a cool place to sit, you know where to come. This place has fed half of Reddington Rescue over the years. Sometimes more than once a day. I’m very willing to feed the people that take care of us here in town. We’ve dealt with way too many close calls.”

I nodded with understanding. “I bet.”

“So, where did you come from, Janna?”

“Alaska,” I answered.

“Alaska,” Martha repeated, her eyes lighting up with interest. “Now that’s a place I’ve always wanted to visit. What brought you all the way down here?”

“I’m not from there originally,” I said. “I was working as a bush pilot but my goal was always to get a job doing something more. Something helpful.”

Martha nodded thoughtfully. “Well, we’re lucky to have you. The mountains are beautiful, but I’m always so nervous every summer. It’s like tornadoes in the Midwest. There is no rhyme or reason. Fire strikes anywhere no matter how rich or poor a place is. It’s devastating.”

“I’ve seen it,” I said. “So sad.”

“How long have you been flying?” Martha asked me.

I grinned. “I think since I was a toddler. My dad used to take me up when he did crop dusting on the side. He’s military but he grew up on a farm and was always eager to help out when he was home. When I got old enough, I used to help out some of the farmers.”

“You know, I have an old crop duster out at the farm,” she said casually. “It hasn’t flown in years. We stopped growing wheat and haven’t had any reason to use it. That poor plane has just been sitting in a barn collecting dust. I wonder if it still runs.”

My head perked up. “You’ve got a plane?”

“Sure do. We’ve been thinking about selling it but it’s just one of those things we’ve never gotten around to.”

“Do you think I could see it sometime?” I asked. “I could come out and check the engine for you.”

Martha beamed. “Come by anytime, sugar. Farm’s about fifteen minutes west, just past the big red barn with the windmill.”

“I will absolutely be out there as soon as we have another day off,” I said.

“Martha! The oven is acting up again!”

Martha sighed and shook her head. “Well, it was nice to meet you, Janna. Cheryl, bring her around more often. We’ll put some meat on those bones.”

“I will,” Cheryl said and Martha disappeared into the back.

“I love her,” I said and took a drink of my soda.

“Yeah, Martha’s the town’s honorary mom,” Cheryl said. “She knows all our birthdays, bakes pies for the retirees, and chews out anyone who mistreats a waitress. She’s a legend. And most importantly, she takes care of us. Our crew. She loves to feel useful and her way of being useful is cooking for us.”

“That works for me,” I said. “Plus, she thinks I’m skinny, which makes her my favorite.”

Cheryl wiped her mouth and leaned back. “So. How you feeling? After yesterday? The first time can be intense.”

I paused. The words didn’t come immediately. Not because I didn’t know the answer, but because I wasn’t sure which parts of it to share. And how much she already knew.

Honesty was the best policy. And the airfield was basically a small summer camp. There was no way people didn’t notice my puffy eyes yesterday.

“Intense is the right word for it,” I said. “In the moment, I was scared but it wasn’t paralyzing or anything. It just kind of floated beside me while I did the job. I was totally focused, calm, and everything felt like it was happening in slow motion. I didn’t feel rushed or panicked.”