AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You know your uncle is terrified of needles…”
“Not every visit to the dentist has to have a needle involved,” Samantha countered, smiling. “In fact, the more cleanings he gets? Then the fewer needles he will see…”
“I’ve told him that repeatedly,” Glory muttered. “Even after all this time, I still don’t get him sometimes. He’ll fly anything – or try to – but you get one needle in the room? Hunter gets all woozy and light-headed.”
“And you don’t fly at all…” Samantha quipped in a monotone voice.
“But I take a needle in the cheek like a champ!” Glory smiled knowingly, winking at her. “Thanks for getting me in, sweetie. Are you coming shopping this weekend with your mom and I?”
“I don’t really need anything…”
“No, but it’s fun to go out, just us girls. It’s going to be your mom, me, Marisol, Delilah and her girls, and…”
“Fine… fine,” she smiled, cutting her off. “You don’t have to rattle off the list of everyone. I’ll go. We are going to the mall?”
“Yep. I already booked a table for eleven seats at the Cheesecake Factory for two pm.”
“That’s a gigantic table.”
“We’ve got a big family…” Glory countered, reaching up to touch Samantha’s face. “You are so pretty, just like your mama – and your uncle.”
“Uncle Hunter would hate to hear you say that,” Samantha smiled, before hugging her aunt. Her mother and uncle were fraternal twins, insisting that they looked nothing alike – even though they did.
“Are you coming over next Friday? Your daddy wants to play cards, light the bonfire, and I know little Faith is going to take one of the planes up to solo for the first time. She’s tried a few times but got scared at the last minute…”
“It’s intimidating sometimes to see the ground rushing up at you,” Samantha admitted.
“I know that better than anyone…” Glory confirmed – causing Samantha to start because she always seemed to forget that her aunt and uncle’s incredible romance started with a horrific plane crash that nearly killed them both.
“I guess you do, don’t you?”
“Yeah.”
“You need to spend more time at the house or with your parents – you don’t always have to hide from the Saxons,” Glory said softly. “They adore you and…”
“Aunt Glory, I really don’t want to talk about Toby,” Samantha said quietly, standing up pointedly. “I love you dearly, but my next client is due any moment and…”
“You don’t want to talk about Toby,” Glory finished, interrupting her this time. “Time has a way of changing people – and it might surprise you at how much.”
“Sure, Aunt Glory. I’ll see you, Saturday – alright? I’ll call mom tonight and tell her I’m going.”
“Good. I love you, kiddo…”
“I’m twenty-nine and a little old for ‘kiddo’,” Samantha laughed.
“Never for me, you aren’t,” her aunt smiled, grabbing Samantha’s cheeks and squeezing them together to make her mouth into duck lips. “And don’t talk back to your elders.”
“I love you,” Samantha laughed, clucking her tongue before hugging the woman. “Tell Uncle Hunter he’s next, ‘cause his favorite and only niece needs the business.”
“I absolutely will!”
4
Tobias couldn’t help the smile and shiver of dread that touched his spine as he spotted the runway in the distance. His parents gifted him a Cessna 150 for graduation from the Air Force Academy so he could come home any time he wanted.
The plane had sat in a hangar while he was stationed overseas, bouncing from location to location when the chance arose. He spent time in Guam, Japan, Iraq, and Alaska.
His brother, Caspar, was graduating college and his sister, Nicolette, apparently had something to announce – so everyone was getting together for a massive celebration at his parents’ request. They were lighting the bonfire, grilling, playing cornhole, and hanging out.
