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An uncomfortable silence followed Annie’s statement. Declan was used to people in his hometown avoiding the topic of his parents at all costs. It was impossible for his mother to be proud of her boys since she had died when he was eight. And he had no clue whether his father felt proud of him or not. Declan hadn’t seen his father since he was sentenced to ten years in prison. Truthfully he wasn’t sure he even wanted to.
Finn recovered first. “Declan is the real deal,” Finn said. “I might have the technical ability, but Declan here has all the heart. That’s a powerful combination.”
Hearing his brother say those words warmed his insides. It was a rare moment when the two of them lifted each other up. So many things stood between them as a result of their dysfunctional past. He used to pray for a better relationship with Finn. Without even realizing it, he had long ago stopped asking God for help in that area of his life.
“Thanks for the rescue, Finn,” Declan said with a nod of his head. “In a few hours, things would have gotten dicey,” Declan admitted. Although he didn’t want to dwell on what might have happened, it was a reality he couldn’t simply ignore.
Finn quirked his mouth. “No problem. That’s what big brothers are for,” he said with a smirk. “Besides, it gave me an opportunity to fly Ethel.”
“Ethel?” Annie asked with a raised eyebrow. “Don’t tell me. You named this plane, also.”
Finn leaned in. “He sure did. Ethel and Lucy are the great loves of Declan’s life.”
Boone laughed and threw back his head. “So that explains why he’s still single,” he said. “I’ve been racking my brain trying to figure it out.”
Declan couldn’t resist laughing along with his best friend. It was funny the way things had worked out. Finn had been itching to fly Ethel for the longest time. Declan had a hard-and-fast rule. No one flew his O’Rourke Charter planes but himself and his employee, Willard, since both were listed on the insurance. Today Finn had found a loophole in the policy, and as a result, he’d been given the opportunity to fly Declan’s cherished plane.
His brother had learned to fly at the same age as he had, and in his opinion, Finn was just as good a pilot as he was, even though he’d long ago decided he didn’t want to fly planes for a living. The plan had always been for him and Finn to open O’Rourke Charters together, until Finn had bailed on him at the last minute. Declan had been forced to scramble to get the funds together to live out his dream. Thanks to Boone and the Prescott family, Declan’s dream hadn’t gone up in smoke.
Finn’s betrayal still stretched out between them like a live electrical wire. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
His older brother had been letting him down for most of their lives. Declan considered himself a fool for ever truly believing that he would come through for him. Finn had always had one eye on the nearest exit out of Love. Declan had given up on the idea of his brother ever putting down roots in their hometown. He’d come back for a few months, then fly off again on his latest adventure. He was a lot like their father in that regard. Finn never wanted to plant roots anywhere.
“She flies like a dream,” Finn said with a nod of his head. “I expect you’ll be wanting to fly her back.”
Fly her back? Fear slithered through Declan at Finn’s words. Just the thought of getting into the cockpit again made him break out in a cold sweat. It was such a foreign feeling to him to be nervous about flying, but he couldn’t ignore the emotions roaring through him. Terror. Nervousness. Suddenly he was right back in that desperate moment when Lucy had fallen from the sky and he had been in a life-and-death struggle at the controls. Everything had happened so quickly. He’d barely had time to react.
What would have happened if he had made a single misstep? He shuddered. Finn was studying him, a look of curiosity flickering in his eyes.
“Nah,” he said with a shake of his head. “Why don’t you fly us home, Finn? I didn’t get much sleep last night,” he said. Finn’s eyes widened. Boone gaped at him.
“Seriously?” Finn asked. He let out a loud cackle of delight. “I never would have thought you’d let me fly Ethel home.”
Boone eyed him suspiciously. “Are you sure that you didn’t hit your head in the crash?”
“I did not hit my head. I’m in perfect health, which is fairly extraordinary, considering we crash-landed in no-man’s-land.” Declan asserted.
Boone clapped him on the shoulder. “It’s time we head home. You need some food and some rest, not to mention some time to process everything that’s happened.”
“I’m fine,” Declan said, knowing as soon as the words left his mouth that it was far from the truth. He wasn’t fine. The crash had changed him. Just one glance in Ethel’s direction had his heart thundering inside his chest. He prayed this feeling wouldn’t last, but for the life of him, he couldn’t imagine ever wanting to fly her again.
* * *
During the flight to Love, Annie couldn’t help but sneak a few glances at Declan. He was seated in the row across from her. Sheriff Prescott was in the row behind them, reclining with his legs stretched out on the seat next to him. Ethel was a bit roomier than Lucy, she realized. She didn’t feel quite so claustrophobic on this plane. Or perhaps she was just so happy to have been rescued that she was viewing things with different eyes.
She might have been imagining it, but Declan didn’t seem as bold and confident as he had a mere twenty-four hours ago. He was drumming his fingers on his knee and glancing back and forth between the window and the cockpit.
He seemed antsy. Preoccupied. Maybe he was wishing he was flying the plane rather than Finn. Perhaps he couldn’t stop thinking about the plane crash. Even though she was slightly nervous about the flight, she hadn’t been the one who had been flying the plane. She couldn’t imagine all the turmoil Declan must be facing, particularly since his flying record had been spotless prior to yesterday. On impulse, she unbuckled her seat belt and went over to sit beside him.
Declan eyed her with surprise. His thick blond hair was a bit tousled, and he had a sleepy expression on his face as if he might need a good night’s rest.
“You looked like you might need a pick-me-up,” she said, her eyes skimming his face. His expression was a tad beleaguered, although it did nothing to diminish him in the looks department.
“I’m okay. Just a little weary. I get a little off-kilter when I don’t get my full eight hours of sleep,” Declan explained.
A hint of sadness hung over him. She recognized it. More than anything, she wanted to make him laugh, to see the spirited side of him that she knew was lurking inside.
“I have a joke for you. What did the pencil say to the other pencil?” she asked.
