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Chapter18
Luke heard Nixon talking to Quinn when they were airborne. He was trying to keep it cool, but there was excitement. They all heard it, and it made him feel good inside. He’d been quiet, eyes on his shoes when they’d first seen him this morning. He couldn’t imagine the thoughts churning around inside the boy’s head. His life was changing and out of his control. He had no reason to trust that Ryker Falls would be a happy place for him, but they’d make sure it was.
“What color do you like, Nixon?”
The boy looked back at him and shrugged.
“Okay, well you get what you’re given then.”
He divided them up and handed the boy the orange ones. Nixon then held his hand out for Quinn to take some. Luke’d done that yesterday. He’d done a whole lot more than that with Captain Harper.
He could see the side of her face, her hands competent as she flew them home. Something heavy lodged inside him when he looked at her.
She was dressed in jeans, a sweater, and vest. He could feel her skin beneath his fingers, and the weight of her breast. She wore her new beanie, and he saw a few blonde curls beneath.
The woman was complex, even though he was sure she’d deny it. I don’t have a lot of friends who are girls. Luke knew she hadn’t said those words for pity, they’d just been fact. But it made him wonder how lonely she was.
“He really likes her,” Dylan said.
Luke looked at Dylan, who sat beside him.
“He feels comfortable with Quinn.”
“Yeah, seems that way.”
“And you really like her.”
“What’s not to like?” Luke said.
“I’m not like your brothers; I won’t keep at you,” Dylan said. “But she’d be good for you, Luke.”
“How the hell can you know that?” He looked at his brother-in-law. “I mean, even if I was interested in Quinn Harper, which I’m not”—liar—“you have no idea if we’d be good together.”
Luke liked and respected his brother-in-law very much. He was one of his people. But this conversation needed to be cut off before it spread, which it would in his family, even if Dylan denied it.
“I’m intuitive and know what I’m seeing. You two have a connection, and I’m not the only one who has noticed. You’re a nice guy, and she’s a nice girl.”
“Jesus, you married men need to get a life and stay out of mine,” he muttered.
Dylan smiled. “You’re awful testy for someone who isn’t interested.”
“I’m not testy, I’m just over the members of my family continually interfering in my love life.”
“It’s called support. We just want you to have the blissful existence we have,” Dylan drawled.
“Right. Of course, that’s it. Silly me.”
“Starting our descent,” Quinn said.
“And this discussion is done.”
“If you say so.”
He only just bit back the need to say, “I do say so.”
Luke watched Quinn, listened as she talked to Nixon, explained what she was doing, and was impressed all over again by her. She was a hell of a woman. But not his woman.
She brought them down smoothly on the Harper runway and taxied to the hangar. Her dad was waiting for them.
