Page 45 of The Pilot

He had the door open and was halfway to the garage when she met him.

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” he asked a little frantically.

She stared at him for a beat, then grabbed his arm and tried to pull him toward the house.

But Linc dug in his heels. “Talk to me, Harper. Why are you home?”

“Linc, you’ve only got a short-sleeve T-shirt on. It’s freaking cold out here. Let’s go inside and I’ll tell you.”

“Just tell me that you’re all right first!”

“I’m fine,” she said dutifully.

Linc ran his gaze up and down her body, trying to figure out if she was lying.

“Promise. I’m good. Kash too. And as far as I know, so is everyone in your family. There’s no emergency. Now, come on, let’s get inside and I’ll tell you why I’m here.”

Relief made Linc feel almost dizzy. He’d had enough emergencies in his family, but somehow thinking about Harper or Kash being hurt was enough to send him into a full-blown panic. So much for the levelheaded fighter pilot he used to be. His houseguests had changed him irrevocably.

He let Harper pull him toward the house, enjoying her concern and her bossiness. She’d also changed since she’d first moved in. In the beginning, she’d been afraid to contradict him on anything. She was fairly quiet, unwilling to make any kind of waves or change anything in his house.

Since then, she’d become a little more assertive. Making suggestions as to how to decorate and where to place furniture to make rooms seem as if they had a bit more square footage. And she’d been right every time. As a result, Linc’s house seemed more . . . homey. Comfortable. There were throw pillows on the chairs and cozy blankets draped over the backs. He had place mats on his table and decorative towels in his kitchen, instead of the utilitarian ones he’d always used. They were small changes that made a big impact.

But his favorite new item in his house was a picture Harper had gotten blown up for him for Christmas. She’d had it framed as well. An image of Linc and his three brothers out at Lobster Cove, taken at Thanksgiving. They were on the back deck, with the water behind them and their arms around each other. It was hanging on the wall near the television, and it was the first thing he saw every time he entered the living room.

Family was why he was here in Maine. And it was a great reminder of what was important in life. Not the accolades you got at work, not what others thought of you, but being there for those you loved.

As soon as the door shut behind them, she turned to him with her hands on her hips.

“Enough is enough,” she said sternly, meeting his gaze. “I don’t know what’s up with you, but something’s wrong. You’re tense all the time, you’re constantly squinting as if you have a migraine, and you’ve done so much baking recently there’s no way you’re getting enough rest, because I know you’re doing it at night when Kash and I are sleeping.

“I took the next two days off. I thought maybe we could go to Boothbay Harbor. I know it’s the offseason, but there are still some restaurants open, and I’ve already made a reservation at a B&B near downtown. You need a break, Linc. And I think we need some time together too. Without all the distractions we’ve got here, like work, the house repairs, your family.”

Linc was stunned. When was the last time someone had gone out of their way to take care of him? He couldn’t remember. When he was a kid, probably. As the oldest brother, he’d always been charged with watching over his siblings. And he’d moved back to Maine for the express purpose of looking after his mom.

Was this how things were between Britt and Chad? And Marit and Zach? He figured it probably was. They looked out for each other, lifted the other up when needed.

Now that he thought about it, his parents had done the same thing. There were plenty of times when he could remember his dad telling everyone to keep their voices down because their mom was napping. Or when his mom would make a special dinner in the middle of the week for no real reason, except she said she wanted to pamper their dad.

Linc had never been in a relationship where his girlfriend went out of her way to spoil him. He was always the one doing the spoiling. He wasn’t resentful of that, not then and not now, had always simply assumed that was his role in a relationship.

But even though he and Harper were still feeling each other out, hadn’t moved things between them to a physical level, she’d done more for him with this simple gesture than any past girlfriend ever had.

“Linc? Is that okay? I’ve already arranged for Kash to stay with my dad. They both seemed kind of excited about it, which is a relief. This space between us all has been the best thing for our relationship with him. If you want to stay here, that’s okay too. I can help with the floors, which I know you’ve been wanting to get started on.”

Linc stepped toward Harper, crowding her, pushing her back until she was pressed against the wall. He put his hands on her face, his thumbs brushing against her cheeks as he lowered his head until they were only a hairsbreadth apart.

“Yes, it’s okay. It’s more than okay. It sounds fucking fantastic. Thank you.”

She breathed out a sigh of relief. “You’re welcome.”

“Are we leaving today or tomorrow?”

“Today. As soon as you’re packed, actually. After school, my dad will bring Kash over here to pack a bag. I packed this morning before I left for work, my stuff is upstairs. All you have to do is put your stuff together and we can head out.”

Linc didn’t really know what to say. He was more excited for two days alone with this woman than he could adequately express. He could still remember the feel of her in his arms as they slept in his chair. How amazing she’d felt, and how well he’d slept. He still wasn’t sure if it was a fluke or not, but he was looking forward to seeing if she somehow had the magical ability to put him to sleep . . . and keep him there.

But he wanted to be clear about where things stood between them. Didn’t want there to be any misunderstandings. “One room or two?” he asked.